The WEDDING, and other stuff..

Photo from 6/15 - Santa Theresa, Sardinia.

6/20/10 - Mical And Claudia's wedding

WOW!! What a day!

After a final effort to reach SOMEONE at an Italian airport, I finally found out that Cierra's pack is in Alghero, and that since we are driving there tomorrow, we can pick it up then. PHEW. What a relief. I think I will hug and kiss the backpack when I actually see it.

We spent most of the day helping with decorations, name place settings, and trying to help make the whole event happen as best we could. I don’t think I’ve ever been so involved in a wedding that was not my own, and it felt really good to help and to be part of this new international family. I may not have mentioned before how much I value family, community, and feeling “part of” some kind of group effort. I really believe that this kind of involvement is what gives us meaning in life. So for me, to come to such a far away place and being surrounded by people from all over the world, I felt included and was happy to help, despite the stress.

My brother, Mical, married Claudia Canu, who’s family is from Sardinia. Mical is a pretty incredible guy, having been on his own since the age of sixteen when he decided to move out to CA from Maryland as an emancipated minor. He has lived in South Africa, Chile, France, and now he has just gotten a job in Sardinia, so he and Claudia will be moving to Cagliari, Sardinia in August. Having had this connection and experiencing the culture here, I can honestly say I might even consider moving here someday if it works out. But who knows what the future brings?

There were friends and family at the wedding from Italy, USA, France, Norway, Germany, and England. I was able to fully enjoy myself , (finally), having had a phone call from an airport official in Alghero, Sardinia, letting me know that Cierra’s bag was there and thankfully, this is the airport we had to fly out of today. So knowing we would actually be able to get Cierra’s bag was a huge relief and I was able to be fully present for the festivities. The wedding was beautiful and translated back and forth between English and Italian. It was beautiful!! Cierra took some amazing pictures during the ceremony. I decided not to take pictures so I could just enjoy the moment of ritual focused on love and family.

After the ceremony we went to a restaurant and a few of us, Cierra, myself, Sheila and Katia, spent a very harried 30-40 minutes frantically placing name ‘cards”, which were actually leaves we had picked and written names on with a silver pen, and we finally got everyone placed while the wedding party drank wine and had their hors d’oeuvres outside. It was also the coldest and windiest day we had on Sardinia, so everyone was happy to finally come inside and sit at their tables. Cierra sat with a small table of three teens incliding her. One seventeen-year-old girl, Sylvia, who is a cousin of Claudia’s, was placed with Cierra on purpose because she really wants to visit the US. They became friends over the course of the evening and we invited her to visit us in the future. I think they are already Facebook friends. I had a fun evening and loved watching my nephew tear up the dance floor. I had no idea he was such an awesome dancer. I'm sure my brother Lucas has it on video. He also has Cierra's song, which was amazing. She sang with one of Claudia's cousins, who played guitar. It was the perfect bringing together of both families.

There has been a lot going on since the wedding on Sunday. I did hug and kiss the backpack by the way. We were in Cinque Terre, which I have to say is probably the most shockingly beautiful places I think I have ever seen. We stayed in Manarola, and I will post pictures possibly tomorrow night. I have much more to say, but it's 12:20 at night and I'm sitting in a hotel lobby in Maestre, just outside of Venice. The mosquitos are eating me alive here, and Cierra is up in our room asleep. We had a long day of train and bus rides today, ending with a few hours in Venezia tonight. Seeing the Grand Canal, for the first time since I was eighteen, I couldn't believe I was really there and kept saying so to Cierra. I will have to pay more to use the internet tomorrow night, but had to get this posted tonight.

I'm feeling a little homesick. This is not an easy experience, but still one I will never forget. Cierra is a wonderful traveling companion. She continues to impress me.

More tomorrow..

Ciao!

-Jessie