Thinking about moving back

We have been visiting here in the States for two weeks now and it's time to post some thoughts.

We're seriously planning to leave Sigonella after this next school year and return to our homeland. It has been a wonderful time but, as most of you know, the pain of being away from my children and grandchildren weighs on me every day that I'm there. However..........

When we're in Sicily I do not miss the US. I very much miss family and friends but not the States. Not the television shows (ours are very limited), not the speed of life, not the shopping.....well, maybe the shopping just a little---the variety of stores. So far the only things I have found that I really miss is the song of the cardinal and Jonathan apples.

Now I never thought I would feel this way and am ashamed to say it........until I think of the reasons.

We live in a cocoon over there. We get to enjoy the pleasures of living in Europe and the "paradise" of Sicily without actually having the struggles of being anything but observers. We can live in our wonderful little villa, visit England, France, Germany, Spain, or any other area of Europe on a weekend trip. We can shop in town or not, not being dependent upon the prices of the high prices of food (Bob paid $7.00 for one medium-sized fish for us to share the weekend before we left for the States). We can speak the language or not and get by, etc. etc.

At the base we enjoy many if not most of the pleasures of living in the States, shop at the base stores for familiar brands, eat at several familiar spots (Applebees, Subway, KFC), go bowling, watch current movies, go to a well-stocked library, get our car maintained or repaired. We even have carnivals and community celebrations for American holidays like Fourth of July, Easter and Christmas. And all in a clean, well organized, safe environment. All the pleasures........

The first (and even the second) year we were at Sigonella, I wondered how anyone could stand to be away for 15 to 30 to 40 years like some of the teachers at our school.

Now each day I am confronted with at least one circumstance that makes me miss Sicily. I'm beginning to wonder if I will be able to come home. I am completely spoiled.