The First Time

The first time I fell in love, I was head over heel for this guy, Fabio, a 14 years-old boy who used to come to my parents' restaurant. He was short, and had a huge, HUGE nose- he was the only one of his friends who was not dating. I was madly, deeply in love with him. His friends used to tell him "Don't worry Fabio, you still have Vanessa!" and I would blush, secretly flattered by the fact they would even acknowledge my presence. Little did I know, it wasn't a nice thing! I had all the symptoms, heart pounding when he'd showed up, secretly looking at him, and run away when he'd talk to me. He was my true passion!! I was about 4 years old. I have had a fling before with Marcolino del Mercato, but nothing serious... that was when I was three.

The first time I've been in love as in way that I was actually trying on his last name after my name, I was 14. It was the low-tech equivalent of meeting on the internet: we were pen pals, a brilliant idea of my 8th grade Italian teacher: she had two classes in two different schools, and she'd bring back and forth letters for each other. I started writing to Christian, he started writing to me, and we clicked! I had never seen his pictures, and I was just amazed by the things he was able to tell me, to write me... he sent me an orchid for my birthday. I had never been treated like that! I was in love. I refused to kiss him, and then I broke up with him. Don't ask me why. It sort of went away.

The first time I kissed a guy "with the tongue" (what? you didn't use to be teenager and inevitable dumb, and writing such silly things on your diary??), I was way past 14. I know, given my early start you'd think it'd take me less, but I was a late, LATE bloomer!! He was a year younger then me, tall, and I found him terribly handsome. We were on the beach, and my knees were shaking. He was such a doll!! He obviously had more experience than me. Oh well! I broke up with him a month later, when the fascination of exploring kissing with the tongue had faded out. And so had the summer.

The first time I hated someone, it was my 5th grade teacher. If you ask me, I possibly still hate her. I loath her, for all the humiliation she put me through, and for her incredibly stubborn attitude, and for the fact she did change me forever. She brought up my cynic attitude, and to some extent she forced me to hide myself in order to be accepted. I hated her, and I hated all my classmates and their incredibly strict code of behavior. For example, I couldn't tell anyone my parents were not married in church because I was at a catholic school, and that would have gotten me expelled. To this day, the most vivid memories I have of Elementary School, are the very bad ones of 5th grade. And that's why I still hate her.

The first time I read an R, I wasn't sure how it was supposed to be done. I was reading Topolino and my Aunt was around. "Hey, Zia Pina... what is this??"- "It's an 'r'"- "oh... rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... so... trrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrree!!!"

The first time I dreamt in English, I didn't understand a word. It was the weirdest thing, I was there, looking at my dream scenery, and I understood nothing of what was going on! It's gotten better since. ;)

The first time I got into a car accident, I was driving. The bike. Who crashed into the parked car. My FriendinChina was sitting on the bike's handle, we were chatting along, and I just went straight on the back of the car. Well, to be precise, SHE did: she slid from the top of the handle and ended up sitting in the car back, after butt-breaking the rear windshield. A classic, I swear!!

The first time I sailed, it was love. The first time I dived, it wasn't.This brings on the next one: the first time I went to the Ocean with the diving class, I got bitten by a sea lion. You heard it right- a sea lion. First time in the history of the Marine Mammal Institute of Monterey Bay that a sea lion attacks a human unprovoked. I got three- 3!!- stitches to prove it!! What do you have??? ;)

The first time I got my period, it was a mess. And it was way after ALL my other friends already had. Late bloomer- I told you! The mental thread connecting these two events is that I participated in one and only one sailing regatta, and I got my first period the morning of. The same day, I managed to get a serious abrasion to my right breast, pretty scary- as I was trying to go out with the... I don't know the English name, trapezio!, for the first time. Oh, so, this one is a multiple one!!- the first time I tried to go out with the trapezio on the day I got my first period while participating in my first regatta, I fell pretty bad on the side of the boat and got a huge scar on my left breast. I had to go to the ER, really!! and you can still see the scar tissue. Actually, my Mum still blames that episode for my... ehm, asymmetry. I know it was already "unequal" before...

Okay, I had some more swirling in my head, but I can't beat the triple one.

The first (and only) time I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with someone, I married him. :)