our first stop in italy

my mom is from a small town called volturara irpina. the town has changed so much since they lived there 45 years ago. they left and moved to the united states for "a better life" when my mother was 12. in volturara i discovered a beautiful family past that i never really knew. while we were there we walked through the tiny streets as they remembered where their farm once stood, they saw the elementary school were they learned to read, and they rode along the dirt filled land were they played and balanced chickens in baskets to get them from one place to another. it was amazing to be there with my family of 5 generations. the only thing missing was my grandfather who worked so hard for his family and who lived the dream that we all have for ours... happiness.















some of the foods we ate in between...







we visited a lot of family living in nearby towns. my grandmother's niece lives on a small farm surrounded by big mountains. it was beautiful.








frequently seen around their town were beautiful rose bushes and flower beds, stray cats laying in the sun, clothes hanging from balconies, and small trucks selling fresh fruits and linens.