Brava!

My friends from our sister team in central Italy came this weekend. Although I was very intimidated to speak Italian in front of them, the little I did brought great amusement to them. I speak with an "dialect" they tell me - a Northern one! Like a Veronese. Every time I think about it, I'm just tickled. That I belong here. That this is home. That this is my language. I don't even know how to say the word "dialect"... maybe dialecto? Anyway, if I did know how to say it, it would sound like I am from Verona. And that's a really, really good thing.