UPDATE: Ticket saga resolved. Resume normal life.
My frenetic one-night, 60-euro round-trip to Florence Sunday was not in vain: my ticket was successfully changed, and only with the promised $50 fee. Happily, the trip gave me the chance to catch up with some old friends, spend a few more hours in Florence (unfortunately quite rainy), revisit Fiesole, and eat a pizza–with anchovies (acciughe…my first time ever.)
This morning, it was back to the grind…making use of the free wifi (only until Mar 31) aboard my snazzy FrecciaRossa train from Florence to Bologna (leaving every hour on the hour, you get there is just half an hour, and the video screen on the train even tells you what platform your connecting train will be on.)
Sadly, now that my return date is set for April 19, I have to confront the reality of going home, and the fact that I’ve come to like it here in Parma, even though it took me a while to understand that it could never repeat the experience I had in Florence.
What will the future bring?
When Nutmeg Met Basil 
return date? returning back to the States date? Il tuo soggiorno in Italia finisce fra poco? Che peccato! Sembra che tu sia appena partita!
I know Melissa…I am so sad, especially because I am just getting used to living in Italy and spring is just starting, plus Easter treats are popping up everywhere! Anyway I have a feeling I’ll be back soon!!
I can’t believe the end of your time in Parma is getting so close, but I’m glad you’ve had a good experience, and I hope you continue to savor it.
Per what the future will bring . . . ah, the ubiquitous question! 8 and a half more weeks until I embark, direction-less, back into the world!
Thanks Kelly! Good luck with everything…I know you have a bright bright future awaiting you! Think about where we were at this time last year. Can you believe everything we’ve experienced? Especially that life-changing trip to the Corning Glass Museum…who would have guessed??
I miss you, and hope to see you soon!!