USA was my first trip to a foreign country. The Andrea Doria Ship sailed from Naples to New York in the spring of 1953. The Statue of Liberty was awesome for an eleven year old and I got more excited as we came closer to it. Coming from a small mountaeous village from central Italy was indeed a contrast to New York City but so adventurous.
The port was amazing with all the ships and cargos. I thought the Naples port was huge but the NY one was overwhelming. So many people and so much happening. The tall buildings were unbelievable. I kept looking up and up. There were helicopters and planes higher up. The sounds were so knew and so was the smell of the air after breathing the pure ocean air.
When my mother and two sisters got in a cab with our uncle I kept looking all around me and wondered how we did not get in an accident. People were all over and it was so noisy. None of us knew a word of English and my uncle had forgotten most of his Italian since he had immigrated as a teenager and never returned to Italy. My aunt was born in the USA. My cousin and his fiancee' had taken Italian in Fordham so they acted as the translators. Somehow we managed with lots of laughs. Everyone was hurrying everywhere and we did too.
We stayed a couple of weeks in the Bronx in a large apartment and visited many relatives we had in New York City. They took us all over. The escalators and elavators were new but intrigueing for me. The skyscrapers fascinated me and the subway. Seeing people from all over the world made the history and geography I had studied in school come alive. I was a little scared in the elevetator with such new faces but I got over it. The sounds of their languages was like a music I had never heard.
The Empire State Building, The United Nations, The Museums, Central Park, The Hudson River, Radio City, and so much more were so exciting to see. Modern Art was totally new to me and while I was fascinated with its shapes and colors, I couldn't make much sense of it. The Rouquettes in Radio city were fascinating and they looked so tall.
Shopping at Macy's and other department stores was a lot of fun. The clothes were so bright and colorful as well so very different. Our realtives kept buying us so much but I was unsure I wanted to wear such clothing. Good thing we were going by train to Ohio since our trunk and suitcases were totally full. We had to buy more suitcases for the gifts.
The TV and phone in the house were unusual for me. I occasionally went to a movie in the village and phones were in a public place to use rarely. The phone kept ringing and people kept talking in their homes as well as watching TV. I was impressed to see President Eisenhouer on the news every day. He seemed so strong and powerful so I felt secure in my new country.
Our relatives cooked home cooked meals and sometimes we went out. They kept telling us to eat and drink but we were used to eating regular meals and rarely snack. My mother and the three of us were all slender. It seemed that people ate all the time here in New York City. The smells and tastes were very different. People ate so many sweets and I just couldn't get myself to even try most of them. Icing was just too much for my taste buds! Sweet potatoes was sure a new taste. Meat and fish was served twice a day and this was totally new. Drinking pop and juices was strange. Good thing our relatives were understanding if we didn't eat or drink much.
We took a train to Ohio and the landscape was so flat with not so tall buildings as well as different kinds of homes. Many trees had bloomed and we saw some flowers. Our grandfather with many relatives welcomed us upon our arrival in a western suburb of Cleveland which was so much smaller than New York City. As we drove from the station to Grandpa's house it was not so busy or noisy. Our new home was in a very quiet residential neighborhood. Everything was geometric and flat. For a month we had company nonstop since many of our relatives and friends had moved there. While company subsided after a couple of months our house generally had visitors. It seemed that I had forgotten how it was to have silence.
Grandpa had a Ford and it was fun going with him doing errands. The cars were so big and strong and they were everywhere. Relatives and friends took us many places but what fascinated me were the amusement parks and carnivals. Lake Erie was so much smaller than the Adriatic or Meditarranean. The water was not salty but it was fun going to the beach.
When we went to Chicago in the summer for three weeks to stay with relatives we understood and spoke some English. I enjoyed going in a city again but after all the sightseeing for three weeks I was glad to go back to our quiet neighborhood in Ohio.
America was a big country and I would have plenty of time to see it. The first country I visited became my home. While everything I saw was exciting, the happiest moment was when I walked in my classroom in the fall. I loved school in my village and I knew I would love it here too. Mrs. Martin played the piano and she was an excellent teacher. There was so much to learn and every day was a new adventure.