culture shock

my professor said that when i got back to america, i would experience culture shock. i laughed at the thought. why would i experience culture shock in my own culture? well.... little did i know that he would be right.

saturday night i went to a relief society dinner with mom. my feelings? OVERWHELMED.

for the last three months i haven't...

1.) been around that many members of the church. there were only 30 people totally in our branch in Siena (including our small group)

2.) been surround by conversations that i could actually understand every word (i love english!)

3.) had so many people asking me questions, about my life in italy

4.) had time to only speak and think for myself, i was always translating for my roommate, or taking charge in the conversations. for the first time, i didnt have to do that, and i didnt have to concentrate on every word the other person was saying to me. i actually had a hard time thinking of what every word was in english not italian, to respond to people!

5.) had space. and here there's wide open spaces - everywhere. you can't just walk to the place you want to go, you actually need a car.

6.) craved pasta. but now that i'm back, i actually crave it. i ate it everyday for three months straight, and we just dont eat that much pasta here. i miss it.

dont get me wrong, its great to be back. but i fell in love with italy. and i miss it with all my heart. i miss going out and doing something new everyday, i miss talking with all of my friends in the program... i find myself getting bored at home... but i am slowly, very slowly adjusting. life is good, america is good. i just need to accept the fact that i'm back and that its finally time to figure out what i'm doing with my life.

wish me luck!

a TaStE oF tHe SoUtH

ViTuLaZiO.

NaPoLi.

PoMpEiI.

SoRrEnTo.

CaPrI.

PoSiTaNo.

AiRpOrTs

airports.

i am currently spending the night in one. it is an interesting business. there are people everywhere. spread out on blankets. huddled under jackets. pushing around luggage. trying to stay warm.

me? i just woke up from an hour nap, curled up in a ball on the floor. in the middle of a ring of luggage, after packing and repacking my bags... trying to make the correct weight. it is now my turn for watch duty.

this last week has been a blast. napoli, vitulazio, pompeii, sorrento, capri, positano, amalfi coast, roma. catching trains, eating lemon sorbet in an actual lemon, trudging through the pouring rain, for the last three weeks...

i am ready to go home. never thought i would say that. but lugging around two suitcases and a packed bag? i dont like it. i am ready for warmth, hot bubble baths, popcorn, english, movies, toilet paper hanging from the wall, a large bed, and family.

arrivederci italia. hello america.

L.O.V.E.

ARRIVEDERCI SIENA.

i have officially left my hometown. for good. i got

to cook with my dad one more time, got a kiss from giuseppe, and was told that where your heart is, you will never be far away. i love my host family more than words can express. i wish everyone could meet them and see just how wonderful they truly are. they will always be my second home, and i will never forget them.

what will i miss about siena? just about everything. sitting in the campo, bottles of wine on the dinner table, italian class with enzo, wednesday markets, contradas, zuppa di funghi, and the list goes on and on.

while i am sad to say goodbye, i know that i will be back someday. that this is not the end. this is only the beginning.

CIAO ROMA.

i am back. back in this beautiful city full of history and ruins. it is true, compared to siena, it is dirty, crowded, and noisy. but that is rome. and i love it.

i have been to the galleria

bourghese, the capitoline hill museum, the creepy bones church.

i have traveled to the ancient poet, horaces villa. and the ancient emperor hadrians villa.

i have wandered in the rain, and had many adventures with my 30 days of firsts.

what is on my bucket list of things to do here? simple.

-visit the rome temple site

-eat gelato as many times as humanly possible

-see the pope at the vatican

-maybe jump in a fountain. maybe.

-and soo much more...

LOVE = ITALIA

am i ready to leave this beautiful country? the answer would be... yes and no.

YES. i am looking forward to understanding

everyone around me, and being able to communicate, and having warm towels, fresh outa the dryer.

NO. i am not ready for school, dating, real life. can i be on a permanent vacation?

so what is the solution? enjoy every single minute that i have left. its not everyday that i get to live in italy, having all of these crazy/fun experiences. its time to seize the day!

30 days of firsts

my roomie and i have decided that for the month of november, we will do one new thing everyday, one thing that we have never done before. so here is a list of my 30 days of first...

november 1st- well, didnt decide to do it till after 9pm at night... so no firsts for this day.

november 2nd - first ever visit to a jewish synagogue, and first

time i've ever met someone from jerusalem

november 3rd -first package ever recieved in italy (from home!!)

- the first time i've ever bought delicious blood red orange juice, with white blossom extracts.

november 4th - watched my first full movie since i have been here in italy - stardust -(boy how i miss just chillin and watching a good movie!)

- leaving the talbots place at 2 am (latest that i have been out since i've been here) and having to take a detour because of large crowds on the street

november 5th - goingto an italian pharmacy (instead of a doctor), and getting eye drops (this pharmacy is even in guide books!)

- buying the largest piece of lindt chocolate that i have ever seen, and enjoying it!

- discovering the medieval and botanical gardens on a beautiful fall day, by myself

- buying the best panino from gino cacino's! (love that man!) panino = mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes in oil, and bread! delicious!!

november 6th - didnt get on the computer at all, not even to check my email! no connection at all to home for one whole day!

- first time ever going to the bargello in florence

november 7th - this was my fifth day of NOT wearing ANY make-up at all!! (impressive, right?)

november 8th -bought ALL NEW italian make-up

november 9th - ate a chocolate covered riccarelli - delicious! (not cooked in the middle!) it looked kinda like an almond joy

november 10th - bought food at the mercato today - fried m

ozzarella balls are delicious!

- waiting for over 40 minutes for my bus, and then having to fight

my way off once i got to the station. no one would move for me!

november 11th - visited two churches in siena that i hadn't been in yet, and saw several dead bodies (saints) in them! creepy!

november 12th

- went to montepulciano and saw where new moon was filmed, and re-created bella running through the square to save edward. so fun!!

november 13th - found all 17 of the contrada fountains - beat that! climbed the duomo arch, beautiful view of siena!

walked to the fonte bronda at night, and was tempted to go

swimming, but dont worry, i didnt =)

november 14th - had egg rolls for dinner - first chinese food that i have ever eaten outside the U.S. can you believe it? i ate CHINESE food in ITALY!! craziness!!

november 15th - first time eating torta caprese - amazing!!

november 16th - first time i've ever gotten a 95% in an italian class!

- and also the first time i've ever walked around on the top of the fortezza.

november 17th - first time i've ever had to leave my host family

for good... sad. hopefully i'll see them again someday!

november 18th - first time since i've been in italy that i've had a group of guys (prolly drunk) whisteling and catcalling at kelli & i, feeling threatened, and being very thankful that i had a couple of protective guy friends there with us.

november 19th - first time that i have ever eaten TOFU SOUP, at a chinese restaurant, in roma. and yes, it was delicious!!

- also the first time that i have ever kissed a giant foot (part of the remains of a sculpture of a man at the Capitoline hill museum) - the only thing that i will get to kiss while in italy!

november 20th - first time going to ancient ruins of hadrians villa and absolutely loving it! i recommend it to anyone who decides to go to italy!

november 21st - first time that i have stayed indoors all day since i have been here in rome. due to the weather - lightening & thunder, pouring rain. there is a reason why this is the off season for tourists!

november 22nd - first time truly appreciating ALL of the art in the vatican museum

november 23rd - first time trying a kebab - and i didn't like it! too much meat, and it was really spicy

november 24th - first time walking around in the pouring rain without an umbrella or a hood! just soaking it up. literally.

november 25th - first time eating thanksgiving in rome. in the piazza rotunda at a fancy little outdoor restaurant, right in front of the pantheon!!

november 26th - first time going to H&M in roma!

november 27th - first time being in a car and getting stuck on a cute little italian street in the middle of the night, in the middle of the country. luckily, carmellina got us out of that scrape and we made it back to vitulazio!

november 28th - first time ever eating a whole pizza all by myself! also, the first time ever eating soo much food in one day - i ate more than i usually do on thanksgiving day! now that is saying something...

november 29th - first time ever going to napoli. my first response? repulsion. and then it slowly grew on me the more we wandered around in it.

november 30th - first time eating delicious lemon sorbet. in half of a lemon. i was in heaven.

-also, my first time ever going to capri. beautiful - you dont even feel like you're in italy anymore... you feel like you're somewhere in greece. (thats what imagine greece to feel/look like anyways...)

- i have finally finished my 30 days of firsts... and it has definatly been a time of adventures! if you ever feel like your life is too routine, or boring, try doing a 30 days of first, it definatly spices life up!

...chocolate...

chocolate in italy is my #1 weakness. kinder bueno, kinder latte, ringos, fondente, chocolate with hazelnuts, caldo cioccolato, nutella... you name it, i love it. a chocolate (or two) a day... keeps the doctor away? i think so.

today is the first sunny day we have had in at least three days now. when it rains here, it pours. literally. non stop rain for two days straight, day and night. lets just say that i enjoyed our class field trip to the fonte bronde; sitting outside, soaking up the sun, and reading dante, (while eating free gelato from kopakabana's).

we visited a jewish synagogue today, and i have to say that i think it has been one of my favorite things that we have done this whole trip. eli (their stand in rabbi), is from jerusalem, and has been living in italy for two years. he was really nice, and told us all about the jewish religion, its history in siena, italy, and europe in general. he answered all of our questions, and even told a jewish joke! i want to learn/study more about the jewish religion and culture, and would love to go to jerusalem someday. maybe another study abroad in a year or two...? i think yes.

oh, and by the way, today is my one month mark till i leave this beautiful country. and two more weeks till i leave siena. sad. so i'm taking advantage of every moment that i have.

unpredictable

unpredictable. italy. have you ever heard that italy is unpredictable? well, dont worry. it is!

unpredictable. words. what italian is going to come out of my mouth each day.

unpredictable. panic attacks. getting to the bus stop 5 min early at my apartment, needing to catch a bus outa town at piazza gramschi at 8. the bus never shows up. running to catch bus 11, with the driver shaking his head and driving on. getting on a random bus at 7:55, and making it to piazza gramsci exactly on time to catch our next bus.

unpredictable. weather. one morning you wake up and its nice and sunny, and that very afternoon, it is pouring rain.

unpredictable. family meal times. coming home for once right after church, and finding that your family is expecting you to eat lunch with them. with five guests who are coming over for lunch in a half hour.

unpredictable. italian class. we do anything from "gymnastics" to "fortune telling" to playing a game or going to the market.

unpredictable. mail. i still haven't received my package from home, even though it was mailed over 2 1/2 weeks ago... still waiting...

unpredictable. schedules. the night before i registered, i picked my schedule. dont worry, i'm taking a sewing class, along with an essentials to nutrition. surprise!

unpredictable. home. what random sights or smells are going to remind me of my home, oh so far away.

unpredictable. emotions. one moment, it is silent at the dinner table. the next, everyone is talking loudly at the same time, laughing, and making hand gestures.

unpredictable. life in general. but i'm starting to prefer it that way.

what i love most about italy

Fiats
kinder bueno

gnocchi con pesto
cooking with Beniamino

wearing scarfs and boots

drinking cappuccino di orzo

day trips with amazing friends

beinamino's specialty zuppa di funghi

fresh mozzarella with tomatoes and olive oil

riding the vaporetto's in venice and getting lost

gelato - especially the combination of lemon and strawberry

doing "gymnastics" in italian class, with my fav italian teacher, enzo
writing postcards, licking stamps, and putting them in the mail drop box
the fact that there are no side walks - moving out of the way for cars to pass
eating "mystery meat" at dinner with Bev, grinning, and just getting through it
having long phone calls with my parents, telling them all of my wonderful adventures
having moments where a sentence just flows in italian, when i dont have to think about it
going to church and not understanding half of what is being said, but still feeling the spirit

delicious hot chocolate from the vending machine at the DA, on a really cold day
searching for chestnuts in the forest, with the leaves changing colors

having dance parties in our apartment with Giuseppe and Anna

sunday lunch as a group at the talbots, and fhe monday nights
going to the mercato on wednesday mornings before class

cobble stone streets and brightly painted buildings

watching how italians interact with each other

being around my family, just in general

reading the book of mormon in italian

eating riccarelli and paneforte
ceramic shops

chocolate

just a walk in the park

wow, this last weekend was jam packed, full of adventures.

venerdi (friday) - somers, audrey, and i took a day trip out to cinque terre. and let me tell you... it is beautiful! and totally worth it! we were originally thinking of not going there, because thats where everyone goes... but then we decided that we should... and there is a reason that everyone goes there!

it was a long day, i got up at the crack of dawn - literally. 4:15 am baby! the reason? the first bus in the morning comes in at 5;25, if i missed that, i wouldnt have been able to go to the station till 6:25, which would be non buona, perche the next bus didnt come till 6:25, and our train left at 6:35. so i got up super early, got ready, caught the bus, caught the train, made all the connections, and got to cinque terre around 10:30.

if you go to cinque terre, do the hike. it is definatly worth it, but dont worry, at times, it feels like the stairs never end! but the view that you get of the cities, is amazing. there are five cities right on the coast - hence "cinque" in the name. the building go right down the cliffs to the water. bright colored buildings, colorful fishing boats, bright blue water. cant beat that! and, get this, it was warm enough to go swimming - in october! we did the hike between each city, except between the 3rd and 4th, because there had been a landslide, and the trail was closed. and we had time to see all five in one day! and we felt like we had a good feel for each city by the time we had left.

and then... yesterday, we spent the day with our mom and dad. it was sooo much fun! we slept in that morning and did some homework... or well... we were supposed to... =) and so our dad made us lunch. and then after that, we went for a drive in the country, out to the forest, and went looking for chestnuts! i had no idea that chestnuts were surrounded by a prickly pod, and that three come in one pod. it felt really good to get out of the city, and be back in nature. and our dad is a crazy driver- love it! italians pass cars like no other, go super fast, and they tail each other too. definatly a different experience, but i've decided that i prefer driving in their car to riding a bus. after we spent the afternoon in the forest, we came back and went to the grand opening of an osteria (like restaurant) and met their friends. we ate some delicious food, and yes, i tried liver. i knew i wouldnt like it, but this cute old man had been talking to us for about 20 minutes, and then suggested that i try some food that he was eating. but dont worry, he told me that it was liver before i got some. it was really fun to be out with the locals, and seeing our parents in their social environment. i feel like i am truly getting the italian experience. i couldnt have asked for a better family! we are getting closer, and i feel like we really are a part of the family. i hope that we get to have more days with them like we did yesterday.

just a word of advice to the wise...

guiseppe had a birthday party last night and had a bunch of friends over for dinner. and so we got to help our dad make dinner. which was awesome! so we made risotto, which is all good, right? well, after its done cooking, beniamino puts it in a big bowl on the table, takes champagne out of the fridge, takes the cork out and puts the bottle in the middle of the bowl of hot risotto. and then he put sugar in it and it bubbled over into the risotto. kinda like when you make volcanoes as a kid. and it was awesome to watch, bev and i had no idea what was going on at first. and then we realized that we still had to eat it... because we had made the dish, and we figured it would be ok to just eat a little bit.i figured that maybe the risotto was hot enough, that maybe it cooked some of the alcohol out? ok maybe that was a long shot... it did taste good, but i could definatly taste the champagne. well, i got tired pretty fast after that, so after our 2 hour dinner party, i went to bed. at 10:30. early for me. so this morning, i got up early to study, but instead i had a mini panic attack about what i'm doing with my life when i get back home. and then i went to italian class and i couldnt focus on anything. i was soo out of it! and really emotional too! i had a hard time keeping hold of one thought, and even a harder time talking. i also felt kinda nauseous. i didnt realize what was going on until someone said i was a little hung over. and it all makes sense now! and i'm not goin to lie, it was pretty funny, my teacher enzo just laughed, luckily he understood, cause i had an oral test today. but dont worry - i still got a 92%! no idea how that happened. haha oh wow... story of my life!

anways, just a word of advice to the wise - dont drink champagne! or in my case... dont eat it with risotto! hahaha.....

check yes juliet!

this last weekend, has been one of the best weekends of my life!

thursday, we left bright and early for sirmione, which is a peninsula on lake garda. the famous ancient roman poet, Catullus was rumored to have had a villa there, and since we have read some of his poems, we had to go there! i was surprised at how beautiful it was. we had clear skies, blue water, and nice warm weather. it was the perfect day! we wandered around and took pictures, enjoying the view, (we could see the alps in the distance)! we were walking by the water and found some hot pots.and well... of course... i had to take off my boots and put my feet in! and it was really really hot! there was a cute old italian man there telling me that it was really hot, and i was like "e vero!!" but it was soo worth it... =) after that, we took a ferry ride from sirmione back to the main land. the view of the city from the water was amazing, all of the bright vibrant colors of the buildings... i loved it!!

we got into venice that night, and checked in at our hotel. only a 2 minute walk from san marcos... yeah, thats right! we went to a vivaldi concerto at a chiesa. it was beautiful to hear. some of us dressed up for the occasion, and while people back at byu at that time were in regular classes, our "class" that night was listening to vivaldi, the four seasons. awesome!

the next day, a group of us got up early and saw venice without all of the tourists. you get a totally different feel when the piazza and the pier is empty and quite. and seeing the sky all lit up with pinks, oranges and blues from the sunrise. in the morning, the water rises, and so there was water in certain areas in san marcos piazza, and there was boardwalks put up for people to walk in to get into the church. we went to the accedemia after that and saw many venetian medieval paintings. not my favorite though, they use darker colors and they aren't quite as focused, but it was still fun to see. somers and i left the group after that and went exploring on our own. we got lost several times and had to ask people for directions, every one we talked to were all really nice and helpful. we took a vaporetto (water taxi) out to murano island and followed a group of people and ended up going into a building and watching men create things with glass. my favorite was watching a guy make a horse, they make it look so easy!

when we finally got back to the main island, we decided to just explore. we made it into some really cute residential areas, where there were no tourists (except us - but i dont think we count at this point) =) one area that we were in, we saw about 4 or 5 policemen armed with guns, not just pistols and looking at us suspiciously. that kinda made us nervous, and so we took some pictures and left. we thought it was just because the terrorist alert is so high right now, and so they were just being alert and ready. but we talked to talbot that night at dinner and found out that there had been several student strikes, and so of course thats why they looked at us suspiciously, two college age kids walking around... of course we looked very threatening! haha we had an amazing dinner that night, grilled salmon, pasta with a clam sauce and capers, salad, gelato... delicious!! we took a vaporetto ride to get back to our hotel afterwards and saw the city at night, that was fun! i definatly love venice a lot more this time around. i was able to experience more of the culture, talk to some of the locals, and explore back streets. and i love the architecture, it has a strong middle eastern influence, so different from anything that we have seen in italy. it just might possibly be my favorite place i've been to so far... (did i mention that we had perfect weather? sunny and warm - rare for venice in the fall!)

saturday, we went to verona. the city of love! i wandered around again with somers, which i love just walking around just the two of us. we blend in more with the people, and can observe more that way. first, we went to la casa di giulietta. and dont worry, its nothing like how its portrayed in letters to juliet. well, there is a balcony, and a statue of juliet, and tons of tourists there. but no writing letters and leaving them in the wall... but what i loved about it was that the walls were covered in love graffiti. if i had had a sharpie pen on me, i so would have signed the wall. after that, we went to a little open air market and bought some souvenirs. we went to a church and ran into our professor and a group and decided to hang out with them for a while. we hiked a hill through a residential area and found a beautiful view of the city. i love verona! i kinda wish that i lived there... thats how much i liked it. somers and i did have a pen on us and decided to sign the wall... so we have left our mark in verona!

it was definatly an amazing weekend! i think i have found three of my new favorite cities in italy! i definatly recommend going to all of them...

HeRe CoMeS ThE SuN!

wow, this past week has been an interesting/challenging one for me. i started off the week with my first oral exam, and i was really nervous... but.... i got a 92%! lets just say that i feel pretty good about that. =)

i've been busy with school, busy with learning the language, and a little stressed, ok, more like really stressed about what i'm doing with my life when i get back. so i had a rough day on thursday but i have some amazing friends that helped me out and... that afternoon, five of us left for assisi. and....

here came the sun!

we spent three nights in assisi, in absolutely adorable hotels. right in the historic area of the city. with great food, good rooms, a nice manager, it was perfect! we went into all the churches there, hiked up to the castle and had a mini "devotional" on sunday, ate at fun restrauants, and had a fun relaxing time. did i mention that it was sunny all three days that we were there? amazing! especially since in siena, it rains about every other day...

we went to gubbio one day and spello another. these are both cute little towns in the umbria region. filled with flowers, churches, ancient roman ruins. we had quite the adventure getting to spello... it was right after school got out, so we get on the bus and its full of high school age italians, and we are clearly american tourists... we had quite the time buying our ticket, and we didnt know where to get off... and even better... they were talking about us the whole time! we could understand enough of what they said, and lets just say that i stood out being the only blond on the bus. i have never felt more outa place in my life! we were ready to get off by the time it was our stop, it was embarrassing! but it was funny, we laughed about it for a long time after that...

we ate at several different trattoria's. i got gnocci two of the nights and strangozzi con funghi (truffles) the other night. it was all really good, but i have come to realize that gnocchi is my favorite kind of meal. delicious!! italians like to linger at their meals, and so you go and eat your meal, and then hang around for another half hour to an hour just talking. there is no rush, if theres no room in the restrauant, they will tell you and you just go find a different place to eat.

i bought my first hand painted italian plate! i am really excited about this! we went in a cute little shop where the man was painting plates while we were there, and i found one that i absolutely fell in love with. beautiful hand painted ceramic pieces are everywhere, in so many shops. lets just say that i am in heaven!

it was a fun, well spent free weekend. even though i had been to assisi before, i got a totally different feel for it this time. i feel like i'm fitting in more with the italians, i dont feel like a tourist at all. lets just say that it is a great feeling!

well, i'm off to new adventures this weekend... in... VENEZIA!!!

p.s.) i have noticed that the more time i spend here, the worse my english spelling/phrases are getting... so if i say something that doesnt quite fit, or is spelled wrong, thats why!

pasta, pasta, and... wait for it.... MORE pasta!!

i have consumed more pasta in this last month than i think i have my entire life. dont get me wrong, i love pasta, i havent had the same dish twice. i never knew that one could do so much with it. last night, we had roasted chestnuts, and i think it is a new favorite. i can see why "chestnuts roasting on an open fire" would be good at christmas! (can we do that this year?)

but i did have one interesting experience with some meat that my family served us... bev and i got to the table, and noticed that there was a bowl that had something in it that looked like raw chicken, no joke. we were both nervous about that. our family laughed and said that we should try it, that it was something "new" for us. i kept asking what it was, but all they said was that it came from a cow, and that we should try it. so i took one bite, my facial expression said it all. they just laughed, and luckily they werent offended. i couldnt even eat one whole piece, i still have no idea what it was... and honestly, i dont think i really want to know...

this week has definatly been more trying for me. getting frustrated with the language, having some success, and then getting frustrated all over again. oh well, all i can say is that i am trying!

three out of the four days of classes were spent in the different museums and churches here in siena. looking at medieval sinese art, loving every minute of it!

friday, a few of us went to firenze. we shopped at the san lorenzo market, and i found.... my PANTS! hah my gypsie pants. they are the most amazing thing ever invented, i will have to put up a pic of me in them.... once i take that pic... and the vendors there are hilarious! i had one give me a high five and called me his "lady gaga", several comment on my beautiful eyes, and another who tried to sell me a leather jacket. he almost convinced me to get one! maybe when i go back another time... it was all just the fun italian charm that you hear about, and i loved it! we walked into the food market, looking for something to eat. little did i know that it would end up being a meat market.... lets just say i got a lil queasy... i saw a pig hanging upside down with its stomach cut, a full rabbit skinned, and a lot more.... that took care of my appetite for the afternoon!

a while later, we wandered into the piazza del duomo, and jane and i got pizza. it ended up being from the same pizza place that mom, krystal, and i got pizza at a coupla years ago! the best pizza i habe ever had in italy... sadly, we couldnt sit on the steps and eat it because it was raining, but oh... the memories!

we went to the accademia and stood in line for over an hour. but we eventually got in and saw the David. Simply beautiful! so realistic, i felt like at any moment, he could just step down and walk away, thats how realistic he feels. i am reading the agony and the ecstasy for class, and book all about Michelangelo, and i have a new found love for sculpture. mom, you and grandma need to read this before you come to italy in may, you will appreciate Michelangelo's artwork soo much more! we also went and found la chiesa di beatrice (Dantes young love). beniamino had talked about it several times at dinner, and so i decided that i needed to find it. it was tiny and charming. i remembered walking down that same street a coupla years ago, krystal stopping to get her pic with the wine bottle at the tiny"hole in the wall" cafe.

we went to a sit down restraunt for lunch/dinner and i ordered gnocci con pesto - it was amazing! i defintaly recommend that dish! i want to learn how to make gnocci... surprisingly, the first meal that i have ordered since i've been here. definatly worth it! then of course, we had to get gelato again from vivoli.... =) we went to the ponte vecchio, by then the weather had cleared and we had a beautiful view. couldnt resist, i had to take a few photos!

can anyone guess what we did next??? went to .... ..... ....... H&M! somers and i were in heaven! sadly, we only had 45 min there... but that was enough time for me to find something i wanted! a cute grey sweater/almost dress, i am in love...

all in all, it was a good day, a good end to my week. and yes, i have now officially been gone ONE WHOLE MONTH! it doesnt feel like its been that long, but at the same time, it feels like its been a lot longer, we have done so much...

well, on to a new week, with more adventures ahead!

SiEnA

well, my blog is only partially a success, if you want to see any photos, you have to go to my facebook. wish they could both be in one! (pics + writing) i know how exciting it is to only see words here... but hey, its better than nothing!

wow, siena is... beautiful, breathtaking, and full of life. it is definatly a must see if you come to italy. we are slowly becoming "locals" here, i say slowly because a.) we look american b.) we are still learning italian and c.) well, i just felt like putting a c. =)

listening to stories about everyone elses host families, i realize that i am pretty lucky. our family is pretty chill and laid back. we eat dinner around 8 or 8:30 at night (STILL not used to that!). our family loves to practice their english, and so our dinner conversations are half in italian and half in english. it is an interesting experience to have to switch back and forth between the two. beniamino is an amazing chef, he takes pride in his cooking, and loves it when we ask for the recipe. we have a primo piatto of pasta, a secondo piatto with some type of meat, cheese, bread, and then our dolci, which is anything from gelato, or fruit, to some type of torta (cake). italians like their food, and so they dish us up plenty of food, and then have us finish off whats left. like beniamino said "eat all you can now, diet when you get back home," is it sad to say that i'm taking his advice? well... when in italia!

school is going good, it is overwhelming, but good. our italian teacher, enzo, if a fun, easy going teacher, and we laugh a lot in our class. talbots classes are fascinating, we are reading dantes inferno, and i am suprised at how much i like it! there is so much to take in and learn here, sometimes its hard to keep it all in order...

we have taken two weekend trips. last weekend we went to florence, and this weekend, we went to san giminano and volterra. florence was a slightly overwhelming, get to know the city trip, but we did eat at the best gelateria in europe, vivoli. i got blackberry, raspberry, and lemon. simply to die for... and the bobboli gardens are beautiful! recommend going there too...

san gimignano is known for being the city of towers. they didnt have enough money to restyle the city with each new arty fashion, and so it is a purely medieval town. the towers in all the other cities, like florence and siena, were all cute down to normal, apartment style height. but in san giminano, they were kept tall, and the nobles and rich people lived there. no ladders, and practically no windows. but the view from top definatly makes it worth it.

volterra is less touristy, and you get more of an italian feel there. we didnt have much time, but still loved the place anyways. we went to an etruscan museum and saw ancient burial tombs and more. (the etruscans lived in this region before the romans took over) it was simply fascinating to see some of their ruins!

my new goal is to read the book of mormon in italian, and finish it at least by the end of the school year. its harder then it sounds, so we'll see how it goes... we have a free weekend, this weekend, so some girls and i are attempting to plan some trips. i realize that while i love siena, i am a country girl at heart... i prefer to be in the smaller, less crowded cities, surrounded by the beautiful tuscan countryside.

exhausted, but happy...

have i ever mentioned how much i dislike technology?? the internet here is soo dang annoying! i have the internet at my apartment, but i cant send emails from my email, or post pictures from on my blog or facebook. so i am soo sorry that everyone cant see my pictures! i will keep trying... one of these times it has to work, right?

we stopped in a town called sarteano. we went and saw the coolest tombs ever! the site is not well know yet, and so it is not really a tourist attraction yet. we only knew about it from lucca, our director at the DA. we got to see the frescos up close, not behind glass. the paint colors are so vivid still and beautiful. it was amazing! i love this kind of thing... we had to go in groups, and so after, somers, travis, and i had a blast exploring the other tombs. it was so much fun! they were dark, and had cobwebs everywhere. reminded me of the castle on the rhine, that mom, krystal, and i got to explore.

anyways, i am now in siena, and it is wonderful! my family was not here the first day, their neighbors pick us up ciao!!! long story... we showed up at the train station and our family was the first to show up, but it ended up being the neighbors. our family was out of town. so, they took us to the apartment and showed us the place and our room, and we were left to unpack for a few hours and they would get us for dinner around 6 30 at the bus stop. well, they were about a half hour late, and bev and i were kinda freaking out. it was weird to be there without our family. but they got us for dinner, and it was a lot of fun. they have a family of 7, but only five were there, and matteo (4) sat by me, and he just fell in love with me. it was the cutest thing! all through dinner he kept trying to talk to me, and i would respond in italian that i dont know, or i would say what, and he would try again. and he kept pulling my arm to show me his room, but i said no, because i thought would prolly not be ok. but he was soo adorable! made my day =). i had fun trying out my italian, the woman speaks english, but the husband does not. they invited us to go to mass sometime, and asked about the church, and joseph smith. the food was good, and it was a good experience.

we were left at the apartment, so i called the professor and we met them in town. they were glad we called, they had been worried about us. and so they showed us the city, we got gelato, and ended up staying the night in their house, we could tell they felt better about that. and i did too, it just felt weird to be in someones house without them there.

on sunday, we couldnt go to church because they were having a stake conference in florence, of course! so we went to the talbots and sang a song and had prayer and they said a few words. after, they went and got us food, because they didnt have any and we needed to eat. and they got burritos. yes... they have a MEXICAN restraunt in italy?!? who woulda thought? and it was pretty good too, i approve!

our family was home saturday night, and they are all very nice. we had a delicious dinner and i had a lot of fun attempting to speak in italian. it is intimidating, but i am trying. bev doesnt speak a word of italian, so i am trying for both of us. beniamino speaks pretty good english, and so does alberto, but anna and giuseppe dont. it has been quite the adventure so far! they are all very nice, and bev and i both love our family. did i mention that we are the only ones in the program that have a family? fun!

i survived my first day of classes today. italian is going to be fun, there are only 6 of us in our class. but it is still very intimidating. when he puts me in the spot light, i totally freeze up, so i hope to overcome that soon. i will be studying all the time! cant wait for the day when i can speak without thinking too hard about it.

i am overwhelmed to be here. it is waay out of my comfort zone, but i know that i am supposed to be here. it was a blessing to win my airfare a year ago, i was inspired to come to italy, and i prayed about my roommate and family i'd be living with long before i got my assignment. there is a reason for all of this, i dont know what it is yet, but i know there is a reason. i am trusting and relying on the Lord 100%.

more to come later... and hopefully pictures too! oh, my fun phrase i learned for the day "vorrei comprare le francobille?", can i buy a stamp? yes, useful... =)

When In Rome...

....do as the Romans!!



this first week in italy has been an amazing experience. i dont feel like i can fully express my love for this area. the first drive to our hotel, the first walk down familiar streets, i feel like i am returning home in a sense, that i never left from vacation two years ago. we are staying one metro stop away from the vatican, and our hotel room has a balcony all the way around the edge. it is an amazing view!



the girls i am living with are simply amazing. my main group of people to hang out with so far has been jane, somers, kelli, and travis. i love these people! we have been going out almost every night, to different piazzas. seeing the sights while others rest, and just having a blast. they like to travel like me, keep moving, just snack for lunch, and eat gelato. can i just say that i have had gelato EVERY SINGLE DAY? it is soooooo goooood! of course, my favourite flavor is still lemone, but the others have all been tasty too! havent made a bad chioce yet! (is that possible with gelato??)



our days have been jam packed with sights to see. we have seen the pantheon, colloseum, st. peters basilica, the forum, the house were john keats died (a famous english poet) and where he was burried, and so much more. we have been to many different piazzas, took a stroll in a park, and have been in countless churches. including the one where galileo renounced in a famous trial that the earth revolves around the sun, and then renounced that as soon as he walked out of the church. and today, we went to the catacombs. it was amazing! most of the girls thought it was a little creepy, but i found it fascinating. there were over 500,000 people burried there, and it has four levels. we only went to the second level, which was 60ft underground. it was only used as a burial place, not for hiding, like many rumours say. wow, so cool. we rode a bus on the appian way, which is where peter left rome, and saw christ right outside the gates. the story is the in the second half of the new testament, one i didnt remember, but thought was neat.



i have become comfy with the metro system now. i am able to get around where i need to go, and i'm not worried. i am sick now because i havent been getting enough sleep... totally my fault. so i am trying to slow down and get some rest... but... its not every day that you get to be in rome! cant waste any time!!! tomorrow is my last day here, and then we head out to siena, to meet our host families. i am starting to get a little nervous about that, but i know that it will be fine.



oh, did i mention my run in with the cute gladiator? he caught my eye across our group, and called out "blondie!" i just smiled and turned away. then he was right next to me, and somehow convinced me to get a picture with him, so i got allison in there too. our first pic was cuter, he was kissing my hand, but that only made it on her camera. and he called me cleopatra.. haha it was a fun experience, totally a tourist thing to do... but hey... i am a tourist!



I LOVE ROMA! I LOVE ITALIA!!



(internet is sooo sketchy here... pics will come later!!)

good bye america, hello italy!!

it has been a wonderful summer at home, but its time to go back to school, only this time... in ITALY!!!! i have been doing last minute packing and a lot of just waiting for today to come. i finally think i am ready to leave. am i a little nervous? yes, but mostly excited! this will be the adventure of a life time! i dont have any idea what to expect, but thats part of the excitment.

mom thought i should put a pic or two up of what i've done this summer. i have painted the picnic table, doesnt it look a lot better? i have pulled weeds in the garden, goat heads and soooo much more.

well, arrivederci! next time you hear from me... i will be in italy! wish me luck!!

I HAVE A FAMILY!!!

ciao! the exciting news of the week is that i got my living assignment for when i'm in italy. i have a family!! i will be living with a couple and their two boys, ages 12 and 15. thats pretty cool, because most of the girls i talked with are living either with an older couple or an older single lady. so this will be fun, definatly an experience! still trying to figure out what to take them for an "american" gift, any good ideas?

i finally finished the top of my quilt this week. i just want you all to know that it takes a loooong time to quilt! but it was fun, its big enough for a queen size bed, and it has bright, fun colors, so i like it!

i have also been very busy cooking. i made home made doughnuts, fresh peach pie, pizza, and..... TOFU enchiladas!! and it was surprisingly good - dad didnt even notice that he was eating tofu! of course... mom and i didnt tell him... but it was really good, i recommend the reciepe, just let me know if you want it!

five days left till i leave for italy... i have done my shopping, and now need to pack and see if it will all fit! i am still listening to italian, and attempting to speak a little of it around the house... by this time next week, i will be surrounded by it! wish me luck...

que sera, let's go sailing on...

Attempt at Blog Part 3


The Oregon Coast and the Redwoods were beautiful last week. It was a much needed vacation. Full of walks on the beach, good food, cold misty weather, and becoming rich by finding sand dollars. We put our feet in the ocean, ate the famous clam chowder at Mo's, ran into Paul Bunnion and Babe, the blue ox in Cali, and hugged giant red wood trees. Mom had to stop and pick black berries and I tried grandmas cake batter at the Tillamook cheese factory. I love the coast, being on the beach but I don't think I could live there. Full of cold weather and misty mornings/nights, but it is great for a vacation!



I have two weeks left till I leave for the beautiful country of Italy. I am nervous/excited, but mostly excited. I have no idea what it will be like there, but I am listening to my Italian cds, and starting to think about what I should pack.



I have been working on my quilt and I am making progress, will have to post pictures soon. I found a recipe for tofu enchiladas in Better Homes and Gardens this morning, and am still trying to convince mom to let me make them. But I have convinced her to let me to try making home made donuts tomorrow... so I will let you know how that goes!

Summer

Trying to get used to blogging, guess I'll give it another try. I'm home for the summer, and trying to keep busy. I have been going to singles ward, and surprise - it actually has gotten a little better. Mainly because a lot of my friends are home from their missions now.
I'm keeping busy. I go to institute, do yard work, go boating with friends, and I have started to make another quilt. Mom and I have had fun watching all of the old karate kid movies, if you have'nt seen them in a while, I recommend it, they are funny! Especially the style of clothing, classic.
Went to Andrew's farewell today, he leaves on Wednesday to go to Mexico. That's exciting, he's one of the last his age to be leaving. A lot of my friends leave for school in two weeks, and its making me anxious to want to leave too. I am ready to go to Italy, but still have another month. I'm ready to get going with my life, ready for new adventures. But I'm happy being home, so I'll enjoy good home cooked meals and time with the parents while I can.

Experiments in Pottery

This past year at BYU I have been experimenting with pottery. I've taken two pottery classes and really enjoy it. These are my favorite pieces I have done.