Una giorno alla volta

 One Day at a Time

Now having a total of five drafts saved in my blogger, I finally decide to blog about this random song I stumbled upon.   Go figure.  Hopefully this will put me in the mood to blog more.  Wild and Young by American Bang.  I originally heard it on a TV show, once played then it was stuck in my head, so I had to look it up.  Of course then I checked out the lyrics and surprisingly found myself motivated to blog about them.  

I have always been the one that spends too much time planning the future. So much sometimes that I miss what is going on in the present time.  My senior year of high school I was so wrapped up in planning my pre-law college undergrad and what I needed to do to achieve my "picture-perfect" future.  Then when I got into college, I spent many afternoons researching many different law schools.  Once, I gave up on the law school idea, I just spent the time searching for what other careers and graduate schools I could pursue.  I was always anticipating the next part in my life.  The truth is that looking back I missed out on so much that was going around me.  However, Italy my time in Italy was a little different.

Going to Italy with the idea that I need to discover myself, I allowed myself to adapt and change to the things and people around me.  I had no idea of what the semester was going to entail, so for once I didn't worry about the future and focused on the present.  Thinking of the future meant saying Arrivederci, and the truth is that I never wanted my time in Italy to end.  From late nights on Via Zamboni or Alma Mater, I lived life to the fullest.  I was living a four-month-long adventure of a lifetime.  I didn't want to leave with any regrets.  At many times I even wanted time to slow down.  I even learned to walk like a Sicilian and learned not to be in a hurry.  I learned to live for the present, and take each day as a gift from God. 

 “Slow it down you move a little too fast

Gotta take a deep breath and make it last
These should be the best days of your life
We are wild and young”

So here I am, almost twenty years old.  While my teen years are ending, I know that I am still young; still learning, and still have a world to explore.  No more fretting about the unknown future.  Just one day at a time. 

Le Due Torri

The Two Towers

One of the famous landmarks in Bologna are the Due Torri.  Placed perfectly in the center of town, at the end of Via Zamboni which is the University district.  Every time we walked into the center we passed these massive structures.  Weekend nights we would meet friends here, and sometimes we would even lose friends here.  Well one day we went into town for gelato, then the next thing I know we are hiking up the 500 steps inside one of the towers.  When traveling in Europe one of the things that almost every city has to offer is an incredible of view of the city, but usually they require a lot of climbing.  While at first you may be reluctant, you have to just go for it and know that it will be worth it.  Huffing and puffing we finally make it to a little more than half way.  Our common fear of heights all hit us, and we question if we should continue.  The steps are getting smaller and smaller, and look older than all of our ages put together.  It honestly looks scarier going back down, so we decided to continue up.  Before we knew it we could feel the breeze and saw the sun beaming in through the frame of the doorway to the top.  While on the stairs I was breathing heavily, but as soon as I stepped out and saw the view I was completely speechless.  I was looking over the city that I had fallen so in love with.  For miles and miles around you could see the neighboring cities and the rolling green hills.  I could see the streets that I had spent many afternoons exploring. Who knew I had walked so far?  The experience of climbing up the 500 stairs and seeing the amazing view of my favorite city was definitely a highlight of my semester.

The city center of Bologna.

Can you say amazing?

Our dorm, Alma Mater!

Don't worry we didn't count the steps, the eager little girl who passed us did.

   

Hotel Formule 1

Like I have mentioned before, I learned many life lessons during the semester.  While learning about different perspectives on culture, faith, and social justice; I also learned traveling tips.  Lesson number one: don't trust a hotel website that doesn't have pictures.  Better yet, never stay in Charleroi, Belgium.  

Back in March, my roommate Beka decided for her birthday weekend we should go to Amsterdam.  Then our friend Jacqueline decided to join, too. Since none of us had been there, we thought it would be fun territory to explore. However, getting to Amsterdam from Bologna is an adventure on its own (well through Ryanair that is).  The first step is to fly from Bologna to Charleroi, Belgium.  From that airport you take an hour bus ride to Brussels Central Station and take a 4 hour train into Amsterdam.  So that Friday after being in 3 countries in one day, we finally arrived to Amsterdam.  Because we waited really late to book hostels, we had to stay in a different place each night.  The first night we stayed in a Christian hostel a few blocks from Anne Frank's house.  The next night, we could not find a single hostel available, so we had to splurge and book a hotel room.  Even though, it was outside the city, we enjoyed our luxury for the night.  Since the airport was almost 6 hours away and a country away, we decided to book a hotel in Charleroi for the night before our early returning flight.  I was put in charge for booking the hotels for the weekend, and since we had to splurge on the hotel, I decided to go really cheap for the last night.  So a few days before we left, I just booked a little hotel near the airport.  It was only 43 euro for the three of us! 

After our long day getting back to Charleroi, we catch a cab from the bus station to our hotel.  A little delirious, we pull into the parking lot and all I can see our colorful lights in the shape of an A frame.  I look at the name and it’s the name of our hotel, Formule 1.  We paid the cab driver, and soon as the doors were shut Beka says, “Jordan, where the hell are we?”  Jackie and I finding it extremely comical decide to walk in and check this place out.  All we first see are two creepy men in the “lobby” on their little laptop.  We almost missed the reception because it was tucked away in a little corner.  I give him our name and reservation information, and as I am leaning down for my credit card I cannot stop laughing.  This hotel was the worst thing I had ever seen, and we had not even made it to our room.  We decided to pay 5 euro extra for their “Gourmet Breakfast.”  After checking in, he hands us a piece of paper and says that is our code to get into our room.  All very confused, we decide to get to our room as fast as we can to avoid any other guest.  We walked up the horribly decorated carpet stair well and finally get to our floor.  First thing we see in the hall is the bathrooms. They are like airplane bathrooms, with automatic flushers synced with door opening and closing.  Then we walk down the hall that favored a public storage unit building because of the bright orange doors.  We found our room, punched in the code and shut the door to find that the door opens just enough that it didn’t hit the full/queen size bed.  Over the top of the bed there was a small twin sized bunk that ended up being my bed for the night.  Jackie and I immediately fall onto the bed laughing hysterically.  Beka is in the corner having a minor panic attack.  We decide to open the window to see the little grass patch, and I said, “That must be where the pool is going when they get the money.”  After hearing cows mooing, we shut the window and decide to go get something to eat.

We walked across the street to the only restaurant around, which happens to be an Italian restaurant.  Reading the menu, we were completely confused to see the Italian things, but written in French.  Even ordering we would answer the server by saying, “Si….oui….shit!”  Italian restaurant in a French speaking country always leads to confusion.  Scared to go back we kill as much time in the restaurant by enjoying our pitcher of vino.  Jackie and I found the situation completely hysterical and the peak of our weekend.  Beka was ready to call for another hotel.  We decided since we were going to be there for less than 6 hours that we could suffer it for the night.  Before going to bed, we all took bets on what our “gourmet breakfast” would be.  I guessed bread, cheese, Nutella, and an assortment of juices.  Of course I was wrong by the assortment of juices; it was only an orange juice-like drink.

The next morning we are waiting for our flight back to Bologna, still laughing about the night.  Beka still is blaming me for it all, but is just glad we are out of the place.  I then decide to say, “I now understand why the website didn’t have pictures.”  She didn’t like that too much.  The important thing is that nothing bad happened to us.  We were all very glad to get back to Bologna safely, from such an adventurous weekend.  Good news is that Formule 1 Hotels are an international chain!  Who wants to join me in a world wide Formule 1 adventure?

Beka not so happy. :-(

Jackie discovers the broken stair case.

The occupied toilet.

Wait, I thought this was a hotel? Not a storage unit.

Glad we didn't loose that piece of paper.

Mangiare. Pregare. L'amore.

Eat. Pray. Love


Ever since I have been back in the States I find myself always watching movies or TV shows filmed in Italy.  I avidly watch David Rocco's Dolce Vita on the Food Channel.  It is the perfect way to reminisce about Italy; the food, wine, and sights.  My favorite thing is just to hear people speaking Italian, I can't help but to smile and even refuse to read the subtitles.  Just the other week I decided to watch House Hunters International.  I read the info page and saw that this episode was filmed in Italy.  I continue watching to see it was based in Bologna!  I squealed with excitement.  My mother rushed in to see "what was wrong" and then soon realized I was just having a not only a "I've been there" moment but a "I've lived there" moment. It still baffles me to say that I lived in Italy for a semester.  What a life I lead.


As I was watching Eat Pray Love tonight, so many thoughts came to mind.  Her time in Italy, where she learned how to just enjoy herself.  Whether it was from the sights I saw, the delicious food, or the wonderful people I met, I would like to say I enjoyed myself.  Then she goes to Indian then on to Indonesia.  A culture that I am not quite familiar with, but interests me very much.  I have heard a lot of criticism from the second half of the movie because her meditation and Hindu prayer.  However, I find the second half of the movie just as inspiring as the first.  She goes to a country and adapts to a culture far different from her own.  What courage and what an inspiring experience.  I hope that one day I can extend my travels to a similar culture.


The main lesson of the movie, is her self discovery.  It is something we all do.  Some find it a lot closer to home than others.  However, it is not a one time occurrence.  To find who you really are, is a daily interpretation of who you are from all your experiences.  Six months ago, I would like to say I was a mess when it came to future plans and what I wanted in life.  I have always been the girl with big dreams, and living abroad has been one of them.  For some reason over the years, I talked myself out of these dreams.  I became extremely materialistic and generally selfish.  With various events in the last few years, I started to realize that happiness is the key (not salary).  This led me to start questioning what I wanted to do career wise.  It killed me not having a plan, but I honestly did not know what I could do.  Then the moment comes for me to move to Italy, can you say perfect timing?

So I move to Italy, only knowing one person in the program.  I only knew a total of 10 Italian words and had never been more than a month without seeing my family.  What a step?   When I first left on the plane back in January, I had no clue what was ahead of me.  I become adjusted to the way of life in Italy.  I found that I just adapted to the culture with no questions or criticisms.  I made friends that will last for a lifetime (American and Italian).  And, I surprisingly learned many new words in Italian (my Italian friends might disagree, but I will show them when I return to Italy).  With all these experiences, change is bound to happen.  I found my happiness, in the shape of a boot.  What can I say, the country won my heart. Sorry America.  With this new found happiness, I discovered what I finally want to do in life.  I know, I can't believe it either (took me long enough!)  So I decided that I want to fulfill my childhood dream and live permanently in a foreign country.  My parents agreed and are looking to buy a place on the Amalfi Coast and I am just going to be an Italian beach bum!   Ha, Yeah right.  I am sure you were all wishing that, so you could come and visit.  However, I do want to live in Italy.  Many people have always suspected that I would go into some type of education, and they were right.  My study abroad experience was such a intricate part in my life, and I want to share that by working with a study abroad program.  Eventually I hope to be a director, but I might do some teaching in between.  


With this new career change, the first step of education needed is a Master's in Higher Education.  This program does not require a particular undergraduate degree, so I discovered a new degree that lets me focus in on my interest that can help me achieve my dream goal of returning to Italy.  So I am now a Liberal Studies Major, basically has an intense Liberal Arts core along with your choice of 3 minors.  My minors are Business Administration, Italian, and Religion.   Some may argue how religion ties into the plan.  With my worldly interest, how am I supposed to understand a culture If I don't know what they believe.  After graduation I hope to find some short term work either with a university in Italy or a volunteer opportunity.  Then I plan to return back to the States to get my Masters in Higher Education.  After that I hope to find a more permanent job in Italy, and get back as soon as possible.  That is the plan for now, but is subject to change.  We make plans and God laughs.

There are my thoughts for the day.  I have all day tomorrow free, I am sure I will post again tomorrow.  Buonanotte Tutti!

Ancora Ciao!

So I have been back in the United States for almost 2 full months now.  I still miss Italy as much as I did when I first left.  It has been so amazing to see all my friends and family.  Everyone asks me how my trip was, and all I can think to say is "Amazing."  But that simple little word does not give my life changing semester any justice.  I think I could write a novel, and still have a difficult time describing how incredible my semester was.  If you check the post previous to this one, you will see that I have not posted since March 29.  I have had so many people ask me why I didn't finish my blog.  I do apologize for not at least blogging small updates, but I just was so caught up at the world around me, I just chose to go off and explore instead of being on my computer.  However, I continued writing, but it was my personal growth.

Lately, I have been super stressed and find myself emotionally worked up.  Everyday I reminisce about my semester.  I still remember everything like it was yesterday.  Some moments I just replay in my head hoping that it will make it real again.  So, you could say it has been a culture shock for me.  I went through similar emotional stress while in Italy, which made excellent journal entries.  One of the most rewarding things about this semester was that I started writing more.  Everything around me was inspiration, how could I not take it in and write it down.  I used to be the girl who was always analytical and scientific, but Italy brought the creative spark and now I would say I am definitely more inclined to the language arts.  So, to hopefully relieve some of my stress now, I have decided to revamp this blog and continue telling about my semester.

I warn you that the post will be random and unpredictable. One day I might write about my trip to Greece, and the next could be a funny moment that happened in Alma Mater.  Sometimes I might just pick one of my favorite pictures from the semester and tell the story behind it.  I also want to write about some of the valuable life lessons that I learned.  From views of racism, religion, to love, I hope to show you that this semester was not just a "big trip."  It was period of self discovery.

Io vado in Irlanda domani!!!

One of the many things I love about living in Europe is the easy access to the countries surrounding it.  This weekend we have an extended weekend for travel, so tomorrow after my class I am off to Ireland!  I have always wanted to go to Ireland so I decided to take this opportunity to go explore.  I am flying with Beka and Emily into Dublin.  Emily is meeting with her brother who is currently living in Ireland.  Beka and I are taking a bus up to Belfast in Northern Ireland.  I am staying in Belfast for two nights and then I am going back down to Dublin to do some traveling on my own for three days.  One of my goals for the semester was to "discover myself" and I believe this can't be done if I don't spend time by myself.  While I am nervous, I am excited to see what I discover.  

These past few months have been full of the most rewarding experiences and I know this will just add to my journey.  Before this trip, I was at a real lost at what I wanted in life.  Being here, I have gained so much patience. I have finally realized that I don't have every detail of my life planned.  My only plan is to somehow get back over here.  When I was younger, I always said that I wanted to live in Europe.  I didn't have many reasons why, I just knew I wanted to.  Then after my first Europe trips in high school, I had it mapped out to move back to Paris.  For some reason, after years passed I felt that it was impossible so I decided that I just wanted to be successful enough to vacation to Europe frequently.  Well as we all know, God always has a bigger plan for us.  This opportunity comes up to live here in Bologna, Italy.  I remember the day my dad told me of the program. Before he could even finish telling me about it, I just kept saying, "Please please please!"  Now I am here, and I realize that vacationing is not enough.  My family has already started taking bets for how long I will last in the United States before coming back.  You can't blame me for wanting to live in Italy.  The amazing food, beautiful sights, and the wonderful people have won my heart.  Although I will have to part from here soon, I will return.  

This is the life I lead and love.  The life of enjoying the simple things.  That is where true happiness lies.  

Poland Adventures

It has been way too long since I have blogged.  This past month has just flown by!  So many things happen each day while I am here.  Last weekend we went to Poland!  This was my first time in Eastern Europe, and it definitely was an experience.  Molto molto freddo!  (Very very cold)  We first started in Warsaw and stayed in the "Old Town."  Our first day, we went to the Warsaw Uprising Museum, which was unlike any museum I had been in Europe.  It was interactive with sounds and items that you could actually touch.  My only knowledge of Poland, was from history books mainly speaking of WWII.  However, just walking the streets in Warsaw, I could feel the history.  Walking in the Old Town, I could close my eyes and just imagine how it would be in 1940's during the war.  After the museum, we went to the Psychology  Building, that was actually one of the only remaining buildings from before the war and was a former S.S. office building.  Getting there was quite an adventure.  We first walked 4 or 5 blocks to the Hilton to catch a cab.  We finally find a cab and ask if he speaks English and says "No!"  With the our map and help from the hotel assistant we were able to communicate our destination with him.  When getting closer to the Psychology Department, I check the meter to see approximately how much it was going to be and it said 6.00 PLN.  However, when we arrived to our destination he moved the meter and pushed some buttons and it ended up being 26 PLN. Obviously being ripped off, but we can't understand a thing he says we scrape up the change to pay him.  Well, with the rest of the group having the same experience we were able to share our frustration.  Once we all arrived at the Psychology Department, we attended a lecture from a professor who is doing studies on Poles and their griefs about what happened with the war.  One of the most intriguing lectures I had ever attended. Later that night we met with him and some of his students at a local bar.  I got the chance to speak to one of the students, and her devotion to her studies was just remarkable.  We spent the rest of the night discussing and comparing the U.S. and Poland's system of higher education.

The next morning we departed for Krakow.  After having a similar taxi incident from yesterday, we all arrived at the train station.  Todd warned us that this train would be extremely packed and that we possibly would not have seats.  Of course Todd always seeking for adventure thought that this idea of fighting for a seat would be a "great experience!"  I never found a seat, so I stood in the hall and just gazed out the window for about 2 hours.  Then I spent the last hour talking with Todd and the rest of our group all crowded in the hallway. We arrive at the first stop of Krakow, and someone told us to wait for the next stop.  Some of us finally found seats, before we even settle down we hear Todd, "Get off the train!"  So we all rush off the train.  Then the next minute he says jump back on.  Then we finally asked a conductor and we jumped right back off!  After swapping 3 times, we thankfully didn't lose anyone.  This was just another adventure that Todd found quite comical.

After the many head checks to make sure that we had everyone in our group, we headed up to the buses and were straight off to Auschwitz.  We first went to Auschwitz 1, which was turned into the museum.  Here remained 28 blocks (buildings) each having exhibits.  The exhibit that will always remain with me is the one of the items confiscated from the prisoners by the Nazi soldiers.  We saw rooms filled with dishes, suitcases, eye glasses, brushes, etc.  Then we went upstairs and walked down an entire hallway filled with the shoes collected from the prisoners.  The hallway seemed to never end and each step the chills on my body multiplied.   You couldn't think of these things just as items, each of these items belonged to someone who suffered this camp.  From the shoes ranging in all sizes, all you could picture is the solemn faces of men, women, and children.  After seeing all of these items we then went to see the only gas chamber not bombed during the war.  There are absolutely no words to describe the feeling when we walked through the chamber.
We were now off to Birkenau, the extermination camp.  Which was a few miles down the road with and a railroad that connected the camps.   When we arrived at the grounds not a word was said.  This mysterious fog hovered the camp and the barbed wire fence seem to go forever.  The long wood buildings never ended.  We went inside some of them, and the conditions were indescribable.  Even in the March weather, it was so cold, I can't even imagine what it was like in the harsh winter.  The day was definitely unforgettable and an experience that left me speechless for hours.


Then we took a bus back to Krakow to our hostel "Good Bye Lenin."  We checked in and put our bags down, dreading the cold we bundled up and went out to get a bite to eat.  We walked into the center and scared to try Polish food we ate at the Irish Pub.  Little did we know that it was also a karaoke bar!  Before we finished our meal, English men were flocking in and taking over the microphone.  Some of the girls in our group sang a few songs, and then some of the English guys started talking to us.  One had way too much to drink and said,"Wow you speak really good English!"  He obviously didn't catch that we were American.  A group of guys invited two of my friends and I to go to the next bar with them.  We hadn't really planned on going out, but decided what the hell.  After sweating profusely all night because of all the layers  we had on for warmth, we decided long underwear and three layers of shirts, was NOT appropriate club wear.  However, it was a fun night that we won't forget.  The next morning, we got up and explored Krakow.  We went back to the center and shopped in the market a little bit.  Then Beka, Jackie, and I decided to venture off to a restaurant near our hostel.  We walked in and it was like a time warp.  The prices were a tad bit too expensive so we all ordered soup.  Jackie went to the bathroom downstairs and discovered there was a room that looked like a cave.  Our drinks came and Jackie took a sip of her beer and immediately made an awful face.  She took a gulp and said "This definitely taste like rust."  Then our soup came, and we swore that the spoons tasted like that had pulled out of a really old drawer and the soup remained in the bowl as we asked for the check.  We payed the bill and hurried back to the hostel to catch the bus to the airport.  Laughing hysterically about the awful food and gagging a little bit, we decided never again would we venture into a sketchy restaurant.


Now I am back in Bologna!  I missed Italy so much!  Western Europe is definitely more my style.  I am glad I went, but I am not sure if I would go back to Poland.  I am sorry it has been so long since I blogged.  I am going to be better at it this month.  Life is so wonderful here.  Unfortunately I had to book my plane ticket home, so I will be home May 3rd.  :-(  I was so reluctant to push "Book" and even told my parents I understood if it was too expensive to fly me home.  Anyways I have 2 wonderful months left and I am going to live it up.  Wait, I have already been doing that...  Classes are going well, I finished my Italian 101 and got an A!  So, yes, I am studying!!! This month is going to be really busy.  My Lenten resolution is to spend at least 15 minutes in prayer everyday and to write in my journal.  My next trip is this weekend to Brussels and Amsterdam!  Then in a few weeks I am going to Ireland with Beka my roommate for a few days, then I am going to explore some on my own, this is the part of "discovering myself" that I have hoped for.  Since all of North Africa is in a frenzy, we are ending our tour in Greece!  Definitely can't complain about that!  Then my mom and aunt are meeting me in Sicily and then we are going to work our way up to Venice!   My life is unreal.  I love it here!  I have a feeling that I might dart the other way in the airport on May 3rd....  


Ciao!

Follow link to look at my Auschwitz Photos.

Le Distrazioni

So, I will go ahead and apologize on how long it has been since I have posted.  I have literally done so many things in these past two weeks.  I am living in Italy, so I can't really apologize for not wanting to sit down and type up a blog, when I could be out exploring.  Can you believe that I have been here a month now? It has completely flown by!  In the past month, I have seen more sights than people see in their lifetime.  I love this country and culture more and more everyday.  And I get sad to think I only have 2 more months here!

Ponte Vecchio Bridge in Florence

To catch up on the past 2 weeks, I will begin with my Florence and Venice weekend.  Thursday February 3, we had a day trip to Florence for our Art History class.  I had been to Florence a couple years ago with Ms. Doss's trip, so it was really neat visiting a place for a second time.  Of course with my luck, we had another mishap at the train station.  The original plan was to meet our professor around 2:00 in Florence, but a group of us wanted to catch the earlier train, so we could grab lunch and walk around before our class met. Well, we got out of our first class late, so that put us running to the train station to  catch this train.  Most of the group split into pairs to the automatic ticket machines, but I was the odd one out so I went on by myself.  I clicked right on through picking the cheapest train to Florence.  We quickly ran out to the platform and we are all looking at our tickets to figure where to go.  We then realize that we have different tickets, so we split getting on our correct trains.  Beka, Emily, and I get on our train and sit down laughing about how we always have mishaps at the train station.  The ticket man comes up and punches my ticket and then grabs Beka and Emily's, and immediately the look on his face tells us they have the wrong ticket.  However, instead of paying the fee he just tells them to check better next time.  Thankfully they came with me anyway, because I would have had no clue what I was doing by myself because this train actually went to the wrong train station in Florence.  So, we had to take a cab to the right one, to meet the rest of our group.  We finally got to the place we needed to be, but barely had time for lunch.  So we grabbed a quick gelato and met with our professor.

A classic view of Venice

After a wonderful afternoon of exploring Florence, It was time for Beka and I to depart for Venice!  Before returning to the train station, we stopped at the leather market and I finally bought my Italian leather journal I have wanted so badly!  I couldn't wait until Venice to finally write in it!  A few hours later we finally departed for Venezia!  When we finally arrived, we walked out the doors of the station and you  could hear the water hitting against the sidewalks.  We found the correct water bus to the hotel and we were more than ready to find our Best Western Albergo in San Marco.  We arrived to the San Marco piazza and with the help of a police officer finally found our hotel.  My feet were absolutely killing me by then, so we crashed for the night. Thank God for Continental Breakfast!  Finally we had a full breakfast (or at least European style).  We had cereal, pastries, yogurt, fruit, nutella, and American coffee!  A wonderful way to start the day in Venice.  So for Friday, we got dressed and literally walked most of the city.  Being offered a gondola ride every 5 minutes was tempting, but neither of us were willing to pay 80 euro.  Pizza and pastries for lunch and then the Hard Rock for dinner.  Tupelo chicken tenders have never tasted so good!  The servers loved that I was from Mississippi and immediately made the connection to Elvis of course.  After dinner Beka and I walked around some more and found a jazz club/bar and decided to check it out.  We sit down at the bar and order some drinks and then we look up and there are hundreds of bras hanging from the ceiling.  Come to find out, this bar was famous because girls could exchange their bras for t-shirts.  Don't worry, neither one of us got a "free t-shirt."  Saturday we got up and explored some more and did some shopping!  Saturday we went to an opera.  The show was the Barber of Seville!  Being all in Italian, we surprisingly understood what was going on and enjoyed it very much.  The musicians were so talented, at one time the lights flickered off so they could not read their music sheet; however, they continued without any error.  It was a classic Venetian experience!

Beautiful countryside of Malta

Even though, being in my dream city of Venice, I was ready to be back in Bologna!  With Florence and Venice being such a tourist trap, we never were able to use our Italian, everyone spoke English with us!  I was glad to be back where I was one of the few Americans and English speakers.  Before even being able to settle down, we left for Malta the very  next weekend.  Malta, was an interesting experience you could say.  Being in the middle of the Mediterranean, the sights were absolutely gorgeous.  Being a previous British colony, English was spoken almost everywhere.  However, "Malta-zuma's revenge"  hit almost have of our group.  From the carsickness on the bus through the countryside, to not feeling so well after a meal we all had our time that we just wanted to lay down.  Thankfully we all got over it and made it back safely to home sweet Bologna!


As you can tell I have had many distractions, "le distrazioni",that have hindered me from posting.  But to say the least I am enjoying every single minute of this journey.  It isn't just a physical journey around Europe.  Just in the past month I have discovered so much about myself.  I have made bonds with people around me that I know I will never forget.  Just thinking that I am leaving in May absolutely scares the hell out me.  I have gotten so comfortable with my surroundings and I haven't honestly been this happy in oh so long.  Traveling the world has always been a dream of mine, but now I am living some of it out now and don't want to stop living this fairytale.  There is something really unique about living in a culture different than your own.  Adapting  to the language, the day to day routine, and other habits makes you take a critical perspective of your own country.  It will either make you appreciate it more, or you may find that you prefer the lifestyles of the one you are experiencing.  The Italian culture is definitely one of kind, and I fall in love with it more and more every day.  I am living this experience "toto corde" (whole heartedly).  When I have to leave at the end of this semester, I don't want to leave with regret.  One of my Italian friends made the comment the other night that what we do in life is just a distraction from the end.  But we both agree that naming life experiences "le distrazioni" is not a bad thing.  It is how you engage in these distractions and apply them your life and the ones around you.  Maybe everything this semester is just a distraction for when I have to return back home, but I can't hesitate to engage in everything and everyone around me.


Off to live out my Dolce Vita!


J

Non andiamo alla discoteca!!!

This post is to share some of my funny occurrences while here in Italy.  So get ready, don't judge me, and enjoy!

My favorite phrase I have learned on this trip is the above, "Non, andiamo alla discoteca!"  This originates to our first night out in Bologna.  Four of my friends and I went to Via Zamboni (the University district) to meet some Italians some of us had met the night before.  We went to one of the bars, Irish Pub and the people we were meeting were not going to be there until later, so we got a few drinks and went and sat down at a table.  As I am waiting at the bar,  I unfortunately made eye contact with some guy.  Somehow, that was his invitation to come and talk to me.  He did not speak any English and he had a friend that was interested in one of my friends.  They follow us to our table and sat down with us, it was a very safe pub so we were not worried and the rest of our group was coming soon.  We come to find out that they are Tunisian, and their names were Omar and Fabio, what a pair?  Of course they had mastered how to say how beautiful we were and any other compliments.  Then it came to asking us to go to the discoteca (the dance club).  We politely declined and said that we were meeting  some people here later.  Being persistent, they continued asking us to "andiamo discoteca?"  Then this is finally where we had to forcefully decline by, "Non andiamo alla discoteca!"  The Italians of our group finally showed up and got rid of our Tunisian friends for us.  We enjoyed the rest of the night talking to some of the nicest people we have met here.

My next funny experience is what inspired me to write this post.  Recently with all the paperwork and shopping using my debit/credit card I have had to use an ID a lot.  I glanced in my wallet and could not find my driver's license, so I would just use my passport (it is a better ID for overseas anyway).  After thinking about my license, I realized that I must have  left it back home.   So at dinner one night we are talking about purchasing soccer tickets, and how an ID was required.  I mentioned that I wish how I would have packed my license so I did not have to worry about having my passport on me.  My friend Emily asked, "well what did you use to get into the casino in Interlaken?"  I literally dropped my fork and covered my mouth.  The whole table just looks at me and I immediately realized where my license was.  I could picture it sitting there on the counter after checking in, and I never put it back in my wallet.  We immediately all burst into laughter and realized there was nothing I could do about it now.  So, Mom and Dad, if you get my license in the mail and it is post marked from Switzerland, you now know.  I sent an email to customer service of the casino, but I haven't heard back yet.  The sad thing is we didn't even do anything in the casino, we sat at the bar and realized it was the most depressing casino ever.  One Asian woman was winning really big, but she literally just sat in chair with no expression whatsoever.

The infamous casino

This next story did not happen to me personally, but it is definitely a lesson for us all.  One of my friends here was having a rough day, so she went into this random church she saw as walking through Bologna.  She goes in and starts praying and as she gets up to leave, this woman comes up to talk to her.  The woman did not speak much English,so my friend just kept smiling and nodding saying, "Si si si!"  Next thing she knows, she has signed up for a choir!  The woman gave her the directors name and told her what time to be back the next day.  This is a perfect story of how to be careful, with phrases you do know in the language!

I am sure that I will have more funny stories to come, and I can wait to share them.  This Thursday after the art history trip to Florence, Beka and I are going to Venice for the weekend.  We are staying in a hotel right in the heart of the city next to San Marco Basilica.  I have always dreamed of Venice, and when I was younger I said I would live there.  This is my first time there, so I am more than excited.  Who knows, I might find my new home this weekend?  Check for my pictures after this weekend!  My Dolce Vita is is finally being lived out and becoming richer in experience every day.

Ciao!

J

My Classes

So we have been in class for 2 and 1/2 weeks now and I am still in vacation mode!  Of course I am doing my readings and my homework, but it takes a lot to want to sit down and do when there is a city asking to be explored.  My classes are very interesting and all of my professors are extremely qualified.  My international business professor studied corporate law  here at the University of Bologna and then went to Harvard and publishes an annual article in prominent law journal in Italy.  My art history professor acquired her PhD at the University of Bologna in the History of Art.  She is currently the assistant curator of Harvard's gallery in Florence and has published many articles and one book.  Her love for art always is gleaming as she teaches, her class might be the most difficult this semester, but it will be one of the most rewarding experiences.  For this class we actually spend one day a week in lecture, then the second day visiting museums and churches.  This week we are  actually going to Florence!  My next class is Italiano!  It is by far my favorite class!   We have two instructors, and they are such a pair.  I love being in there around them and they are always so encouraging.  I always heard horror stories of taking a foreign language in college, but it is nothing like that!  Si, noi parliamo solo italiano in classe.   But, how else are we supposed to learn?  


So to clarify many misconceptions about this trip, yes I am studying abroad.  My classes are intriguing and will require studying, but the knowledge I will gain from them is invaluable.  This is only the start of my third week here and I am already falling in love with this place. So thank you Spring Hill, especially our director Todd, and my parents of course.




Ciao!
J

This is the wrong Train, RUN!

This past Sunday a group of us took a day trip to Verona.  We got up early Sunday morning and walked down to the train station.  We were all so excited because they had automatic ticket machines that were in English.    We bought our ticket there to Verona for 7.20 euro.  This was going to be an easy, inexpensive trip.  Some of us were really hungry, so we ran to the nearby McDonald's and grabbed a quick snack.  We came back and started looking around to see what platform we were departing from, but we saw the rest of the group standing at 3 so we went to meet them over there.   We stood around as the clock ticked down to our time to departure and there was a train near our platform, but still not one at ours.  I started questioning everyone to see if we were sure this was the right one.  One of the girls started asking around to see if we were at the right platform, then all of the sudden she says "Run, that's our train!" and points to the one on the other side.  In stampede form, we all dart off running, literally skipping 4 to 5 steps at a time down the stairs.  We all run on the train, and someone asks if this is the right train, and next thing I hear, "This is the wrong train, Run, get off!"  We run back to the door and it shuts in our faces.  We keep pressing buttons trying to open the door and before we knew it the train started moving.  We are now officially going wherever this train takes us.  Fortunately, the train was going to Verona.  Unfortunately, it was a EuroTrain or the "fast train" which cost us all 21.50 euros more!  We all scraped up our change to pay the extra fee.  Yes, it was a pain to pay the extra, but thankfully it was going the right way and we got there in less than an hour!


However, Verona was amazing!  We split up into smaller groups and just explored the town.  For a Sunday it was very packed.  But we didn't let the crowd stop us, we explored everything.  Took hundreds of photos and ate at this adorable cafe.  We went on to Juliet's balcony and wrote her a letter and signed our wall.  We had to make the most of our experience, so we even touched her left breast for good luck. We continued walking around just enjoying every step that we took.  The typical girl day: posing for funny pictures, laughing hysterically, and wishing for love.  Unfortunately, we did not find our Romeo.  It was so sweet to see all the couples around the city.  It truly is a city of love, even the birds flying around flew  in pairs.  Maybe, the good luck of Juliet will bless us with our Romeos.  


It was time to go back to the train station.  We bought our tickets and double checked for the right platform.  Thankfully we got it right this time.  This train took over an hour to get to Bologna, so we all napped on the back.  It was such an eventful day, but completely worth it!  I am loving the European life of traveling.   Still more to explore and learn.  We are going to Malta in two weeks!   So more post to come!


Ciao!

Gia, Me, Julian, Stacey, and Victoria at Casa de Giulette.

Beautiful Verona

My First Week

So I safely arrived in Italy last Friday night!  I had no delays in the airport or any mishaps.  The flight over from Chicago to Copenhagen went by pretty fast, I took a Tylenol PM and slept most of the flight.  We had a little layover in Copenhagen, but it was the perfect amount of time to get something to eat and walk around.  Around 7:00 PM we finally landed in Bologna.  The only thing I was nervous about was if our luggage made it or not. I have never been so happy to see my massive blue suitcases on the carousel.  One of the bags is on its last handle, so it will be retired after this semester.  We caught a taxi and he took us to Hotel Aemilia where we stayed because the dorm (Collegio Alma Mater) was not open until Saturday.  Thanks to the multilingual staff, check in went smoothly.  The hotel was wonderful.  It was clean, safe, and really affordable for a 4 star hotel.  The jet lag caused us to sleep later than planned and we missed check out, but the staff understood and did not charge us for an extra night.  We were now off to Collegio Alma Mater!


At the dorm we were welcomed by our student life assistant Hillary.  She gave us our room keys and showed us up to our rooms.  We weren't quite ready to unpack so we put down our luggage and went to see our director Todd.  He greeted us with a warm welcome and then gave us some suggestions of places to go in town.  So we went back to the room unpacked then set off to explore the city.  We had a map, but we mainly just winged it and learned from our surroundings.  Todd suggested we go to a coffee bar and try a hot chocolate.  In Italy, they do not add any water, they simply melt a pure milk chocolate and serve it with a spoon.  We agreed that sounded delicious and tried one ourselves.  It was the perfect way to start off my Dolce Vita.


Sunday Hillary took us to the heart of Bologna, Piazza Maggiore.  We took a group photo and then split off to explore and then make it back to Collegio Alma Mater by 2:00 for our departure to Interlaken, Switzerland.  I was in desperate need of shampoo, so we went to the Farmacia and with the help of the bilingual pharmacist I found a shampoo that did not have weird chemicals.  Then we stopped at a pizza shop and all enjoyed a slice of margherita (cheese and tomato).  It was time to head back so we could pack for our  weekend in Interlaken.   We departed for Switzerland at 2:00 PM and did not make it until around 10:00 PM.  We stayed at Backpacker's Villa a youth hostel near the downtown of Interlaken.  A group of us grabbed dinner then walked around.  We eventually went back to the hostel and after being yelled at by our Asian neighbors, we finally went to sleep.  


Early the next morning we met for breakfast then went to the Alps.  Paulo our wonderful bus driver took the ones not skiing to the train station where we road an hour train ride to the top.  Switzerland has to be the most beautiful country I have ever seen.  Being from flat Mississippi, I really enjoyed seeing the mountains.  But these weren't any mountains, these were the Alps and they were spectacular.  On the top of the mountain, there were many restaurants as well as bars.  We went to the tepee bar and enjoyed some drinks and the view.  After a few hours we road the train back down and went and explored more of Interlaken.  That night we enjoyed a wonderful community dinner cooked by Todd and his wife.  It was the classic Italian experience (even though  we weren't in Italy), we enjoyed great food, wine, and the ones around us.  The room was full of smiles and laughter.  We finished the classic European experience at the local pub.


Today was the first day of classes.  Today I only had Italian 101.  We went over the syllabus in English, but then the rest of the class was in Italian.  Quite overwhelming, but I think it will be a great class.  I really want to leave this semester being confident in Italian.  This may have been my longest week ever.  We have done so much each day it is hard to remember everything I did.  I might be possibly traveling this weekend, too.  So more to come.  


Ciao! 

Less than 2 weeks!

I can't believe it.  Not this Thursday but next Thursday I will be on an airplane Italy bound.  First being accepted into the program, I told myself it was next year.  Then starting this fall semester I thought, "Oh it is next semester."  I moved back home after finals and people starting asking when do I leave and I replied, "Oh after the New Year!"  Well, it is now 2011 and 11 days until my departure.  This is unreal, time really does fly!  

When I first moved home from Spring Hill, I was nervous beyond belief.  However, now after a wonderful Christmas in Florida with the Byrne Family, I am ready to conquer the world (Well just Bologna for now).  The only thing I fret now is packing.  I am an awful packer, but I have to learn or it will literally cost me.  So, the plan is to only pack the necessities and shop over there.  Which Dad has already approved.  And of course I need to blend in, so wearing Italian clothes is the solution. 

So I have 11 days to say good-byes, and I am not sure how I feel about it.  It is kind of frightening for a particular loved one, but I have to stay strong and enjoy these 11 days I have left.  God is always there and I have to have faith that he will get me through whatever comes my way.  I am sure I will have a heart filled blog to come later.  

My Italian is slowly but surely progressing, I know key phrases and words.  Tomorrow my goal is to make labels for commonly used items and place them around the house.  We will see how that goes, I feel like I should have started this a long time ago. . .  

This is my last post until I am in Italy.  Wow, my life is unreal.  This is really the "Good Life."   

Buananotte!