Finding Friends

Some of the most special moments during my time in Italy have not been related at all to the sightseeing that I’ve been doing. I’ve found new friends in unexpected places, and now that I’m looking at how many dinner-before-you-go invitations I’ve gotten for this next week, I’m realizing how hard it’s going to be to leave them behind.

Of course, there is my wonderful host family. Mr. and Mrs. Tanfi are simply amazing. And they have a good right to be: they’ve been hosting Meredith students for about as long as I have been alive. Hannah and I go to their house for dinner every Wednesday, and there is always something to laugh about on the way home. Mrs. Tanfi speaks about as much English as we speak Italian, which is perfect. Hannah and I try to use as much Italian as we can, but sometimes it’s very helpful to be able to switch to English to try and explain something. Mrs. Tanfi keeps an Italian-English dictionary on the table while we eat, which is usually in near-constant use all night. Every time we’ve gone, Mrs. Tanfi has served up a marvelous four course meal (last week she made the homemade jam I brought her into a cake) while Mr. Tanfi keeps us in stitches with his mischievous pranks—he insists on calling wine “Coca-Cola,” for one. The entire family has taken us in. Their son and daughter-in-law live in the upstairs half of the house with their four year old son, Andrea, and always eat dinner with us. We’ve seen baby pictures, wedding albums, and have been promised a home video next week.

Another wonderful experience was one that I had only yesterday. One of my students from the high school invited me to her house for her family’s celebration of Thanksgiving. Both of her parents are American missionaries, and her family is planting an evangelical church in Umbertide. It was such a wonderful experience to be with a big family again; she has a sister and two brothers, and they had invited two other couples with two little ones each. I was amazed at how well they had recreated an American atmosphere…everything from the pictures on the wall to the food on the table (green bean casserole!) to the toys that the kids were playing with. They and their guests welcomed me with open arms…and I needed it after a Thanksgiving away from my family.
Last week was our last time helping teach English in the local schools. Lauren and I were both touched on Friday (I think the only thing that kept both of us from crying was the thought of standing up in front of a classroom of high school students in five minutes) when our teachers produced a Christmas gift bag with gifts for us in it. Our high school is similar to a magnet school for arts and crafts in the US. Our teachers had asked the jewelry making instructor to make us something. The two of us now have gold honeycomb heart charms that were uniquely handmade, and a wonderful remembrance of our “student teaching” experience.