I never quite concluded my Italian stories for my blog. I suppose what it came down to was I wasn't interested in writing some sad farewell. Also, I get impatient with telling an entire story. As a writer, I tend towards perfectionism. While as a talker, I tend towards ad nauseam. I probably didn't even use that correctly. Look at me, fighting my perfectionism tendencies!

Leaving Italy provoked a variety of emotions. Leaving Perugia was certainly sad. I had to said goodbye to my six man crew (Amanda, Camilo, Loraine, John and Stephen), my dear friend Cat and my awesome roommate Rachel as while as all the amazing people we had met. We spent our last week together retelling Palermo stories, sitting on the steps drinking prosecco every afternoon, pretending we didn't have a final exam, bombing the final exam, skipping classes, finally going to the gelato places that were open for spring, getting aperitivo, getting dinner, getting drinks, getting in our "last" everything. Last kebab. Last pizza at Pizza Med. Last Dempsey's. Last Luna Bar. Last Velvet. Last night of ridiculousness.

Our last night before the boys left was the night my dad came to Perugia. Amanda, Loraine, John and I went down to Perugia's wine and chocolate themed hotel that Umbra had us all stay in our first night in Perugia. My dad was chipper, despite having missed one of his flights and showing up 10 hours late. My dad got a chance to talk with us a little before he convinced us to pose ridiculously next to the giant fake wooden tub used to wine making. I still need to locate those! Then we offered to drive us back to the city center. MISTAKE.

In classic form, I had almost a heart attack and my dad kept telling me to calm down. I wish I could say I had been overreacting but my friends were clearly nervous for their lives. Someone said, "What's that smell?" And Loraine said, "The clutch!" We took the wrong turn twice, went to the wrong section of the city where Loraine and John politely were dropped off. Amanda decided to stay and coach me and the driver of death (good ol' Dad) off the cliff (surprisingly apt description metaphorically and literally) and back into the city city. THANK YOU, AMANDA. It was horrifying and funny.

I'm pretty sure we spent the rest of the evening at Dempsey's. Dempsey's was, of course, full of people so there was no entertainment lacking. It's hard to remember because we went to the same places everyday for our last week. I keep confusing them. However, I do remember that I stayed with the boys, sitting outside with Stephen waiting for Camilo and John to finish their goodbyes at Dempsey's. Remember that cold little wall, Stephen? I was dying but also didn't want to go. Then John and Camilo walked me home and we talked on my steps outside my apartment for maybe two hours. It was absolutely wonderful. I remember being so sad to see these guys go. Despite all of us being completely exhausted, we continued talking and taking photos.

The next morning we all ran into each other at Umbra dropping off things and printing boarding passes. It still wasn't hitting us. John almost punched the computer when Alitalia (surprise surprise) wouldn't let him check in his and Brandon's tickets. I figured out the problem and put in his passport info, totally in denial that Perugia was coming to an end. ("Oh, I'll just help you print your boarding pass. Do you guys think on Monday we should get aperitivo?") Then we all had our last meal at Pizza Med with Loraine's mom. The boys brought in all their luggage. We looked pretty ridiculous and you could tell the wait staff was annoyed.

Ohhhhh the goodbyes. Do you remember a fun goodbye? Only to someone you dislike who made you eat gross food. "Bye, Auntie Mildred. I'll really miss your salsa chicken." No, I don't have an aunt named Mildred. I do however have a great aversion to salsa chicken, just ask my mother. Our goodbye was quite sad. It was absolutely gorgeous outside as we all hugged each other. The boys were going to Rome the night before their flights to have a last Rome trip. Camilo was headed to Geneva for his UN internship while Brandon and John were heading home. Loraine, Stephen and I were staying in Perugia a day or two more. Amanda was staying in Perugia until August. After getting second or third hugs, the three boys piled in the car, leaving us oddly silent in the sunshine. Maybe I didn't record all the details properly in my mind but that's how I remember it. We parted ways and went each to pack our things.

That night Cat and I got aperitivo and ate cookies with peanut butter for dinner. Afterwards, we met up with Loraine, Amanda, and Stephen for our last night out. We went/danced everywhere and saw everyone. We feasted at an illegal bakery. It was a great last night. My feet were positively aching. I almost walked home from Velvet barefoot, which says something for me. I went to bed, two hours before I got up to pack and clean.

It's amazing what I can do after sleeping 2 hours. I ended up staying awake the entire day, showed my dad my apartment, loaded the car, showed him my university, and brought him to meet Amanda and her beloved bunny. As we drove away from Perugia to Rome, it finally hit me. I was leaving. And I felt completely gypped out of my mourning period. It was so abrupt. I was driving away with my dad chatting with all my possessions in the trunk, never to be in Perugia with the same people ever again. It was too nonchalant of a departure from where I had lived for 8 months.

The industriousness of 2 hours of sleep is always followed by deep emotions flooding the mind. I was physically and emotionally drained but still processing the events. It was like putting all of your rubber duckies in a row while standing in a pond and saying to them "One day, this pond will become a river. Prepare yourselves!" Finally one day, the pond becomes a river and you start freaking out saying "WHERE ARE MY DUCKIES?!!" The ducks are out of your sight, but you are stuck in the middle of this stupid river alone, realizing you should have played more with them or perhaps you should have understood your warning to them better. Or maybe you should just get out of this river and find a damn towel. (I hope you followed that. I hardly did.) Basically, I was so emotional even my recollections described are absurd.

My poor dad was stuck with me, homesick, miserable, sad, angry, underslept Louisa in Rome, the eternal city... Fortunately, I managed to cheer up once we left Rome. I hate that place. We went to the Vatican to see ol' Frank. We ended up standing the sweatiest, tightest crowd of my life for over an hour but never saw him. It was not what we had in mind...

After Rome, we went to Bari which was gorgeous. I love Puglia! Hopefully, I'll write about it soon...