Arrivaderci, Italia

I was at Caitlin's apartment this afternoon because she asked me to model for a sketching she had to do for a final art project. On my way home, I became really emotional walking through the streets that have become so familiar to me because it is just now hitting me that I will be leaving this place on Friday. I will miss so much of it - even the little things, like the man who sits by his "Pane Pizza Dolce" cafe and says "bongiorno" to me every morning upon recognizing me from all the Diet Cokes I buy from him on my way to school; I will miss walking through the vendors in the market at 8 a.m. as they are setting up for their day; I will miss the lady across our courtyard in the back who opens her windows every morning, looks at her plants and puts her comforter on the terrace for air; I will miss the dog who sits on the corner of our street at all hours of the day because his owner works in a shop near us; I will miss the smell of the delicious pastries as I pass by the 20 of them on my way to school; I will miss Luca, Ana and the vendors who recognize me in the market saying "Ciao Bella" as I walk to school; I will miss the busses that honk at me because I am too close to the edge of the narrow sidewalk as they pass by; I will miss the "sei paza" (you are crazy) looks I get from the Italians when it is 60 degrees outside; I will miss having absolutely nothing to do when I get out of class; I will miss the fresh fruit, vegetables and meat from the market; I will miss hearing every single vendor tell me, "special price"; I will miss hearing "You dropped something....... my heart."; I will miss the lemon granite (ice slushies); I will miss the smell of gelato and being able to eat it three times a day; I will miss seeing the clothing lines outside of windows on top of beautiful flowers on the terraces; I will miss seeing "Via di Mezzo" as I turn onto my street; I will miss being able to hear absolutely everything an Italian says because they are so loud; I will miss having to knock my broom on the ceiling because the Italians above us are so loud; I will miss opening my apartment door and seeing the lady from below cleaning the concrete steps to our apartment and saying "Bongiorno" to us as we walk out; I will miss the smell of fish every single Sunday when I walk into my apartment building; I will miss the sound of the beautiful guitar and drum playing from the man who lives on the bottom floor; I will miss the sound of the ring of the bells on the bikes as they ring it for me to get out of their way; I will miss the boutique down the street that always has a new dress on display (usually ugly) and never has anyone in it; I will miss the amazing schiacciata bread from the market; I will miss the smell of leather as I walk through the market; I will miss being able to walk into Luca's store and have a glass of wine no matter what time of day it is; I will miss the extremely long lines and the awful smells at the Standa Supermercato; I will miss the cashier screaming "NEGATO" when my card is denied at the Standa; I will miss Nutella; I will miss my new friends Ana and Luca; I will miss all of Italy and everything about it, especially the laid-back, relaxing atmostphere.

**************************
When I got home from Caitlin's, I had an e-mail from Margherita, our advisor, which was very overhwhelming because it is advising us about our return to the States where we will most likely experience reverse culture shock. Theresa told me that when she left, they warned her group that friends may get sick of hearing "When I was in Italy...", so I am glad I have Theresa to talk to whenever I am wishing I didn't have to come back home. She wrote it to us so that we remember that the adjustments we will be making when we return home can lead to profound personal growth and she gave us a list of advice to transform these challenges into opportunities for growth. To me, the e-mail advice was very interesting because some of the topics she brought up have already been worrying me about my return home. The opportunities she listed for us are below so that I can always look back on it when I am wishing I could be back in Italy:

1. Boredom: An Opportunity to Leave Your Comfort Zone. Once you returnto your family, friends, and old routines, you may find that the newness andstimulation that you experienced while abroad makes your old life seem dull incomparison. Try to keep your life "international" by continuing to practice theskills you learned while abroad, by continuing to push your comfort zone throughtrying new experiences in the same spirit as you did when you were abroad, and bytrying to find new ways to view the world. A few suggestions include trying newethnic restaurants or attending a holiday celebration of a group you know littleabout (e.g., Hmong New Year, Hindu Holi, Vietnamese Tet), volunteering to tutorothers in the language you learned, or subscribing to foreign language media (e.g.,newspapers, magazines, newsletters) from your host country (Italy).

2. Interest in Your Stories: Opportunity to Cultivate Sensitivity toOthers. You may find difficulties in your relationships that stem from, at leastinitially, people asking you superficial questions (e.g., So how was it?) andwanting brief answers. You may also find that both you and your friends and familyare more eager to share stories than you/they are in listening to stories. Thisleads to a build-up of frustration on both sides - for you, it may be frustratingbecause you feel as if you do not have opportunities to fully express your feelingsand share your reflections of your experiences. For your friends and familymembers, it may be frustrating because they may perceive you as not being interestedin the events and changes that happened in their lives while you were away. To confront this challenge, it is most helpful to do things that help youto re-establish your relationships. Listening to and showing interest inthe things that others have been doing will go a long way. Additionally,it may be helpful to think of some answers to some predictable questions(e.g., What did you like most about your study abroad experience? So howwas it?), so that you can express yourself more fully. You may also wantto keep in mind that you may be more interested in sharing your storiesfrom your experiences abroad than people are interested in hearing them. It may be helpful to determine who is really interested in hearing aboutyour experiences. Wait for others to ask you questions, and initially tryto be brief in your answers. If they are interested in hearing more aboutthem, they will engage you in conversations. You may also find it beneficial to find other outlets for sharing yourstudy abroad experiences. You may consider volunteering in your program'sorientation for students who will be coming to Italy or seeking out otherstudents who have just returned from studying abroad, especially thosestudents who have just returned from Italy, and international students. You may also consider writing about some important aspect of your studyabroad experience and submitting it to your school's newspaper or for yourlocal newspaper's Travel or Personal Opinion sections. You may also wantto volunteer for an organization (e.g., Youth for Understanding) thatpromotes international or intercultural exchanges for high school students.

3. Understanding and Explaining Your Experiences: Give it Time. It maybe frustrating for you to explain all of your feelings and experiences in a coherentway. Give yourself time to relax and reflect upon your study abroad experiences andupon what is going on around you and how you are reacting to it. Although mostreturnees report gaining major insights into themselves and their home countriesduring re-entry, they are only able to do this after they have had some time toreflect upon their experiences.

4.Reverse Homesickness: It's a Natural and Expected Reaction. Just asyou may have experienced feelings of loss upon your arrival in Italy (your hostcountry), you may experience these same feelings of loss, which sometimes can resultin mood swings, when you return home. It is important to keep in mind that thesefeelings are a natural and expected reaction to returning from your study abroadexperience. Although keeping in contact with your new friends may help to decreasethese feelings of loss, it is important to know that these feelings are part of theprocess and to accept them instead of pushing them away. Answering this questionmay be helpful: My re-entry experience may be enhanced if ____________________.

5. Changed Relationships: Opportunity to Find a New Rhythm. As a resultof your experiences abroad, and as a result of the experiences that your friends andfamily have had while you've been away, it is likely that both you, your friends,and family have all changed. Flexibility will be key to finding a new rhythm inthese relationships. Trying to fit totally into old patterns and social networkscan be difficult, but remaining aloof will increase feelings of alienation and iscounterproductive. It may be helpful to strike a balance between resuming earlierpatterns with enhancing your social and intellectual life with new friends andinterests. Additionally, as with any life changes, try to maintain a balancebetween sharing the ways in which you have changed and listening and observing theways in which your friends and family have changed. Answering this question mayhelp you to articulate some of the ways in which you have changed:a. I know that I have changed as a result of my experiences because______________________. b. One thing that I have learned about myself is _________________.c. Five important skills (e.g., learning to empathize with others, morecuriosity about new ideas, learning to become a better communicator by listeningmore intently, focusing more on nonverbal cues, speaking clearly) that I developedwhile abroad include _______________.

6. Misunderstandings: Opportunity for Clarification and to AppreciateYour Growth. Some people may expect you to be the same person when you return aswhen you left, and they may treat you that way. Others may recognized that you havegrown as a person and feel threatened or upset by differences in your behavior orideas. To minimize possible misunderstandings and misinterpretations, it may behelpful to pay attention to how your words and actions may be perceived by others. It may also be helpful to identify and appreciate the ways in which you have grownthrough your study abroad experiences and to remind yourself of these ways. Answering the following questions may help you identify and articulate any areas ofmisunderstandings: a. My friends and family seem to understand _________, but they don't seem tounderstand__________.b. I wish I could explain to my family and friends that _________________.

7. Feelings of Alienation: Opportunity for Finding Connection and Balance. Sometimes, once you are home, the mental images you had do not correspond with thereality of being there again. While abroad, people can romanticize their homeculture and minimize the issues and problems that were sources of daily stress athome. Once at home, you might feel disconcerted about experiencing these issues orproblems. You also may find yourself being critical, resulting in feelings ofalienation from your home culture. Although these are also natural reactions tore-entering your home country, try to remember that all cultures have positive andnegative aspects. Rather than criticizing many different aspects of your homeculture or gushing with praise for your host culture (Italy), it may be helpful toattempt to strike this balance between positive and negative aspects of bothcultures. Such a balance will probably be less threatening to others and willprobably help you to have a more accurate view of both cultures. To achieve thisbalance, you may find answering these questions helpful: a. The 5 things (e.g., places, people, activities) I missed about my homeculture the most while abroad were: _____________________________.b. The 5 things I missed least about my home culture while abroad were:__________________________.c. The 5 things I appreciated most about my host culture (Italy) were__________________________.d. The 5 things I appreciated least about my host culture (Italy) were__________________________.

8. Difficulties Applying New Knowledge and Skills: Opportunities for Using WhatYou Know. Many people find upon their return that it can be difficult to apply allthe knowledge and skills learned while abroad. It may be helpful to identify manyof the things (e.g., exercise, finding something familiar or comforting, developinga routine) you did to help you to adjust to living abroad, so you can use these samethings to help you adjust to your "new" life back home. Additionally, it may behelpful to use your creativity to find outlets for you to express your newlydeveloped skills (see numbers 1 and 2 for suggestions).

9. Fear of Losing Study Abroad Experiences: Opportunity to Find Ways to Connectand Use These Experiences. Many people worry about losing the experiences theycreated while abroad. To address this challenge, it may be beneficial to maintaincontact with people who have had experiences similar to yours, such as Peace Corpsvolunteers, international development staff, exchange students, diplomatic ormilitary personnel, chuch mission officials, and those involved in internationalbusiness. Additionally, it may be helpful to find ways of remembering and honoringthe hard work and fun you had while abroad. Some suggestions include recording(through photos or writing in a journal) important aspects of your daily life, suchas your address, favorite vendors, local markets, clubs, pubs, restaurants,classmates, neighbors, etc.

To answer the questions on number 9:
My address is Via di Mezzo, 12. We are down the street from one of the prettiest churches I have walked into in Italy. We are also down the street from the Standa Supermercato, a pasticceria which smells amazing everyday and another restaurant that is only open like two hours a day. Rex Bar is also down the street from us, which has very yummy drinks. My favorite vendors are of course Luca and Ana and their leather factory and their family. I also love the vendor who sells beautiful jewelry made out of Murano glass - I bought several souvenirs there for friends. At the San Lorenzo market, my favorite vendor is the lady who sells us the Schiacciata bread and the butcher who sells us our meat - he looks just like UJ and reminds Patee and me of him so much. My favorite clubs and bars are Red Garter (but that gets old because of all the Americans), Space, Twice, Rex, 21, Art Bar and so many more. Of course Dante's Pizzeria is one of my favorite restaurants because of the free wine and cheap food Hanni provides us with. Damo Ganzo is also because of Marco, Massimo and Maestro and they are so nice to us. And of course there is gelateria - my favorite is Grom, which is famous here in Florence. I love the Crem di Grom flavor and limone. Lately I have grown out of the tiramisu gelato phase and am starting to love the limone flavors.

***************
While Caitlin was drawing me today, we watched Under the Tuscan Sun, which I had not seen yet, but have read. It was so awesome to be able to understand the Italian phrases and to be able to recognizes some of the sites in the movie. It also felt so amazing to be able to understand where the main character, Francis, was coming from when she was describing her love for Italy, specifically Tuscany. It almost made me cry because of how well I can understand her feelings in the movie!

As I walked through the market today, I stopped to look at all of the cooking supplies that Grandma would have loved. I wish she still cooked her amazing Italian dishes, but if she did, I would have bought way too much stuff here for her! It made me get tears in my eyes thinking about her cooking and how much I see her in the Italians here. I am so glad that I got to temporarily live here - not only for my mere experience, but for Grandma and Grandpa. I know how much they take pride in this country and their culture, and now I truly understand it all and why they always tell us to go to Italy, and I know that Grandpa is watching me and is proud that I am here. I just wish he was here so I could personally tell him all about my experience. I can see why they took so much pride in this place - it is so amazing here! I hope to one day be the Italian Grandma that Grandma has always been to me. I hope I keep my cooking routine when I return to the States so that I can always have a piece and memory of Grandma with me - I just wish I could have learned from her. I can't wait to tell her that I made homemade meatballs the other day for the first time - after all those years she paid me $1 to eat one of her meatballs, I am now making them, eating them and loving them!

Now that I have let that out of my system, I must get back to studying for exams and writing my literature paper. I hate having to do all of that on top of packing and saying our goodbyes. I plan to go to Ana and Luca's store on Thursday after my last exam and popping open some bottles of champagne with them. I don't even want to think about how emotional I am going to be when saying bye to them and when I have to walk through these streets for the last time on Friday.

I just really hope I get to come back here someday... Florence, Italy, has become my second home forever. Arrivaderci, Italia.

Cinque Terre

I am taking a break from cleaning our apartment and packing. We have to deep clean our apartment for an intense inspection on Tuesday when our landlord comes to check for any damages and stuff. We have also started packing because final exams are this week and we don't want to be distracted with packing. I also want to be able to have fun on the last few days and say my goodbyes to Florence without having to spend all my time packing up my last semester.

Last night, Marielle, Patee and I went to "L'acqua calda" near Siena with Luca, Ana and their friend Muhommad, which was basically a river over a large concentration of sulfur, which made it hot water - it felt like we were in a hot tub. I thought it was hilarious when they told us it was called "the hot waters" because I just assumed they didn't know the real name of it, but turns out it really is called "the hot water." It is situated in some woods that have no lighting, so it was really dark and it is a gathering place for many natives. The six of us had so much fun hanging out in the water and afterwards Ana drove us to get some delicious hamburgers and hot dogs near the Florence airport. I swear i have never had such a delicious hot dog - maybe it's because I haven't had one in four months. Ana keeps telling us she is extremely sad we have to leave in only five days, and I keep telling myself not to think about it because I don't want to say goodbye to her and Luca. I wish we hadn't gotten so close too late in the semester - I wish we could have thought to hang out more at the beginning and middle of this amazing semester. We have to keep in touch via the old mailing system of writing letters because they hate technology. Luca also wants us to send them some American gum as soon as we get home... so I am excited to have my "pen pals" and I really hope I get to come back some day to see them.

On Friday, we went to Cinque Terre for the day. Patee, Marielle, Austin, David, Caitlin, Victoria and I hiked the majority of the four trails and it was such a fun day! It was so beautiful - I wish Dad could have been able to see it! We started in the town of Monterosso and hiked from there to Vernazza... we had no idea how hard that trail was going to be! We knew from books that it was the hardest trail to hike, and that is such an understatement... it was so exhausting! It was literally like hiking on the side of a mountain... on tiny, narrow paths with the most spectacular views of Monterosso and the next towns over. Patee actually missed her step at one point and slipped and fell towards the side where below was a vineyard, but some lady caught her arm... it was really scary but really hilarious after it all happened. It took about two hours to hike the entire thing and I swear I got more fit from that hike than I have from running the past two months! When we arrived in the town of Vernazza, we jumped for joy and were so tired that we had to take to the train to the town of Corniglia, where we hiked to Riomaggiore. Monterosso is known for its beaches (and yes, there were a few nude!) and gelato, while Vernazza is known for its beautiful and colorful houses ... Riomaggiore was really beautiful too and we were there during sunset... it is special for its "Via dell'Amore," which is basically a "Love walkway" that has graffiti written in a tunnel by people about their love.. and it has love locks everywhere on the fences, which are little locks with peoples' initials and dates... they are supposed to stay there forever and symbolize their love. It was so cute! When we arrived in Riomaggiore, we took the train to La Spezia where we had our train back to Florence. It was such a beautiful day and we all returned exhausted and sunburned... I wish we had had more time there because we could have gone swimming and kayaking before taking the train home, but oh well.

On Saturday, Patee and I took the day to roam around Florence for one last time... we love having those days where we wake up and the sun is shining and we can just walk around the market and the river without any rush or worries. Tonight we are going to have quick drinks with Ana and then returning to our studying and writing of papers and packing. Five more days until I am back in America. It is truly a bittersweet feeling - I am so sad to leave this beautiful country where I have learned so much about myself... but yet I am very ready to return home to friends and family and Fluffy who I miss so much. I am also very ready to return to Mexican food. I am unsure how my goodbyes will be on Thursday. We finish exams on Thursday and I organized a big dinner for our program at Dante's... I am most worried about saying goodbye to Ana because we have all made such good friends with her and I know she is going through such hard times with her brother dying and stuff.

Nevertheless, I am leaving here with amazing memories and an amazing experience. I am jealous of all my friends who are coming for the summer program and that I have to leave it all here. I really hope I get to come back one day and re-visit it and reminisce about our time here.

Svizzera e Lago di Como

"Switzerland and Lake Como"
I am sitting on my bed about to finish the last batch of my postcards while I am studying abroad here in Italy. I get more and more sad every day knowing that it is getting closer and closer to May 15 when my flight leaves for the States. I feel like this city and country has really become a part of who I am... though it always has been, ever since I have been able to first-hand experience the culture and my family's background, it seems so normal to me and I am so used to it now. My biggest fear right now is that I will never return to Italy... or at least Florence. I have learned so much about myself, about my family and heritage, and I am so grateful for this opportunity of a lifetime.

I am really going to miss Luca and Ana when we have to leave. We have been spending a good amount of time with them the past couple of weeks and it makes me sad to leave them. We are making dinner for them tomorrow night, and we are very nervous! We are cooking spaghetti, meatballs and chicken Parmesan ... hopefully they will like it.

On Friday, Patee and I woke up, ate lunch and realized that it was a beautiful day out! So, we went on a walk, intending to go to the river and soak up some sun while it lasted. We got a bit sidetracked because we wanted gelato from the famous Grom gelato place that Patee hasn't tried yet. While we were in line, we met a couple who was visiting from Atlanta and have a daugher and son living in Charlotte near the Arboretum - how coincidental! They were so sweet and I can't even begin to say how nice it was to hear the southern American accent again!

After our gelato, Patee and I walked into Piazza Signoria, where we realized a band and dance was playing in front of Palazzo Vecchio. We don't think they were an Italian organization because it sounded more Greek, but it was entertaining to watch for awhile. We continued our walk down to the Ponte Vecchio to take pictures of it while the sun was out, and we got distracted by the portrait painters. We bought fake portraits for only 8 euro, and I am so excited to frame them and hang them in my room - one of mine is of the river and Ponte Vecchio, and the other is a view of Florence and the Duomo off of Piazza Michelangelo. Pot and I felt relieved to finally have bought them because we have been nervous all semester to buy them... since it is illegal!

We spent the rest of the afternoon in Luca and Ana's leather shop hanging out and drinking wine with them. Luca just broke up with his girlfriend, so he was in a bad mood and was being grumpy... we had no problem telling him that either. Ana was really drunk after drinking wine with customers and spilled a lot of her life drama to us. I think she just really needs a friend besides Luca ... her brother died of cancer two years ago and she thinks she has cancer now. She went to the doctor today and is going back tomorrow, and she asked if we would go with her to get the final answer before we leave. She was crying to us a good amount, but she cheered up after awhile and we drank some more wine together and then went out to dinner together and with Luca... at Dante's. Afterwards, we went to grab some drinks in Piazza Republica with Ana, Giorgio (Luca's uncle who owns the leather store and is a politician in Florence), and their other friend who works in the leather store. We had such a fun time hanging out with our Italian friends! It made me wish that we had done this sooner in the semester... and I am really going to miss them. Sadly, the only type of communication we will be able to have with them is by letter... the old-fashioned letter. Luca and Ana hate technology and refuse to use the computer... we gave them our US numbers, but I won't be able to talk to them on that. Ana tells me over and over again that it is her dream to visit the States. I wish she could, and I have told her she can stay with our family for however long she wants. I think she has had a bit of a rough life, especially with the death of her brother, and she is just such a sweet girl and deserves to take that trip. So, since we have to part from our Italian friends in less than two weeks, we are spending as much time as possible with them this week... we are going to Cinque Terre with Ana this weekend and to the beach with her, and she wants us to come to her Mom's house for dinner another night before we leave.

After grabbing drinks with Ana and Giorgio, it was already 2 a.m. ... and we had to be at the bus to go to Switzerland with the LdM field trip by 4:30 a.m.! Pot and I had yet to pack and shower, so we went home and did all that, got to the bus and did all that without sleeping. We had about a five-hour drive to Tirano, the Italian village at the feet of the Alps where the Berina Express train started. The Berain Express is the highest-rail crossing of the Alps, and it is one of Europe's most outstanding train journeys. Stefano told us that you have to book the train one year in advance in order to guarantee seats on it. The three-hour train ride took us from Tirano to St. Moritz, Switzerland, through the Alps and gave us countless jaw-dropping views as the train climbed higher and higher until 2553 meters. We literally went from sunny weather to winter snow weather and we were absolutely freezing! Nevertheless, this train ride was one of the most beautiful and spectacular things I have done while abroad! I have also never seen so much snow before in my LIFE!

We arrived in St. Moritz to our hotel, which was beautiful! We literally were staying IN the Swiss Alps and looked out our hotel window to see the snowy Alps. I couldn't stop looking out our window because I am still amazed that I just vacationed in the Swiss Alps. Our hotel room was so comfortable - with downcomforters and down pillows and a nice, spacious bathroom and shower ... all of this is very rare for us and our student-pockets. Pot and I were soooo exhausted after not getting any sleep the night before, so we took a nap and read our books until we had to meet for dinner. Our dinner was a "typical Swiss meal" at a restaurant nearby... which we unfortunately had to walk to because I was not dressed for snowy weather! I don't know what i was thinking... but I did not pack or prepare for that weather at all. Our meal was delicious... and very un-Italian! Stefano told us the dinner was "early" at 7:30.. which is funny because it just shows the culture difference... he told us "The Swiss do dinner time different from Italy." Our first course at the restaurant was a salad with delicious dressing and our second course consisted of Swiss cheese fondue with bread... I never thought of that as a full meal, but it definitely filled me up! The cheese taste was soo incredibly strong, but delicious. Our third course was chocolate ice cream cake, which was also yummy... I got two servings because it had nuts in it and so Pot couldn't eat hers. Pot, Caitlin, Aimee, Victoria and I had so much fun together and it was very nice to get to know more and different people than the usual people I have been hanging out with this whole time. On Sunday morning, we got up and had our breakfast at the hotel and headed back onto the bus so we could drive through the region to Lake Como. The drive was almost terrifying - we had to drive on extremely narrow and curved roads through the Alps, but it was also very beautiful. Switzerland is definitely how I pictured it - with the snow and the pretty architecture that reminds me of skiing. I would love to go back there on day since we didn't have much time to explore there.

After a two-hour drive we arrived at Lake Como and took a ferry to the town of Bellagio, where George Clooney owns a house. Above is a picture of Victoria, Franco, me, Stefano, Pot and Aimee in Bellagio. It was so cute and quaint! We lucked out with the weather because it was beautiful. The six of us decided to stick our feet in the freezing cold lake just so we can say that we have touched the water in Lake Como. After Bellagio, we drove to Como, which was even prettier! The six of us ate lunch at a pizzeria on the water, where I tried a different type of pizza for once - tomato, marinara, onion and oregano... it was delicious! Afterwards, we explored the area and had gelato, and Pot and I rode paddle boats on the Lake! It was so much fun!! It was also very difficult because we had a hard time getting anywhere...so we pretty much just sat in the middle of the water and soaked up the sun. It was so relaxing and such an amazing two days. I had been to Lake Como previously with Mom and Dad, and I did not recognize it ONE bit this weekend... I guess when Mom and Dad were here, it wasn't tourist season yet so none of the tourist attractions and restaurants were out yet... it amazed me at how different it was!

After we had to leave Lake Como, we headed back to Firenze. I am so glad that I chose this trip because it was amazing! It is definitely by far one of my favorite trips I have taken this semester... I have never seen so much beautiful scenery in so little time. It makes me think America is so ugly, except for a few places. But here, everything is beautiful... and everyone is so united as a country. I love it and I don't want to leave it.

I finally visited the church that is right down the street from me last week. I walked in and was totally amazed because it was beautiful - it doesn't look beautiful on the outside, so that's why I was so shocked. I sat down and prayed for about an hour, and then I looked around the Church and read the history of it... apparently in the 1500s, a priest (St. Ambroggia I believe) left the wine on the Altar overnight and when he went back in the morning to clean it off, the wine had turned into blood ... and this is considered to be a miracle, so they built a side chapel to the Altar and a marble Tabernacle where the blood is preserved. I am going to make this a routine every week (not that I have much more left) because I felt at such peace in there. I love being able to walk around any corner and walk into a Church to sit down and pray, knowing it is a Catholic church. I love how united the religion is here... like I have said before, it makes it so easy to believe and comprehend everything I have learned about my faith my whole life... and it makes it so much easier to practice and want to practice Catholicism (not that I never do or don't want to .. just a general observation). I love being able to say " Happy Easter" or to talk about Catholicism knowing that it is not going to offend the other person because they are also Catholic. I just love it. I love everything about this place and just don't want to leave it :(

Alle Viola!

I have just returned from the calcio partita! Through LdM, students are able to receive 5euro tickets to see Florence soccer games... and so Patee, Marielle, David, Austin and I went to see the Florence vs. Roma game downtown in our purple Florence shirts. Marielle's friend, Rob, was in town for the week too so he joined us there. It was so fun! It was also so crazy... they are so intense about their soccer teams and victories. Before the game begins, everyone pretty much stands outside on the streets "tailgating" and drinking beers until we go in. When we got inside, we noticed that two sections near the Roma section (which was blocked off with plastic walls) were empty and there were security men sitting in rows as if they were guarding the Roma section... we later found out that fights broke out when Florence fans banged on the plastic walls of the Roma section, breaking them, and assaulting Roma fans..... before the game even began! We weren't able to catch onto what everyone was saying in the cheers, but we did catch onto the phrase, "Alle viola," which means go purple! The Fiorentina section was cheering or yelling the entire time - even if we scored a goal, they weren't happy - they just kept yelling as if they were dissatisfied. Well, we won the game 4 to 1, which was unpredicted! It was a really big deal... and the Fiorentines were celebrating all the way home by chaotically driving their mopeds and honking in big mobs... it was a bit scary... but such an experience! Before the partita, Patee, Marielle, Rob and I went to Boboli Gardens because the sun came out for awhile. Usually it is 10 euro to get into Boboli Gardens, but it is free museum week so we got in for free! I don't understand why it costs money to go into a park, but whatever. We sat on the grass on our blankets under the sun and read for awhile, soaked up the sun while it was there and enjoyed a nice afternoon out there. It felt so relaxing!

On Wednesday, Patee, Marielle, Rob and I went to Rimini, a beach on the Adriatic Coast. We had been planning this trip for months because it is known as the "Italian playground" during the warm weather. Unfortunately, the weather absolutely sucked... it was actually pretty cold. We had originally planned to stay from Wednesday through Saturday, but that changed pretty quickly - we got our money back and Patee and I only stayed one night because I came down with a sinus infection. While we were there, we rode bikes that the hostel let us rent out for free... it is a beautiful little town and would be awesome during the summertime. The boardwalks are filled with playgrounds, sports, umbrellas, restaurants, bars, and other really neat stuff. We rode our bikes along the beach and to the dog park where we sat and watched the dogs, and I was wishing Fluffy was there to play too. We also rode a four-person bike, which was hilarious because there were no restrictions to it (go figure, it's Italy), so we were riding on the roads with the cars... until suddenly Patee started screaming because her purse fell off the bike onto the road..... hahahah... luckily, the car behind us had noticed it and stopped without running her purse over. It was absolutely hilarious. We also went to see sand sculptures that seemed to be entered in a contest... the sculptures were AMAZING! I have never seen art out of sand except little sand castles, and this was incredible! Rimini is truly a beautiful little town, but not much to do if there is no sun!

Speaking of weather, it is so depressing. Apparently this is the first year Italy has had weather like this during the "spring." Every single day it is droopy, dreary, rainy or cloudy and it makes us miss good 'ol North Carolina weather at this time of year. It also doesn't allow us to get out of our apartments and do anything outside like play soccer or lay by the river (which we are dying to do any day now!!). It is also making my sinuses feel horrible - I mentioned above that I had a sinus infection, which is nothing unusual to me... but I got to experience socialized medicine by going to the doctor and getting my medicine. It amazes me that there aren't any drug problems here with the easy accessibility of medicine. All the doctor did was write my prescription and I had to go to the "farmacia" to pick it up - the pharmacist took the paper, got the medicine from the back, rang it up to only 10 euro and handed me the prescription back ... which means I could go back and get it any time that I want to. It's amazing... and bad... but I do love the prices!

Jason and Elizabeth Dugas came to Florence last week and I met them for dinner at I Latini, a wonderful little authentic Italian restaurant near the river! We had a great time enjoying our five-course meal in the quaint little restaurant and it was great to see familiar American faces and hear the southern accents! :)

I have become even more addicted to Diet Coke (or "Coca Cola light") since I have gotten here. It has gotten reallllyyyyyy bad - worse than it was before I got here. I don't even want to say how much I drink per day because I will hear Mom yelling at me from across the Atlantic. Needless to say, my first purchase in the States will be a Diet Dr Pepper... and I will drink it in front of my mean sister Jill on Skype ;) . Maybe I drink it so much because it gives me a good taste of home (literally).

Allora... off to read in bed now. I have gotten addicted to the Twilight series since I have been here and am about to finish the third book. I promised myself I wouldn't read them, but oh well! They are pretty addicting and I want to know what everyone else is talking about!

Ciao Ciao!

LdM Professors & Stefano Moments

Since I have been here in January, I have not only been immersed in the Italian culture and way of life, but I have also realized the culture of the Italian way of education. Basically, the biggest difference between college in America and here is the laid-back culture of the classes and professors. I am very rarely assigned homework, except for reading, and have had two presentations and three papers, all between mid-terms and finals. I don't think it has anything to do with the fact that this is a study abroad program because Lorenzo de 'Medici is for Italian students as well. This being said, I have had one really amazing professor, one hilarious/clueless professor, and one rude professor.

Cecilia Bergonzini is my Italian Renaissance and Civilization teacher, as well as my teacher for Introduction to Italian Philosophy. She is an extremely smart woman, who actually lives down the street from us. We see her often when she is walking with her children or husband. Cecilia is the least laid-back professor I have here. I remember on our first day of class, I was extremely intimidated by her because she is obviously a very motivated woman who intends for us to learn and only learn. I not only thoroughly enjoy her lectures, but I look forward to actually going to her classes everyday. She amazes me - she amazes all of us because she is so incredibly smart. If we have a question, she knows every answer. She doesn't skip any detail whatsoever in a lecture. Her mid-terms were hard, but I still got an A on them ... nevertheless, I am a bit nervous for her finals. Cecilia learned English by living in Ireland for several years, so she has a big of an Irish accent. All of this being said, Cecilia is definitely one of my best professors I have had in college... which is very hard to say. I just can't put into words how amazing of a teacher she has been and how much I have learned from her.

Rosella is my Italian teacher ... and I am not much a fan of hers. And I am pretty sure she is not much a fan of me either just because of the fight I gave her about my mid-term composition. She is my rude teacher... but she is only rude to me. Our Italian class is too laid back - I wish that the curriculum was a little more intense because I don't think I have learned much Italian from her. I have learned all of my Italian from the pre-session with my teacher, Francesca (who was amazing!), and from my interactions on the street. It is amazing how much I have learned by just immersing myself in the conversations on the streets. I hate it when I try to speak Italian to someone, and they speak English right back to me because I obviously am not Italian... nevertheless, I continue to speak Italian to them so I can practice. These Italians are just too impatient.

Stefano, Stefano, Stefano. There is so much to say about him. Stefano is our Introduction to Italian Literature professor. We are supposed to study Dante, Petrarch and Bocaccio during this class, but we have yet to get to Bocaccio and the Decameron in the next three classes. He is the absolute most laid back professor/person I have ever seen. He often tells us he is in a very "Caribbean mood" and doesn't want to do much that day. He gives us so much entertainment because of how clueless and airheaded he is. We don't do anything in class except listen to him talk about Dante or Petrarch (most of the time it's Dante). He doesn't remember what we did on the previous class, so he often repeats himself. I have still learned a lot from this class because of our mid-terms... he gave us five essay topics to prepare for the mid-term and that was the exam, haha. We have a paper due for his class on Thursday and he has told us it can be about absolutely anything - it doesn't even have to be literature related. He also told us that he is not one of the "famous teachers who checks if the papers are plagiarized", while he also told us that we have to have a bibliography but he does not require we read any books or research for the paper... oh and he said he is going to probably make up our grades. If he wasn't so funny and if he didn't give us so much entertainment, I would hate this class... but we will truly miss Stefano and his clueless, funny self. He is also the leader of all of the LdM program trips, and he just makes them much more fun and entertaining because of his personality. We have all found ourselves quoting Stefano at any given moment, so we took it upon ourselves to write down the funniest Stefano Moments we have had in literature class or on one of the field trips... and we have only done this for ourselves so we can always remember him and to give ourselves a good laugh when we want it. I have recorded them below... they are all pretty much funny only if you were there, and I am laughing while I type out each one.

"Class outside. Hm. I don't know how."

"You are too fast for me. I am in a very Mediterranean mood today."

"Allora."

"Someone had a, I don't know, spelling crisis."

"Your spelling is a disastro."

"If there is a beautiful party tomorrow, don't stay in because of this report."

"Should I fix my finger myself? I don't want to wait at the doctor. (with a broken finger)"

"After this, I go to the urgencies."

"Allora. Good thing we are not in Italy because this would take hours... I couldn't touch him for four hours!!! (during bus accident in France)"

"Okay. Dante wrote about Beatrice. Have you heard of her? (about the tenth day we have studied Dante and Beatrice)"

"Allora. After Nicole leaves, we all leave."

"My daughter is seven..... maybe eight."

"Do your doctors call you?" (as he answers his cell phone during class)

"Attendance update now."

"I wouldn't take a shower, so they called my mother and told her I am dirty."

"What time is it? Do we have time?" (everyday 15 minutes into class)

"You may be wondering why this man doesn't wear a watch. It is because I have allergy to metal. You may also wonder why I don't carry around a watch in my pocket. It is because I take it out, leave it on the table and forget it. I lose about 15 this semester."

"FINITO?!?!?!?!" (screaming after mid-terms)

"Allora. Don't be writing special notes to me or your friends on this paper. .... What? It happens."

"Adam, have you ever climbed a mountain?"

"Allora. Do you want to hear the menu again?"

"Madison, pick a number." "25" "Allora, two plus five is seven, divided by two, added by eight .... Ok, number nine. Chris Foong."

"How many friends do you have?" to Lauren

"Allora. Now you have three hours of free time here. See you back at the bus."

"Allora, now you go act like tourists and I will go over here."

"It is like a cave in here. I'm sorry I can't see." (while the lights are off)

"........then...... blah blah blah blah"

"Don't worry, I have some under this." (as he takes off his rain suit)


We have too much fun with Stefano, laughing with him of course.
I will definitely miss Cecillia and Stefano when I have to leave... but I won't miss Rosella.

La Dolce Vita

The Sweet Life. Currently, I am sitting on my bed with the windows wide open and listening to the birds chirping, watching our fascinating neighbor across the courtyard airing out her comforter, like she does everyday. We are also fascinated by our "new" neighbors who live above us and are extremely loud - we can hear every conversation and move they make. We have no idea why suddenly we can hear everything, so we assume they are new.

We are waiting for Samantha to come over and we four are going to have dinner and the best gelato in town together at our apartment. Patee, Marielle and I are "running" in the Florence "Vivicitta," or half marathon, tomorrow. It is a 12K, so I am not sure why they are calling it a half marathon, but I plan to run half of it and walk the rest. After running so much the past two weeks, my shins have begun to feel like they are going to break in half. The course of the run goes through the "most interested sites of Florence," as our advisor translated it as in an e-mail. Anyways, we are really excited because we get T-shirts and all.

While I am on the topic of beautiful weather that we had today, this week has been absolutely gorgeous. While this time of the semester has been hard for all of us because we all miss springtime at home, we have still been able to get outside and enjoy it in Florence. On Monday, Patee, Marielle and I spent the afternoon laying by the Arno (the river). I got a one-hour nap in and the rest of the time, we sat there for four hours eating gelato, gossiping, etc. We figured out by reading a sign that the area we went into near the Arno is actually a "Club" for rowers ... so we were afraid we might get kicked out. However, one man came up to us and told us that we should move to the prettier part of the Arno where there are gardens that were just done. He told us that we were sitting on the dirty section where rats come out at night. Wonderful. We didn't move because we weren't sure where he was talking about and we were too lazy anyway. When Patee and I left to start dinner, Marielle stayed and the man rowed past her in his kayak on the river and asked her why we didn't move... he told her that from now on we can enter the "Club" and just say we are friends of "Marco" (him). She stayed and had a long conversation with him and he showed her the "Club," which she said is beautiful. We are waiting for another beautiful afternoon after school so we can relax down there for another four hours! What a life.

My leather jacket got a rip in the seam when I was in France with Mark, but I didn't notice it until recently. I brought it back to Lucca and Ana when my parents are here, and he sent it off to the factory, so I miss it. He apologizes to me everyday and asks me if I want to borrow a different coat until I have mine back. I tell him there is no need to even wear a coat right now, a concept that these Italians can't seem to grasp. It is 70 degrees out and they are still wearing their parkas and fur hats! Lucca told us he wears his coat still because he works in the shade. We laughed at him, and he thought he offended us by wearing his coat, so he took it off. Daddy told me that Italians dress according to the month... which made sense, until April and beautiful weather appeared and they are still in the parkas. Anyways, Lucca told Patee that he is going to miss us so much when we leave. He says that we aren't the typical American girls who walk around being snobby and acting rich, and he is intimidated by those girls. He asks us everyday if we can stop by the leather shop after class so we can have a glass of wine with him in the store... Ha, again, what a life. He thinks that Patee's name is "Paniiiii," which means breads in Italian. Patee asked him, "Lucca, do you think my MOm was sitting around in the kitchen when she gave birth to me and said, hm, I will name my daughter 'breads'"? Lucca said, "I don't know your mother." Hahaha.. he is so funny. He thinks my name is "Conen" and that Marielle's name is "Marul." He told Patee, "I am going to miss you.. and Conen.. and Marul so much when you leave!" I think he has learned a lot from us about Americans and America in general... sometimes he says very inapprorpriate things - things that we consider inappropriate - and we have to tell him that he shouldn't say things like that in front of strangers because it will offend them. One day he told Paniiii that he needs to shave because he feels like Osama Bin Laden, and Patee told him to shhhhhh, and he didn't understand why, and responded with, "it's not like I am going to be terrorist or anything." Hahaha... We are going to miss Lucca so much when we leave!

On another note, Marco's pizzeria opened back up after restoration. We actually took Mom and Dad there when they were here, and it was still so delicious. However, Marco is no longer there. Patee, Marielle and I think it was taken over by the mafia. The new waiter we have enjoyed is named "Massimo," and he loves us. He gives us free wine, drinks and dessert whenever we want it. He is hilarious because he barely speaks any English and we have to correct him a lot. He and his "maestro" get a kick out of us. Maximo very often likes to say, "Scuse me, sorry"/"My name is Max.... bery Max." We think he thinks that in English Maximo is translated to "very Max" because the -issimo at the end of nouns in Italian, translated to English, puts emphasis on "very"... ha.

Ok, well now that I have procrastinated enough, it is time for me to continue writing my philosophy paper. I have to prove the existence of God, and then I have to write a paper for history about Petrarch and Dante, and then I have to write a literature paper on who knows what because our teacher is clueless... I actually plan to later write a post regarding Stefano, our literature teacher who provides us 95% of our entertainment in school.

Please don't make me ever leave Florence ... it is such a Dolce Vita...

A Few Thoughts

As the weather has brightened and I have been able to return to my three-mile runs each day, I have been able to do a lot of thinking about my time abroad. But speaking of my runs, I absolutely love running through this beautiful city and taking it all in, still not believing that I am here. I have had to alter the route of my runs now because of the crowded streets due to the tourists (there is SOOO much tourism right now!!!), but it is still so relaxing and beautiful.

Tonight Marielle and Patee made tacos, while last night I made Grandpa's pastina. Being here is so inspiring to cook, and I am dreading going home and not having the fresh ingredients that are here to cook with. I have been reading the book, Under the Tuscan Sun, which is a memoir about a woman and her husband who have a summer home in Tuscany. She talks about how inspiring Italy is to cook, and everything she says is so easy to relate to because I am experiencing everything she has experienced. I love reading it because of that, though I am disappointed in the actual plot and content of the book - I guess I have to watch the movie! Every night I want to cook something new, and tomorrow I am learning how to cook panna cotta - the cream dessert that I have begun to LOVE. I am so pumped to make it!

I have also been participating in a new hobby of mine - volunteering at the local pet shelter. Well, I haven't exactly gone there yet, but I have signed up because I feel so sad for the homeless and wandering dogs that are all around Florence. After being bit by the stray dog in Sicily, I have learned my lesson to not pet stray dogs anymore, and it tugs at my heart to not be able to give them the love and affection that they want. It really tugs at my heart and breaks it when I see homeless dogs walking around or sitting on a street corner in the shade because they are so hot and tired and hungry and thirsty. It just makes me think of Fluffy and how horrible I would feel if she were ever in that position. So, I e-mailed my advisor and asked her if there were any pet shelter volunteer opportunities, and she told me I can start going on Wednesdays... I am starting this week and am so excited!

I have also been thinking about how I can't believe how close everyone on our program has gotten. It's like we are one huge family. When I think about the program orientation in November and how none of us knew each other, it amuses me because now we all know every little thing about each other adn don't go a day without speaking to each other. It is going to be so hard to not see everyone when the semester ends and we go our separate ways, but we are starting to plan reunions, starting with my and Niema's 21st birthdays in August. It will be really fun to see everyone during the school year and I will always remember these people for the rest of my life because they have been a huge part of my experience here. It will just be really sad to leave them and this place, which I try so hard nto to think about but since the semester is dwindling down, I unfortunately have to! :(

Pictures will be added onto these posts later this week. I am finally done updating from the past four months and am ready to ice my hands!!!