finito

So here I am. Back in NC. Sitting on my couch, watching the Polar Express, feeling like the past three and a half months didn't even really happen. I've been back for four days and it's been great. Home is always great. It's home. I guess I thought maybe it would feel different here, but it's still the same. Not much has changed. Which could be the comforting thing about home you know what I mean?

I was nervous that I was going to have culture shock, but it hasn't been too bad. I've only called money euros once, my bed feels like the size of Montana, and I almost had a nervous breakdown at the mall yesterday. But you know, I think that would have happened no matter what. It was crowded and hot and I couldn't find anything I wanted and everyone was breathing down my neck and I wanted to shoot myself.

Now that we are past the dramatics, it's been so nice being home with my family (and big coffees). And you know, it's the most wonderful time of the year, what's not to love? But when people ask me about how my semester went, I don't even really know what to say. It was amazing. It was eye opening, perspective changing, fast-paced but relaxing, I learned so much, about everything, but most of all, it was fulfilling.

Maybe I'm capable of more than I thought I was. Maybe we are all capable of more than we think we are. Sometimes you just need a little change of perspective to see it. But life is short, and things can change with the blink of an eye, so whatever you want to do in live, do it now; for life is time and time is all there is.

cioa ciao for now lovers.

Sentimental Post

Alright.

Here's my sentimental post about what I am going to miss. Things are getting real emotional over here and it's kind of throwing me off. I'd rather not deal with sad people and myself being sad. No thanks.

So things I am going to miss...

1. My roomates. I seriously lucked out. Somebody must have been looking out for me because they are awesome. I have learned so much from them, and so much about myself from them.  And here I was thinking I was going to get stuck with the freaks of the world for 4 months... it could not have been more opposite.

2. Being able to walk everywhere. I know I complain about the hike up the mountain, and lugging my groceries (which is still annoying), but it is SO nice just being able to walk out your door and go out, or go to dinner, or to your friend's house. I have a small love affair with the outdoors and I feel like I get to spend so much time outside here walking. I am going to miss that.

3. My food class and my food teacher. Honestly, at the risk of sounding like a complete nerd, I loved every second of that class. I found it so interesting. And guess what? I just finished my exam and since I got all of my multiple choice questions right this semester I got all of this really expensive Tuscan chocolate. Get at me. **Villanova (or my dad) take note: if you offer the promise of chocolate as a reward for getting every question right, I will succeed**

4. The food. It's incredible.

5. Italians.  They are great people. I wanted to come here because I loved the things that Italians value in life.  After this semester I can say that all of those things have been confirmed and even more have been added.  They appreciate good meals, fresh food, the outdoors, their family, playing the accordion just because they feel like it and Christmas.  They understand the importance of their history, the beauty of a mid evil church, the spectacular renaissance art.  A day isn't complete without a good glass of wine with dinner and a strong espresso in the morning. They take siestas and sometimes don't feel like going to work on Mondays.   They are romantic and passionate. They live. They live simply and fully and for the most part, happily.  And maybe that's what I needed. Maybe I needed to go to a place where there's not stress streaming through the air. I understand that I don't need to breath in that stress and get caught up in it, but it sure is a hell of a lot easier to not do that here. And I'm going to miss that. A lot.


Ciao ciao for now lovers.

last sunday

So it's my last Sunday in Italy.

HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE

Since I know I'm going to miss a lot about this country and it's going to take me some time to figure out what things are blog worthy, today I'm going to talk about what I'm NOT going to miss (I feel like I sound like a lecturer). Plus, I'm just not really in a sentimental mood right now.

Things I'm not going to miss:

1. Almost getting hit by either a bus or a car at least once a day. I'm over it. Get me a damn sidewalk or don't let cars drive in PEDESTRIAN areas. I almost got my arm ripped off on my walk up to school today by a car. I'm serious.

2. My washing machine that makes your clothes smell worse after you wash them. It's like mold central in that thing. Gross.

3. Hiking up the mountain every time I have to go anywhere. At first I was all "Oh this is great! It's like an extra workout!" Yeah... No. Not after you already ran 10 miles and your legs are burning in agony because they don't feel like moving anymore.

4. Getting creeped on by every Italian man in Perugia. Sistergirl wanted to haul off and smack the guy who followed me around like a lost puppy last night. Clearly if I walk away whenever you come up to me, I don't want to talk to you. Take a hint buckey.

5. The seating situation in my apartment. These are my choices: a wooden chair or my bed. And guess what? I don't like sitting in my bed unless I'm going to sleep. So I sit on the wooden chairs. Which are the most uncomfortable things in the world. Honestly, couches are God's gift to earth.

6. The internet. Enough said.

Never again will I take sidewalks, a good washing machine, a flat walk to class, normal boys, a couch, and internet for granted.


I'll probs be more sentimental tomorrow. Because I really am going to miss it here contrary to my rant.  Really. So look for a postie then.

ciao ciao for now dearies.

hiiiiii sorry its been 20 years since my last post

Alright let me think.

SO last Thursday I went to Rome to meet my Mom and MA. I love Rome. It's what made me want to come to Italy. I just think it's a fantastic city. You're walking around, shopping or whatever, and oh look, there's the Vatican and the Pantheon and the Colosseum. Cool. Casual. No big deal. It just amazes me.We basically just bopped around and ate amazing food (that I didn't have to pay for, thank you Jesus). And then I got to sleep in a real bed in a hotel with sheets that don't fall off in the middle of the night. Small miracle.

On Friday morning I got up and ran along the Tiber River. No big deal. And we headed to Orvieto, a small town an hour outside of Rome. We rented a car here which was interesting. Italians don't believe in stoplights, or following any traffic rules whatsoever. So here's the deal with Orvieto. Back in the day this priest had major doubts about the Eucharist and such. Then, during one mass, the Communion bled real blood on the altar's cloth. Everyone thought it was so amazing that they needed to build a church for the relic. So, this is what they came up with...

Let me tell you something. Sistergirl has been in more churches in the past three and a half months than she probably ever has in her entire life. I'm practically a church expert these days. But what's amazing about them is that all of them are so unique. And it really does blow my mind that someone could actually build and construct something so massive and ornate. Unreal.

On Saturday we drove to Spello and stopped at this little vineyard on the way. We rang the doorbell and this guy answered and invited us in and just gave us our own private wine tasting. Only in Italy.

Spello was beautiful and afterwards we went to Assisi. That night we headed back to Perugia. I was excited for my mom to see where I live and what I do here. It's such a great place. We ate pizza and eggplant parm, shopped around, walked to all the amazing views, and stayed in a beautiful hotel. It was so nice having her here.

Quick story: Sunday night we went to dinner at a place that I had never been to before. The menu was in fancy Italian, not the basic stuff that I know and no one spoke English there. In my broken Italian I asked the chef (who was taking our order) to bring us out his favorite appetizer. Ten minutes later the waiter comes out with, I'm not even kidding, a raw hamburger.

I am not a huge meat fan. And raw meat? Oh good God. So we tried a bite each. I'm not trying to be a baby here. And it was kind of nasty. The waiter cleared our dishes and brought them back into the kitchen, which has glass windows so that you can see inside. When he walked back in he said something and everyone started laughing and looking at us.

Hey buckies we don't eat raw hamburger in Amurica.

All of the sudden the chef comes busting out of the kitchen wondering why we didn't like his food and saying how good it is (Italians are offended if you don't eat every last bite). So then we became his little project. He was a food pusher all night. Kept checking on us to make sure we were eating. And we were! My mom got this chestnut soup that was DANK.

So here's the raw meat...

Monday afternoon after some pizza my mom and MA headed back to Rome to fly home and I headed back to school to do actual school work (yes, its true, I do have some work here)

And now I only have a week left in fantasy land. And just when I thought this dream life couldn't get any dreamier, my roomate and I threw a Christmas party for our program at our favorite bar last night. It was decorated and I made a great playlist if I do say so myself, and I even bought real live mistletoe at the organic market last weekend.

Of course it had to rain last night and while I was walking up to my friend's apartment with my computer and the mistletoe and my high heels in my bag, I slipped and went down hard completely crushing the mistletoe with my computer in my bag. So it looked a little mangled last night, but what are you going to do? It was only a matter of time before I really fell. And to think I almost made it to the end with no falls... Damn Uggs with their slippery bottoms...

I have my Italian final tomorrow and I have successfully done everything I can think of to procrastinate my studying. I've gone for a run, cooked breakfast for my roomates, cleaned my apartment, showered, called my mom, skyped my friend, uploaded pictures to Facebook, and now I'm blogging. Good Mol, good.

But it's Christmas heaven here right now. There are lights everywhere and even though half of them blink like they're on speed which gives me a headache, they are gorgeous. I am getting ready to come home, my jeans have holes in the knees, the soles of my boots are ripping off, my purse is falling apart, my hair needs to be cut, and I really would like to sleep for a week straight. But I'm going to have mixed emotions. I love it here.

Anyways. I'm rambling. Ciao ciao for now lovers.