Inside the box were eight bars of scented hand-made soap, two stuffed mice cat toys, a ziplock bag of Hersey’s chocolate kisses sealed to prevent contamination from the scented soap, a fountain pen, an extra nib for a fountain pen, and two books; “Book Binding: A Step-By-Step Guide” and “Living the Good Life.”
The nondescript cardboard box, smelling of lavender and lemon grass, left the post office in Sequim, WA, on January 7th and was then sent to the USPS processing center in Takoma, WA, and then to the USPS Customs processing facility in Federal Way, WA, two days later.
After crossing the Atlantic Ocean in the cargo hold of a jet, it was registered in the Central Milan Gateway of Italian Post International Processing facility on January 13th. The box arrived in Piacenza, Italy, on January 14th and was in transit for delivery by the 15th.
For a month and two weeks, the private third-party delivery company, hired by the Italian government to deliver the package, registered the box as in transit, then back to the facility for an inability to deliver. According to the third party company, no one was home.
The box was sent back to the Linate Airport in Milan. Return to sender. For two weeks it was sorted and shipped on a cargo jet back to the United States where it arrived in New York City on March 9th, processed and sent to Federal Way, WA, USPS facility where it arrived on March 11th. The box was then sent to Bremerton, WA, to Takoma, WA, for Federal Customs handling, back to Federal Way, WA, facility on March 25th, and set on the doorstep of the sender in Sequim, WA, on March 25th, 78 days after having sent it to Italy as a Christmas gift.