Hey Juliette

23:20.September 6, 2011. My Apartment in Florence
So much has happened this past week including but not limited to: the arrival of Lacey, hiking in the Italian Alps and the start of classes. I have things to say about all of these events but I actually feel like I need to talk about something else. I need to talk about this past Sunday. This past Sunday was my two-year anniversary with my boyfriend, Andrew who is currently deployed in Afghanistan. It usually isn’t so difficult to be apart from him on these sorts of milestones because it’s all we’ve ever really known together. However, this happens to be the first milestone where I’m in Italy going through a little bit of culture shock. Am I homesick? Not really but I do miss this man who I have spent the last two years in a relationship with and whose safety I worry about constantly. Yet, I feel this way all the time and I normally don’t let it get me down. Plus, you’re all probably wondering what this has to do with being here in Italy.
Well here it is: This past weekend I found myself in a tourist trap in Verona called the “House of Juliette,” which is a house built to represent the home of the fictional character of Juliette from the Shakespearean play we all know and love. This house was built in Verona because that’s where the story takes place. Honestly, if you’re ever in Verona… you can just skip it, it’s really not that great. What is kind of great is the inside of the archway that leads into the courtyard of the “House of Juliette.” The walls of this archway are covered in graffiti written by people who inscribe their love stories on the concrete. Is it kind of cheesy? Yes but it’s also a little sweet. It reminded me of how classic that story is; two lovers forced apart and desperately wishing they could somehow be together. Believe me, I get it. In fact, I got a little overwhelmed by it towards the end of the day (thankfully I had my best friend by my side who was totally there for me despite her own jet lag and stress). I never really thought that would happen. This blog is called “It’s All Part of the Plan” but I think you all get it by now that life rarely happens to me the way I plan for it. I never planned on getting into a long distance relationship but I’m really glad I did. I never planned on visiting a tourist trap and getting overwhelmed on my two-year anniversary but (this might be surprising) I’m really glad I did because it allowed me to be a little bit vulnerable in this new place and attach myself to it in a way I probably wouldn’t be able to had I just plastered on a smile and pretended it was all okay (though believe me I tried). I’m not about to pull a Juliette over the whole thing because this isn’t a tragedy. I’m seeing the bright side I guess, I believe that love always finds its way, and for now… there really isn’t a more romantic country in the whole world to spend an anniversary in than Italy.