goodbye things, hello minneapolis

It was the first time ever that both of our checked bags weighed exactly 50 lbs each!! We didn't even use a scale since Italy. Simply amazing.

We landed in Minneapolis on Friday morning. So many people were already wearing flip flops and shorts--something you'd never see in Italy this time of year.
We got on the light rail (Hiawatha Line), got off at Government Plaza Station and ventured our way to the hotel. First impression, nice skyscrapers, clean streets, and the head of dead bird on the sidewalk. It was seriously gross. There was no body, just the head...

Anyway, we had three appointments to view apartments on Saturday and I was so stressed about not being able to find one and having to lengthen our stay at the hotel but the third one was the one! The landlord is really nice and they live next door.
It's on the 2nd floor, with hard wood floors, high ceilings, a brick wall, and claw-foot bathtub.  Overall, really cute, excellent location, and internet was included in rent! There's actually a little too much room for what we need and it looks especially empty since we don't have any furniture yet. In time, it will look perfect.

I miss Italy. The trams, the weather, the grocery stores.. The closest "grocery store" is Target. There is a Lund's but that's 30+ minutes walking and a Whole Foods which I'd have to take a bus for. We did see another little store called Oak Grove Groceries..not so sure about that. I miss Shaw's and Price Chopper. Oh, but every Wednesday at Lund's there is 4.99$ sushi!! We'll probably go every week.

It's so hard moving with practically nothing. It gets expensive, too. I had everything we needed at home but since my dad rented out the house and all of my belongings got thrown away/donated without my approval, I didn't bring as much as I thought I would.

It's actually really depressing and get angry every time I think about it. Half of my clothes are gone. Some of them were brand new. All of my plates and favorite cup were gone! My shelving units are still there but they're being used by the tenants. I had a locked safe with Char's ashes and my dad told me that they opened it and threw everything away! Why would anyone throw away a locked safe??? Especially when I was coming home a month and a half later. It seems like I'm getting upset over something trivial, but those things meant something to me and it's just unfair how they had to be thrown away instead of put into storage for 2 months or even outside. I organized everything before I left for Italy so I don't really understand how it was difficult to keep it all together...
I try not to think about all the stuff I don't have anymore but it's hard when you see something and think it would go so well with this and that and remember that it's gone forever.