Benvenuti!

Greetings from Sicily! Everything is wonderful here- sometimes I have to pinch myself to realize that this is actually my life. I arrived on the island last Wednesday after a very LONG flight. My sponsor, the other pharmacist on the base, picked me up and took me out to dinner in the nearby town of Motta.



Motta is a lovely town which during the 1500's was a feudal estate, formed around a large castle built on the high cliffs overlooking the fertile plains of southern Sicily. By the time Amy and I got there, the sun had set and we drove through the dark narrow stone streets to the top of the hill to reach the "best pizza place in Motta". We ate proscuitto and mushroom pizza outside on a small terrace and I drank most of the half-liter of house red wine that we had ordered (Amy's cure for jet-lag!).



Until I find an apartment on the economy, I'll be living on base in bachelor's quarters. It is like a hotel; I have a bed, bathroom, desk, TV, small kitchenette, and access to laundry. I'm near the Commissary (grocery store) and NEX (Wal-Mart type store) as well as the gym and various administrative buildings. For the next 3 weeks, I'll be in Base Indoctrination, otherwise called "death by Powerpoint". Representatives from all the departments/services on base will give a lecture to all the new sailors on base, talking about what they offer, policies and procedures, etc. After that, I'll start my new job!



Hope everyone is well! Until further notice, the only way to communicate with me is email. Once I'm set up in an apartment I should have phone services. Miss you all! Ciao!