Upstate Update #1 - 15 days to go

It doesn't take that long for me to process data.. yeah right. It's just 10 months I'm putting off this post, not that much. Just 10 months since I won the competition and there are 15 days to go 'til I leave, but I have no freaking clue where the days in between flew.

Everything began with a Facebook pm: "What the hell are you still doing here?!" with an attached link to the mentioned competition - one academic year in Upstate New York to teach Italian. Yeah whatever, it's certainly fake as any Italian competition you can find... I send my cv, I get a call for the interview. Less than a week later, I get a call where they tell me I won. First out of a hundred people. Crap.

What happened since then? Well, let me think. I was thrown into the madness of a Facebook page of which I became admin (topic? Bon Jovi, of course!), thus I met dozens of fellow fans and started collaborating with a guy that became my best friend before finding out we're cousins ("friends are the family you choose", who said that?!).

In the meantime, I passed the six exams I needed to complete my Masters' while teaching English to clerks of a company and giving private lessons too.

Then I taught Italian to foreigners while planning a Bon Jovi tribute concert (surprise surprise) and in the meantime persuading my professor to let me write my final thesis on Bruce Springsteen, New Jersey and... Jon Bon Jovi (seriously??!).

So please forgive me for not writing on my blog(s).

So among all the paperwork for my visa, emails to the American University (called Colgate, but nothing to do with the toothpaste) and bureaucracy, it's August already and I didn't realize.

The last weekend my bonjovian friends (and relative) planned a surprised party on the lake to say goodbye. They came from everywhere and they also planned a private concert with the mentioned tribute band. To my mom's question: "Just saying... why???" I had no answer, since I never expect surprises... especially the good ones! Enough said on the top they gave me as a farewell present: "There ain't no distances for the hearts that care for each other like ours, have a nice adventure Our Friend"... now I'm leaving with heavier bags and lighter heart, "it's ok to be sad" my friend Vit told me. Yeah it's ok, but now I know where I'll be coming back. 

I'll just go, give Jon a hug and I'll see you soon.