Life in Rome - Buon Rientro and a Dolce Far Niente Progress Report

While my family and friends in the States are enjoying the last sunrays of Summer 2014 this Labor Day, it's Il Rientro here in Italy.This time I am ready!As I wrote earlier this summer, even after all the years I've lived here, I was still resistant to the European way of vacationing. I felt guilty and unproductive.Well, I am happy to report that major progress has been made regarding my efforts to partake in the great Italian tradition of Dolce Far Niente.  I'm not completely out of the workaholic woods yet but these things take time.I went to Siracusa, Sicily for my birthday, staying in the historic center called Ortigia.  The first two days the Internet in my apartment was down, which was a blessing in disguise.  I couldn't obsessively check my emails or read news headlines.When I arrived in Oritiga, I was a one big ball of stress.  By the end of the week, I was so calm not even the chaos at the Catania airport and my delayed flight could wind me up.This calmness was short-lived as it ended by my first evening back in Rome but that's a different story.It was my first trip to this area of Sicily and just what the doctor ordered.  I didn't realize how badly I needed a vacation until I had one. Yes, it was a short one but I still appreciated it.The architecture, design, history, and culture were inspiring.  The food was on another level.  My friend and her family just happened to be staying at an apartment around the corner.I will write more about my Sicilian adventures once I sort through all my photos.It took a few days into my trip for my major breakthrough.  One morning I ditched my itinerary.  I kept my plan to jog along the seawall at sunrise, and then hit the farmers' market after.  That was it.   I'll be honest. At first it was an odd sensation to not know exactly what I was going to do the rest of the day.When Erica called and invited me to lunch with her family at their place I said, "yes" instead of my usual freak out about impromptu plans.It was a glorious day of having a delicious lunch with my friends on their terrace (which had this view),going to the "beach" (which was two block away),reading my books and magazines while drinking a lot of homemade Tè Freddo con Limone Granita,and enjoying the sweetness of doing nothing.I went on to enjoy this sweetness several times during the rest of my trip.  I highly recommend it.