The Antidote to Jet Lag

It’s 4:50 am, and I’m up after my return home from Italy, but my jet lag has been minimal.

The antidote to jet lag is:  have someone you care about have a medical emergency while you’re overseas and they’re flown back to the states for surgery and recuperation while you remain on site to fulfill a contractual obligation.

While I completed my work obligations during the day, at night, I paced my floor like a tiger, anxious to know what was happening at home.  I had limited internet time and connection and I could only receive Verizon’s phone signal at a specific spot in a field.

Now that I’m home, I’m so relieved and I’m finally sleeping.  I may be waking up, but I’m so glad to be where I need to be….home.  Physically, I feel very good.  Emotionally, there’s not much left.  It will take a while to evaluate all that has happened.

After my husband was diagnosed with a detached retina at the Ocular Hospital (a fantastic idea!) in Florence, he immediately decided he wanted to return home for treatment.  He demanded that I remain in Italy and “do my job.”  Of course, at that time, we both thought that he’d have laser surgery with a quick recovery.  We didn’t realize it could be weeks before his vision might return.

We were in Florence when all of this happened.  I had eight students, who paid around $5,000.00 pp for their flights and registration, waiting in Florence for pick up to our workshop in Tuscany.  Our American driver/host/interpreter had just flown over from the US; he was also waiting pickup in Florence. The staff at the hotel where we’d be going was ready to go.   I’d been in contact with my employer to see if they could find a substitute instructor.  Imagine how that works:  find an English speaking watercolor instructor to come to Tuscany at the very last minute.  Since finding a substitute teacher at the last minute seemed NOT to be possible, my employer and I finally resolved that I would teach until Thursday morning, getting in all of my lessons, and then I would  leave Thursday night, returning home 5 days earlier than I’d originally planned.

Here are some pictures from the trip:  the Tuscan landscape from the walls of Volterra; our classroom at San Fedele, a 1000 year old chapel; a window in Volterra AND the wonderful Roman ruins of the amphitheatre there, which was an amazing archaeological find; and, finally, Tuscan poppies.  My final paragraph is below these pictures.....

I did my best to provide an orderly,  professional atmosphere of learning to my students, but I do apologize that I was not in my best form during this 2012 workshop.  I hope each and every student learned a lot, was pleased with their work, had a wonderful time in a peaceful location,  and that they understand that I did my very best.  I thank everyone for their patience, compassion and understanding.