Il Palio di Siena

So, this morning I stumbled upon a YouTube video of Il Palio di Siena and by coincidence it is taking place TODAY in Siena (of all places!)  If you read the comments, there is much debate over the treatment of the horses and certain foreigners who do not understand the historical significance of this event. I hope by being one of these foreigners that I do not offend, but I find it such a striking and breathtaking custom.

Il Palio di Siena is a horse race that takes place twice a year.  Its origins stem from medieval times and I feel transported while watching il corteo storico, a magnificent pageant with costumes, flags and procession. The race involves jockeys riding bareback around the Piazza del Campo and often results in injury for the riders and horses. The goal of this post is not to discuss  the animal rights issue, but really to recognize and applaud something as cherished as this custom when our world has lost so much of these origins. For a country as rich in history as is the Italian tapestry, I feel they are giving us a great gift in keeping their heritage alive. 

Impatient.

Today I am frustrated. What I have not shared as of yet is that my greatest wish is to move to Italy, or barring that, anywhere in Europe. This is 100% for me and is independent of any guy or romance. My thirtieth year and the break up of my engagement has just opened my eyes to life's possibilities and I want those possibilities to start immediately.

It is easier said than done. I have looked into securing a working visa and it would only be eligible for six months with no possibility of renewal, without coming back to Canada for the months of paperwork should a company wish to sponsor me. The best opportunity is hopefully finding a company to sponsor me before I go there, but this is a challenge in itself. I work for an international firm which is supportive of a transfer when the economy improves, but this will likely be a year at the earliest.  While this is positive, when you decide upon your life's next journey, you want the journey to start right away. 

I have been trying to tap into my networks to see if anyone knows of any European companies looking for a marketing and PR professional. My work primarily involves media relations, business development, press release/white paper/presentation/speech writing and social networking and I was previously involved with advertising, sponsorships, event management, direct mail/email etc.  I have managed most of the communications function, save graphic design, and having worked for a Fortune 500 firm, there is so much I can offer.  I currently manage all public relations for our company's Canada/Michigan/Upstate NY district. 

I guess I am a little lost about where to turn. I am trying the social networking route as well as personal "offline" connections, but the task just seems so large and I lack direction. 

So, this post serves a two-fold purpose -- 1. it is my rant for a frustrating day and 2. if anyone has any suggestions about where to turn, I would be so grateful. 

Monterosso --land of the fair...

Monterosso al Mare is a town and commune in the province of La Spezia, part of the region of Liguria (northern Italy). It is one of the five villages in Cinque Terre. Read more.

Being a fair-skinned, blonde, blue-eyed girl, who no one mistakes for an Italian, I particularly like the following statement:

Historically, many of the villages on the Mediterranean were walled to protect against attacks from the sea. This area of the coast was often attacked by Muslim pirates and Vikings. Viking influence can still be seen in the occasional fair-skinned, red-headed children of the native villagers in the region.

It is good to know that my Danish and Scottish ancestry loved Italy as much as I. 

Who says 'I love you' over Skype...the joys of a long distance relationship

Long distance relationships are hard.  I think any relationship where one needs to get on a plane to see the one they care for is challenging, but make that flight 17 hours and include a 9 hour time difference and it is nearly impossible.  Still, the things one does for love.

S and I quickly found our routine.  I would wake up at 6 am for work (3 pm in Firenze) and we would facebook chat for an hour as I put on my makeup and have my morning coffee.  This quickly became my favourite part of my day and would leave a smile on my face as I faced another day at the office.  We later discovered Skype -- free online video chat -- and this brought everything to the next level. On many occasions S would be online until 3 or 4 in the morning if it was a Sunday evening for me.  We would toast one another with a glass of wine and talk about how much we missed each other. We could do this for hours without it getting old. We never turned to any questionable online "tactics", but even just seeing his movements and mannerisms was so sexy. He is the most handsome and charismatic guy I have ever met.

During this time, S played such a pivotal role in my life. Emerging from an engagement and depression, he allowed me to realize that there was more out there for me. Being thirty and recently single was not the end of the world and he made me feel like I was beautiful, exciting and desirable. It is much easier to get over a relationship when you have someone telling you how much they care for you. He would send me song clips and the most romantic emails -- even considering the language barriers. I once got a postcard with our names written in a heart. It reminded me a little of the paper valentines I would get as a ten year old girl in puppy love, but overall, it just embodied the casual and flirty nature of our relationship.

I have heard "I love you" twice in my life from a partner. First time was my former fiance and the second time was one morning over Skype. Not necessarily the way I imagined it would go, but one has to compromise on their fairy tales under such conditions. He was so cute and shy in saying so. It was certainly the first time I heard "Ti amo" and especially "Te dua" (in Kosovaro). I can't explain it, but I really do love him. I love who he is, how he makes me feel and how he makes me feel about myself.  He is an incredibly caring and special person and while he may be miles away, he is worth the extra effort to make it happen.