In 1955 a wide-eyed Italian child glanced up at the largest ship she had ever seen. In a few hours, she and her immigrant family would leave the Old World on a long cross-Atlantic voyage to the famous lady whose welcoming arms graced New York City's harbor. Before leaving the ship hundreds of hopefuls clung to their dreams while exchanging their cultures--and identities, to a land world famous for its opportunities. Clutching her mother's hand, the small girl remembered little of the day's events except for the customs' official who dismissively tossed aside her Italian name for a strange sounding American one. But a person's name is important--a key marker on the journey to self-awareness. It frames the me inside--or in Italian, the io within. The quest to find her io would take many years, miles, and tears until the adult woman found wholeness through an extraordinary encounter!