Things I'll Miss + Things I Won't Miss

Let me preface this post by saying that I have absolutely loved living in Europe.  Italy will always hold a special place in my heart and there are so many wonderful things about this country.  As we get ready to leave very soon, I'm beginning to realize just how much I'll miss Italy.  That being said, I'm also looking forward to some of the conveniences that come with living in the States.  And so, a list of things I'll miss, and a few things I'll be glad to leave behind.

Miss:

• Cappuccinos - Italian coffee is just so much better, plus they're way cheaper than in the US.
• Pizza - like coffee, pizza is way better here.
• Traveling all around Europe.
• The history and the old architecture.
• The wine.  Especially getting liter for under 2 euros.
• The gelato.  Holy cow, the gelato. 
• The sweet Nonna across the street, who is absolutely in love with Nixon and always tickles his feet.
• Running trails through vineyards with views of castles (this one is more Donovan, because lets be honest, it's been awhile since I've gone running).
• Traffic circles - yes, they take a little while to get used to, but they make so much sense.  And they're super convenient for when you need to make a u-turn.  

Won't miss:

• Showers barely large enough to turn around in
• Lack of a garbage disposal.  Digging food particles out of the drain gets old fast.
• Not having a dishwasher - this one is not specific to Italy, as many places here do have dishwashers.  Our house, however, did not, and I now despise doing dishes.
• No air conditioning, or AC that barely works.
• Tripping the breaker each time I run two large appliances at once.  I lost count of how many times I accidentally turned the oven on while the dryer was running and then had to go outside and flip the breaker.  
• An oven so small I can only bake six cookies at a time.

Lake Garda

Over the weekend, we took a day trip to Lake Garda to visit a few of our favorite spots one last time before we leave this beautiful country.  Our first stop was in Arco, a cute little town on the north side of the lake that we've visited a few times before.  We ambled through downtown, had cappuccinos and apple strudel, did a bit of shopping, and ended the morning with lunch and gelato before moving on to the next stop.

We gave Nixon a teeny tiny taste of Donovan's pistachio gelato - despite drooling most of it out, he seemed to enjoy it

After a drive along the lake, going extra slow to let the little guy get a good nap in, we stopped in the town of Malcesine.  We've stayed just outside of this town before, but never actually explored within the town, so it was fun to see a new-ish place.  Nixon got to see the water (we were going to dip his feet in, but there wasn't a good place) as well as tour his first castle.

Judging by his face, Nixon may have inherited his mom's fear of heights

Our cue to head home

After a couple hours in Malcesine, Nixon was reaching the end of his rope.  So, we said goodbye to Lake Garda and headed back, thankful we were able to squeeze in one last trip.

The Next Step

Sadly, our time in Italy is drawing to a close.  In a couple short weeks, we'll be flying back to the States, where we'll spend a couple weeks catching up with family before making our way to our new home in North Carolina.  We're sad to say arrivederci to this beautiful country, but we're looking forward to new adventures ahead.

The last few weeks have been filled with packing, organizing, purging, cleaning, and everything else that goes along with a move.  But despite the never-ending to-do list, we've taken the time to enjoy some of the many things we'll miss.

Snuggling with Uncle Ralphie at brunch

Sneaking cake crumbs with Aunt Jessica

Some makeshift baby entertainment while we pack the basement

One last walk around the lake

Baby human and baby swans