Italia vs. America

So here are some differences between Italy and America that I was both expecting and not expecting.


1. Americans are so LOUD. I actually struggle to hear what the Italians are saying sometimes (or maybe I just don't know the language). I happen to be a bit of a loud talker in public places (oops) and Italians are not at all. 


2. You can walk five minutes in any direction and find one of these...
 

 

please note: the picture of the inside of the church was very difficult to get. I may or may not have gotten yelled at by a priest.... and then proceeded to sprint out of the church... def going to hell.

3. Italians take their time. This is something I am going to have to get used to. I'm a very go go go kind of person. And I don't really like waiting. The line at the grocery store was moving so slowly I almost MISSED MY TODAY SHOW INTERVIEW (more on this later). But I have to appreciate this about them. They just take life in. No rushing. 

4. Apparently Italian women are not friendly will not even say hi to an Italian man on the streets. Well I struggle with this. If someone says hi to me, I say hi back. It's polite. So I realized it will be a losing battle to try and change that. Plus, I'm not Italian, I'm American dammit. And we respond when someone says hi to you. However, sometimes they are a bit too friendly... and then you end up with characters like this...

                             

The guy on the left claimed he played basketball for Notre Dame. Fat chance pal. Even I, the most gullible girl in America, did not believe that one.

5. Casual amazing views everywhere you go. Oh and underground cities? (History lesson on Perugia coming soon) 

                          

6. There are no dryers. Attempting the laundry process as we speak. After the wash finishes I am going to have to lean out my window and hang everything on a clothes line that stretches across the side and front of my building. Needless to say, it should be an interesting experience. 

7. Italians LOVE their food. Produce is so cheap it's amazing. I got an eggplant for 30 cents yesterday.  I am a hopeless foodie and am in heaven right now. I have to literally convince myself that I don't need to go to the grocery store every day. I'm sure I'll be ranting about food on this blog on a continual basis from now until December so brace yourselves. 

So those are my main differences so far. About the Today Show. I did have an interview and it should air either this weekend of next. Check that off the life goal list. If I email the PRODUCER. yeah you heard that right, she'll give me a more exact time. And then I'll tell you obvi. I am slightly worried though because I had kind of been sweating all day and was just at the grocery store and forgot my sunglasses so I'm squinting in the sun. Basically, I am going to look hot. That's all I'm trying to say. 

 Yeah that's Lester Holt. And no, I'm not a stalker. 

One more quick thing... 

This picture was up on the bar wall of us and we haven't even been here a week #winning

DREAM LIFE

so after class yesterday we were walking around and found this beautiful bar tucked into the side of a hill mountain that overlooks the valley with the most amazing views. of course we felt obliged to get some wine and hang out here...

as we were getting up to leave when, what to my wondering eyes should appear but LESTER HOLT sipping on a beer. (well not really. more like some orange fruity drink. but beer rhymed better). he is one of the lead anchors on the Today Show. if you know me at all, you probably know that I almost had a coronary when I saw him. I ended up going over and talking to him. you only live once right? 

he was super nice and we had a good little chat (i may of my not have stammered out "i love the today show" as i was shaking his hand. lord help me) and believe it or not, they want to interview me and my friends today at 5:15 about why we chose to study in perugia despite everything that is going on with the Amanda Knox trial.

i'm not even kidding.

seriously. i'm not kidding. 

one of my life goals is to get on the today show. i thought i would have to do it by being one of those complete losers who goes to new york city and gets up at 3 in the morning so that they can be in the front of the crowd. and you know what? i was okay with that. 

but this?! this is unreal. i'm taking it as a sign. a damn good one at that. 

....... dream life. 

if my interview actually gets chosen (already deciding what i should say) yall will be the first to know when it will be on air.

until next time bitties

"unheeded, happy, and near to the wild heart of life."

outside one of my widows

 casual view

 for sale in the main piazza

 our street! dog street...?

 strawberries handed out at the bar

 cute group

 organic market

asked for ice coffee and this is what i get... #idonthateit

is this real life?

I walk out of my apartment, and this is what I see. not real.

so let me set this up for you. i am currently sitting in a back alley way in PERUGIA, ITALY bumming wifi off of a cafe where i just bought my first third coffee of the day. its just so good here i can't help it. i will spend all of my money on lattes, macchiatos, and cappucinos. and a bird actually just shit on me. its all over my computer, my arm, and my bag. whyyyy? why? the italian man at the table next to me is laughing. funny. real funny. what is it about my luck with birds?! alright. well. anyways.

I moved into my appartment yesterday with 3 other roomates. who are awesome. one of them runs. one of them is obsessed with christmas and billy joel. and the other one loves to cook. enough said.

my room

cute little bed

kitchen!

Honestly, I was feeling a little overwhelmed when I moved in yesterday morning. Everything is just so different here. I had no idea where anything was and the language barrier is a bit bigger than I expected. However, I feel much more orientated with the town now and my Italian is already getting bigger. except for when I was at the organic food market today (i was in heaven. i eat that kind of shit up) and I was trying to ask for a half a kg of cheese and I probably looked like the biggest american idiot ever. It was probably highly entertaining for anyone who was watching.

two of my roomates and me at dinner

I have 5 talents. 1. untangling jewlery 2. getting a baby to stop crying 3. fb stalking (I can get a life story from that thing) 4. finding really good restuarants 5. i can't remeber it right now (how sad is that?) So I decided that I would share this restuarant talent with the group of people I was with last night. That was probably a bad choice, lots of pressure let me tell you. But guess what? the 6th sense kicked in and I found a bangin restuarant tucked away under a back street with a brick ceiling. We got a 4 course meal and 5 bottles of wine for 15 euro. and our waiter cooked the entire meal. Italians go about their dinner business very slowly. We sat there for over 2 hours eating our meal and it was phenominal. So thank god it wasn't bad because, well, that would be embarassing for me.

After dinner we went to multiple bars and Italians loveeeee American girls. Someone gave us strawberries and whipped cream when we walked into one place. I have paid for one drink since I've been here (villanova boys: take note). We ended up meeting this guy who claims he is on the Germany national basketball team (he was really tall so i guess i'll believe it). He was singing maroon 5 in the street to a girl who was having her bachelorette dinner and of course we felt the need to join in (file under: annoying american girls) So he ended up taking us all to this VIP room at a club and literally, literally, was popping bottles of champagne. Like I'm not even kidding. Is this real life? I feel like i'm on Jersey shore. except less trashy (at least I hope so). 

This morning I went on a run. Which consisted of me running down a montain, and then back up it. That was hell. Afterwards, I went to church. (I was shockinly ambitious this morning). It was so beautiful. It was all in Italian and guess what? I was the only blonde in the whole place! Wait. You mean I don't look Italian? what? no way.

 So that's been the deal so far. we are having a family dinner tonight at our appartment and I attempted to make my mom's red sauce (probs won't be as good as hers). my batteries about to die but I'll upload more pics next time. COME VISIT ME. ciao ciao. buena sera!

despite the fact that this entire week I have been a nervous wreck (as in may or may not have had a minor panic attack while I was running yesterday morning), i am as cool as a cucumber right now, only old people are actually aloud to say that. I am very relaxed. because I realized something. even though new things are kind of scary, they are also so exciting. you learn from them. they change you. it's like jumping off rocks into a lake, or trying a food you've never had before, or running a trail you've never been on. obviously this whole italy thing is on a much bigger scale, but when it comes down to it let's be real; it could completly suck or it could be great. and most of the time, it's great and it becomes your new favorite thing. so what exactly do I have to worry about?

I somehow managed to compress my entire life into 2 suitcases and an intense hiker backpack. Thank God for my mom otherwise who knows if I could have done that. also, I am now a proud owner of a pair of chacos. pop those babies on with the backpack and my arm party of braclets and what do you get? NATURE GIRL. woot woot. the shoes are a tad earthy for my style, but jean cutoffs and running shoes is so 80's mom. I just don't think I could handle that. 

so guess where I am right now? the airoport. in charlotte. sitting at a starbucks drinking an iced coconut coffee. (and guess what? technically coconut season at starbucks is over. so i lucked out. almost hugged the barista when he said they still had it) listening to Grace Potter and Fleetwood Mac. watching people walk run to their gates wondering where they might be going. got my books and US weekly all set for my flight which leaves in less than 2 hours. obviously I have to updated on Kim Kardashian's honeymoon. well I'll stop spewing my stream of consiousness now. next time I talk to yall I'll be in ITALY. isn't that crazy? yeah it is.

something to listen to till you get to read again

"change is the essence of life; being willing to surrender who you are for what you could become."

and it's time for some change. in three short days I will be leaving for Italy where i will be studying abroad for the next 3 and a half months. do i know Italian since i've been taking it for the past 2 years? yes not really. Am I nervous? of course not maybe a little.

so i've been thinking here are some things i will miss

my family. i like them 90% of the time.

the today show. dont hate. its highly entertaining... and imformative... sometimes... as you can tell from the caption up there. kissing your dog?! how gross! i never do that 

 driving. i love driving. especially when I'm listening to country (he's beautiful. i had to include him)

summer. but i think i always miss summer. except from thanksgiving to the end of january. seeing as I am obsessed with Christmas, I want it to feel like Christmas. otherwise, i'd want an endless summer.

america. greatest country. hopefully by the time I get back our lovely president won't have single handedly run it into the ground (politics on the first post = aggressive)

villanova. especially when fall comes and the leaves all change. and when they set up the nativity scene in the middle of campus and light the christmas tree. i wasnt joking when i said i was obsessed with christmas. (please note how attractive i look here)

football. it's a staple in the fall. part of life. weather it was watching my brothers play in high school or having it on in the background all day on sundays, college or the NFL, football has always been part of fall. they'll show some games in italy right?

things i will NOT miss:
- working 5 part time jobs. im actually serious. 5. i mean at least it kept me on my toes, right? right.
- one of my managers treating me like i'm the dumbest person in america when i'm probably smarter than him. which is saying a lot since i am no genius.
- buying gas. shit's expensive.
- if we are going to be honest here, my life has been a little boring this summer. so i won't really miss that. 4 seasons of friday night lights on netflix can only go so far in the excitement department.

 this is where i am going to be living. Does that even   

look real? more on Perugia later. when i'm actually in Perugia.