30: ANOTHER BON VOYAGE

We had a surprise bon voyage party for Giosy, as she is leaving us next week for Italy. It was held at Kat's condo downtown - it was my first time there and boy was I impressed, both at the place and at her amazing cooking skills. She made us so much good food!!

First we had appies, with my favourite, the baked brie.

She had also set up lovely place settings at the dinner table.

The building has a gorgeous downtown view:

And it even has its own bouldering wall (!!!):

We had THREE desserts: Cupcakes (Rae's contribution), creme brulee, and chocolate espresso pudding.

Why are all my friends moving away? Everyone's living in different cities, countries, and continents now! I miss having everyone in the same city as me. Anyway let's end this off with a poem I wrote.

IN ITALIA

O mio dio Giosy! You are leaving soon

You surely must be over the moon.

Leaving Vancouver and living on your own

In Firenze, in Italia! Where you will hone

Your language skills, your cooking skills,

Your making-eye-contact-with-strange-men skills!

You’ll be such a pro with these Italian men

I bet you’ll have four or five or maybe even ten

Feeding you grapes, and shining your shoes

Wearing aprons and cooking you stews.

They’ll be eating off the palm of your hand

Your Florentine life will be so grand!

I’m jealous of all this pasta and pizza and gelato and more

You’ll be eating so much food your jaws will get sore

While you’re there you have to try a Florentine steak

It’ll be even better than a Dairy Queen ice cream cake

(With extra cookie); My mouth is watering as I write this line

That thick juicy slab of meat, I wish it could be mine…

But don’t eat too much gelato without brushing your teeth after

I know you’re asking, “Why does this even matter?”

Well your teeth will fall off, and then you’ll need dentures,

And you really don’t want that kind of adventure.

Our Eurotrips were the stuff of legend

How I wished they would never end

The travels we’ve done have brought us closer

To a true friendship (you know I’m not a poser)

For the next seven months I will miss you dearly

And I mean this very sincerely

You’re one of my ragazze, my traveling sister

You will never be replaced by any mister!

Your stay in Italy will be so awesome

It’s the time and place for you to blossom.

With confidence you’ll speak Italian that’s perfetto

While drinking espressos, wearing stilettos.

I demand that you keep in touch (hellz yeah I’m bossy)

Ma e’ perche’ ti voglio bene, la mia carina Giosy!