I am majoring in love.

After my dear Jeanne died 4 years ago, I thought for a while of living abroad for 6 months. In English-speaking countries. Ireland. Wales. Scotland. Iceland. Australia. New Zealand. Tahiti. I’d pick out a different country each year. I thought I could do it. Practically. Economically. Pretty much getting by on my social security and pension. Well, as it turns out, I’m living part-time in Italy. On the island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea. Because that’s the way life unfolded. So nicely. I have a new true love. A Sardinian. That I met. Maybe by accident. Maybe by design. Something fated. I’m inclined to believe the latter. So I’m in my third month with her. And this summer she’ll join me in Minnesota. And next winter I’ll be back with her in Sardinia. This time for closer to six months. Of course, Italy isn’t an English-speaking country. But I am making do. And I am committed to learning the language. Decently. If not fluently. And it helps that my true love is bilingual. Actually, she teaches English and English literature. Anyway, I’ve been living my dreams. All of my life. And I’ve been learning all along. About love. That’s what I am majoring in. Love. –Jim Broede