Anything Pink Please

Wow!! What a crazy week and a half!! My classes have begun, I have made new friends (yes, some italian), and I still don't have Internet on my computer.

Classes...well, Italian is definitely more boring than I was hoping, but it is certainly easier than my Russian classes back home. And while I am enjoying learning about the language, my skills in actually talking to people here are a bit...hmm, laughable. But seriously, a lot of the Italians laugh at me when I speak to them. I guess southern doesn't translate too well into Italian.

Wine Appreciation!! What a wonderful class. In one week, I have honestly learned so many different things about tasting wine that I didn't even know were possible. Like for instance, when wine is stored in wooden barrels, it usually has a slight hint of vanilla when you smell it. How cool is that?! Plus this past Friday, instead of class, we went to a wine estate that is owned by one of the teachers. Yes, I already attempted to get myself an internship there next summer...she actually kind of seemed interested in the idea :)

Best part of the week...GELATO FESTIVAL IN FLORENCE!!! How did I get so lucky? For 2 Euro, you get a ginormous bowl of gelato YUMMMMMMM!! Not to mention, the stands are set up in the most beautiful places all around Florence (the Duomo, Piazza Repubilica, etc.)

Another highlight of the week has been being called Principessa (aka princess in Italian). This definitely adds to some of the appeal over here!! This week's bar/club of note: Space Electronica, a wild and crazy discotecca in Florence that features karaoke in one area, and a techno-blaring, go-go dancer having, crazy dancing area that has two stories in it. Definitely a great night life spot to hit up on the weekends while in Firenze.

Ok, well that is all for now. About to hit up some shopping in the leather market to see if I can find a wonderful new satchel for myself!! Ciao mi amicci!!

This week's Italian phrase is...como ti chiami (pronounced komo tee kee-ahhmeee) which means what is your name...the proper response is...mi chiamo______ (pronounced mee kee-ahhmoe) which means my name is_______!!

J Crew Flip Flops Were Not Made for Walking

Ahh Firenze!! My new summer home!! WOW, that is all I can say is WOW!!

I have been here for less than a week now, but it already feels like a lifetime. First Italian adventure...trying to figure out the train system they have here. Thankfully, while wandering around aimlessly in the Pisa airport, attempting to get on a train to Florence, a nice British couple assisted me with my luggage and my directionally challenged self.

After a day of sleeping, I checked in with my program and arrived at my apartment, which is BEAUTIFUL!! Ten minutes from the Duomo, fifteen minutes from Santa Croce, and gelaterias everywhere in sight...yeah, my life is a little rough right now :) My roommates are great!! We have already had so many fun adventures in our short time together, but no worries, details to come. Our first night, we went to a bar called the Fish Pub, and you better believe we showed them how fun Americans are!!

Over the course of the past five days, I have eaten gelato 2 times, have been lost 3 times (once for about an hour), have experienced Italian dancing in 4 new bars, have added 5 new blisters to my feet, and have 6 new roommates that I love. Life is pretty great right now!

Yesterday's adventure was to Verona, aka the place where Romeo and Juliet took place. Although the highlights of the trip were writing a letter to Juliet (yes, like the movie), hiking to a Roman Theater that wasn't there, visiting two beautiful churches, and watching one of my roommates eat it on the stairs, my favorite part of the trip was this adorable open aired market we went to while we were there.

It had everything you could want. We began the day eating delicious homemade pastries, sampled cheese and olives, and then went back to enjoy homemade rice balls filled with cheese, spinach, meat sauce, anything you could want basically. They were DELICIOUS!! Another cool thing, was the homemade beer one tent was selling. It was very nice and refreshing on a hot Italian day. 

Well, that is all for now. Gotta start resting up because my classes start tomorrow!!

Today's Italian word is...piacere (pronounced pee-a-cherr-ay), which means nice to meet you!! 

Airport Adventures

Well I suppose I decided to go on this whole journey for adventure, but honestly, the adventure wasn't supposed to start until I got to Italy...but what fun would that be?

The flight from Atlanta to New York consisted of a plane that smelled of curry, a child permanently kicking the back of my seat, 4 babies crying continuously, and an old woman who wouldn't stop talking to me. And the only movie saved on my iPOD, High School Musical 3...clearly I was on a roll.

So, I finally arrive from Atlanta to New York's JFK airport, go to my gate, and then realize (after I've sat down) that I am sitting in the middle of the BYU Band! Ok, so that's not awkward or anything...but yeah it was. Literally, they argued about the difference between musical instruments for an hour, clearly I had to get out of there.

Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, I get up to go walk around and stretch my legs, THEN THE STRAP OF MY PURSE BREAKS!! Now, bear in mind, I normally pack a heavy load, but today, my purse was packed far beyond capacity (laptop, camera, phone, chargers for the all the above, trashy magazines, shoes, extra purses...all the essentials to traveling). Not to mention, I'm not exactly a body builder or anything, so heavy baggage is not really my thing. I begin walking, carrying my full Vera Bradley duffle on one shoulder and my broken bag in both hands in front of me. I looked ridiculous!!

Finally, after I had walked from one end of the Delta terminal to the other (seriously, from end to the other!!), I find the only luggage place in the terminal, transfer all of my stuff from one bag to the other, and then walk all the way back to Gate 7. As I'm sitting there, updating my Facebook status and such, I realize the gate is awfully empty at 7:15 for a 7:45 boarding time. At 7:30 I go look, and it turns out I have been sitting at the gate that is departing to San Paolo the entire time (the flight was leaving at 10:10)!! I run to my new gate, arrive promptly at 7:40, while on the phone with my long winded grandparents, only to find out my flight departure time has been pushed back to 10PM!!!

All I can say after all this excitement is that I am ready for vacation...oh well, only 1 hour until boarding begins, and I'm on my way to Italy!!!

Countdown to Departure

Monday! I leave on Monday to go to a foreign country (Italy) where I don't know anyone, don't speak the language, and don't really have a plan other than my classes. To say the least, this could get interesting. I'll be over there until August. That's almost 3 months away from everyone I love, not that space isn't a good thing, but there will be an ocean between us. Oh well, I am referring to this as my time to grow on my own, make new friends, and really begin to get a feel for life on my own.

However, as my time of departure rapidly draws nearer, I cannot help but wonder what all I am going to miss this summer while I am abroad. Trust me, I know that the things I'll be missing will not compare to a summer of sipping wine and enjoying the fresh Italian air, but alas I somehow find myself already missing so many of the people I'll be leaving back home.

Of course, I already had to say goodbye to some of the greatest people in the world when I left school, but now the list of goodbyes continues to grow. Now, they're not really "goodbyes," so from henceforth I shall refer to these moments as "see you in 3 months" because it is much easier to part with people for a short period of time versus an official "goodbye, I will never see you again, have a nice life." So although it is tough to say "see you in 3 months," the good news is staying in touch has become so much easier nowadays with all the new social networking sites that are available to us via the Internet (case and point, blog sites). Between Skype, Facebook, Twitter, and this, I am fairly confident that you people won't be able to get rid of me that easily, no matter how far I may be away from you physically.

Well that is all for now. Continue to come back and read about all the crazy adventures I intend on finding myself in this summer and in my semesters to come in college. And trust me, there will be adventures!!