Piecing It TogetherWhile driving back to the Castello, I was confident now that I could deal less emotionally with my grandfather's death and was beginning to relax and contemplate a permanent return to Tuscany. My mind wandered back to recent events, including my time with Ilsa, and how completely I was being absorbed into the culture my parents left behind twenty years before.
I had unconsciously abandoned many of my American habits, habits that I clung to before for my re-entry into life across the ocean, but now I felt that letting them go was safe. And in letting my American traditions slough off, I felt like my Italian self was emerging. It was an alter ego that I thought was long lost, but it resurfaced with ease and made the thoughts of remaining in Tuscany easier to contemplate.
