Closing my Italy chapter

And so another chapter in my life draws to a close. That sounds fairly ominous… and in a way it is. My grandmother died the day after Easter Monday, marking the end of an era for the McClimonts, and a new chapter that none of us were quite prepared to face. It took me completely by surprise and left me shocked and shaken. The end of her steady, loving presence on this Earth was difficult to process alone, away from my family, so I caught a flight back to the UK three weeks earlier than my original travel plans.

Last week, after a 10-day quarantine, I managed to say goodbye to her in the chapel of rest. The day after I attended the funeral, said a few words, read out a poem, and finally I started feeling some sense of closure.

But this post isn’t all doom and gloom. I left Italy behind in a rush, but it was an experience I valued greatly and will never forget. My second time living abroad reminded me that bureaucracy in mainland Europe really does suck. Jokes aside, my internship in Padua rescued me from a winter in the UK lockdown which would have driven me nuts. I was also living, for the first time in my life, only half an hour away from my family in Venice. Seeing them more regularly and spending time with them alone, enabled me to bond with them as an individual and grown up, rather than as Sandra (my mother)’s, daughter. For both I am immensely grateful.

Here are more pictures of a deserted Venice city centre, from the last time I went:

I’ll miss the cheap but delicious pizzas and 3,50€ spritzes, that are – outrageously – three times more expensive in the UK. But, aside from the food and drinks, someone who deserves a special mention is my oh-so-patient flatmate and longtime pal, Chelsea Owen. When the short winter days and lack of human interaction with people our age started to get me down, we always had each other. She was always there for me, cheering me up and encouraging me when I was riddled with self-doubt. She became my own personal editor, reading through my articles and offering honest and straightforward advice in her characteristically blunt way. Gotta love a bit of constructive criticism, eh? Reminding me of the power of words, she gave me the push I needed to start my own podcast, particularly since she cheerfully accepted to be my first guest for the first episode.

I’m now figuring out my next steps, and as always I’m feeling a mixture of nervousness and excitement at what the future may bring. I’m still trying to adapt to living at home with my family, working out where I fit in, managing my time around home commitments, catching up with friends and job applications. Stay tuned.