Home a month from tomorrow...

Exciting and depressing at the same time. Exciting because we finally get to see everyone again, finally get to eat homemade food, hang out on the internet without worrying about time running out or time adding up, get to watch DVDs, hell get to watch anything other than CNN International or BBC news (which are rife with ads to visit any country other than the US, I am so sick of falling asleep to the ''incredible india'' ad - they just made it into space, we did that decades ago!), and get to sit on a couch. However, it is depressing because I havent been stressed out since mid-March, for a whole bunch of reasons, and pretty soon we will have to figure out what to do with our lifes post-trip.

Anyway, a lot has happened since Tommy ''the toolbag'' Tourist graced us with his presence. We left Tommy in Rome with my parents, and both departures were very sad. Not only did my parents provide us with our very own economic stimulus package (Sports Illustrated, meals, cocktails, accomodations, drinks, car rentals, you name it and it was subsidized in some way shape or form - thank you again so much!!), but they also provided us with our very own emotional stimulus package. After about 1,500 hours of one-on-one conversation, it was nice for Lindsay and I to rave about Obama\Biden and bash McCain\Palin with someone else, to discuss the second coming of the Man himself in the form of Jimmy Clausen (and Sean, he's from California so he's definitely supporting Obama, not McCain like Mr. Quinn), to discuss the animals from home that we love (and some that we sort of love\loathe) so much, to exchange tips on where to go in Greece (and which beaches to avoid in Paros, did we decide on avoiding the nude beach or not?), to opine on the best gelato to get... among many other topics of conversation. It was so great to see familiar faces and we miss you both so much. We miss our traveling buddies!!!

And that includes Meg, who I never got to write a post about. We had such a great time with Meg, even though it was very short. We did manage to pack plenty of food, tourist sites, wine, an argument (that lasted all of 2 minutes and was forgot in 3), gawking over the Michaelangelos David and various things about him, cliff-noting our way through the Uffizi art museum, and a hangover all into a few days. Our only regret is that you couldn't tag along for the rest of the trip!

As for Tommy, he has undergone a bit of a transformation. We had some visitors in Rome, Maggie Moore and her friend from work, Stacy, and Lindsay wouldnt allow Tommy to hang out, especially since we were going to be going to some nice dinners. After pleading with Lindsay that a techwick shirt, cargo shorts, and hiking boots should be standard dress for any restaurant and losing the argument, Quadruple T (or ''QT'', nice) decided to retire his wardrobe for an indefinite period. A freshly showered, khaki pants and sweatered QT (that really doesnt work, lets stick with Quadruple T) joined the party for a great dinner in the hip Trastevere area at a restaurant where Maggie got to drop a name of someone she worked with. We thought that the combination of the instant credibility associated with a name drop and Lindsay's perfectly spoken ''That was heavenly'' in Italian (unavera bonte i think) would be enough for a free dinner, but unfortunately it wasnt. It was still an incredible meal though and we enjoyed a great time catching up with Maggie and getting to know her friend Stacy over the meal and some wine at a cool wine bar afterward. Hope you guys had a great Sunday in Rome and if for some reason you dont survive the Goldman job cuts that were just announced, come back and join us!!! Cuz unemployment rocks!!!

After leaving Maggie and Stacy, we took off for Capri, a small island just an hour ferry ride off the coast of Italy. What a nice change from the chaotic Rome! We enjoyed a few days of relaxation on the patio of our B&B, where we could watch a beautiful sunset over the sea. We also did quite a bit of hiking along the coast and actually explored the ruins of Tiberius' home, that was on cliff overlooking a part of the sea where Tiberius would toss guests that he didnt like very much. Luckily, we received far better treatment and wish we had more time there. Most of our exploring took us along small walkways in between different vineyards and houses that were scattered all over the small island. It was the perfect place to get lost for a few days and I can see why these people never want to leave. Oh, i almost forgot to mention that we took singleperson chairlifts up to the highest point of the island that gave a jawdropping panoramic view of the island, my first chairlift in shorts and a tshirt. What an experience!

From Capri, we boarded a ferry to Sorrento. The highlight of our trip in Sorrento was our trip today, that involved renting a SmartCar (which is really a toy plastic car with a lawnmower engine) and driving along the Amalfi Coast with stops in Positano, Praiano, Almalfi and Ravello. Breathtaking, exhilirating, and terrifying describes it best. Breathtaking and exhilirating views of the mountains, coastline, and cliffs plunging to the sea. Terrifying hairpin turns along 2-meter wide roads packed with buses along cliffs plunging to the sea. And, of course, the scooterists (or ''nats'' as my Dad liked to referred to them) loved to pass whenever they felt with no warning, of course. I found myself looking in my rearview mirrors almost as much as I found myself looking straight ahead at the road in front of me. I even dished out my second bird of the trip to a Mafia-type who couldnt understand why I wouldnt take a 90-degree turn at 90kmh like he wanted me to. Yes, Quadruple T has made the transition from Tommy ''The Toolbag'' Tourist to Tommy ''The Timid'' Tourist (because of his driving) to Tommy ''The Should Have Looked Before Bird-Dishing'' Tourist. Lets just say that I plan on changing our hotel reservation tonight just to be safe.

Anyway, tomorrow, it is off to Athens. We are sad to see Italy go but cant wait to start eating like regular humans again. We will share pictures as soon as we can...hope everyone is doing well!!!