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Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Slacking






So I'm becoming quite the blog slacker... I'm very sorry about that. Unfortunately, I'm leaving Rome very very soon! It's amazing how fast the time flew by here. Although I'm really excited to go home and see my family and Fabian, I know that I am going to miss Rome like crazy! I feel like I've been living here for years and that this is my city. I'm gonna miss the public transportation, all of the walking, the amazing sites as I go shopping, the dogs that walk everywhere, the vespas, etc! There are so many great things about Rome & for those of you that have been and have only been here for a week or a couple of days, that seriously isn't enough time for this city!!

Now to my eventful and filled weekend! I love the weekends here! They're so relaxing and always filled with something to do. Here's the breakdown of everything I've been doing:

Thursday: I had a really relaxing day/night. After getting out of class, I just hung out with the roommates, we went shopping, and had dinner. A little later at night, 3 of us went for a walk around the city to see the Spanish Steps. They were just as crowded as they were in the day, but I'm glad that we took the time out to see how they appear at nighttime.

Friday: Friday was an early morning! Me, my roommate, and 2 of the boys we have class with headed to the Vatican Museums on this day. At about 10ish we finally got through all of the lines and were able to get into the museum. There is a lot to do in here, but of course the main attraction was the Sistine chapel. It's crazy to see all of these paintings because I spent all of last semester studying them. The creation of Adam was insane! I seriously can't wrap my head around Michelangelo and his talent. The second main painting I wanted to see at the museum was Raphael's "school of Athens." However, we got lost about 5 times in the museum and had to give up. We were very American after that and decided to get lunch at burger king.

After lunch, I met up with my other roommates and we headed over to Castel Sant'Angelo. This museum was very simple, but the building was gorgeous and had an amazing view of the city! I love all of the scenery views.

Saturday: Oh gosh, what did I do Saturday?! OH yes, this was an amazing day! First off, I woke up and worked on my midterm for a little bit. We had all agreed that today would be a very chill and relaxing day and it really was. Around 1, we left the house to go get lunch at a cute cafe. The food was great and very reasonable. After, we got on the bus and headed to the Borghese gardens. These gardens are so relaxing and beautiful! I was able to take a nice nap there because the breeze from the trees was so pretty. After, we headed to get some gelato, which I somehow got for free because the guy gave me my money right back! I don't know what I'm gonna do without my Italian ice cream and Italian pizza... The rest of the night was relaxing too. I went to the Steeler's bar with my roommates for a little while and then after that we headed home to sleep.

Sunday: This was a very long, but great day! At around 6, 3 of us headed to the flea market to check that out. I will definitely need to go back because we didn't have enough time. At 8, we headed to Ostia to go to Faber Beach. It was such a pretty day there and all of the Italian families were out. Its great to see these families. The little boys run around in their speedos and the little girls run around topless! I swear they live the life :) We eventually headed home, I finished my midterm, and then later that night we went to Scholar's. It was karaoke night and we were forced to sing. We sang Bennie and the Jets and No Scrub! It was a lot of fun :)

As for the rest of the week, we are trying to get as much done as we can! Hennah and I listed all of the things we still want to do and the list is sooo long! Sadly, most of it is food :) Ill probably gain weight these next couple days...

Buona sera!
T

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Cafe Freddo



I'm Cafe sitting right now and I must admit, it feels so nice and relaxing to just be outside watching all of the locals go back and forth. It's crazy though because I'm kind of a local now too... I have places that are my places & stores that I love to go to & sights that are heart warming! It's almost like I'm back home driving past the old sugar mill. That thing warms my heart :)

Today has been kind of a crazy day for me though. I have a big speech tomorrow on a topic that is very important to me, adoption. It is so hard to explain the Ivey's story in this speech because I have such little time & their story seriously needs at least an hour or so. Plus I also have to incorporate other important facts & statistics as well. I hope that it goes well & that I don't get too nervous. I think I'll be ok.

But back to Rome, I seriously wish that those of you back home could be here with me & that we could all live here for a couple of weeks together. I have learned a lot about myself already & I know for sure now that I am not the type of person to give in or back down. I am still me with the same me mentalities. I can have fun by myself & I REALLY enjoy being alone from time to time!

I have officially decided that my next place to visit is Ireland. I think my heart belongs there. I love Rome and Italy of course, but I feel a strong pull to Ireland & more & more things are making that more obvious to me as I'm here!

Sorry this blog post is super random & completely not on a specific topic at all! Welcome to what happens to me after a long week of heat, heat, and more heat!

"I thank God I miss you!"
-Ben Rector-

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Beach Bums, Bruised Bums





So since it is so flippen hot in Rome right now, I am having a very hard time concentrating on my speech about adoption that I have to do on Thursday. With that being said, I thought this would be a perfect time to actually sit down and tell y'all about my amazing weekend in the Amalfi Coast!! I'm gonna break it down day by day so that it's easier to follow :) The pictures above are of me jumping off a cliff, the Capri view, & the blue grotto.

Thursday: Ok so on Thursday we (Hennah, Paulina, & I) were supposed to meet at the train station at 5pm to head to the Amalfi Coast, but the company pushed our time back to 11pm. With all this free time, we spent our day shopping all over Rome. I was able to get a lot of souvenirs for the family & am now officially done buying for the parents, Amanda, & Spark plug. At 9pm, we headed to the bus to get to the train station. Getting there early, we grabbed a second dinner because as most of you know, I like my food! We then met up with the tour guide where we met another group of students from Rome. There was about 8 or 9 of them and they all go to Penn State!! Crazy :)  They are all seriously so sweet & we plan on hanging out with them more now that we're back in Rome.

Getting on the bus, we were greeted by the students that were traveling from Firenze. Most of the students studying in Florence were from Jersey & then there was one from Brasil. With 4 hrs of driving to the coast, I spent my time sleeping & at 3am we arrived at 7 Hostels in Sorrento. The hostel was super gorgeous & not the typical sketchy hostel you hear about in movies,etc.

Friday: With Friday coming after only 4 hrs in a bed, we got up and headed off to Capri!! Capri was the only place in Italy that I had a strong desire to go to, so I was very excited for this day.

To get to Carpi, we had to take a ferry. We could see all of the Italian houses & it was nice to catch some wind. On the ferry, we stopped first at the blue grotto. I don't have the most technical definition to explain the blue grotto, so the picture above will explain it the clearest. The grotto is cave like & you have to take a small boat of 4 inside. The boat drivers get you into the cave, paddle you around for like 5 minutes, & then take you back out to the ferry. It was an amazing experience & although it is a little pricey for 5ish minutes, it is worth seeing once!

After the blue grotto, we finally made it to the Island of Capri!!! Here we walked uphill for about 40 minutes to get to the shops & restaurants. The view was crazy & it was incredibly hot! However, every minute was worth it! Up near the shops, we saw sandal shops where you could hand pick your own sandals, taste limoncello, & eat some amazing seafood. After this, we spent the last 2-3 hours on the beach. Our Rome group joined with the other group, getting to know each other better. The night ended with a restaurant in Sorrento & an English Pub/Club.

Saturday: On Saturday we were off to Positano! It's amazing how the views & the scenery kept getting prettier! God was everywhere here & I truly believe that the ocean is one of the greatest gifts he has ever given to me! I am so content & at peace in the water.

In Positano, our whole day was spent on the beaches & then shopping for a few hours. We stayed on the public beach for the first half of the day & then took a boat tour over to a more secluded piece of beach. Here we went cliff jumping! I had agreed to do the 35ft cliff with a couple of the guys & was determined to not back down...so I didn't! However, I have bruises all down my legs for hitting the water so hard. The wind & girls that aren't solid muscle don't mix well together, but it was totally worth it! While we were at this secluded beach at least 3 of our people got stung by jelly fish & being completely comfortable with everyone after a day, people were peeing on each other to get rid of the pain.

At night, we had dinner & drinks at the hostel on the terrace rooftop. The view was beautiful & it was relaxing to stay in for the night.

Sunday: Sunday was the last day of this amazing adventure! I was seriously so sad to leave these people that I had known for like 2 days haha. Before heading home, we stopped off in Pompeii. I didn't actually go into the ruins because I felt like I had spent too much money already this weekend so instead, we stayed outside & spent MORE money! It's funny how that works out haha. But at least I was able to get Amanda's gift here & a pretty ring for myself.

At 4ish, we headed back to Rome where we said goodbye to our new Brasilian friend & caught the 64 bus back with our new Roman friends. Later that night, we went to Karaoke at Scholar's and had a blast!!

As for this week, the weekend can't come soon enough! I am already ready for a break from school & the heat :) I will write more later in the week. I miss all of y'all!

Ti amo,
T

Thursday, July 15, 2010

La Dolce Vita




Well this week has been crazy and will only get crazier!! School has been busy & I've been successfully trying to finish up all of the little things to do in Rome. However, I think the list is getting longer rather than shorter because there is always something new to do!

This week I had my first speech, which was an informative one. I talked about my brain surgery & what it was that I had to get done. The other kids seemed to enjoy & my teacher had positive feedback so I'm hoping for a good grade :) As for going out & seeing more of the town, I was able to head over to the Vatican yesterday with some friends. Unfortunately, the Sistine Chapel was closed for the day (we'll go back next week), but we were able to do St. Peter's. St. Peter's was seriously crazy! I know I've been there before, but you appreciate stuff like that a lot more when you're older & understand. While we were there, I made everybody walk to the top (551 stairs) instead of taking the elevator. I promised them that they wouldn't regret it, but I think some of them might. However though, the view was completely gorgeous & if we didn't have other plans for the rest of the day, I could have stayed up there forever! The city looked so peaceful from up high & oddly, you could still pick out the places you had been to. Rome is seriously a great place to explore & walk around & I'll miss that greatly when I have to leave in a couple of weeks.

Speaking of walking & exploring, if you ever wanna lose weight, walk everywhere! All of my clothes are now too big & my legs, arms, body are all losing weight :) I am definitely NOT complaining about that though :)

Tonight, I head off to the Amalfi Coast & Capri! Capri is the only place I REALLY wanted to visit while here, so I can't wait to get there! I will write once home & settled in. I miss Texas & will miss Rome this weekend, they are now my two homes!

Ciao miei belle!

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Under the Tuscan Sun




So it is my first official weekend here in Italy where I am able to travel & do whatever it is that I want to do. Yesterday, a bunch of the girls went up to Tuscany! Some are staying for the whole weekend & also hitting up Venice & Florence, but since I just did all of that, I only went to Tuscany for the day and then came home. I must say that Tuscany is seriously gorgeous! And if I was to move to Italy, this is definitely where I would go!! I love the rolling hills, the view, the flowers, & the small town feeling. While we were in Tuscany for the day, we got to do A LOT of eating! I can't comprehend how Italians stay thin and healthy when they are eating the way they do daily. Here is the breakdown of our day...

1. We met up with La Dolce Vita Style (the company we went through to do our trip) at 7am

2. Around 9:45ish we arrived in the Town of Pienza where the 2nd Pope came from. Here we walked around on our own & were able to see a beautiful view. The town only had a few roads. Some of which included the Road of Luck, the Road of Love, & the Road of Kissing. We chose the Road of Love.

3.We got back on the bus & headed to the town of Montepulciano. Here we got to go in a medieval wine cellar, & taste cheese and wine. I'm obviously not an expert on wine or any alcohol, but this was definitely the best red wine (Vino Rosso) I've ever had! In this same town, we were able to walk around on our own & explore. Montepulciano is also the town where the ending of New Moon was filmed. However, our tour guide didn't mention that until the end so I wasn't able to see the Piazza.

4. Lastly, we went to a farmhouse where we had a 5 course dinner/lunch. The food was really great! But again, I still can't understand how they continue to each this much daily!

As the day wound down, 3 of us (the ones not staying the whole weekend) were put on a train back to Rome. Unfortunately though, we had to wait a couple hours because the trains were on strike until 6pm and wouldn't be running until afterward. These strikes are probably the craziest thing about Italy and they take them like Americans take recess! Which is basically whenever they want to! In the end, It all worked out though and today (Saturday), I am hoping to go to one of the beaches of Rome, & then on Sunday into the Colosseum. I miss all of you like crazy & am missing Texas more than I thought I would!

Above are pictures of the view & wine cellars, etc

Buon giorno,
T

Monday, July 5, 2010

La Scuola

Well the first day of class is done & I am now working on homework. No worries, nothing too challenging just yet! I am taking Public Speaking & as of today my class has only 11 students. I'm really glad it is a small class because it won't be as awkward to get up in front of everyone & talk about yourself. There are several Italians in my class so I'm hoping I can become friends with them & practice my speaking. As for my first speech, I have to give one on Thursday & it's about me. That can't be too hard right? I don't really have too much to type about today. I was able to talk to my family on skype & on the phone, which was really really nice! I'm pretty homesick but as long as I stay busy I do pretty well. And also, tonight my roommate, Vanessa, is gonna cook us Tortilla soup at a friend's house. As if it isn't hot enough without the soup! But I'm still pretty excited & know it will be yummy!

I'm attaching a video/link that I feel is pretty accurate about Italy. For those of you that have traveled here, I hope that you will be able to agree :)

I will write at the end of the week or sooner! I hope all is well for everyone.

Buona Sera (Have a good evening)
Tay

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Exhausted




Wow I'm exhausted!! These couple days since my parents left me in Rome have been filled with adventure & craziness! My feet & body are slowly getting used to walking like crazy, but I'm still sore & tired after the long days. The weather here has been pretty warm, but not nearly as warm as Texas. However, we don't have AC in our apartment so there's no escaping the heat & humidity. So now to what I've been doing...

I'm going to break it up into days because it's easier to do that than paragraph form:
-Thursday & Friday we had orientation through the University. We got to see all of the campus, explore Trastevere (the part of Rome where we live), get our school ID's, & meet some new people. At night we've been crossing over the Tiber River and going exploring in the city. We got to see Campo dei fiori & Piazza Navona. They are both beautiful & I personally prefer them more in the day than at night.

-Saturday & Sunday (today) I went on free tours through the university. On Saturday we toured the Fountains of Rome. Our tour guide showed & taught us about some of the buildings & then took us past some of the fountains & Trevi. Trevi is gorgeous, I just wish it wasn't so crowded all of the time. We ended up losing our tour guide so once that happened, we went to lunch where I got lasagna for 5 euros & then went shopping. Today we went on a tour of Ancient Rome. It was a lot of fun & totally worth it. We got to see practically all of Rome! I swear in these two days I've walked more than 10 miles. I hope I come back in super great shape!! After the tour, we went shopping. We were seriously out walking for 8 hours...INSANE!!

Tomorrow we start class. I hope that I like it & that the school load isn't too intense! I'll blog soon! The pictures are of some of my roommates & me and then the Colosseum. I hope you enjoy!

Ciao,
T

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Roaming around Rome




So I've made it to my new apartment & so far things are off to a great start! The first couple of days in Rome I was with my family & we got to walk around & shop which was nice and relaxing. On Wednesday though, I headed off to my new apartment! I went to the SAI office & got my keys & cell phone! So if you are willing to pay to call me, just facebook me or email me for the number :) In my apartment, there are 5 other girls besides me. We have 3 rooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, & place for a table. It is completely different from America, but it's cute and warming minus the whole NO AC.

Breakdown for what we've been doing:
-The first day after arriving, I unloaded all of my luggage & settled in. After doing that, we headed off to venture around our part of town. We aren't in the city & honestly we aren't even very close to it. However, we are surrounded by Italians & in the part of town where everybody lives. After figuring out where we were, we found a pretty good restaurant where we all got pizza! They were seriously huge, but so yummy. After that, we headed to get gelato where one of the workers gave us a drink for free. The place was packed, so I guess that means we picked a good one. Lastly, we headed home & relaxed on the computer, getting to know each other, & figuring out how to get to campus the next day.

-Today we had a mandatory meeting at John Cabot University. We went over expectations for Italy & how we should behave & safety instructions. Then Lisa, the department head, took us from the one campus to the other which was about a 15 minute walk. After, we went back to the first campus where we got our photo ID's taken & signed up for some field trips. Since then we have eaten lunch & walked around a lot!! I am so tired, but know that if I sleep I probably won't wake up for a long time. Later this evening, SAI is providing us with a complimentary dinner which includes 5 courses! I'm gonna be so full!

Well I'm off for now! The pictures I'm putting up are of my bedroom (I'm the back bed) and my school (a patio that we have in the center), so enjoy!