Nights like this

Palermo, Sicily

June 18, 2020

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It’s on nights like this. Actually, tonight it’s a bit brisk. Usually it’s on nights where it’s a bit warmer, the desert wind that blows across the sea warms your skin despite the fact that it’s dusk.

It’s on nights like this, where I sit on my balcony and listen to the voices emanating from the houses in the alley. I hear seagulls, and see them too; the sea not far but just beyond our view.

When I look out, I see rooftops, and antennae. And a sliver of the sky.

In my house I am alone, but on nights like this I wonder about the nights to come. I wonder about the night in the future, when I will stand on my balcony, a different one perhaps, but mine, and I will listen to the voices from the other houses, all of our windows open to take in the air. And then, those thoughts may be interrupted by voices from within my home, the home that I have made here. I am no where near settled in yet. I have just scratched the surface of this incredibly vibrant city, a city that is as much made up of its streets as of its souls.

I missed going outside. Now, I cherish the connections, even the little “ciaos.” But thing about the little things, even the smiles hidden under masks, is that, with time, they become the important things.

When I walk down the street, even simply to go to the supermarket, I can honestly say I have never been more at peace with my life. Nor have I ever been so optimistic when thinking about the future. And with those feelings come an enormous sense of gratitude. For a long time, I have searched for a place, the place perhaps, where I would feel at home.

I’ve found it. And I’m here to stay.

love,

greer