Unexplainable Passion...explained

I know I have sooo much updating to do...but until I get to the school computers, I wont be able to because my computer is out of commission for the rest of my trip due to a snapped charger cord. :S But, in the meantime, I wanted to fill everyone in on a little secret. When you are in Italy, people here are more passionate. When you see people you know, you greet them and kiss them on both cheeks. People kiss passionately wherever the mood hits them...and it's beautiful because as much as I am NOT a PDA (public display of affection) kind of person....you know that they are caught in a moment, and it doesn't mean that it's going any further or they are going to start having intercourse right in front of you...it's just a passion-filled kiss. This is one of the romantic places in the world. No matter how much of a tight-ass you think you are, everyone here feels that they need to express their love. So, if you notice me returning my miss yous and love yous a little more passionately, it's because I can't help it. I've learned that as Americans, we have been taught that too much affection is bad. Well, I am not saying lets have a free for all, but I am going to be showing my love for everyone a little bit more. I feel like it's something that I have been missing out on. Why hide your love for other people? Not only is it great for you to show it, but it's great for them to receive it. So....the reason for my unexplained passion...has now been explained. And, oh, by the way....I love you.

Fall Break-London

I realize it's been awhile since updating. I will do my best to give a good description of my adventures of Fall Break....starting with London. I'm probably going to copy and paste out of my journal.
*Friday, Oct. 23rd, 2009 10:20pm London time, 11:20 pm Florence time, and 4:20 pm home -------Blimey! I'm in London! It's been awhile since writing, once again. I've been preparing for mid-terms, taking them, and getting all of my stuff together for fall break. The only fun things I've really done lately are go to the Perugia Eurochocolate Fest and go to the Creative Arts Festival Rave. The choc. fest was amazing. So much deliciousness in one place and a lot of samples, freebies, and discounts. We met other people from LDM and they were pretty cool. We also met two guys studying at a really small town in Italy (don't recall the name of the town).They hung out with us for most of the day and we've added them on facebook since then. The rave was...interesting. They play "house music" or awful techno. Haha. We danced like fools anyway! My mid-terms went great in some classes, and in others...just decent. One mid-term made 2 girls cry..I got a C on that one...and that was a high grade. I got 2 A's and 2 B's in my other classes. It made me feel accomplished! :) I got an A in Italian...which means maybe I'm learning something!?!?! :) But now, I'm laying in my hostel bed in London. I flew to Stansted Airport from Pisa. Other than "background" checks taking a long time...it all went smoothly. But, it was already close to midnight. On the bus into town towards the Liverpool Street Station, I met a really cool girl (Francesca) who will be DJing at a party this weekend. We chatted a lot and she gave her number so if I want to go to the party she can add me to the list. I had to ask around a LOT to figure out how to find the stop for the next bus I needed. I took it, found the hostel and checked in at 2 am. It's a little scary to be traveling alone that late at night..but I toughed it out. Haha. I called Jill to let her know that I was ok. I had to fumble around in the dark to figure out which bed was mine and I had someone asleep in my bed. So, I took the one above. I just slept in my clothes because I knew getting my pjs out of my strategically packed back pack would have made so much noise. Friday was a great first day. I met my roommates (there were 3 that I hung out with most of the day). We had a free breakfast at the hostel. Then, we met up for a free tour provided through the hostel (St. Christopher's Village). It was a 2 1/2 hour tour and it was great. Our tourguide was named Pip. No, that's not short for anything, or a nickname...that's his whole first name...Pip. We saw: Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park (corner of it), Nelson's column, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, the outside of the National Gallery, St. Jame's Park, Wellington arch, Horseguards at the palace, Whitehall, Big Ben, 10 Downing St., Churchill's War Cabinet Bunker, the house of Parliament, St. Martin in the fields, and Westminister abbey. After it was over, a few of us walked around by the London Eye and got some food. Then, we all went seperate ways. I went and got tickets for the matinee of Avenue Q. After doing that, I decided it would be a good idea to look for my theatre Geldum on Shaftesbury Road. On the way, I accidentally stumbled upon China Town (which was on my to-see list anyway). I explored China-town for awhile, found the theater, and stopped at Costa Coffee (which is a HUGE chain that I'd never heard of?) for a snack(choc. muffin) and drink (summer fruit smoothie). Very good and a nice way to use some of my time before the show. After I made my way there. It was a very nice theatre and my seats were decent. Then I was informed that I would be moved one row bafck, but in the direct center of the stage, which made it great. The show started and it was AMAZING! Avenue Q is SO inappropriate and delightfully tacky, just how I like it! Hehe. I laughed through the entire show. After, I met a girl and her mom from Holland and they walked and talked with me all the way to the underground. I found my two lines and made it to Borough High St (right off the London Bridge). I walked to the hostel, had some fish & chips and a couple of cocktails. Chatted at the bar and went to bed. I am exhausted from such a full day!
*Saturday, Oct. 24th, 1:40pm London time, 2:40pm Florence time, and 7:40 am home time
--Well, I'm part way through day 2. Today I went with those girls to buy show tickets, but they were too pricy for them (and I've already seen the shows they wanted to see). We went our seperate ways. I stuck around Leichester Square for a ltitle while, and ended up buyin tickets to the "Sister Act". Hopefully it's good. There is another tour today, but it's not free and I felt like doing my own thing. So, I hopped on the tube and rode to Lancaster Gate because it sounded cool. I wandered the streets and found Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. It's beautiful here. I've been wandering aimlessly all morning (past 3 hours at least) and taking pictures. Currently, I'm on a dry bench (surprising b/c it's been drizzling all day, but yesterday was sunshiney and beautiful) under a huge tree. It's leaves are a gorgeous array of yellow, orange,and green. There's a man and his beautiful black dog on the bench directly across. I've been watching them play catch. The man is so tranquil and the dog so noble...except when he intentionally drops the ball JUST out of reach, or under the bench so his owner has to get up to get it. It makes me laugh. I've been pointing out where it is when the man can't find it. Currently, there's a large group of rugby players passing by and MAN are they HOT! Man! They look to be going to Kensington Palace (took all this wandering to find it) so I think I'll go now. Hehe.
-5:17pm--Well, it cost 11 pounds to enter (the pound is OUTRAGEOUSLY EXPENSIVE) so I opted out. The rugby team didn't go in either. Haha. I did go through the grounds and see the sunken garden. Before leaving the park, I stopped at Princess Diana's memorial playground for cappucino, a banana, and tomato basil soup (basically spaghetti sauce...not soup) with bread. I was sooooo cold,and it was a good refresher. I started to head for Notting Hill, but got a little side tracked. I was in the area, saw some amazing houses, some neat churches, but decided it would be fun to not look at the map and see where I ended up. I just kept wandering and enjoying the sights. Then I decided to find my way back to the tube and find a new direction. I chose Camden Town. OH MY GOODNESS!!! It is innnnnnssssssaaaaaaannnnneee there. The biggest freaks would feel normal here! Crazy packed, people of all ages, vendors galore, food, tattoo/peircing places EVERYWHere...and more tutus, colored hair, dreds, mohawks, piercings and weird outfits than you can possibly imagine. Haha. It was quite a sight. This would be the the jackpot of all people watching spots. I wanderd and looked around. Found gifts for Jill, Maggie, and Naomi and made my way back to the hostel. I'm now in a room with 20 people. It's nice, but we'll see how quiet it is when I'm trying to sleep. I've got to get my stuff ready for the show.
*Sunday, Oct. 25th, 2009, 5pm London, 4pm Florence, and 11 am home...daylights savings here
--Well, the show last night was pretty cute. Maybe not worth the money, but that's ok. It was fun. I almost didn't get there in time due to the streets and sidewalks being so incredibly busy!! But I did, and saat next to a nice woman and daughter from Lanchester. She loves Americans (which is refreshing but oh-so rare!). They were going to the NE Patriots game tmrw (today) and I was jealous. I'm missing it. After the show, I came back and crashed. My bed was right by the door and everyone kept coming in and out. Or better yet, forgetting their key or not being sober enough to used it. This resulted in a drunken stupor door-POUNDING session that woke everyone up. But, no one got out of bed to let them in...making me the one to do it. I got crabby and would open it, take their key...demonstrate how to use it and say that next time I wouldn't open it. Obviously, it didn't work...and I kept opening. The only way anyone would get any sleep! Except me...that is. Today, I had breakfast, checked my bank accounts (which are SO low) and then went to Marble Arch to find cheap luggage. My bag was stuffed because of all the gifts. I had to improvise on how to get there because the tube stop was closed. I found a bag and loaded it at the train station. Hopefully it will prove sturdy! Then I went to lunch..trying to spend my pounds...and it was decent. Then I found my way to another train headed for the airport. Myself and one other guy, Danny, were the only ones on it for the first few stops. He was nice and wanted me to go to dinner with him, but I would rather be early for my flight and stay at the airport. My flight isn't until later, but oh well. I'm excited to be in Ireland!!!! I'm talking to Eric on the phone; he called via skype. Gosh, I miss him! I am no where near ready to be going home, but will be sooooo excited to see him when I do! <3

My heart hurts

This study abroad experience has done a lot of things for me. I'm learning about other cultures, meeting a lot of new people, trying new and amazing foods, and getting to see some incredibly beautiful places. I'm learning a lot about myself and gaining a lot of life experiences. Some of them are a little harder than others. To begin this, I'll have to tell you a little about a certain class that I'm in and a certain trip that I went on. Mostly, I'm taking culinary classes, but I'm also taking an Italian language class and a business class. It's called Human Potential in Business Organization. I thought it would be neat to see what another country felt that one person could do to impact a business, or maybe even the world. One of the girls in my class, she seems like a sweetheart, but we differ a lot on opinions of major issues. When we went on an optional school trip to Pompeii, Sorrento, and Capri, she was along for that trip. Although Capri and AnaCapri were beautiful, Pompeii for me was amazing. Learning about how a while city worked in the early AD years and that they were that advanced, and yet tragically, their city was destroyed by Vesuvius the volcano was a very wonderful experience. It was very heart-wrenching though to know that thousands of people died, because they didn't know what was going on, and locked themselves in their houses. When you are there, you are able to see the bodies just how they were on that doom filled day. The molten ash and gases were hot enough to mummify them exactly as they were, curled up holding their loved ones near them...covering their faces from ash and gases. It made me cry. However, once back in class...this girl explained to our Human Potential teacher, that she hated Pompeii because all we did was stare at a pile of rocks for three hours. It made me so upset that she could be that unmoved by the things we saw that day.



Then, Karen, Rod, and Paula came to visit for a few days. We had a wonderful time. The whole weekend we had some deep conversations about having so much and people who are giving back and how great that is. Then, living in Florence, there are a ton of homeless people and beggers...and so i am always thinking about how odd it is that some of the NICEST people here are the ones with so much less. The street vendors are the nicest, and they target you for stuff you don't actually NEED , but stuff that you want or would like to have. So, remember the girl I was so mad at for saying that she hated Pompeii b/c it was a pile of rocks? Well, on the Monday my family was here, the teacher was gone. We watched a film about rich countries vs. poor countries and then discussed how until the rich ones start caring, the gap is just going to get bigger. Then I pointed out that's all we ever do is DISCUSS problems, but very rarely is anything actually done about it. So, the sub asked if anyone had been to a 3rd world country. So, this girl says that she went to Africa last summer...for two weeks to build schools. I thought wow...that's really incredible. That's awesome that she did that. She proceeds to describe the living conditions to us in ways that choked me up. She was talking about how awful it was, and she made herself cry just talking about it. I thought it was because she was so moved and changed by the experience...something that she will have forever and continue to go back to. However, then, her closing statement was...."but, I would NEVER go back. I had to sleep on the ground for two weeks and eat their food and drink their water. It was awful." I WANTED TO EXPLODE!!! I was so mad. She had this amazing opportunity, and I thought she understood...but she doesn't. She was so choked up by it, and yet would never go back. She will build a school, but who will help provide teachers? Who will send supplies? Who will provide the kids with money to dress and eat for school? Then she said, that's why I get so mad when people say they hate being American, because at least we HAVE more-at least WE are more educated. AND THAT MADE ME EVEN MORE MAD. Yes, we HAVE that. WE HAVE everything...and yet we are always demanding more. We have to have that handbag or we have to buy another company or underpay our workers for a a bigger profit. And then, here is someone who "cares" so much and has made "such an impact on them" and she would never go back? So you build a school and then you simply say...oh, well, I did my part. I was livid, but kept my mouth shut because I would have exploded and sobbed. As I leave that class, out in the street, there is a violinist that I see every single day all over the city. He plays the most BEAUTIFUL music, and people always hurry by and never look at him. As I walk out, he smiles (while playing) and says "bon giorno!" He doesn't ask for anything or stop me or have a sign. He just smiles and plays. And his outfit is worn and dirty and his case is empty. So I smiled and said it back. Went inside and grabbed all of my change (quite a bit) and went back out and put it in his case...he beamed and said grazie. Then, I go to cooking class where everyone wants to know who went to the coolest place over the weekend...and wants to know the price...and what they bought. And it makes me sick. I was crying through most of the class. I will say that I have never been so ashamed of the American mentality in all of my life. I was mad at not only the people around me...but also at myself. Do I need to be here? Do I need to be buying all these gifts for people for when I return? Yes, I worked multiple jobs and saved every penny to get here...but who could I have helped with this money! Then, we have SO many leftovers every day in this class...but we aren't allowed to leave the building with it. So, I smuggled some out in my purse with the intent to give it to the violin man...but he's gone. So i see the family, cry and explain and they said, oh there was a lady around the corner...so I go, and hunched in a pile on the ground is this old woman who doesn't look up. She has a cup by her. I try to say, "here's some food" but she doesn't hear me...so, I lay the plate of food on the ground. Mind you, I had been warned that the ones who dress like that and don't look up at you, they are gypsies and don't need money and will steal from your purse when you're not looking. BUT, she looks up, crying, thanks me, and DEVOURS it. I have never seen someone so hungry. It made me so sad. Call me crazy, but I'm hurting and I don't know how to fix this. I can't. ONE PERSON can't. but how do you change a WORLD? That's what I'm struggling with. I've had sooooo many positive moments on this trip and have loved and learned from everything...but this is something that grabs me by the heart and won't let go.

A quick update...followed by my big heart ache....followed by no post until November

I dont have a lot of time this week to write due to Mid-terms and preparing for Fall break which starts in TWO days...Thursday evening I fly to London and stay until Sunday. Then I fly to Dublin, and start my 6 day Ireland tour on Monday through Saturday...then fly back to Florence on Sunday. I'm very excited to leave. An 11 day trip all on my own....should be interesting! Hehe. I havent done a lot of note-worthy things in the past week, mostly been preparing for mid'terms and doing some major class projects. However, this weekend...on Friday, Lunar's Birthday, we went to Perugia to the Eurochocolate Festival. It was a lot of fun. VERY cold (which came out of nowhere this past week and won't go away. the locals say it never happens this fast) but the samples i got with my choco card and the liquers warmed us up a little. We met some pretty cool guys from another school and hung out with them, along with two other LDM students we hadnt met before. They were a lot of fun. After that we headed to dinner and had that nights special, a salmon linguini....sooooo good. Had a little wine...and a little of Lunars because she had been partying too much lately to be able to handle the wine. Hah. Then Saturday I studied all day and was dragged out by my roomies to the Creative Arts Festival Rave. It was pretty intense, and definitely something Im glad I got to witness. We danced to some interesting "house music" or techno...and had a lot of fun. I left early so I could get in bed by oneish. Sunday more slavery to the books. This week, I turned in my Human Potential project and gave my speech. It went well (I think). Then my Current Trends in Italian Cuisine mid-term was vicious. It made two girls cry. 10 questions....yea....not expecting a good grade on that one. Essays on the most off-the-wall things that NO one was prepared for. Today is Italian mid-term and Meditteranean and Middle Eastern Cuisine midterm. Wednesday is packing, printing flight passe and my itenerary that I made, and studying for my last final...The Science of Food, Health, and Well-being. Thats my vegetarian course...which I like a whole lot more than I thought I would! :) But, alas, I won't be writing again until November because I'll be on my trip and I wont have a computer. I'm packing for 11 days all in a very small backpack. Should be pretty fun. :) Im so pumped! Ciao!!

Some of my favorite pictures thus so...if this is the first you've seen of them, you should really look at facebook!

FRAHNSAY( or France...however you'd like to pronounce it)

This weekend ranked right up there as one of the best weekends ever. I went on a school trip to southern France. A lot of friends from school were on this trip, so I was in good company! We had the same guides as on the Swiss Alps trip, but they were much better! Our first stop was Monaco. It's an independent state and there are no income taxes. It's the 2nd smallest state in the world! It's where Princess Grace is from. We had a local guide who took us to the Prince's palace. We arrived just in time for the changing of the guards, which was cool (the part that I could see over the crowd). There was a park just off the coast that was one of the most beautiful parks I've ever seen. We learned about hte 2 princesses (one's kind of a slut I guess? ha) and the other heirs to control the state. There were cameras everywhere, and all the rich people who live there to escape the taxes feel safe. There is one policeman per 80 people! Lunar, Lucy, Bryan and I left the tour a couple minutes early on our ouwn and took pictures all over because the town was so pretty. The seagulls are the size of medium sized dogs...I wanted to put them on a leash and walk them like a dog. Weird? Yes...but true. We then souvenier shopped and headed to Nice. Upon arrival, we checked into our hotels. Mine was gorgeous "Le Scribe". We had a local guide again. She showed us the major parks, fountains, Vieux Ville (the Old Town), the Promenade des Anglaio, and showed us how to get to the beach. I had a crepe (...when in France! :)) ; it was banana and chocolate...and soooo good.I got to see the flower market, too! Loved that! By that time, we needed to clean up for dinner. Dinner was for all of us at my hotel. It was nice, but not very good. Lucy was most grateful for the free water. That's very rare here!!! After supper, we explored the bar/restaurant area. We picked up a couple of cheap bottles of champagne and headed towards the beach. I carried one and Bryan had the other. Well, he took the wrapper off. Then unscrewed the metal tab, but before he could push the cork off, he looked down at it...and the cork shot off and his shocked face was covered with a volcano explosion of champagne. The noise sounded like a gun and caused a lot of people to turn and look. We laughed soooo hard. I haven't laughed that hard in forever. Definitely one of the funniest moments of this whole trip. We went and layed on the beach, drank, talked, and looked at the stars. The sound of the waves rolling the rocks of the beach is so soothing and beautiful. After that, we went to Kings Pub, but the prices were tOO steep. So we went to Wayne's world, but you had to have an ID and three of us didn't bother carrying it because we're in Europe and NO ONE cards. We walked back to the hotel and I just stayed in (I had really bad stomach sickness all day..and wasn't up for drinking much). I went to bed only 45 minutes before everyone else came from the bars. Sunday we had breakfaswt and then drove to St. Paul de Vence. It was one of the oldest/cutest/most quaint towns. I LOVED it. We explored and shopped the local stores. Almost every other store was an art gallery (I could see why artists would be inspired there). I bought 3 prints of paintingas, a plate, postcards, and something for my Gpa for Christmas. After I told everyone how good this was, business for that store was booming! Haha. I should get a commission! :) Then we headed to Cannes. It was ok, but I loved the other places more. We played on the rock pier and beach, looked at the film festival famous handprints, ate, and just walked around. We then headed to Eve and toured Perfume Fragonard, a perfume factory. It was REALLY cool! I couldn't make myself buy any for myself. Then, we got on the bus. There was an accident on the highway and the traffic was backed up for miles! So, we didn't get home until much after midnight!! It was crazy! Well, that sums it up! AMAZING!

It's been too long....so I'll explain my life since then

Well, since my amazing time in Capri, I didn't think that I would see anything that tops it. I might have been wrong. I have been going about my business as normal...making some AMAZING dishes in classes and learning some Italian. Hopefully soon I will be better at communicating with locals. The weekend of the 26th I took a school trip to Switzerland (St. Moritz) and Lake Como (Belaggio and Como). We had AWFUL guides...they didn't give us very much history of the places or recommendations on where to go/what to see. They were the first off the bus and were out of sight before we could ask questions and they were the last to arrive when we were supposed to be boarding the bus. HOWEVER, the trip...was great. The scenery was beautiful! We took a 2 1/2 hour long train ride that was made for a panoramic view of the mountains...and we got to see some amazing villages, bridges, and glacier fed lakes. So pretty. (see facebook for pictures). After our tour we arrived at our destination, St. Moritz and we checked into our hotel. A cute little thing in this ski resort town...decorated very retro, but with beds that made you think of sleeping on clouds. My friend and I walked to the local store and bought a bunch of Swiss chocolates (all of mine were gifts...I didn't eat ONE piece. Who's shocked? Raise your hand! oh wait, put it down...i can't see it). We also picked up a couple beers...me one, my friend four...and walked down to this GORGEOUS lake and sat and talked and people watched. This odd guy came and talked to us...very nice, but odd. He was from Africa...had 17 brothers and sisters that were all over the country. After that, we ate a really nice dinner at the hotel...a four course meal. It was delicious. Just testing out the basic Swiss meal. As pretty as the dessert was...I wasn't feeling it. The next morning we spent traveling to Belaggio. (That's where George Clooney has a house) We ate at a really great restaurant. (I had the most amazing gnocchi...which makes sense, b/c we were in Northern Italy...and they are known for their gnocchi.) Then we were free to explore. It was pretty. There wasn't a lot to do on a Sunday. After, we headed to Como on Lake Como and hung out for an hour. There was a speedboat race happening...so we ate gelato and watched that. It was relaxing. Then, back on the bus for a very long ride back home. How did we pass the time? Playing card games and eating M&Ms (which are VERY expensive here...but sometimes...so worth it). We were on a sugar high. We kept making faces at people/vehicles passing by...we passed three tour buses, and then stopped for gas...and all three buses were there. We were a little embarrassed. Some people recognized us. Whoops. :S We got back early enough...and so I talked to the roomies and went to dinner. It was a good weekend.

After that I had three days to get all homework done and start prepping for Paula, Rod, and Karen to get here. I wanted to have a clear schedule so I could be their guide and not have to worry about all my stuff. I also did a quick pickup of my room, so they wouldn't be disgusted. They arrived on Thursday, met my roommates, and then I led them to a lot of the major piazzas around. We had some lunch and kept exploring. In the evening, we went out to eat and had a nice supper. Friday, we met early and made that our museum/church day. We visited a lot of really cool churches, a lot with the Medici family buried in it, some built in 393 AD, visited the Duomo, the Uffizi (famous gallery--Leonardo de Vinci/donatello/Michealangelo...etc), and then we ended by walking across the Ponte Vecchio (old bridge over the River Arno). Then we had the most AMAZING dinner at this really nice place that hung over the river. Gorgeous view, great food, and even better company! Saturday, Rod and Karen headed to Rome so Rod could see the Vattican. I planned a day trip for Paula and I to go to Cinque Terre (awesome pics on facebook...). WE HAD A BLAST.First of all, it's gorgeous. ..just as gorgeous if not more so than Capri. It's five towns connected by train and walking paths along the coast. They used to be mostly fishing villages, but are now more geared to tourists. The first town was Riomaggiore..so tiny and cute. The roads and alleys and side streets were tiny and curved and had cute little front doors everywhere. Paula and I walked through the side streets and they were deserted except for a local here and there. We then walked to the next city, Manarola...and it was a very pleasant and easy 30 minuteish walk. This town was very cute and we ate lunch at a nice bar by the water. We split a piece of pesto lasagna...and it was delicious. Then, we went to the train for the next city...and we missed it and it wouldn't be back for another. We decided since the first path was so delightful, we'd start on the second. Let me give you a mental picture: Paula...in a dress and cute sandals. Me...in a skort and tanktop and flipflops. The trail...started out smooth, turned rugged and very hard to climb given our attire. The other people on the trail...hiking boots/tennis shoes, sweatbands, two waterbottles, backpacks, shorts or jeans, ...etc. The people...laughed when they saw our attire. Haha. JUST PROVES: a woman can do anything and still look cute (except maybe give birth...ewww). So we got to Corniglia only to find that the only way in was up 382 stairs (some of which required multiple steps per stair). We mastered it...and I thought my heart was going to explode after all that work out. Haha. There were several people on the steps that looked like they were going to PASS out! So, we got to the top and had a hard time enjoying the view b/c we were exhausted. We walked around for a little bit and decided to go to the next town. We took the steps back down and went to the train to find that if we had taken the train, they let you off and BUS you up the hill versus having to take the stairs. Oh well...it was our workout for the next week. Haha. Then we trained our way to Vernazza. This was our FAVORITE place! We sat on the beach and then sat at a great table at a restaurant that smelled/looked delicious but they were stopping serving lunch so they could close and take a break before dinner. But, we liked looking around and the town itself was very cute. We took our last train to Monteroso which is my second favorite. It has a big beach and tons of restaurants along the coast. It's really cute. We had some really good chats on the beach and just enjoyed the view. We made our way back to Florence, and by chance, Rod and Karen had just gotten in a taxi and spotted us...so we climbed in with them. We went to a restaurant where I proceeded to eat my weights worth in t-bone steak...a florentine specialty. It was amazing. And it was way to rare...so i sent it back and they sent it out with more sides and special dipping sauces and well presented. It was so sweet. The next day, we went to Venice. Venice....is a sight to see. So pretty and amazing. And it makes me sad that it's sinking. We went to lunch and were treated horribly for most of lunch b/c we chose to sit in the sun. Haha. They didnt want to be hot!? They warmed up to us once they figured out we were nice people. Haha. After lunch we went on a gondola ride....and our gondolier was AWESOME. He gave us a history of the town and what it took to have his job, and told us all about his life. So, we invited him to come see Texas and Kansas...b/c hey, that's what kind of people we are! Haha. Then we toured the city. I would love to go back for a weekend....because a day just wasn't enough! We ate dinner in Florence and had some delicious pasta! It was one of the best places I've eaten! :) (and it went on forever...looked small...but was huge!) Monday I had to go to class...but they went to the food market and to the outdoor market and had a good time. Then we went for a quick bite and I went home to CRASH. Since then, I've been sick and have been trying to sleep my way out of it!
I had a great time with them though! So happy they got to experience it with me! :)

An Amazing Weekend

This weekend was amazing, and I wanted it to never end. It started on Thursday night, going out with some friends for drinks and dancing. It was a lot of fun. We learned that there are a lot of Italian men at all the younger clubs ... and they are quite handsy. I had to physically move their hands off of me ... and my friend Lunar, went so far as to telling men that we were a couple and they needed to back off. It was entertaining. I was ready to be done with that spot though way before anyone else, so I got back into bed at about 3:30 and at 4. The next day, Lunar (my roomie), Bryan and Lucy (friends from New York) took the train to Pisa and spent most of the day there. We took our typical tourist pictures holding up the tour, and walked around quite a bit. We all made sure to get a postcard. After eating and riding back to Florence, I spent the evening in and went to dinner in the hostel with Lunar and packed for my school trip. At 4:30 am. On Saturday morning, I woke up and walked to the train station. I wont lie ... it was a scary walk in the dark, by myself. There were lots of odd people out at that hour! We got on the bus and rode for 4 1/2 hours to the city of Pompeii. Once the bus stopped, Luca (our hilarious tour guide) advised us on places to eat and a set of bathrooms that we should NOT go into. He really emphasized how serious he was on all this. Haha...he said, "if you go....it will be the worst experience of your life. like nothing you've ever seen before. just don't. walk away. run, even!" we were cracking up. We then proceeded to go on a 3 1/2 hour walking tour of the ruins of Pompeii. I thought it was amazing. I can't imagine what those people went through being buried by molten ash, debris, and poisonous gases. I wrote a lot of the history on the posted pictures. It hit me really hard when we got to see actual bodies that had mummified b/c the ash was so hot and they all laid curled around together with their family, trying to cover their faces. It was sooo sad.
After Pompeii, we loaded up and went to Sorrento. Upon arrival, we checked into the hotel and had very little time before dinner. I took a swim in our non-heated pool...froze my tushee off and got ready for dinner. We were served a 3 course dinner. (however..the staff was very rude and rushed our meal and made us leave the moment we were through b/c they had another group coming in. EVEN THOUGH there were plenty of other open tables...it was a HUGE dining room...and we only had 4 tables...gah....not very hospitable or Italian like!) But, dinner was very good. We had wine, house red and white. To start, I had a sausage and mushroom pasta. The main dish was scorpion fish and grilled eggplant and potatoes. Dessert was peach shortbread and tiramisu. After dinner, we walked to the local Lemoncello factory and had unlimited tastings. We tried regular, creme, chocolate, mango, pineapple, oragne and an assortment of candies. I LOVED the chocolate the most, of course. Afterwards, my friend and I walked around with the tour guide and his brother and some other students. We ended up at an Irish pub and hung out there for awhile. We then went to a small shop and played foozeball. It was a fun evening of just roaming around the streets of Sorrento. It's a pretty small place really! I liked it though. In the morning, we met at 8 and headed to the ferry....
Here's where things got interesting...as we headed to the ferry, it was slick cobblestone sets of steps..and I had on cheap, old-navy worn out flip-flops...and so I fell...in my dress...down a few, fell HARD (and almost took out Luca who was standing in front of me). It hurt, I was shaky...but I shook it off. We rode the ferry to Capri. The island was gorgeous as we approached! :) We started to notice how cloudy it was getting, but blew it off in our excitement. We boarded our private boat for our tour and started out. We were all blown away by the view and completely giddy. We saw the green and white grotto, the purple and orange coral, and a lot of famous ridges and arches in the cliffs. AND THEN...came the DOWNPOUR! It was the most rain I have seen in a VERY long time; huge drops, fast and hard. The captain let us ride it out for awhile, all of us trying to get our umbrellas to protect us, but it was coming from all angles. So, we got under a huge tarp. We were laughing our heads off....b/c really, what else can you do. We were going along the Almafi coast, covered by a tarp, still holding up umbrellas because the tarp wasn't very efficient. Water was pouring in from all sides. It was a pretty rough 30 minutes or so. We were waiting with tons of other boats so that we would could go into the Blue Grotto, but it was going to be another 45 minutes, and we couldn't wait it out. We headed back and it started to clear up. But, just a few football field lengths away, there was a tornado on the water, it was amazing. I guess they are called waterspouts. It came down sooo slowly, touched the ocean and went right back up! The trip to Capri and AnaCapri were amazing. We had awesome pizza...I had a slice of my friends seafood: shrimp, squid, and octopus....SO GOOD! I couldn't believe it. Afterwards, we got gelato and the toasted almond and chocolate were to DIE for....soooooo delicious! We took the bus from Capri to Anacapri....and it was the scariest thing ever, winding really quickly around the roads and the buses barely scraped by. INSANE. Then we took the cable car to the top of the mountain on AnaCapri and the view at the top, literally brought tears to my eyes. It was such a moving experience...amazingly gorgeous! :) After that, headed to the beach. The water was soooo clear and sooo blue. This place was the most beautiful place I had ever seen. AMAZING! After that, we took a ferry to naples and headed home. We got in about 12:30 am and then walked home to fall in bed for school! It was an amazing trip. If you haven't seen pictures yet, do it soon!

Today...ah.

So, yesterday, I will admit, I got a very bad case of the homesickness. I was mopey and was feeling very unloved and out of touch with everything I know in love....but, I guess you could say I was "shaken" back to my senses because I witnessed a small earthquake. Only, I'm such a Kansas girl, that I didn't realize that was what it was until today when everyone was talking about it. I noticed that my bed, the walls, and all of my belongings were shaking gently for about 20 slow seconds...and then it was over. At first, my being a slight perv, I thought that maybe there was something crazy going on in the room above ours...but after i saw that everything was shaking....i thought, no this can not be the case. So, I went to sleep and woke up a couple times throughout the night.

Today, went to class. Italian was good...but I feel like I lose it all as soon I leave the room. So, I must do some homework asap. Then, during my break, one of my roomies and her friend was in the room. We hung out, decided to go shopping, and then went to get gelato. We found the best place and it's pretty cheap. Raspberry and blueberry with dark chocolate is what i had today. DELISH! Then, we went to a friend's place and hung out until I had to go to class. THEN when i went there...I had a change of heart. I was so hungry b/c I had eaten so lightly all weekend. AND so, we made pasta al pomodoro (pasta with a tomato/chili pepper sauce), polpettone (a version of meatloaf...so good!), herb and garlic zucchini (mmmmmmmmmmmm), and torta di Ricotta (which is lemon cake that you use ricotta cheese instead of butter in....so scrumptious). since our class only has 6 people in it, we're getting to know eachother really well and we get to be more relaxed and more hands-on with all of the recipes. We listened to music of the meditteranean, danced a little, made hand squeezed lemonade, and ate like Kings! I ate soooooo much. It was delicious! If a good meal and great company doesn't make you rethink the homesick situation, I don't know what will. I feel like a whole new woman.

I have the day off of class tomorrow and so I have a few things on my to do list:
1)buy a backpack...didn't bring one and it might be handy for this weekends adventures...plus, all of my luggage broke per the whole arrival experience
2) finish buying textbooks...if they didn't squeeze all my money out through all the books...they are doing a great job with lab fees! SHEESH!
3) go to the appliance store and investigate buying a hotplate...see if it's worth it.
4) finish all homework so i can be free for the weekend
5) who knows...explorE?

If I were a medicine woman...

I will tell you the following cure for these ailments:
1) Hunger (when you starve yourself due to the need to stop spending money)....be in 3 culinary classes...one of which only has 6 students in it, so you don't just sample the food...you eat a huge meal! :) Therefore, 3 meals out of your week are completely planned and paid for! :)
2) Allergies...go to Italy. I suffer from awful allergies in America, and none here! LOVES IT!
3) Homesickness...go to your cooking class...meet people, and get over it, b/c you know back home, the food doesn't taste nearly this good! :)
4) Fatty-mcfatfatness....go to another country where you're forced to change your diet b/c they don't have your kind of food there. And go on a very tight budget, so you can't afford to eat. Walk EVERYWHERE...trust me...you'll be looking good in no time. Also, go to a beach in Italy...you're self confidence will soar! :)

This weekend=tame...but, if you've got to be tame anywhere, why not Firenze!?

Friday night, after the wine tour, my friend Kane (the Australian I met on the tour and mentioned in my last post) and I were to meet up for dinner at 8. I had time to rest, change, and get ready to go. We met at Piazza del Signoira (where the Uffizi) is and the weather was gorgeous. Our first stop was at the Rivoire which is known for their chocolate. We both ordered the hot cocoa's, but he got his with cream and a cookie. They were foodgasmic! :) I stole some of the cream from his, because it's definitely worth the price difference to have the cream. The hot cocoa is made by melting down chocolate, versus using powder. AMAZING. You have to more eat it then drink it. So, we sat there for awhile and talked. After that, we went to a pizzeria in the square and ordered waters and our meals. He got a tortellini and chicken broth soup that was amazing, and then we both ordered a pasta in cream and tomato sauce with pecorino mushrooms......SO good. The meal came with bread, and I ate every bit of it. It was the biggest meal I'd had so far and definitely the most expensive. But, it was delicious and oh-so worth it. While we were sitting there eating, an orchestra set up on the church steps and played. The songs started out quiet and slow...and were soon getting faster and louder. The sound echoing off of those old buildings was amazing. Megan met up with us for a little while, and we walked her to where she was meeting up with her roomies and friends. Then, Kane walked me home b/c of all the stories I'd told him about creepers. Haha.



Saturday, we met at 8:30 am to go visit the Uffizi which has amazing paintings that are incredibly ancient and famous! I spent a good 3 to 3 1/2 hours there, listening to the audio and just enjoying the art. After that I showed him where the main market was and where the good restaurant recommended to me by my teachers was. Then, I headed home and actually got to talk to my family, Seth, Eric, and some clovia girls! It was great! Then I made myself a delicious dinner of brucshetta, cheese, bread, and Chianti Classico. Cheese and orange marmalade for dessert! Read Julie and Julia and felt like a big old stereotype. Loved it though!

Sunday I slept in very late...ate, showered, did laundry...and it's SO EXPENSIVE, so I only washed one big load and hung it all over my room to dry. Then just homework all day! YAY!

Wine Tour

Friday, Sept. 11th, I went on a "Taste of Tuscany" wine tour through the hostel. It cost 35 Euro and was worth every bit of it! We met at 9:30 and boarded a bus. There was only one seat not filled. The tour guide, funny guy named Dario (see him all the time around here) asked who was from the states. There were maybe 10 of us. Suprising. Then he asked who was from Australia and then entire bus full raised their hands. It was hilarious. I ended up sitting by a nice fellow named Kane and we talked all the way there.

BUT FIRST>>>a History lesson for you. As you may be aware, Florence is a part of Tuscany and that is Chianti region. A long time ago when Sienna and Florence were trying to claim territory and figure out where the border would be they came up with simple solution. Sienna had a white rooster, and Florence had a black rooster. The plan was that whichever rooster crowed first in the morning, that town's rider was allowed to take out riding towards the other town and the plan was that wherever they met in the middle would be the new border. So, the Sienna people made the mistake of feeding their rooster way too much. It woke up late...and crowed very late. However, the Florence people starved their rooster and so he was very hungry all night and woke up very early crowing. The Florence rider took out very early and made it just 11 km outside of Sienna when the Sienna people rode up to meet them. That's where the border of Chianti region is and that's why a true Chianti will have the symbol of a black rooster on it! :)

BACK TO THE TRAVELING:

Our first stop was at La Palagina winery. It was a quaint little winery tucked up into a hill/mountain. We were ushered into a covered veranda where we were going to have brunch. I sat at a table for 6, and I was the only person not from Australia...but they all ended up being so incredibly nice. We started out with a white wine. It was delicious. Very nice, and light. Our food was brought out on all sorts of different platters. We had lettuce, tomatoes, crunchy bread, porcino cheese, white and red table wine, apple pastry, peach shortbread, procshutto, olive oil, strawberry & peach & pepper jams for the cheeses....and it was all grown and produced right there! :) Then we had red wine...and all the wine here was bottomless..so, we had plenty but no one was getting too crazy. We had some great dinner conversation and then after we had a chance to go in and buy some of the products. Then, we walked up to see where their animals graze, their equipment, and some of their vineyard. It was great. BIG WALK though. Our second stop was Casa Sola...and it was picturesque! :) You can stay at the farmhouse (so if your ever looking for a romantic getaway...perfect spot for it). There were two big friendly dogs that barked and walked along with us when we first got there. Reminded me of home and Lucky and Sallie! Hehe. We walked through the vineyards, the wine cellar, the olive groves, the wine production area, and tasted their products. It was delicious! Their dessert wine was much better than what we had at our LDM (that's my school, Lorenzo de Medici) private dinner. We toured and tasted. Then back to the bus. Our last stop was at the Monteriggioni castle. Parts of the movie "Gladiator" were filmed here. It was a wonderful little castle and village. We had less than 20 minutes here, and after walking up all the steps, all we had time for was our free ice cream and a few pictures around at the neat architecture. It looked like a pleasant little settlement! After that, we started back to the hostel. With bellies full of wine and food, most people snoozed. I wrote in my diary and talked to our guide! It was a wonderful trip! :)

Cultural Differences

The men here are not like the men at home. Well, they have the same track mind...but are sooo much more forward about it. And...sadly, I seem to be a magnet for unwanted attention and lewd comments. Guys also think I'm stupid and will follow them down alleys...but I won't. I'm smarter than that. It's just something to get used to I guess. I'm learning two rules: no eye contact if they are talking to you, and no speaking to them. I'm not saying all men are like this, but ...it is a common trend.

Next, the meals are sooo different. First of all, the food is amazing. All of it. Even the weird stuff...so good. But, you don't eat breakfast, if you do, it's very light. You grab your coffee/espresso and shoot it quickly and then go about your day. Lunch is the biggest meal and people take big lunch breaks. Some businesses are closed for siesta's in the middle of the day. Then, shops close up around 5 or 6. Dinner starts about 8 or 8:30 and lasts late into the night. That is hard to get used to. Normally at a restaurant you wouldn't spend hours at your table, it would be 45 mins max and then you would rush out. Not here! You spend the whole night dining and chatting and having wine. It's great!

Finally, I don't know how they wear their shoes on these streets! Heels on cobblestone? OUCH! I am still recovering from attempting wedge shoes! And, I guess I normally blend in pretty well b/c an Italian local news crew tried to interview me about a local issue, but I didn't know what the heck to say or what they were saying...they said they thought I was Italian. The men, they think I'm from Rome. And today, I got a pamphlet about having more babies b/c the population is dying down and it was all in Italian. Hah. And yet, if I walk in a big group of friends...I get "Americanas...."

School

This week was the first week of classes...and let's just say, they were amazing!
Mondays I have Human Potential in Business Organizations and Current Trends in Italian Cuisine. Human Potential class is going to be extremely thought provoking and interesting. We watched "the Corporation" on our first day...so, should be intrigueing. It starts at 9, which is the latest class I've had in a long time...but it sure does feel early here. haha. Then the Current Trends class is going go to be MY FAVORITE! The teacher, Milva, is such a sweet woman. When we had the dinner on the river, she introduced me to some NC students so that I wouldn't have to walk home alone. She has such a passion for cooking and has so much professional training and experience! :) We could be very good friends! :) She was excited to hear about my passion and commented on what a small world it was. We'll make 3 or 4 dishes each class period and focus on famous chefs, regions, and culture shifts/trends. She gave us a great tour of the market so we knew who to buy from and how to check for freshness and quality! sO helpful! The market can be pretty intimidating!
Tuesdays I don't start until noon. Hehe. My first class is Italian. The professor is very nice and it's fast pace, but managable. I think if i have trouble, I'll be able to get help really easily. My next class is at 6 pm and is Meditteranean and Middle Eastern Cuisines. This class will also be a favorite. We cover lots of different areas on the Meditteranean and will be cooking an appetizer, two entrees, and dessert in every class. I'm going to have soooo many amazing recipes when I'm finished. Every time I have a cooking class, that's just another meal i won't have to buy! hehe. That one gets out at 8:30, so then I walk home in the dark alone...but it's on two main roads, so not very scary.
Wednesday...I don't have class. Exploring the city day! :) Or homework...we'll see.
Thursdays, I have a 9 am class and a noon class. The 9 oclock is "Science of Food, Health, and Well Being" and is a Vegetarian course. Don't know how I feel about that yet, but it's good to know and will make me more versatile as a cook! :) Then noon is Italian. Good to have it twice a week...keeps me up to date. :)
Fridays...I don' t have class and so begins many fun weekends!

THERE! now you know exaclty where i am all the time! :) heheeh. I've met some pretty cool people in classes, too. That's always fun

Firenze and Viareggio

I thought it might be time for an update. Currently, Im having internet problems, so this may or may not get posted.

Since I last wrote, I have gotten to do a substantial amount of exploring Florence...but only within a small space. I have found a delicious gelato place (real banana is freaking amazing...i say real meaning homeade), a great liquor store called Happy's (the owner loves us and knows our name after only one time going there), a supermarket within one block of the hostel, and the main market which is phenomenal! I must say that every day that goes by makes me want to live here a little bit more. Everything is so fresh and so real. The people seem to value life and family more than we do in America. Things are slower, with more time to appreciate things and food and family and surroundings. For the most part, if you looked lost, you will receive lots of help...and it does help if you're female. Haha. We have met some wonderful people who showed us our way and made themselves late to their event just to help us!

This weekend was pretty relaxed. We had a dinner for 14 on the terrace of some students apartments. It's funny...we've known eachother only a week or less and it feels like we're family. We stick together, but we also go off on our own to experience the locals. I have met some AWESOME students from all over the world! :) Today was the first day of classes. I had Human Potential in Business Organizations and it seems like it will be extremely thought-provoking and interesting. HOWEVER:....after my 2nd class of the day,I may need to add another culinary class in the Human Potential's place. My culinary class is going to be freaking fabulous. We meet on Mondays only and cook so many dishes every day. From the sounds of it, I will have the most kitchen knowledge of the students....but, I don't think it will matter. The class is called Current Trends in Italian Cuisine and it covers famous chefs, regions, and changes in time and culture. There is lecture, but even more cooking. We will make all sorts of dishes and get to try foods of all types (even tripe! yikes!). The teacher is a wonderful woman named Milva. On the night I spent at our private dinner...she introduced me to a group of students from North Carolina who live close to me so that I wouldn't walk home alone. And now, I have a feeling she will be my favorite teacher! Her passion is cooking and she has had some awesome experiences. She has a room in her house that is filled with italian cookbooks....needless to say, i want to go visit! :) She took the class on an intense tour of the market telling us buying tips, how to look for freshness, what to avoid, and a little history of how things are made and where they come from! It was great! She is making a list for me of restaurants that I need to go to!:)

Yesterday...we ventured outside of Firenze (which is Florence for those of you who don't know!) and went to Viareggio beach outside of Pisa. It's on the Meditteranean Sea and GORGEOUS! I will upload pictures on facebook soon...add me if you aren't already my friend! There are these tall beautiful mountains in the background, the pier and sailboats, fishermen, tons of men in speedos (haha...not a good thing, necessarily) and a beautiful stretch of ocean and sand. We had to travel a long way to get to the public area...and it was small compared to all the cabanas. Haha. But, so nice. We didn't know if our train would leave because the workers were on strike. Both train rides there and back were very late. We didn't really care. It was great. There were 9 of us from all over! I wanted to set up a tent and stay for a long time!!! :) I wish the pictures did it justice!

I signed up for 3 school trips that will be coming up soon: Switzerland and Lake Como, Capri-Pompei-Sorrento, and Nice and the French Riviera! CANT WAIT FOR THAT !!!!!!! :) Anyway, I will update again soon, I hope.

I love you all and hope you enjoy these blogs!
T.

The trip there...nucking futs...

So much has happened, and there is so much to fill in on. I don't know how I'm going to work pictures and updates. If you would like more pictures...go to facebook. I will add you as a friend if you aren't already!
Let's start at the trip over here, it was long! I went from KC to Chicago. That flight was easy and short. Then I had a four hour wait, and I wasn't able to connect to the internet, so I couldn't locate any of the addresses or maps that I thought I would need upon landing in Rome. In Chicago, I got on a plane to Rome. It was a 9 hour flight. The people around me were amazing and had so much advice to give. However, my seat wouldn't lean back, my headphone jack was broken so i couldn't watch the airline movie or listen to music, my reading light was broken so i couldn't read or write in my journal. There was a baby right behind me that cried most of the flight. Thank you Cait Eyestone for your earplug Christmas gift...they were the only reason I got one hour of sleep...and I was very grateful.
I landed here at 8:30 am, which is 1:30 am Kansas time. I couldn't find my luggage, but luckily it arrived. Then, i couldn't find the right train. Then I when i got to the right Rome terminal, I was told the wrong train 7 times by employees and travelers. I don't speak Italian, so it was hard to communicate...but, I thought I had it taken care of. Then, I had to go up and down several flights of stairs to get to the right terminal. However, by this time...two handles off of 2 pieces of luggage had snapped off, and therefore, I was manhandling my luggage up and down stairs. It was incredibly humid, and I was sweating like mad. Once I got on the right train, I was in the wrong car....so, a local took pity and helped me drag my luggage through 6 cars. I was so grateful for her help. Then, someone was in my seat. He was American and just as lost as I was, so I felt horrible asking for him to move. I dozed a couple times, but tried to keep myself awake looking out the windows. At first, the scenery looked a lot like here...but then it all started to changes. It goes from shacks to mansions to wineries to mountains. AMAZING.
I got off in Florence and had to pay for 15 minutes of internet after everyone I talked to said they didn't know what Plus Florence hostel was or where it was on the map. So, I paid. Sent an email to the parents so they knew I made it, and then looked up and highlighted my maps from Google. Then, I debated walking...but with broken luggage and drenched in sweat, I decided I'd pay the taxis. It cost 8.30 in Eur, which was rediculous, but I did it....I was so exhausted.
Moved in before my roomates. Cooled down and then met them. They are really cool! One's name is Lunar and she lives in New York. She's so much fun. Then, Florencia is from Argentina and speaks Spanish and Italian extremely well. She's sweet and a lot of fun too!
That night, we went out in the hostel to the bar. I got hit on and asked if I was from Rome...a lot. It was humorous. Then, about 1:30 am I collapsed knowing I had to be up for orientation, even though my roomies orientation wasn't until Friday. So, it was soooo hot that I didn't sleep. I got maybe 2 hours...maybe. I was drenched in sweat. I went to the front desk and said that I couldn't get the air to work and stay on...and wouldn't you know...they have remotes for it....and so I got one...cooled down and then slept another 30 minutes....that was the fate of my first day. Luckily, things turned for the better! :)

The hostel

This is the table, microwave, fridge, and one bed. Lunar from New York lives here.




Street view from room

That's how wide the shower is. Have to go in sideways.



My closet. I was the only one who could fit it all in one.

The other girls barely made it into 2/each.

I was going to take the lower, bigger bed. but, since good old

Clovia always taught me to have the top bunk. That's what I

took to be nice.

Love the hostel! It has a pool, 2 saunas, a cheap

restaurant, a great view, terrace for sunbathing,

bar terrace, pool tables, disco bar, laundry. All it's

missing is the community kitchen I was promised.

Makes studying culinary a little less enjoyable when

you can't play in your offtime! :(



*will be posting when possible...computer isn't liking

all the upload attempts

ONE WEEK UNTIL I LEAVE!!

I am one week from leaving! I'm sooooo excited and a little nervous. Really, I'm just nervous about the flight there and finding my way to the hostel. I know I'll be fine, but it's just an overwhelming concept for a directionally challenged Kansas girl. Haha. On another note, today I finally got my passport/visa. That's amazing that they will wait to process them until the WEEK before someone leaves the country. It put a lot of stress on me...but, it's here and I'm all packed to leave. I just have some last minute visits to make to everyone and my internship presentation to give! YAY! Italy...are you ready for me? :)

Packing ...who knew it'd be this scary... AND visiting people

I've never really enjoyed packing. I feel like I'm bound to forget something, but I hate having too much with me...so I always underpack. Well, packing to go to another country for 3 1/2 months has turned into quite an extravaganza. Not only do I need to have certain items to work with any weather condition, but I'm planning for weather that I've never experienced! I have no clue what to wear. No matter what, I will look like an American tourist...and I'm perfectly fine with that. That's what I am. Someone who loves to eat, travel, and meet new people....therefor, I am a tourist! Then, I decided that I will also organize everything else that I belong into a "K-State moving pile" and a "future home pile" ....so, I have a never ending explosion. It's great fun though. I'm learning that I have way too much that really isn't necessary. I've currently donated 5 big bags of belongings to St. V-de P. At least someone else will get good out of my belongings.

I'm also trying to fit in seeing everyone that I can before I go away. I just came back from Brenemans...and the crowd there had some great conversations. I love it when I'm around people who encourage eachother to think deeper and harder and explore every possible aspect of a given scenario. That's what I miss...people who take a broad look at the world and although they don't have a definitive answer on why things happen the way they do, they've thought of as many other possibilities as possible! Emily, Tom, Ryan, and Naomi...thank you for allowing me to think with you! :)

Greetings to fellow dreamers...

Hello All! This is the first post of many. For those of you who don't know, I fly out for Florence, Italy on September 1st. I'm so excited to start this new adventure! Italy was always the one country that I wanted to visit before my time on Earth is finished. Second, I will be taking mostly culinary classes...which, going to culinary school was always something on my "life to-do list". I will be going to school only four days a week, so I plan on traveling to see as much of Europe as possible! I can't wait for what lies ahead!

Currently, I'm finishing up my internship in Eureka Springs, AR. Although I have learned a ton here, I'm ready to be home with family and friends. It's important to me to get to see everyone before leaving. I'm going to miss a lot of people...but I know this adventure and experience are going to be totally worth it!