Me and my roomies in at a wine tasting in Cagli, Italy. This was pre- BEDBUGS!

... little did I know, I didn't too much have a say in the matter.

I am often reminded that there is a first time for everything.

First time to Italy...

First time eating horse (yea, horse!)...

And on my first night in Cagli....

...I was welcomed by more than just our host family. Lying in the dark, dank crevices of my mattress were thousands of quasi-microscopic creepy things waiting to feast on what I treasure as my arm.

It wasn't until the beginning of the last week, when their presence became rather obvious. By the end of the week, my right arm, right leg, and the left side of my face became breakfast, lunch and dinner for the bed bug nation, and all of its allies. I deduced it to bed bugs immediately - since the bumps seemed to only magically appear when I was asleep. And not just a few bumps... I'm talking hundreds....

I also got to experience my first trip to a non-American hospital. Mr. Dr. Person tried to tell me I had measels... then he changed his mind and said I was allergic to strawberries. I don't know how they study medicine here in Italy, but that seemed like a really far-fetched, unwarranted diasgnosis. Particularly because I have been eating strawberries since I was in the womb. Then when I told him what I thought it was, he agreed and wrote me a perscription. What?! And I needed him for what?

At any rate, I, along with my roomies who also experienced the blind attack, threw up the surrender flag and moved out of our quaint Italian apartment (quaint being an overstatement). We were moved into a different (and much cleaner) apartment, where we have lived since Sunday.

I am recuperating well... still a bit itchy on my arm and face... but the swelling is going down and here's the best news... no more bed bugs.

God bless America. I am officially homesick.