Neapolitan Life as we know it

Wow, it's been quite some time that I've been able to update everyone with the latest and greatest in our lives! We've had so many fun experiences- places to go, people to meet, things to put away, vespas to avoid on the road- it's been madness! First and foremost, it started with the move into the apartment in Posillipo. Posillipo is a downtown residential area which offers full views of the Islands, the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast, and Mt Vesuvius (who we hope does not get angry any time soon!).

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if there is one, most important piece of advice that I could share with anyone before moving to Italy it is to learn the language before arriving. Amidst all of the craziness with Ben's arrival from deployment, the holidays, the wedding, and the move, that is the one major detail I overlooked. Charades and nodding your head all the time simply don't cut it in a region of Italy that is purposely intending to hold on to it's culture. Because we have chosen the full immersion experience of living in town, this has definitely affected us. It's been a huge blessing in the sense that since I hear it being spoken so often around me, I start to pick up on it and am learning more and more every day.

Ben is extremely friendly and has made friends with Max and Carlo, the two polleria owners (rotiserrie chicken place) downstairs, Mario at the cafe/mini store next door, and Roberto at the Italian restaurant down the street. On the days when it seems like no one else in the world understands- because truly, they don't understand you- it is always nice to see the friendly faces to greet you with "Buon Giorno!" (Good morning/good day) or "Buona Sera" (Good Evening) when we walk by their little shops each day. Thanks to my husband we have Italian "friends." And thanks to Google translate on my Blackberry I can type in what we need and have a full conversation. :)

On to the move-in. As pictured in our last couple of blog entries, we live in an area called "Posillipo."
http://www.portanapoli.com/Eng/naples/views-vomero-posillipo.html
Posillipo is a city, well, I guess more so considered a town, within the downtown area of Napoli. It is a waterfront area, complete with views, cobblestone streets, and all of those traditional Italian restaurants and cafes you picture when you think of Italy. All snobbery aside, it is considered the most prestigious city of Napoli and you can see why as you observe the lack of garbage, grafitti, and can simply enjoy the views and the sound of old Italian men doing business and singing "O Sole Mio" in the piazza outside of our terrace. I forgot to mention that we are also located above an "Elletroforno", pizza,pasta, etc restaurant that is VERY popular. It's chaos Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night right outside in the piazza as people from all over Naples meet to socialize and eat pizza. It's almost entertaining that people drive from miles and miles away just to sit in a parking lot to eat pizza and enjoy views. Hmm...maybe Ben and I should charge for access to our terrace:)  We smell pizza through the windows quite often. Thank God we are on the top floor!
And what a top floor it is. I apologize in advance for anyone who comes to visit because I hope you prepare yourselves for the hike before you pull your suitcase up the stairs. It is no joke, I am tired halfway up. We are in an old Victorian building and they don't believe in elevators which means that everytime we go home it is a mini workout!

The movers came the week before last and were red faced and panting when they got upstairs. Hehehe. All I could think about was how happy I was that Ben and I weren't doing the moving for the millionth time in my life especially up these stairs! We took care of them though, and gave them plenty of water, and pizza.

We've been living in a huge mess over the past few weeks but have finally gotten it under control. I am happy to say that the bathroom and kitchen and master bedroom are completely finished but we still have the remaining rooms to complete. Between both of our jobs and activities we've been involved in it's been impossible to devote our weeknights to the apartment. We've been working on it during the weekend and this weekend we are much more relaxed and pleased with our efforts. I've been to Ikea so many times that I'm honestly surprised that I'm not on a first name basis with the workers, especially since I'm the one who never hesitates to ask for the "Sconto NATO" (military discount, 15%!). Thus we've had boxes of Ikea furniture add to the boxes of our household items and it was not a pretty sight. The issue with Italian homes is that there is no storage whatsoever. No closets, no medicine cabinets, not even towel racks. Nothing. Oh, except we do have kitchen cupboards anda crawl space upstairs which was a plus. Therefore Ben and I have had to buy everything- a full wardrobe, set of drawers, under the sink cabinet, desk, everything you can possibly think of. It's been chaos. Nevertheless, it's our first home as husband and wife and we are enjoying putting it together.

At the end of the day, the most peaceful sight is looking out at the water and the islands. It is gorgeous and we cannot wait to bring home outdoor lounge furniture so we can finally entertain.
I refuse to post more pictures until we have our paintings up and the apartment looks complete! Stay tuned...

In terms of everyday life, we've been adjusting well. Since this is Ben's "shore duty" he shouldn't be deploying for the next few years and this job doesn't involve flying. He jokes and says he is "flying a desk." Though I loved working with my brother in law, I had to quit my job due to the evening hours in order to spend time with Ben, and to fully experience Italy and living in Europe. As much as it seems incredible not to be working, it is a transition for me to be completely unemployed. I am making the most of our new life and I love experimenting with new recipes and being able to be stress free. I was a bit surprised that the base is not more welcoming to new spouses but at the same time it really forces you to make the effort on your own. I've met many great people so far and enjoy taking advantage of the outings that the military offers or participating in the cooking classes. I drive into work with Ben very often and am at the base visiting with friends or doing errands probably 99% of the time if you can believe it. I plan to take advantage of volunteer opportunities at some point in the next few months and am looking forward to getting more involved!

It's funny that after we are fully moved in we will probably only be living in town for 5 months or so. The drive to and from work every day is making Ben crazy (and again when you visit, you will see why!) and because I spend so much time at the base it only makes sense for us to be residing there. We hope to have babies at some point in the next few years and if the government is only going to move us at their expense one time then we had better take advantage of the opportunity!

If you are thinking of coming to visit us we encourage you to come within the next few months so you can fully experience the beauty of Posillipo and downtown Naples! My mom is coming next month and we cannot wait to have her here!

There is so much to do here and Ben and I have been doing our best to make the most of it. We went wine tasting with friends last weekend at a winery nearby called "Cantine Astroni". Unlike most of the wine tasting experiences we've had where you simply go to a winery and sample all of the wine- which, trust me, is always a good time- they actually tour the winery with you and explain the process of the wine making show you how the grapes are grown and even share some tidbits of information such as the fact that the grapes have been able to grow abundantly due to the volcanic ash in the soil or that they grow rosebushes among the vines so that if there is an infestation of pests they attach the rosebushes first and give them time to save the grapes, etc. Then we got to enjoy the wine- which was amazing and very, very affordable- and went home with six bottles! We plan to start a wine collection while we're here and learned that the military will transport something like 150 bottles to the States for us when we leave. Tough life, huh? :)

Last weekend we also went to dinner with our friends Jen and Pat in Sorrento. We went to a really cute restaurant called "The Foreigner's Club" overlooking the Amalfi Coast and the cliffs. Sorrento is only 45 minutes away and well worth visiting! This weekend we hope to visit one of the islands, possibly Capri again, or Ischia since the weather has been so perfect.

Life in Naples has been treating us well so far. It is quite different but I can honestly say that it's really forced us to evaluate what is important in life and to appreciate things that we have taken for granted in the past. For example, in the States I used to get in the car whenever I felt like it and go wherever I wanted to. Here, I don't do that. Everything is planned in advance and I have to sum up the courage to get behind the wheel of our Fiat punto first (I think part of that is on account of the fact that the first day I drove by myself I got terribly lost and ended up downtown during rush hour. Yikes!). It's forced me to realize that for a person who likes to move quickly in all aspects of life and go go go I need to slow it down and take it one step at a time. Ben and I have both found friendships in people that we would not have taken the time to get to know back home- simply because of seemingly having nothing in common. Here everyone has one thing in common: we are all blessed with the opportunity to experience a different culture and navigate through ups and downs of it together. When Ben and I decided to accept this duty station we were caught up in the glamour of living in Europe and didn't stop to consider the adjustments that would coincide with it or the fact the when you choose to live somewhere new you will always be faced with adapting to the monotony of routine and daily life. We chose this destination because we wanted to travel and truly be forced with relying on no one but each other during the first few years of marriage. I can honestly say that it has strengthened our relationship already and helped us to build the elements of a strong and healthy marriage. When you make a sacrifice like asking your spouse to give up their job for them to be fully dependent on you financially or learn how to cope with dealing with each other while yelling at crazy drivers on the road and incessant backseat driving there is nowhere to go but up! You learn to appreciate each other's strengths and to lift each other's spirits when they are frustrated with the transition into such a different type of life.

With that, I will move on to the next post to tell you about our trip to Tuscany!