I am now a graduate of LIFE...

Now that my first weekend in Paderno has passed, I think I have finally adjusted to living in Italy. Don’t get me wrong, I still miss everyone back in Raleigh but I have fallen in love with this quaint little town.

On Thursday afternoon, I began LIFE (Leadership initiative for excellence) training. I can’t go into much detail, but it was 36 hours of the most intense leadership training I have ever been through. While it could be called a boot camp, the connections I made with my teammates will never be replaced. Saturday afternoon I graduated from LIFE with a Life Breakthrough Achievement Certification after passing both of my final exams. To celebrate, we all went to the Pizzeria for dinner and drinks.

On Sunday, I walked to the Market in Crespano del Grappa with some of my friends from LIFE and neighbors in La Salle. The market was a lot bigger than I expected and had everything from fruit and raw fish to jeans and leather boots. While there, I picked up a lamp for my room, a pair of slippers, and some fruit. There were puppies for sale that were tempting, but I knew it would be impossible (and probably not allowed by CIMBA policy) to keep one in my room.

Last night was probably the most fun night I have had since coming to Italy. After dinner, I went to the Cafe in Paderno with a few girls that live in La Salle. We were going to get some gelato before going to the sports bar. When we got to the Cafe, it turns out that they don’t serve gelato during the winter but instead we met a nice man named Julio who bought us a bottle of Proseco. We sat and talked to him for a while. He is a businessman who grew up in Asolo and has lived in Milan but now lives in Paderno. Later, we went to the Sports Bar (pictured with Mike and Keith), Hotel Bar, and finally the Pizzeria. At the Pizzeria, Kirsten, who is in my Italian class, and I started talking to three older Italian men, just to practice our Italian. We ended up having a glass of wine with them and talking to them for an hour! I just can’t get over how friendly and welcoming the people of Paderno are; in fact, we were invited back next Wednesday for their weekly dinner and drinks at the Pizzeria!
Ciao!