Songs for Coming Home

I am going to miss Italy so so much. It will be very difficult to get on the plane and say goodbye to an amazing semester, but there is a little part of me that is ready to go home. Here are a few songs I found that will make it easier. I love these songs:

I'll Be Home for Christmas

Good day...

I normally don't write short posts about one day at a time, but...today has been one of those days where everything just feels right. It started with the delivery of a new washing machine, which is so exciting because our old one floods the kitchen. Next, I went to my drawing class, which is my favorite class. I was finishing up my final project and my teacher stood behind me and said "Ah, Andrea. Brava." I looked at my drawing and realized it really did look amazing. I have made a huge improvement in my drawing class. Feeling good, I went to the central market to buy some fruit. The old man that helped me was so sweet! He pinched my cheek as I tried talking to him in Italian, and when he gave me my change he noticed my purse was open and said "No, no. Chiuda." He gave me a very concerned look and zipped up my purse for me. When I got home, I discovered an extra apple, orange, and a random tomato in my bag. It was such a sweet thing to do. I am having an amazing day...and it is only lunchtime.

Thanksgiving in Italy

As November comes to an end autumn fills the air. The leaves are turning orange with crimson tips, the air is crisp, and the smell of roasting chestnuts drifts along the streets of Florence. The tourists are clearing out, the pace of the city is slowing, and the shop owners are beginning to relax. Elated by the arrival of my favorite season, I almost forget Thanksgiving is less than a day away. The buildings are not decorated with pilgrims and turkeys, the grocery stores are not over flowing with cranberry sauce, and I haven’t seen one child with a handcrafted construction paper headdress. With the commercialism completely removed from one of America’s largest holidays, I am finally able to focus on the significance of Thanksgiving…and just give thanks.

This semester has taught me more than I can put into words. One of the most worthy things I have learned is how grateful I am for the people in my life. Family, friends, teachers, mentors, neighbors, and strangers are what make life…well, life. I want to thank everyone who has touched my life and helped me grow into the person I am today.  Thank you to my parents who give me unconditional love and support, my brother whom I have admired since I was born, my extended family because I know they will always accept me with open arms, and my friends whom I chose to enjoy my daily experiences with. These bonds are what make my life enjoyable, meaningful, and fill me with love. I am thankful for everyone who has loved me and helped me grow these last twenty-one years.

In addition to building a larger appreciation for the people in my life, I have recently begun to appreciate the little things. For example, when my radiator turns on at 6pm, when I wake up to dry clothes on the drying rack, and when I find the bathroom empty on my way to shower. I’m thankful when a waiter notices I am a student and gives me free water, when my first class of the day starts at a museum, and when we finish early enough there is time to grab a cappuccino before my history class. These little things make the largest difference and turn a good day into a great one.

So here I sit, in an apartment in Italy, on the eve of Thanksgiving. I can hear church bells in the distance, mopeds rushing by on the street below, and the voices of excited children coming home from school. Soon my radiator will turn on and I’ll warm up water for tea, the two things I love most about this time of the evening. I might bake a dessert and ponder Thanksgiving a little more tonight, but I realize I have been giving thanks every day I have been here. So, this year on Thanksgiving I am grateful that I get to say… “I am thankful to be in Italy”. 

Updated Food Blog

I have updated my food blog with my first cooking class and will continue to do so until my class is done.

Here is the link: http://florentinefood.blogspot.com/

Hungarian man dancing with one of the girls on our tour...

Violinist in Bratislava

Choir singing in the St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna

Horses from the Spanish Riding School in Vienna

Best of the East Fall Break Tour- Part Two

Day 5: Krakow- We started with a tour of Krakow and passed many historical sites. I loved how relaxed and safe this city felt. It was easy to navigate and everything was in walking distance. When the tour ended we ate a Polish meal of stuffed cabbage, borsch soup, and potato pancakes. We did a little window shopping and ended up at a hot chocolate restaurant. This place was dedicated solely to hot chocolate and chocolate related drinks. I got the gingerbread hot chocolate which was absolutely delicious. We went out again that night, however due to miscommunication about our room key I was locked out of our hostel and had to track the key down at 2am. I was planning on calling it a fairly early night, but it took an extra hour or so to find the key.

Day 6: Krakow- We started with a tour of the Jewish Quarter of Krakow. We stopped halfway through the tour to get bagels and continued to Schindler’s factory. Schindler’s Factory surprisingly had little to do with Schindler and more to do with the history of Poland during World War 2. The exhibit was well done, particularly the uneven ground at the end of the exhibit symbolizing Poland’s recovery after WW2. After the museum I managed to find the matzo ball soup I had been looking for in Poland, and it was delicious! After the soup we went back to the hot chocolate restaurant and I got rose hot chocolate. We had a group dinner at another Polish restaurant, I had borsch in a bread bowl, and we went back to the hot chocolate restaurant…it was my third time in 24 hours.  This time I got the white chocolate and strawberry. Very delicious.

Day 7: Auschwitz- We left Krakow and headed to Auschwitz. The first thing I noticed after getting off the bus was the landscaping. I was shocked because the area surrounding the camp was beautiful…which made the camp even more eerie. It was like entering a cemetery with beautiful trees and grass, but with a very somber and eerie feel to it…very eerie. We walked through the first camp Auschwitz 1 for about two hours with a tour guide. The camp is very difficult to put into words. I almost felt like I shouldn’t be walking around there. So many people tried to get away from that place…I felt very strange about actually choosing to go visit the camp. One of the most emotional parts of the tour was entering the room dedicated to the children. All prisoners that were chosen to live had to have a profile picture taken of them as soon as they got there. There was one picture of a girl not even looking at the camera but at someone off to the side with tears in her eyes. Her expression was one of a broken child. She was scarred and had just lost all her faith in humanity. Her childhood had been stolen from her. It was so heart wrenching, I wanted to go to her and hold her. I wanted to save her from all the evil that had destroyed her world. That was my first really emotional moment among many that day. The second camp we went to was Auschwitz 2, Birkenau. I couldn’t believe how massive this camp was. It contained four gas chambers, rows and rows of prisoner’s cabins, huge work spaces, and many buildings I was unable to identify. Schindler’s List was filmed there, and I recognized many places from the movie. It was very surreal. One thing I appreciate about Spielberg is his use of real people and their real stories in the movie. Our guide mentioned a few of these people and their stories which paralleled the movie. At one point it the tour we stopped at four headstones. In different languages, they said “To the memory of the men, women, and children who fell victim to the Nazi genocide. Here lie there ashes. May their souls rest in peace.” Our guide told us that this was where many ashes were dumped after cremation. She walked off quietly and left us in silence. Nobody moved and there were a few seconds of complete stillness. There were no words to be spoken, but everything was said in that moment of silence.

Day 8: Prague- We did a tour of Prague the next morning. My favorite part of the tour was Lennon’s wall. This is a piece of a wall dedicated to John Lennon after his death. It is constantly painted on and added to by travelers, residents, and advocates for peace. I scratched a peace sign inside a heart onto the wall. After the Lennon wall we went to a courtyard next to the Prague castle and were there at the same time as the Czech president. We were able to stand in line and see him as he walked by. We moved on to see the Prague castle and the Saint Vitus cathedral. After that we moved on to the Bohemian Bagel restaurant and had a delicious meal. We then went to the beer factory where you can pour your own beer from the taps. After naps we all went out for the most delicious brats I have ever had. They are from the carts on the corner of the streets and make the most delicious brats in the world, I am convinced. After the brats we went to a bar and all tried Absynth. It was a bright green color, almost radioactive looking. It burned more than a normal shot, but it had weird black licorice taste to it…when in the Czech Republic…

Day 9: Prague- The next morning I woke up early and decided to explore Prague on my own. I grabbed a map from the reception desk and went on my way. I ended up climbing the clock tower for the most beautiful view of Prague imaginable. After the clock tower I listened to a street jazz band for a few songs, and then I went back to the Charles Bridge and the Lennon Wall. This time I was prepared with two important quotes and added them to the wall. I met up with some other people on the trip for more bagels at the Bohemian Bagel place. We did a little wandering around and souvenir shopping then went out for our last group dinner. We all had a drink down at the bar in the hotel and went back up to pack and prepare for the long ride back home.

Day 10: Home- Daylight savings started this morning at 2am. I have never had to deal with daylight savings before, being from Arizona. Confused and not wanting to miss the bus leaving at 7:30, I set my alarm for 4:30, 5:30, and 6:30am. Finally I went down to the reception desk to ask what time it actually was. We then boarded the bus and said goodbye to the beautiful cities of Eastern Europe and headed back to our familiar town of Firenze. It was a great trip, I am so glad I decided to go. I would have loved to have more time in many of the cities I went to, but I will be back…I am sure of it. 

Best of the East Fall Break Tour- Part One

After my last midterm I hurried home to finish packing for my trip across Eastern Europe. Up to the last minute I had three fans pointing on a few clothing items in an attempt to completely dry them before leaving. After being partially successful, two roommates and I headed to the train station for an all-night ride to Vienna, Austria.

Day 1: Vienna- We woke up in Vienna ten hours later. After breakfast we left the hotel for a guided tour of the city. During our tour we passed many beautiful buildings, sculptures, and even managed to see a procession of horses from the Spanish Riding School. Personally, I think it is wrong to use horses as entertainment and as a means of transportation, but I appreciated being exposed to the cultural aspect of the horses. After our tour we went to St. Stephan’s Cathedral. I have seen numerous cathedrals since I have been in Europe so it takes a lot to impress me… but there was something about this cathedral… it was huge, but not overbearing. It was a very warm cathedral that smelt like vanilla candles and was filled with music from a choir. It reminded me of walking through a scene in a Christmas movie. We then headed over to a restaurant for our first real Eastern European meal which consisted of a beef soup, beef and hash brown dish, and apple strudel. We then headed to the Schonbrunn Palce. We were unable to enter the palace so we walked the gardens instead. The sun had fallen by this point and had cast long shadows across the garden, it was very picturesque. Before sundown we decided to head over to the Riesenrad, a famous amusement park, and ride one of the world’s oldest Ferris wheels. The barn shaped box we stood in with about twelve people all standing up and walking around while suspended in the air was actually pretty terrifying. After the amusement park we went to try to famous Austrian sacher cake. It is a chocolate cake with a layer of apricot jam in the middle, which sounded delicious, but unfortunately it was a disappointment. It was dry and overpriced. Finally we went back to our hotel, met our roommates, and got ready for a night on the town in the Bermuda Triangle reign. This area is full of bars and late night food stands. It was the perfect place for a few drinks, some dancing, and a box of greasy chow-mein to eat on the way home. It doesn’t matter where in the world you are, you will always be able to find Chinese food.

Day 2: Bratislava and Budapest- We woke up the next morning, re-packed, had breakfast and were off to our next country-Slovakia. Basically, it went something like this “Okay, guys. We are in Bratislava, Slovakia. Meet us at the bus in three hours.” We all stood there thinking the same thing…What are we supposed to do in Bratislava, Slovakia for three hours? So we started walking toward a castle and found a beautiful view of the city. We wondered through “Old Town” and ate at a traditional restaurant. I got wiener schnitzel, fries, and onion soup. And that was Bratislava. Onto Budapest. Now, my Italian cell phone doesn’t like it when I switch countries, so by this point my poor phone was having a heart attack. It kept sending me messages along the lines of “Welcome to HUNGARY! It is going to cost you a fortune to use your cell phone here!” or “In case you were unaware, you are in SLOVAKIA! You have an Italian cell phone. We are not a Slovakian cell phone company”. Poor phone. We got to Budapest and checked into one of my favorite hostels. We had 13 girls to one bedroom, but we had a huge kitchen, living room, and dining room area. We shared the space with other travelers and met an Irish woman doing a bike tour and two Brazilian friends traveling through Europe together. That night we went on a pub crawl and discovered that wine and Coca-Cola mixed is considered a cocktail drink in Hungary. It tasted alright, but I prefer my wine separate from my fountain drinks. After an exhausting night I climbed up to the loft and passed out.

Day 3: Budapest- We began with a guided tour of Budapest by the sweetest tour guide imaginable. He was in his 40’s, living with his parents, shy but knowledgeable, and just so very precious. Before we had even gotten halfway done with the tour of Budapest, I was in awe of the city. Somewhere between walking through the beautiful parks covered in orange and red leaves, the light mist that barely touched my face, and the many bodies of water I fell in love. It is by far one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. After the tour we split into our smaller groups of friends to do more exploring. We had lunch at a small Hungarian restaurant and got a lesson in cultural differences. As Americans, we tend to be on the louder side when we eat a meal. Hungarians, apparently, find this very disrespectful. The Hungarian waitress had a serious attitude with us from the time we entered her restaurant until the time we left. Halfway through our meal she even slammed her fist down on the counter and shouted “SHHH!!”. We were stunned and tried to eat as quickly as possible to go elsewhere. We actually ended up getting dessert next door and then spotted a Starbucks around the corner. Even back home I try to avoid Starbuck in favor of smaller coffee shops, but it was fun to order something we all missed from back home. I got a Crème Brule drink I remember getting in the past for the “fall specials”. It wasn’t nearly as good as the Italian cappuccinos I have had, but it was nice to hold something warm. We then headed off to Parliament and it turns out it was a national holiday in Hungary. There was music playing in the courtyard and an elderly man dancing alone to it. One of the girls in my program went to dance with him and he was so excited to have a partner. While we were in the courtyard we saw a special presentation of the flag. Later that night we walked up to the Buda castle which was simply magical. The lights all reflected off the river and the mist that hung in the air gave everything a special glow. It was nothing short of magic.

Day 4: Krakow- We left for Krakow the next morning. When we checked into our hostel this sweet polish woman saw me struggling with getting my suitcase up the stairs and came to help me. She was well into her 60’s but strong enough to carry most of the weight. This made my day. After checking into our hostel we realized we had two bathrooms for all 39 of us. Another adventure. We arrived early enough to grab dinner, so we went out for pierogies. Since Krakow is a huge college town, we went out to explore the night life that night. We ended the night with Gyro’s and McDonalds fries. I am learning that late night food is popular in many countries, especially those populated with college students. 

Fall Break Pics

I just posted pics from my Best of the East tour from fall break. They are pretty much in order. It starts with Vienna until the pic of the mini donuts container, then Bratislava until the pic of the disco van, then Budapest until the night pic of the lights reflecting off the water, then onto Krakow until the pic of the burnt book, then Auschwitz until the last pic of the bunk beds, then Prague until the painted pic that says "And he chose the road less traveled." The remaining pics are all from the cameras of friends and I grouped them together. I'll post more on the trip soon... 

Roma

Last weekend I went on a field trip to Rome and it stole a little piece of my heart. Rome is a beautiful city with the perfect mix of ancient buildings, history, and modern structures. We started our day at the Colosseum and then proceeded to see Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum. We then split up for the day and I went to the Trevi Fountain with a few lucky coins and tossed them in with a few wishes. If wishes come true, this is the place to come to with your most valued ones. Dad, I wished for a pony, so you might want to start getting the backyard ready. Only kidding, I figured I would bring home the baby chicks I found in Lucca instead since they are less likely to eat the trees.

The next day we saw the Pantheon, Piazza della Pietra, Piazza Colonna, Mausoleum of Augustus, and Ara Pacis. We then began to walk to the train station earlier than we had planned since the buses we had planned to take were shut down for the “Occupy Wall Street” demonstration. Luckily, we were able to get on a shuttle that brought us directly into the train station. Since we had a few hours to kill, a few of us went outside to watch the demonstration. While we were there everything seemed peaceful, inspirational, and very powerful. We didn’t hear about the beginning of the riots until we had arrived back in Florence. However, I recently learned that the smoke we saw during the demonstration was not only from the flares but also from the beginning of the riot. Apparently we were close enough to where it had started, but didn’t realize what we were seeing. From what I saw it wasn’t crazy, but I was only there for about an hour and am not a reliable source for what happened during the demonstration. I don’t want to make it sounds any worse or more peaceful than it was. However, I can say with confidence that the people who participated were very passionate and inspired to change their country. I hope the best for them and all the counties that participated in this worldwide movement.

Overall, it was a successful trip. Too short, as always…but I’ll be back. 

A park in the back of Boboli Gardens... a great place to do nothing.

Video of Street Performer

A few things I have learned about Florence

(I would say Italy, but I have not traveled far enough to give an accurate description)…

1. It is customary for the customer to acknowledge their presence upon entering and leaving a store. A simple “Ciao” or more formal “Buongiorno/Sera” is acceptable, but it is rude not to say anything to the employees in the store.  

2. It is against the law to be loud after 10pm. Italians are very respectful of this law…the American college students, not so much.

3. American college students have a pretty bad reputation for getting drunk in public and acting like idiots.

4. The favorite sport in Italy is surprisingly not soccer. It is women. Every female has “the softest hair I have ever seen…the most beautiful smile…the prettiest eyes…the most blah blah blah bullshit.” It is a game Italian men play to get women to notice them. Technically it is a game everyone all over the world plays, male and female, but the Italian men have glorified this game. Although, I have heard it is getting better because the younger generations are disgusted by their fathers for behaving this way and choose not to repeat the same behavior. (It really isn’t that bad being called “Bella” a few times a day.)

5. Everyone has a dog. Florentines are always walking their dogs and letting them pee in the middle of the sidewalk. When you see a wet spot on the sidewalk you know exactly what it is, and know to avoid stepping in it.

6. Everyone smokes cigarettes. This I am pretty sure is an Italian thing.

7. Italians really do talk with their hands. I love watching Italians in the middle of an intense conversation, their hands are everywhere.

Food blog

http://florentinefood.blogspot.com

This is my new Florentine Food blog. There is a link from Finding Florence now up on the right hand side.

Kitchenware, Euros, and Hell

(I would like to preface this post by stating first that I love living in Italy and am having a great time. I am using this blog for multiple reasons, one of which is to provide an outlet for my emotions and to be able to reflect on them later. The following post is one of those expressive posts meant for personal refection (and any family/friends that care to listen). I would now like to state that my blog, this post in particular, will contain references to religion that may be offensive to some. My intent is not to offend, but to express my views and thought process. I recommend not reading the next post if you are easily offended by this sort of thing.)

After an entire month in Italy, I finally had my first difficult night. It began when one of my roommates came home to announce that she had purchased a variety of kitchen items and expected us to supply funds for them. Previously, our kitchen had been fully stocked by the institute with necessities and even a few luxury items such as a pasta sauce maker and a stove-top coffee gadget. In the event that we do have a multitude of pans, there is still only one stove capable of accommodating two pans at a time. The remaining roommates and I decided we did not need the extra gadgets and decided not to pay her for them. We approached her and explained how we felt and received a small scale temper tantrum. This roommate is fifty years old, which made it even more awkward. After slamming the bathroom door in our faces, the silent treatment began…and this is how my night started.

                Later that night I was informed that I am in need of saving or I will undeniably end up in hell. This I am already aware of, but the timing was bad and it upset me even more. After only fifteen minutes I had someone offering to be my roommate in hell and an entire party of people joining me. We decided we would bring chocolate, wine, and a have a BBQ. We are even inviting Jesus, and secretly hoping he brings angel’s food cake. Apparently those of us going to hell are accommodating, hospitable, and know how to enjoy ourselves. I think I’ll be happy there. My party planning made me feel better until I was confronted with my limited budget.

Now, this I will not dwell upon long because I am incredibly grateful to be in Italy. My hard work and the help I have received from my amazing support system are paying off. However, I have always been an ambitious child and am discovering I am an even more determined adult. I want to do everything, be everything, and experience everything possible. Due to my nature, I somehow worked it into my head that I would be able to see not only all of Italy, but also all of Europe in 3.5 months on my savings account from a job in retail. Realistically, this will not happen. Nevertheless, as a dreamer I was upset when reality began to dawn on me. My budget is tighter than I had anticipated (don’t worry I am not going to sell organs in order to eat, I am just going to cut back on trips and gelato.) I re-did my budget and my first instinct was, “Okay, no problem, if I only eat potatoes and lentils I can still visit x,y and z.” Once again, luckily I received a reality check. Someone reminded me how hard I worked to get to Florence and it would be silly for me to spend all my time and money traveling to other places if it means I will not be able to fully enjoy Florence. After all my dreaming about pizza and pasta I should let myself go out and enjoy it every now and then! This was much needed advice and I really appreciate it. Once again, the budget has been re-done. Thanks Mom.

Although that night both surprised and scarred me that I would feel so upset in a place of such joy, a few days have passed since and I am back to living my dream. I walk pass the Duomo every day, I sit along the Arno River at least three times a week, and I can step outside any time of day and hear people speaking one of the most beautiful languages of earth… I am the luckiest girl in the world.

Living With 7 Other Women

1. Bathrooms. They are always dirty. Nobody ever claims the hair in the shower drain. There is a perpetual line for the shower starting at 8pm and a consistent line for the only full length mirror in the apartment.
2. Kitchen. Dirty. Dishes get left by the sink, but it gets really annoying when you want to cook dinner and both pots are either dirty or being used.
3.Trash. It gets really smelly. 8 bags sat in the hall for a week before we got fed up with the girls that had volunteered to do it, and had to confront them. The trash situation still sucks.

4. Cleanliness. I have officially decided that females are not any cleaner than males…I honestly think they are much more lazy when it comes to cleaning.

5. Sickness. We have all been sick once already. With the one shower, two toilets, handwashing of the dishes, and the feeling that it is not ever necessary to sanitize common areas... I can see where this comes from.

6. Chocolate. Almost everyone has a chocolate bar in the fridge and a jar of nutella in the cupboard. And everyone is very protective of both these items. We are all much better at sharing wine.

 7.  Gossip. It happens. Yes, it sucks…but when we get annoyed with each other there is some comfort in sharing one’s displeasure with other members of the household who understand the annoyance being experienced. I am not sure where this stems from but it seems unavoidable in any group of women. Does this happen in groups of men?

8. Blogs are a great way to get these things off your chest.

Last weekends adventures...

I downloaded more pictures from the Amalfi Coast, Positano, Pompeii, and Mt. Vesuvius. If you don’t want to watch the whole slideshow again, I think you can just click in and it will open the whole album so you can skip to the new ones…

Thursday night we left for the Amalfi Coast with the FlorenceForFun group designed for American students studying in Italy. It took about 7.5 hours by bus to get to the coast, but it actually wasn’t that bad. We watched a few movies on the way which I completely soaked up. I hadn’t realized how much I missed watching movies, and Elf was my favorite. It reminded me that even though I will miss Italy when I leave, I am happy I will be home for Christmas. We also experienced an Italian truck stop, (Auto Grill) which was a million and ten times more accommodating than any truck stop I have been to in the United States. They cook fresh food from a pre-set menu, had very nice bathrooms, and even sold little bottles of wine to go with the food they served. We finally checked into our hotel around 2 am and passed out.

Friday we had our complimentary breakfast of a roll, croissant, and the least concentrated coffee I have ever consumed. At least it contained caffeine. We then got on a ferry to the Island Capri which was so fun! The inside of the ferry reminded me of an airplane since they had seats lined up exactly like an airbus, but with a lot more legroom. Once we got to the Island we took a boat ride with a tour guide and were able to go into the blue grotto. This is what Capri is famous for because the water looks almost as if someone had painted the bottom of the grotto a bright blue. To enter the grotto you get in a really tiny boat and they pull you through a very tiny entrance into the cave. Once inside the water illuminates everything with a beautiful bright blue color. After the grotto we split up for lunch and beach time. My friends and I ate at this restaurant that overlooked the ocean which was beautiful; however the bees liked to hang out there too. The waiter was very determined to rid our table of bees and even took some clams of my plate and tried to lure the bees to a different table, all the while making whistling noises as if it were a dog. A bee returned and my waiter surprised all of us when he squished it in his bare hand. We then hung out at the beach for a few hours and just enjoyed the coast. That night back at our hotel we discovered at least 10 daddy long leg spiders (I stopped counting when I got to 10) in our room and a centipede on the wall which managed to make its way into my shoe by Sunday morning.

Saturday, we had all day in Positano. Unfortunately I left my sunglasses in Arizona and by this point I really needed something to protect my eyes. I spent a good hour searching for sunglasses cheaper than 22 euro, but there was only one place all along the entire beach that sold sunglasses (it was defiantly a sunglasses monopoly). Finally I was able to relax on the beach with a strawberry daiquiri (I know, not very Italian but it was good). Later that night we went out to a few different discos in the town and even managed to get squirt by a water gun by a random car… It kinda reminded me of Tempe, Arizona.

Sunday we went to both Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius. Pompeii was unbelievable…it was my favorite part of the trip. There is something very mysterious and exciting about walking around the ruins of a very old city. After Pompeii we were able to climb Mt. Vesuvius which was a steep hike, but very worth it.

A relaxing weekend...

Saturday I went to a cute little market to buy some produce for the week. After mustering up the courage to try to communicate with the older Italian lady, I got intimidated by the language barrier and ended up with only bell peppers, peaches, and onions… I need to practice more Italian. A roommate and I decided to go out to lunch before a trip to the supermarket (where little Italian is required) and ended up at the most enjoyable restaurant either of us had been to.  Upon walking in a plump Italian chef began to sing to us in a booming voice “Buon Giorno…” and something along the lines of “Table for two? Come sit over here.” (Only this was sung in Italian). The entire time we were at the restaurant this Italian chef sang random songs he made up on the spot and greeting people with song. It was wonderful. I felt like I was a guest in his home.

Sunday, I slept until 11:30 while a rainstorm rolled in and turned the air perfectly crisp. I was able to put on my favorite sweatpants and even managed to make an espresso on our gas stovetop. It was a perfect Sunday. I didn’t even mind doing homework. 

A book...

Today I went to Sienna and San Gimignano, which are both beautiful places. We were able to go inside more decadent cathedrals and climb a tower overlooking the city of Sienna…I got some great pictures of from the tower. The tour was a lot of fun but my favorite part of the day was reading a book that I found left behind in my apartment…

A few days ago, a roommate and I discovered that the dresser our tv sits on is filled with books. The books were mostly travel books, language books, and quite a few novels. Sitting on top was a book I have always wanted to read…”Eat, Pray, Love”. This book is incredibly fitting for numerous reasons, the most obvious being that the main character begins her journey in Italy. Tonight I was able to sit and read about the beauty and wonders this woman encounters in Italy. It sounds silly that I would want to read about Italy while I can easily go outside and experience it… but tonight this book was what I needed. I needed to read the words of a woman that knew she had to go to Italy and made it happen. Someone kinda like me. I discovered this book at the most perfect time, right when I had begun to become desensitized to the marvels of Florence. This book reminded me that there are goals I have set for myself while I am here…and I may add and subtract goals as is fitting. For now, a few of my goals are as follows:

Experience the food: Learn to cook the food, learn to enjoy the food, and learn the culture of the food.

Slow down: Whenever I feel rushed of stressed, I must make a point to sit down wherever I am and look at something amazing. Like the Duomo, the accordion player down the street, or the Arno River.

Be Fearless: Go down streets I am unfamiliar with, talk to strangers in Italian, and live like a local.

Remind myself everymorning… “I made it to Italy. It’s already an amazing day. Go enjoy it.”                        

Updates from the last two weeks...

Okay, so first things first. I re-organized the slideshow so the pictures are grouped by city or event so it is easier to figure out what’s going on. So far they consist of Chianti, Pisa, Lucca, Boboli Gardens, and random places in Florence. I’ll try to keep those organized so it’s easier to follow.

Second: I realized I haven’t posted anything in about two weeks.  I am going to recap the last two weeks so my family knows not to worry about me because I am having an amazing time! And more importantly so I will have something to reference when I go back to the United States, I don’t want to forget anything about this trip…

Day trip to Chianti- We were able to tour a winery and try one aged and one un-aged wine, both delicious. We were fed cheese, seasoned dried meat, bread, and olive oil with the wine…then we got the best lasagna I have ever had. What we get in the United States shouldn’t be called lasagna compared to this amazing dish.  After lunch we were able to walk around the villa and try the grapes off the vines. I could picture myself being fanned by giant ferns and eating grapes off the vine and sipping Chianti all afternoon…what a way to live.

Pisa/Lucca- The trip to Pisa was first. It was a little town with pretty much only the leaning tower, cathedral, baptistery, and cemetery. It was a beautiful area, and it was cool to see such old buildings. It looked very medieval. Lucca was really fun; we began with eating lunch anywhere we wanted and then met up for a bike ride around the top of the wall that surrounds the city. It was so invigorating riding a bike through the trees and looking out at mountains…although I did get stuck with the bike that had a baby seat in the back. After seeing how unstable that thing was, I would never put a child in the back of that bike. After the bike ride we stumbled across a renaissance fair. The US has nothing on these fairs. These people are the real deal walking on cobble stone streets with actual medieval buildings behind them, I felt as though I had gone back in time. I was also able to hold a baby chick, which is the highlight on my trip so far.

Classes: I am taking four classes this semester and really like them all.

Roman History: It makes me realize how young the United States is compared to most other countries. Although I love this subject, the room is dark, warm, and a cappuccino is necessary before class to keep me awake the whole time.

Art of Florence: We never spend more than 30mins in the classroom here. We walk around the city and learn about everything we see. It is amazing! The only downside is I have to have both my knees and shoulders covered for almost every class since we go into a lot of cathedrals. I wouldn’t mind in the winter, but it is still getting up into the 90’s…with little access to air conditioners.

Italian: I think this one speaks for its self…

Drawing the Human Figure: Love this class! We started with a wine bottle, moved to a skull, and today we actually sketched out first live model. It is a great experience…drawing is very different than I thought it would be. There is a lot of math involved, but for once I don’t mind a little math.

Food: Amazing, amazing, amazing. I am cooking in a lot more now to save for traveling, but I eat out enough to enjoy the tantalizing tastes of Tuscany. Cappuccinos and gelato happen almost everyday J

Nightlife: Since 1,000 American college students live here each year there are quite a few bars and “discos” aka “clubs” in the area. They have all been fun, but I have yet to find one with more Italians than Americans. Plus, the music is all in English…   

Anyway...life is good. Ciao belli!

First Day of Classes

After a much interrupted sleep (I heard every garbage truck, church bell, and gust of wind in all of Europe) I got ready for my first day of school…and my god…my school is beautiful. As silly as it sounds, I almost feel like I am going to Hogwarts. I get to take classes in an actual palace and the classes pretty much travel from class to class together. This place is magical.  In my first class we only spent about half an hour sitting before my Russian teacher with a British accent who is teaching American students in Italy (still follow?), announced that we were going outside to walk around Florence. This class is going to be amazing, the city is our classroom. My ancient Roman class sounds promising since we will inevitably be taking a field trip to Rome, and of course my Italian class is going to be beyond helpful. Tomorrow I begin my drawing class and am so stoked to be sketching in Florence, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The icing on the cake for today? A delicious home cooked meal by Deb, the only adult student in the program. Not too shabby for the first day of school. 

My first day in Florence...

 Jetlagged, disoriented, and tugging two suitcases behind me I entered Florence. Soon after,  I was dropped off in front of an apartment with an equally confused roommate.  The two off us stood outside the giant intimidating door for about twenty minutes, both very aware of how ridiculous we looked taking up the whole sidewalk with our many suitcases. Finally, the door opened and a young Italian man began to greet us, but was soon interrupted by an even younger voice asking “Is it safe to drink the water here?” He gave us an apologetic look and shut the door again. Great. All we need is a few more quizzical looks from locals. Once again the door was opened and we were able to haul our suitcases in the doorway. We were then told we had four flights of stairs to our apartment and I almost laughed out loud. Then I noticed the barely visible elevator. I was the first one crammed into the tiny device and sent up to our floor. All I had to do was open the inside door and then slide open the metal gate once the elevator had reached the apartment. Maybe it was the jetlag or the sudden shock of being in a new country, but I was not able to open the metal door and had to take the elevator back down to explain how I was now stuck inside the only elevator the building had. Eventually, we made it to out room…and that was when I began to fall in love with Italy. The room I am staying in is beyond beautiful. With eight girls to one room, I’ll admit I was nervous, but it is so perfect. We all have our own space but are close enough for company when we want it. It is perfect. Once we had a chance to unpack a few roommates and I decided to walk to the Duomo and have dinner. It was pure bliss sitting in a little café eating spaghetti, drinking wine, and gazing up at one of the most beautiful structures ever built. A little later my joy was taken beyond bliss. That evening I walked out onto our patio and watched the sunset behind our neighbor’s elaborate garden. I could faintly hear the sounds of a piano being played and an elderly gentleman join in and sing on occasion. There was a cool breeze and I realized that this is what I had been yearning for. The perfect welcome to Florence. 

American Girl in Italy... The photograph.

Here is a recent article about a young women who traveled to Florence, Italy by herself in the 50's. She was caught in a very famous photo called "American Girl in Italy". This is a great article.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44182286/ns/today-today_people/

Andrea Bocelli... the most beautiful piece of music...

The Beginning...

One word, Florence. This word alone is enough to send my mind into a whirlwind of chaos. Michelangelo. Art. History...Cappuccino...Visa. Where is my visa?...Tuscany, wine, pizza...Pisa...pizza...boots! I can't forget to pack boots! 

I am off to Florence to study abroad for the semester. After a year of hard work and determination, it seems impossible that I will be waking up in Italy in less than four weeks. I need to stop the chaos, if only for a minute, to remind myself why I am doing this... why I am leaving everything I know to live in an unfamiliar place. To be free. To discover. To become self-reliant. To live.

Discovery: to obtain sight or knowledge of for the first time. (webster)

Freedom: not determined by anything beyond its own nature or being: choosing or capable of choosing for itself. (webster)

Independence: Not governed by a foreign power; self-governing. Free from the influence, guidance, or control of another or others; self-reliant: Not determined or influenced by someone or something else; not contingent. (Farlex)

Life: The physical, mental, and spiritual experiences that constitute existence. (Farlex)