Why do we Blog?

I moved to Florence over a year ago and it wasn't until another new American girlfriend of mine shared 'some of her favorite ex pat blogs' with me that I even delved into this whole world. I loved being a voyeur, reading up on everyone's personal experiences. I also admit to keeping a little journal myself, tucked away in files under files on my computer for the past year. Today I decided to officially begin to spew out whatever it is that runs around my head for whomever stumbles upon this to read. Surely, I may bore the hell out of most of you, but what fun to create a bubble of your own where you can choose your own fonts and colors!

I think this blogging thing is going to make me accountable for all my mental round ups. I have been home in Florence for more then two months straight and this is the longest stretch of time since I moved here! I ended up traveling so much for work, I had one foot here and another still in the states (and on occasion China here and there). So, in this time of calm, I have been doing a lot of thinking and reflecting on life here vs the US. It's truly exhausting me and I am practicing my new philosophy of "it be what it be".

FOOD:
Moving here I discovered my inner chef, how can you not cook with all this great fresh food around you? Working from home also allows me to simmer stock for 10 hours. Which I have found is the most gratifying thing I can do for myself these days. After reading everyone else's blogs I admit to feeling completely inadequate as a cook and a lost cause as a baker. I would feel so accomplished to make just one loaf of fantastic bread! Need to write that down as a goal for 2008.

FASHION: Being in the industry I just cannot help but harp on the insane accessory habits of the Italians (or anyone for that matter) Please join my plight in finding the reasoning behind the endless love of the overly, decorated, stiletto, cowboy boot. The man and I have a theory that those girls are just aging some fine cheeses in those things (i mean they'll wear those puppies all through summer...)

FLORENCE/LIVING ITALIAN: Flo is a small city. A really small city...but I adore her all the same. I didn't land here as a complete fish out of water(more like a fish out of ocean and into fishbowl). I had been here a few times, mostly to shop (which just isn't what I remembered it) I am first generation Italian (both parents born down south), I never quite picked up the language at home; mostly bc I just wanted to be American bc we were so NOT American. One of my rebellions was to never speak the language. The outcome of that was a working use of the present tense and an ability to understand about 70% of what I heard. So, this made it easy for me to appear ignorant to all the witchy things the girls would say about me when I first arrived here. That was fun, I still play down my comprehension just to invite people to conduct otherwise private conversations ;)

OH...TV: (this is my moment for a personal confession) I watch too much tv and indulge in American celebrity gossip more then I am proud of. (www.perezhilton.com) It's my escapism and I cannot shake it. I spend way too much money on Itunes and live for my sky....which always has nothing but the simpsons and gilmore girls BUT always comes through with that travel discovery channel. (When oh when will I have that serious cash to build that dream house...)

Wow, I didn't realize I had so much to talk about...