I started trying to pack tonight, so my life is spread out around me in this room. The VHDL books I need to remember to give back to Giorgio tomorrow, the pants my father bought me in Paris, a stack of books my Neil Gaiman and David Sedaris, the silly Sandra Boynton book my mother sent me for my birthday. My US passport, a mini English-Italian dictionary, two AAs and a spare 9-volt for my multimeter, which I need to remember to bring home from work tomorrow. The framed photo the boys gave me.

I doubt I'll show enough emotion at work tomorrow--to make things even more difficult, the boys have challenged me to speak only Italian on my last day. I know the fact that it's over won't really sink in until sometime this weekend, or maybe in trasit to Vienna and Budapest for the holidays. Simo asked me today what I was going to say tomorrow, and I told him I didn't know, that I was terrible at goobyes, and I'd probably just say "ciao" and walk out, trying very hard not to look back. Because there are so many things I want to say, but I can never find the words.