Wow! How extraordinary.

When in Italy, I find ordinary experiences to be extraordinary. Because I am in Italy. And interacting with Italians.  Virtually all my life, my experiences have been with Americans.  And now I’m thrown in with Italians. I like the effect. Because it’s so different. A different culture. A different language. A different politic.  Maybe when I’m around a while longer, everything will seem more ordinary. But I hope not. When I return home to Minnesota, after an absence of four or five months, life there also begins to feel extraordinary.  Because I got used to not living in America. And that makes America seem different. Yes, even extraordinary.  More and more, I am convinced that life is extraordinary. No matter where I am. But maybe it’s because I split my time. Between America and Italy. Living with my Italian true love. On two different sides of the world. Wow! How extraordinary. –Jim Broede