Change of Plans

Well, right now Im sitting in an internet cafe in Perugia, a lovely walled city on top of a hill in Umbria. Things are pretty good right now, but the last few days have been really tough and have caused me to change my plans.
number of times in the past few days Ive been denied a seat at a restauarant because Im alone: 4
number of times in the past few days Ive been denied a seat at a restauarant because Im American: 2
number of times in the past few days Ive almost gotten in a car wreck: approx. 4000
number of women with a baby stroller who (illegally and in great traffic) jumped out in front of my car yesterday while I was in 45 mph lunch hour traffic in Pescara, and I had to jam the brakes to stop 6 inches from her: 1
That was enough for me...
So Ive decided that with the unwelcome reception Im getting, the number of near-miss accidents that flash before my eyes everyday, the simple stress of driving and parking, and the sheer lonliness Im experiencing, Im going to cut my losses short and head home this Sunday instead of Oct. 11.
One week doing this is plenty...any more...Im LITERALLY going to go insane.
This has taught me a lot, about both myself and about Italy.
About Italy:
1. The romantic idea of Italy is just that...an idea. Dont get me wrong, I LOVE this country, Im proud that Im part Italian, and Ive had an amazing erxperience so far and have a few days left. However, the whole romantic idea of driving through Italy, shopping at markets, speaking with the locals, etc that one imagines in his mind is simply imaginary. Modern Italy is frantic, fast paced, the people hate toruists in their country, they all shop at supermarkets now, and the incredible amount of cars has led to a degredation of so many of the beautiful cities here. It is what it is, not what Americans, such as myself, imagine it to be.
2. Driving in Italy is Hell on Earth. I would be having a much greater time if I were not driving...
For those of you reading this under thirty years of age, youll get this, others may not...
Anyway, driving in Italy is a lot like Mario Kart, except you always have to be Toad, or Princess (the characters who always lose bc they have slow, crappy cars). Its a giant race everywhere you go. Every flat surface becomes a roadway and the goal is not to get to your destination safely, but to get there as fast as you possibly can to cross the finish line at all costs. While racing you have to dodge banana peels (pot holes, dogs, German tourists, women with baby strollers) and also dodge the turtoise shells coming at you (Vespas, bicycles, and motorcycles). All the while, you have to watch the screen (GPS) very carefully, because one wrong turn could equal an hour of traffic headaches. Ahh, but its also different from Mario Kart because there is no "Finish Line". When you get to your destination, it begins all over again and you have to begin the arduous task of finsing a parking spot (magical golden star icon, mushroom, etc.)
Make sense?
About Myself:
Ive always thought of m,yself as somewhat of a loner. Ive never been in a real, lasting relationship of any serious length, I have a few very close friends, Ive lived alone for a significant time and will be doing again startin in a few weeks down in Austin. However, Ive never felt true lonliness until this past week. while traveling alone here in Italy...the monumental task of driving alone, staying in almost abandoned campsites alone, not knowing the language of those around me, being deinied a service because I AM ALONE which doesnt help, and the lonliness of being dismissed because of my ethnicity, which is somethign Ive only felt a few times in my life. The first few were concerning my race in college when I was verbally assaulted by groups of minority students for being white, both in the classroom (where it is doctrine) and outside the classroom, where its tolerated...a very strange feeling. The other times were these past few days in Le Marches and Abruzzo. I think that maybe because its not tourist season anymore, the people there feel like they no longer have to accomodate tourists, like its "their time" or something.
Anyway, the point is, Ive learned Im truly not a loner. When Ive been feeling intense lonliness the past few days, all I thought about was my family and friends back home whom I wished I could be with or talk to. It made me realize how dependent I truly am on these people and what a big part of my life they are, because Im truly alone without them.
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Enough of that...at the moment Im in Perugia and its a great place. I had an incredible lunch today (they were happy for my business!). I had the most dellicious antipasti of prosciutto, different chesses, crostini, salami, and brascola cappaccio (I probably butchered the spelling like ususal, but imagine if Italians made beef jerkey...). Then I had some penne with sausage and black truffle cream sauce (not quite diet food). Man it was good, though!
Earlier today I dove through the mountains of Le Marches into Umbria, some of the mmost beautiful, dramatic scenery Ive ever witnessed. Additionally, along the route my GPS took me, I encountered about every kilometer for a 100 kilometer stretch, were tractors along the side of the road selling the freshly harvested potatoes, onions, and garlic. The drive today, although long and tedious, took me almost to that "Italy of my imagination". For a few hours, it was as if I was transported back into a simpler time. It was undoubtedly the most memorable drive of my life.
So, now Im gonna head back to the camp grounds which are about 40 min away and get ready for the night. Tomorrow I head through Cortona to a campsite right outside the city of San Gimignano and I will hopefully visit Certaldo, too, if I have time. The next day is back up to the surprisinglyawesome city of Pisa where I will be staying in a campground which is supposedly 800 meters away from the leaning tower haha. Then on Sunday I head out.
Theres a delay in the lictures because these public computers wont let me upload the pics from my camera to them, and I havent found wireless the past few days to use my own laptop on. So, Ill keep trying the next few days, but worse case, they'll be up Sunday or Monday.
Pray I dont crash my car in the next few days.....