I have so many mosquito bites I look like I have the measles. That's one thing that's difficult about living in rural Italy. I'm sure it's not so bad in the cities, much like in Canada. Out here with grass, fields and trees surrounding us, it's an insect zoo. We have scorpions, massive spiders, Daddy Long Legs, mosquitoes, flies, snakes and who knows what else. One downside to living in a two-hundred year old house; there are plenty of cracks. Here you pretty much live outside, even when you're inside. I'm not too excited about creepy crawlers, mostly because I've lived a very sheltered life in clean, new homes, and never had to battle so many insects. One thing I'm learning is that to really be Italian, you have to learn to live alongside nature without being afraid of it. There aren't a lot of scary creatures here, especially considering all the predators in Canada, there's just an abundance of everything!

I'm learning to look before I sit or get into bed and also before I reach into anything. After being here for a while, though, I'm doing it out of habit rather than fear. I've faced a few scary insects and come out unscathed, which is helping me to calm down. Just like anything, there's nothing to fear but fear itself. Besides, I have a big strong husband who rescues me whenever I scream.