Road Trip and What I've Learned

For the past three days my sister Jackie and I have been traveling from Georgia to Albany New York, stopping overnight in Charlotte with our cousin and in NYC with our other sister, Alex. This trip started out with a flat tire on Alex's car and all day Thursday trying and failing to get it fixed, which ultimately resulted in having to change cars and take my car, but after it got underway it went pretty well. There were, however, several conclusions that I have come to in the last few days:
1) Never trust Pep Boys
2) Driving in NYC is so much fun, except for when your only known route aka the Brooklyn Bridge is closed at 11pm and you do not know where you are going...also I'm a planner and like to know where I am and that I can get home without too many question marks.
3) My back has informed me that it will not take sitting in the car for three days straight without a fight.
4) There is a town in upstate NY called Cocksackie. Not sure they thought that one through.

Packing is not my Favorite of Pasttimes

I'm leaving tomorrow for my trip across the US (or up the US I guess) to NC, NYC, Albany NY, Cincinnati, South Bend, and then Cincinnati again. From there, I'll fly to Venice on September 7. I've been trying to pack, and have failed miserably at being frugal. So far I have sent two suitcases with Marco that I will check on the way to Italy and am now packing a carry on to bring with me to NC and NY. The problem is that I have too good of an imagination and can easily make up all of the scenarios in which I will definitely need every piece of clothing and pair of shoes that I own. And THEN I get fed up with myself and leave the one thing that I actually did need. I am also drawing on the experiences that I had when I studied abroad in Rome, especially the time I realized that I forgot my toenail clippers - I searched high and low for them in the grocery store/super-markets, in the pharmacies, and in countless other places that wouldn't make sense for 2 months. Finally I found them in the hardware store on the other side of the city, right next to the hammers and saws. I love Italy, but I trust what I know in America - and I want to be prepared this time....apparently with three huge suitcases.

Nelle botti piccine ci sta il vino buono.

The literal translation of this is "good wine is found in small barrels" - the Italian version of the English saying "Good things come in small packages." I choose to name my blog this for two reasons. One, because I am not a large person, or even average-sized, I've been told, but I like to believe that my smallness enhances my experience of life. For example, I am about to go to Europe for three months and live in Padova, Italy. One of the reasons I love Italy the most is because unlike America's gigantic products, houses, and food, everything is more Marti-sized. The other reason I picked this name is because I love wine. And I love good wine even more. And I love love love good Italian wine, especially paired with good Italian food in the company of small Italian people...which, if all goes as planned, will happen daily in the next few months. And so I have made this blog to detail the adventures of me, a small person who loves wine, Italy, over the next few months.