Meeting Erica

Most people travel for the fun of it; to experience a new culture, to see how differently people around the world live, act, and speak; and sometimes to find themselves, to figure out who they are and what they want from life...what they can offer the world. I guess you can say I'm one of those deep people who learns something new just by walking out of her front door...just imagine me traveling halfway across the world to learn new things. If you can't imagine it, I look something like a kid in a candy store, staring into every jar with wide, curious eyes, filled with complete joy waiting in anticipation to taste each yummy thing. During these three months abroad, I got lucky enough to not only find myself, but to have found someone else as well.

I first met Erica (oh, and you have to roll the 'r') a little more than halfway into the semester when I went to Pisa. I had gone to Pisa with the intention of meeting an Italian family to see if I would be a good fit for them, working as an aupair during the summer. Of course, that all happened and it went great (minus being a little late...those darn trains!) and I got the job and I'm coming back in the summer, but the highlight of my time spent was meeting this woman.

I met Erica again when I went to Switzerland for a weekend to visit a dear friend of mine. Switzerland is a LOT different than Italy, let me tell you! The streets are organized, the houses are organized, the trains are organized...EVERYTHING IS ORGANIZED!! I fell in love with the snow covered mountains of the Swiss Alps as the evening sun cast it's radiant glow (which, by the way, can be seen from my friend's bedroom window). They took my breath away every time, taken aback by how much beauty there really is in the world. I also fell in love with Swiss bread; it is some of the softest, freshest, most delicious bread in the whole wide world! And no...I'm not exaggerating! I love their chocolate too, but I already knew that :)

My friend, Mara, took me to Bern (a big city about a half hour from where she lives) to show me what their version of a 'big city' is, because being from Los Angeles...well, you get the point. To our surprise, it started to snow! I was so excited, because the last time I'd seen snow I was in Idaho (which was oh, I don't know...six or seven years ago maybe?), and even then I'd never been in snow when it was actually falling. My favorite part of this snow experience was bending my knees, taking Mara's hands and being pulled like a sled in an open square next to their version of a white house. My shoes were slick enough to act like skis, and hers had enough traction to be able to run in snow, so it worked out perfectly. I felt like a little kid should feel, laughing uncontrollably with utter joy and happiness, playing in the snow with my friend, without a care in the world.

Going back to Erica, her presence was in my life once more as I entered the humble abode of Mara and her family. Apparently, it's completely normal for people that live in Switzerland to speak more than two languages, many people speaking four. Now for an American, that is completely mind-boggling because we only grow up with one main language, and of course since the rest of the world can speak English we don't bother learning others. Anyway, I experienced a mish mash of languages, ranging from Italian, English, Swiss German and French, and I absolutely loved it. I can't get over how interesting language is...how there are a million different ways to communicate the same thing. Of course, there are slight differences in construct and meaning depending on the culture, but at the end of the day the understanding is there. Mara's mother could speak [only] Swiss German and Italian, so we spoke in Italian for most of the time, and that's where Erica came in.

I realized that Erica is different than me in a lot of ways; she's more easygoing, more accepting of those different from herself, speaks and understands Italian better than I do, and gets less annoyed at the little things. When Erica is there the energy is light and happy, and the sound of laughter is ever prominent. She knows what she wants and goes after it, grounded, confident, and unfailing; there is a sense of raw power and strength about her. When I first met her in Pisa I was a little taken aback--I had no idea that I would ever run into someone like this, but I am so glad that I did.  

At about this time I'm sure you're asking, who is this chick, really? And at about this time I'll tell you that she is me; she is my alter-ego, my Italian counterpart, my best friend. I found her when Giuglia (the mother in Pisa) told me that in Italian, Heather translates to Erica (with a rolled 'r' :)). My American name is difficult for most Italians to pronounce--well, make that most Europeans in general--because of the 'h' and the 'th', so every Italian that I've met in Pisa or the one I met in Switzerland calls me Erica. I have to admit that I didn't like the name at first, but it's grown on me since I've since then gotten to know this person pretty well.

Looking back at these past three months, I can see and feel how much I've grown and changed. The other day I was reading the first few entries in my journal, and I realized how much of a piss pot I was at the beginning. I complained about almost everything without even being aware of it. I thought I was better than everyone else because I was here to learn Italian and learn the ways of the culture, not to get drunk every night and act like a stupid American like everyone else. But somehow, someway, I let all of that go and changed from an angry and resentful caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly, adapt with vivid colors and wings to fly.

I've met some amazing, generous, loving people and attracted some crazy, trans-formative, healing experiences that I wouldn't trade for the world. Each of these people and experiences have both taken a piece of my heart and given one back ten times over. My heart has grown, my vision has broadened, my love for the world has expanded, and my point of attraction has shifted onto a completely new and exciting level. I've developed a deep knowing that there is no need to fear the world or whatever comes my way, that there is never any need to worry about money, that no matter what my dreams and aspirations are, they can be mine if I trust in the Universe and in myself and get busy doing what needs to be done.

So yes, my three months in Italy are up and I'm coming home to my beautiful and supportive family within 30 hours. But I'm not going back the same. I have Erica right by my side to help me practice my Italian and keep me on track when a tough day rears it's ugly head. I have my dreams to pull me forward, and people in my life to remind me of those dreams when I forget that they can be mine. I have a summer in Pisa to look forward to and friends in scattered places all over the world. Everything I love is here: the culture, the food, the language, the people...minus my family of course. Am I sad to be leaving? A little bit, but it's normal to feel that way when you leave the life you've known for three months, but I've learned that just when I think my adventure has ended, it has really only just begun.