March Homesickness

Three days ago, I returned home (funny how fluid that word has become these past few years) from my second trip to France since we’ve been in Naples. I waged the usual Easyjet battles, trying not to get stomped on as I inched toward the ticket-takers, European arms and legs grazing me on all sides. (On second thought, “graze” is much too generous a word for all that pushing and shoving). I was surrounded by particularly aggressive passengers, and my suitcase got a bit lost in the jumble of legs and bags. Noticing this, the ticket-taker inspected my shoulder, which was bearing an illegal second piece of luggage: my very light, almost empty, foldable purse—easily stored under any airplane seat. (I should have known better and put it into my suitcase, but instead I pushed the luck I had experienced on several trips in the past).

I knew immediately what I was in for. As the other passengers happily moved ahead, I was expelled from the line and asked to consolidate my bags. My overstuffed suitcase did not fit into the little box designed to measure carry-ons. Now I know how Easyjet makes up for its super-cheap fares: they charge you a ridiculous 22 Euros to check a bag at the gate! I protested (weakly), saying that I had measured the bag prior to traveling, but the impatient ticket-taker retorted: “You’ll know for next time.” Thank you, ma’am, but I bought this bag precisely because it was within regulations…and we’ve just ordered another one like it!

I admit it was my fault for packing too much for one trip (but I needed those thick sweaters in a place where snow was still lingering!)… and for assuming the orange-clad Easyjet employees would kindly ignore my “excess baggage.” But that day, which marked four months in Europe, my small battle lost at the ticket-counter magnified something that had always irritated me this side of the Atlantic: the Europeans’ (not just the Italians’) inability—or even refusal—to form a line. And with that, my first real bout of homesickness was upon me. There is nothing like absence to make the heart grow fonder. Back home, we may not have the culinary excellence or the historical monuments Europeans boast of, but at least we are civilized enough to respect a queue!

Fortunately, once I left the airport, I was able to enjoy a few hours of peace and quiet on base. We are extraordinarily lucky to be able to recharge our batteries, so to speak, in a culture that is so different— and often difficult. This past month, spent at school in the company of wonderful locals and foreigners alike, had helped me focus on the many positive aspects of Naples. Still, we are far away from our native culture, so it is normal to have a tough day every now and then. I may not communicate with family and friends back home as often as I’d like, but believe me, you are sorely missed!

Even if I can’t enjoy normal queuing right now— I’d hate to experience the lines at European theme parks— I am thankful for the myriad [American] distractions on the Armed Forces Network: namely, March Madness! We are lucky that, so far, most of the games have been broadcasted. Best of all, we were surprised to see that a certain NIT game against Mississippi State was on yesterday afternoon. I can assure you that for two hours, this couple of faithful UNC alums added to the noise in Naples with their cheering and hollering. Although…did anyone else out there think the officiating wasn’t exactly fair? We felt that, had it not been for all those unnecessary fouls, the game would have been much less close. (We couldn’t believe UNC got blamed for one of the Bulldogs tripping over his own teammate!). But regardless, I was happy to see the Heels get a little smarter and more confident. Yes, we’re a long way away from where we were this time last year, but after a tough season of rebuilding it is nice to see the spark and promise in some of our younger players. GO HEELS!!!

Another sporting event yesterday made me happy to be surrounded by Americans in our own culture. A few weeks ago Alan decided to become an assistant coach for the local Little League. So yesterday morning, I accompanied him to Carney Park, a large recreational area (in the crater of a volcano, no less) for local military families. He spent the morning—a beautiful one with spring in the air—assessing kids as they hit baseballs and ran bases. Here he is poised to replace the baseball on the tee (in many cases, he also had to redress the tee itself!). I wish I could remember some of the cute things I heard and saw on the field, but unfortunately all that stuck with me was one boy ordering his mother to buy him a pizza. Oh, and at one point, one of the fathers circulated with flyers for the Naples Boy Scout Troop. When he approached me, I joked, “Do I look old enough to have a 7- to 11-year-old?” “You’re right,” he answered. “Do you have a brother?” I guess Alan’s not the only one being mistaken for a high-school senior! Overall, though, it was really refreshing to spend the morning outdoors, in the company of so many active children.



Hopefully you are also enjoying more pleasant weather back home, and with that, outdoor activities sans heavy outerwear. Based on this week’s sneak peek, springtime promises to be a lovely season. We are excited to venture outside more and more as the weather warms up, and add to our repertoire of sights seen. After all, we’re nearing half a year over here, and before we know it we’ll be back in the States, homesick for Europe. In the meantime, we’ll be making the most of our time here and looking forward to hosting visitors as they bring us a little piece of home.