IT'S OFFICIAL- I AM THE NEW "DESIGN TO SELL" HOST!!!

Well, the chemistry test went well and Friday I got the job!!!----and guess WHEN I have to move to Atlanta? now.
No time to grieve L.A.
no time to pack...
no time to do anything but to look at HOW COOL OUR TEAM IS and practice my southern accent.
This is the new team for DESIGN TO SELL on HGTV!!!
2 Realitors, 2 carpenters, one designer and one host!!
We tried to be serious for a second, but it didn't last long......
But now I DO have to get serious because I have to head south RIGHT AWAY!!
Yes! We will redecorate homes in Atlanta and help them sell on this crappy market---reconstructing and building and making homes pretty to then SELL!!! Making southern homeowners prophets everywhere!!
But first---where will I live? What will become of my 67 inch tv-L-shaped couch, surround sound and my cathedral ceiling L.A. apartment?? What will happen to my room mate? Will I keep this place and get a place there?
I guess they can cancel "ms. adventure" but they can't cancel THIS ADVENTURE! :)

Well, I knew my life was going to change but I had NO IDEA how much and in such a short time. I was flown to Hotlanta and was spinning from italy and no sleep.
Yet, when I met everyone on the "design to sell" team they all greeted me warmly and were so fun and friendly I woke right up. The designer that I had to have the chemistry test with was a HOT HOT man who was a harvard and yale graduate in architect, in his spare time modeled for Hugo Boss and Gucci and oh yeah, my FAVORITE PART----has been on the cover of like 41 romance novels. Yeah, I think I can force out some chemistry----
we had a BLAST during the filming---had a great party after and then I was off to see the only person I had known from Atlanta--Jeff Hix--a good friend of my best friend shawna ---I had met him once before and we really hit it off.
He was playing in a band (wow surprise surprise I hit it off with a musician)
So we celebrated my future move and I danced to his music so inspired by his talent and proud of the city the universe would be placing me in.

DESIGN TO SELL?

Coming home to a CHEMISTRY TEST?

Now I failed chemistry in highschool so anything similar scares me-----so when I got the message from my agent the DAY I came home that HGTV was interested in me hosting a show called "design to sell"
but that they FIRST had to fly me to Atlanta to film a chemistry test with the designer (to see if we had chemistry on film) I thought---I knew it! my life is going to change and I'll have a great hosting gig here in L.A. Finally!! So what that "Ms. Adventure" is over--Maybe this is my new big hosting gig!!! When do they want me to do this? Next week? 2 weeks?
"No Reenstra--they need you there tomorrow"

"But I was in Atlanta yesterday on a 4 hour lay-over from Italy-----I have to go back there TOMORROW? I can't have chemistry with no sleep and major jet lag!!!"

"You want the gig or not Reenstra'
"well, yes of course."
"You'd have to move to Atlanta you know"
"GULP. really? Atlanta? Me? I'm california. Everything about me screams california--I Love the ocean and the mountains and the fake people,fake tans, fake hair...oh and I just got a great apartment with a great roomate and a 67 inch tv and couches and bed and...and...and..'
"You want the gig or not Reenstra"
" I have CATHEDRAL CEILINGS!! And it took me months to get satelite and connect my surround sound!!!"
" Gig or not reenstra. Im over this conversation"
"Atlanta???"
"Yep."
"Thats not Atlanta California is it."
"No reenstra. Atlanta georgia. You want the...
'I know I know....yes I want the gig."

Broken footy

Well it was true after all. There he was crippled but happy to see me. We communicated the most we could with neither of us knowing that much of the others language---so we went where no words were needed--outside to watch the Sunset, ---which by the way, was perfectly designed to be brilliant and glowing up the sky---God's going away gift -----then we sported our intelligent look that fool people into believing we know stuff.
After the sun went down, he ordered (wouldn't you know it) PIZZA and we watched footy. (not his broken one) (it means soccer) Which I thought the perfect way to end my adventure of italy.
As I fell asleep on his couch I mentally prepared myself for the reality that I would have to face the next day---L.A.----somehow I think my life is going to make a HUGE change ----there is no way I can have a trip like this and have it not effect every part of my life-----
So I say goodbye to my marcos, kamil, bus people friends, Italian wine, gelado, and cappuccino, old man from norway, Mistro, and of course the Pope.

roman around.....

Well, turns out I didn't get stood up by a man who could not stand up!
I finally called MArco 2 again.......he answered and in his broken italian said
"Raqual, me accident, hospital, no good" ACCIDENT?? HOSPITAL??
So I did what any italian speaking tourist would do---I handed the phone to a stranger and asked him to talk to marco and translate to me what happened. Apparently Marco tripped that day and broke his foot---he was in the hospital all day and can not walk so he wanted me to take a taxi to his place so we could still see each other.
Wow---of all the excuses, this one was pretty good, if anything I had to see it for myself- so I said goodbye to Rome, and as you can see I walked right up to the famous spanish steps in the rain---with no umbrella---feeling the rain pour down and was grinning ear to ear. I was not stood up after all. And as soon as I climbed the steps I would be on my way to Marco 2 right on the beach. Goodbye Rome--thank you for the best trip I ever had.

Almost over....

So it is coming to my last day in Rome. Marco 1 has left and after a few days alone I promised I would spend the last day with Marco 2. He is the Marco I met here in Rome a few weeks ago. So I awaited his arrival. He was supposed to pick me up at 11:00am in Rome. I waited. And waited. No Marco 2. The weather fit my mood as it was pouring down rain. I felt very sorry for myself being stood up on my last day in Rome---with no place to go because all of the hotels were booked. I attempted to call him, but there was no answer.
I walked the streets and sat at a cafe and ordered my final Pizza and glass of wine. Even in the rain, all alone, Rome is romantic. The cobblestone streets shine with the new rain and people continue to stroll with the umbrellas, unaffected by the weather.
Then all of a sudden an old man sits at my table. Right across from me. "Is anyone sitting here?" he said in some accent. "no" and that was all he needed. I had ordered water in a glass and he began to drink out of it. I was shocked and entertained at the same time. Who breaks THIS kind of personal space?? He was from Norway and asked me why I was in Rome. Good question--- I wanted to say -to heal a broken heart, to get sense of adventure and independence back, to get over my year of turmoil and loss, and maybe hook up with an italian or two. But I just ended up saying-" I LOVE TO TRAVEL" he nodded his head and said "Ahh yes- the life of a free spirit" and that was it.
He ordered a beer and we both sat in silence in the rain as I ate my pizza and he drank his beer (and my water.)