Happy Anniversary

A year ago today I met my sweet, funny Bil who now lives 5,000 miles away from me. It's been a great journey so far and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us.

The day we met, I ate Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, Pepporoncini (Garlic, Oil, Spicy Pepper Spaghetti) at the restaurant he worked at. He mixed the sugar in my coffee and I agreed to go on a date with him. I'm so glad I did.


This picture was taken just a few hours after we met.


We had our first kiss near these locks. We never "locked" our love by throwing a key into the Arno, but we didn't need to.


I hate this picture because I hate his jacket, but this is the day I got a makeover at the Mac counter in Florence. He saw me a few hours later and I asked him what he thought and he responded, "you have something in your eye." I love how he gets his English just slightly wrong enough to make for some awesome stories.


This was when we took our first train trip to visit his sister in Pordenone, Italy which is an hour north of Venice. I was scared out of my mind, but had an amazing time. Other than his brother's "wife" who pretended like she didn't speak Italian so she didn't have to talk to me. I later learned that no one likes her, but they all like me. So there!


This picture was taken by Dawn when she came to visit using either her camera or mine.


I went on a field trip the first weekend of November to Parma, Ferrara, and Modena and got to wear this really sexy outfit. Bil sent me the only text message he's ever sent me during that weekend. I cried on the bus like a big silly dork!


We always had a good time.


His sister had the cutest baby ever who we visited twice. Here he is almost new!


He loves to cook and never failed to impress me. Or totally desensitize me by cooking food so spicy I couldn't taste it.


Courtney (who has a new and beautiful baby) came to visit and took a few candid pictures of us including this one.


And this one...where he was rubbing his butt warm.


We went again to visit the cutest child ever. I can't wait to see pictures of him again, man, he's so freaking cute. Bil was so good with that baby that I came back to Florence threatening to steal cute Italian babies to take back to America with me.






I spent a lot of time trying to talk to him at the restaurant without getting him in trouble. Half the time, I ended up eating there. They had pretty good pizza...thanks to Salvatore.


I spotted this graffiti near my apartment.


This picture was taken the day before the day I was supposed to leave.


I miss that man!! I wish I could be with him today on our anniversary. I wish that I had a day to count down to. I wish I had some sense of normalcy, but for now I'll just keep living in the moment.