Day 152

Somewhere between San Francisco and New York. Somewhere between night and day. Some where between conscious and unconscious.

Got to NY at 7ish am. If I was an asshole today, that is why. I'm too old for this. I hated life for the 45 minute cab ride from JFK but walked into our hotel and all was well again. 

I'm obsessed with this place! Coolest hotel I've ever stayed at EVER. From the walls covered with art to the burnt-out rocker hotel clerks, to its storied past, to the shampoo and conditioner. 

Zombies or not, we walked around NYC for about 9 hours. The Italian was in heaven. Every other word out of his mouth was "mamma mia!" or "che fantastico!".  And from my mouth, "Uhh can we paaleease leave time square now?".

Took a ferry to the Statue of Liberty.

Went to the Empire State Building. 

Ate street hot dogs. Got a seizure in Times Square. 

Somehow made it back to our hotel with our limbs hanging on by a thread.

Only a couple more days left, then back to reality. Kinda :)

Day 151

I like waking up in San Francisco. I knew I would. Now I just have to find a place that will hire me. So I can live on this street with this tree.

And drink espresso here.

And make more pictures of more signs. And eat awesome hot cakes.

Stop at other delicious cafes along the way.

Get lost in a new city.

NEXT: Red-eye to NYC

Day 150

Drove back to San Francisco. We loooooove it. Even though we have no idea where we are going ever. Even with 7 maps of San Francisco.

Went to Nick's Crispy Tacos in Nob Hill. 

Neither one of us had the energy to move from our plush red booth so we got more margaritas while I made Pietro make a bucket list. NOT because I'm going to kill him soon for having to stop every two feet so he can take video and pictures and more videos and pictures and MORE videos and MORE g damn pictures. I forgot what he looks like without a camera in front of his face! But I guess I was the same the first time I saw Italy.

We topped off the night with espresso and tiramisu and good conversation. Back to the hotel by 10pm.

We are BEAT. But still loving every minute.

Day 149

Woke up in a seedy motel in San Luis Obispo (just like in the movies!) then took off to find the Pacific Coast Highway.

A   M   A   Z   I   N  G. Jaw-dropping take your breath away make you forget everything kind of amazing. 

Top down. Heat on. Wind in my hair. Ocean on my left. Mountains (and Italy) on my right. Singing classic rock n' roll and the Apple Bottom Jeans song from the top of our lungs. Kept.It.Classy.

Breakfast for lunch.

Drove through San Francisco to Napa. Got in too late to visit any wineries but got some rest and relaxation and Savignon Blanc. 

Day 148

I drove for almost 9 hours strait today while the Italian took photos of himself in the passenger seat and ate all the red vines. Uhh what's wrong with this picture? 

I've always hated driving. I'm a road hazard. I can't read a map. I don't know east from west (sometimes not even right from left). And I don't even know where the button to pop the hood is, or what the fuck is under it.

But something happened on this trip! I LOVE DRIVING. I think I owe it all to my iPOD and GPS and frustrated international driver...

"Why people [drivers] says to me all the time 'fuck you'?"

Later...

Me (at a light when he was driving in LA): Skoot up.

Him: What 'skoot up' means?

Me: OMG stop asking questions just DO IT!

I got off and on highways like it was nobody's business. I merged. I passed semis on a one lane highway. I DROVE AROUND A STEEP AND WIND-Y ASS MOUNTAIN IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE FOR 3 HOURS IN THE PITCH BLACK!!! While singing loudly and off tune. 

I've turned a new leaf. And it feels damn good. 

Day 147

Not only did I drive to Vegas, we made with without ending up in Alaska or Texas. No head on collisions. No police chases. This was a turning point in my life. It's not that I wanted to drive, but I prefered it to repeating everything the gps said 8000 times so that Pietro knew when to keep left on the 15. 

A few new rules we have established. 

No asking me questions after 4pm. If he starts a sentence with "why do", I'm not legally obliged to answer. He's cut off.

Italian Time. This is when I do something like go to the wrong airport or get on the wrong train or accidentally put his memory card in his camera wrong so the pictures don't record. And he needs a few minutes to only speak ITALIAN. And when ask him to translate, he says "you can't even imagine what I just said right now YOU CAN'T". So I don't ask anymore. I smile and sometimes repeat everything for fun. FONCULO!

We got to Vegas just in time for our helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon. It's been his dream to see the Grand Canyon ever since he heard the Dire Straits song "Walk of Life" on a juke box when he was about 10. It was fun to see him so happy. And not swearing at me in Italian.

And it also made realize I want to be a helicopter pilot. I definitely need a helicopter. It was like being on the Jetsons!!!!!

Day 146

Oh Los Angeles. I like your palm trees and your crumbling facades by the beach but that's about it. Ok and your tacos and margaritas but it's kind of hard to mess up a taco. (I know because I've had one every day this week.) 

Venice Beach was disappointingly tame. 

Santa Monica was a thousand shades of blue.

And our hostess had the mostest.

Day 145

Woke up in San Diego for the first time in 12 years. And I loved it. Too much. Walked down to the beach again, put my feet in the Pacific Ocean. 

Then we hopped in the convertible and to relive my childhood. 

Pietro would NOT ride the carousel at Seaport Village. LAME.

Went to my old hood.

Walked around my old high school. 

And my old grocery store.

Drove past my old house. And wondered the same thing Pietro did..."WHY the 'ELL did you leave here??"

Dinner with the fam. 

Then off to LA. All crispy.

Day 144

Started off with another BIG AMERICAN COFFEE. And another croissant. And sun. 

Then torrential downpour.

 

Then sun again.

Took the wrong train to the wrong airport. OOOPS! Ate bad airport food when we got to the right one.

Lost my iPod on the plane.

By some miracle, made it to San Diego. 

Fell in love with my hometown all over again. Made it to my childhood best friend's house. Got to be friends again in person after 12 years. 

Walked down to Ocean Beach for fish tacos and beers. 

 

Went to sleep at some point with a giant smile on my face. 

Day 143

"I want to go get a big American coffee and walk around with the cup like Americans." Shower, pack, then head to the airport for the first leg of our air/road-trip.

Chicago!

Day 142

Pietro woke up with a headcake. And it only got better from there. 

Up at 7:30. To Starbucks (by demand) to plan our itinerary. Walk the city for 8 more hours. Get sunburnt. Get thirsty. Head to Guillaume's for a dinner party. Six people, four languages, two loaves of fresh baked bread. Not a bad Day 1 of my two week tour de america. Tomorrow Chicago!

Day 141

I'm at work, not working. How can I! I have an Italian on the way. And two weeks of city hopping ahead of me.

Day 140

Packing!

Day 139

Julia Child’s first lunch in France centered on Dover sole sputtering in butter sauce. It was, she wrote in her memoir, “the most exciting meal of my life.” (NEW YORK TIMES)

God I hope I'm one of those people who has epiphanies. In Paris. Or anywhere, really. The porto-potty. I just want one. Since I wasn't one of those lucky bastards who knew they want to be a doctor at age 4, it's only fair I have an epiphany. 

Which means eff the comfort zone. Less thinking, more doing. Thinking ruins everything. Thinking never got me very far.

Day 138

Booked overnight train from Bern to Florence. Found hotels in Bern. Found hotels in Florence. Waiting for a vote. (Bear, Reno...where you at?) I can taste the fondue from Gruyere and the tomatoes from Italy already. Seriously. Trip planning makes me SO hungry! 

Only 3 more days until my Italian arrives. So much to do!!!

His response when I asked him what he wanted me to make him for dinner when he arrives:

I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S THE TIPYCAL FOOD IN USA, AND IF YOU COOK LIKE YOU MAKE “CAPPUCCINO” I PREFER TO DON’T HAVE DINNER!!!!

His email to me this morning after email arguing over route/who has to cook for who/music/etc etc:

I am making my baggages, what do you think i must to bring with me? the patience and what else??

Oh boy........... :)

Day 137

Going in slow motion today. I'll pay for this later.

Day 136

Rearrange apartment. Check.

Clean bathroom. Uggghhh check.

Wash a LOT of dishes. Check. 

Start packing for the weekend. Check.

Book convertible in San diego for Coast to Coast road trip turned West Coast road trip. Check.

Try chili pepper dried mangoes. Check.

Get heartburn. Check.

Get confused about trains in Europe. Check.

Get excited all over again. CHECK!

Day 135

My to do list got bigger today. Instead of smaller. Muther.

Day 134

I got a Flip Camera and I'm officially obsessed. 

Day 133

Trying to plan the all-American road trip and the all-Stephanie Europe trip. At the same time. Without making a thousand mistakes. The word non-refundable is SO SCARY! 

Day 132

Today I had to call Niccolo so we could discuss my visit to Tuscany. That might have been the best 11 minutes of my life. 

"Just come to the castle early and bring clothes to change into later for the party."

Day 131

I wrote to the creative director today to let her know that next week will be my last week, as I am about to embark on a couple of "who the ef do I think I am?" adventures. I told her it was great working there and if she needed a freelancer come October, to let me know. She wrote back asking if by October I'd be interested in working there permanently. Ugghhh, if I say no, does that mean you won't let me freelance later?

Cons

• The job doesn't really challenge me.
  
• I am in no way making a positive impact on anyone's life. Not one bit.
  
• It is not in another country.
  
• It's 9-5.
  
• I am afraid of getting complacent and losing momentum and enthusiasm for all of my other projects that I've begun.

Pros

• I like the people. I know, weird right?
• It's 9-5...unlike my previous jobs in advertising that required sleepless nights and "if you're not coming in on Saturday, don't bother coming in on Sunday."
  
• It's easy. Which means I leave with enough energy to entertain all my side projects.
  
• I threw out a number way higher than what I think I deserve for doing a job so easy.
• Health insurance!
• 401K!
• If I don't take this job, I'll only have until December/January until my Cobra goes up to $500+. If I don't manage to convince the winemaker in Tuscany to hire me by then (or find something equally as awesome) I'll have to start selling drugs to make extra money and I really don't want to have to wear a belt everywhere I go to hold all my beepers. 

I am in no way complaining about getting a job offer. I just don't want to go backwards. The past 4 months have been the best, most enlightening and invigorating 4 months of my life. I want to make the absolute most out of it. And I won't be satisfied until I'm doing something that affects other people somehow. If I have to take this job while I continue to find out what that "something" is, that's fine. I just don't want to get complacent or trapped. I never want to feel the way I did before I got laid off. At this point, I think it's safe to say that will never happen again. (I hope.)

Day 130

Watched Michael J. Fox's special on optimism. I dare you to watch it and not cry. And not think "why am I such a fucking baby sometimes?" He said some things that I already knew but it was nice to hear them again. 

Happiness is about connecting with people. 

His message reminded me of an article I read about a 70-year long Harvard study on happiness, in which the ultimate finding was: The only thing that matters in life is our relationships with others.

      

During the next 2 months, I plan on doing a lot of connecting.

Day 129

Putting together a shiny new resume and note for an ad agency that doesn't try to ruin people's lives. They're not exactly hiring and I'm not exactly looking for a full-time job just yet but I just have to write to this place. It was started by a guy who ran and owned companies until hit by a falling tree in the head and spine. After awaking from a long coma, and finding himself in a wheelchair and in need of meaning, he founded this company and set out to help great causes with their branding and communications. Sounds good to me. 

Day 128

It's official. Two weeks after I get back from Road Trip Americano, I leave for Vivir Bien '09. 

//Geneva

//Gruyere

//Florence (for a harvest party IN Tuscany IN a castle WITH the dreamboat that came into the wine shop)

//Provence 

//Barcelona

//Madrid

//Paris

23 days, 22 nights of la belle vie. And once again, I have the recession to thank. And all my new jobs. And all of the people I've met because of them.

Day 127

So my favorite Italian has always dreamt of taking a road trip across America. So he's coming to America. And I'm riding shotgun. For two weeks. Mmmhmmmm.

I must have been VERY good in my past lives.

Day 126

If I believed in ironing, I would sooooooooo get this!

If I ever decide to not elope, I would want my wedding to look like this:

With the strands of little lights. And dancing Mexicans!

Day 125

Cleaning, EVERYTHING.

Day 124

I like.

I like.

I like.

I like.

I love.

Day 123

4  months + 1 day ago, I felt like nothing in my life was ever going to change. Now it seems to change everyday. 

Day 122

 I love my Sunday mornings on the patio at the cafe when the sun is out and when I'm reading a good book about another place. I love love love love love it. I want to do it all over again. 

Day 121

Researching some thingssss...I hope not for nothing.

Day 120

Over-employed. And if feels so good. 

Day 119

I can't sit still. I am too excited. About too many things. 

Day 118

 Vivir Bien '09. Coming soon. 

Day 117

Designing a postcard campaign for the wine place. Then I'm that much closer to getting back to my own projects, I SWEAR!

Day 116

The perfect weather and the 9-5 will not be the death of my side projects and plan Bs. I need some discipline. I'm super good at starting things. Super bad at following through. I don't care if anything comes out of my little endeavors, I just want to finish something I start dammit! I need a personal project manager. I need someone to force me to set aside two hours a day strictly for writing (and scheming). I need to read more and watch more and research more and I need to do it faster. I KNOW what I need to do, I just need to do it. Maybe tomorrow. 

Day 115

The only thing I know is that I don't know nuthin.

And I have to work tomorrow! WHAT?!

Day 114

Doing my most favorite thing ever. Preparing a picnic. I mean being American.

Day 113

Grocery Shopppp. Wine Shoppppp. Feast at Cuchi Cuchi.

Day 112

I 9-5'd all week and I have to admit, I didn't hate it as much as I anticipated. The job could suck easily but the people there are great. And morale is too (from what I can tell). So it doesn't. They asked if I was interested in permanent employment. Yeah, not really. Freelance? Yes, definitely. So I'll be back for more next week. 

Day 111

Three days in and my new co-workers already know that I'm an a-hole with no filter. I think that's a record!