No, that's not me in my profile pic, it's France Gall, a ye-ye girl, that is , a super-skinny girl who sang bad French pop in the 60's and wore the hippest clothes, and who just happens to be one of my girly heroes. One of my favorite songs on my Ipod is called "I Was a Ye-Ye Girl," and I used to sing it to myself, creatively changing the lyrics to "I AM a ye-ye girl."
I'm 28 years old and moved here to Italy when I was 25. I studeid in nowhere small-town Italy when I was 16 and fell in love with the country, the food, the people, and all the other cliches that Americans find charming about this place. When I saw Verona, though, I knew I had to live here. I went from Wall Street after college to Verona, a decision I've never regretted.
I loved my hip little Euro life, living day to day, racing from one English-teaching job to another, drinking too much wine in villas with friends, taking trips to Paris for work, buying clothes with money I didn't have, wearing knee-high boots and short skirts and enjoying a freedom and independence I just never felt in America. I never really imagined family life, getting married, and certainly not children. I just wanted to be a ye-ye girl forever.
I took a pregnancy test last Saturday just so I'd know that I wasn't pregnant (ha!) and that my period was simply late. I fiddled with my Ipod while the test did it's job. The little pink line that appeared was so faint that it caused a moment of panic, but I was sure I was fine. It was oobviously an evaporation line, no? I showed the test to the pharmacist, who smiled and told me congratulations. I glared at her and asked for another test. The pink line in test number two was indisputable.
Everything has changed so much in the last week. The boyfriend is ecstatic. Money now seems like something to be saved. I'm suddenly grateful I gave up alcohol 3 months ago. I'm worried which clothes will fit and for how much longer. I ask myself if I can really be in this situation and if I can really do this without my family around. In short, I wonder what in the hell I've gotten myself into. But I know that apart from the panic, fright, and worry, that I'm happy. I want to meet the little person in there .... I wasn't expecting him/her in the least, but I'm content. Me and my little zygote. :)
But, I promise. I was a ye-ye girl. :)
