San Lorenzo Market

     In my last post, I mentioned the San Lorenzo market as one of the places that I would miss the most. Then I realized that I had never really talked about it in previous posts. So here we go. The Mercato Centrale is actually a large building that houses countless food and goods stands inside of it. It has short hours and the smells will murder your nose but it's so cool. Tons and tons of Italian food and delicacies everywhere. My langauge teacher took us there on a "field trip" once to test what we had learned thus far. So much fun. So that's the actual "Mercato Centrale"...outside is the madness. Vendors have set up their stalls all around the Mercato and down side streets so that it feels like this huge outdoor mall with cheap items. It's nuts. And the bargains you can find, oh my goodness. Most of the stands all sell the same thing so you can use that as leverage when you want to strike a deal. And the items they sell are pretty cool too. Countless clothing stores and stands with scarves and ties and all sorts of goodies. Most of the clothing stalls or that sort of thing have actual stores attached to them. Once I was wandering through with some friends and one of the girls got roped into buying a leather jacket. It was gorgeous but it would not have happened if the owner of the store hadn't taken us into his store and showed Chantall how amazing she looked in the tri-mirror. They know how to rope you in and before you know it you're getting a great deal on something you wanted but probably didn't really need.Then again you can get amazing deals on things that you DO need. Let's just say that I am an awesome bargainer and I didn't even realize it. Amazing. I love this place.

Things I'm Going to Miss

     I have been here for 2 months. Two very long, eventful, fun, crazy months. It feels strange to be leaving this place. But I am ready for it. I am ready to go spend some time with my family and with my best friends. And finally ready to go home and get back into the school/work mode and get ready to graduate. I am SO SO ready to graduate. But I digress. I am going to miss this place. I am going to miss:

1. The people. I have met some pretty fantastic people here and formed friendships that I will do everything in my power to continue. You can't just spend 2 months with someone and then not talk to them ever again. We have already talked about reunions even if they're more than a year off. The friends I have made here have been sort of a temporary family for me. I mentioned that in a previous post. We have to treat each other like family. We lean on each other. And I'm going to miss them so much. It's going to be so so strange to not be able to see them every day.

2. Walking EVERYWHERE. Oh I am going to miss this part so much. I'm sure that if I actually lived here long term I would get some form of transportation because I'm sure I would have to go outside the city every once in a while but sheesh it's been so nice not having to worry about a car here. Don't get me wrong I miss my car and driving but ahh you just can't walk around San Jose and Campbell like this. I mean you can in downtown but it's not really as enjoyable as it is here. 

3. Seeing the Duomo everyday. And the Piazza della Republica. And every other fantastic monument here. It's just so much of a blessing to be able to call this place home and say "yeah meet me at the Doors of Paradise in an hour, k?" I mean, seriously...that's just awesome. 

4. The food. I love the food here, even if my appetite was cut in half when I got here (I don't know why but I'm not complaining). The food is just so so much better here than it is in America. Not processed at all. Just fresh and delicious. I don't think I'll be able to eat pizza in the states ever again. Well I know I will but I'm not going to enjoy it nearly as much. 

I'm sure there is a ton more that I am going to miss...I just can't think of anything specific. I am going to miss Florence. As a whole. The people, the food, the views, the nightlife (ooh the nightlife..it's a love/hate feeling there), just everything. Amo Firenze. 

A Day in the Chianti region

At the beginning of my trip here in Florence, we got an itinerary of things we would be doing throughout the weeks. The second to last thing was a trip to Chianti on July 24. On June 1, that sounded so far away. Well it was yesterday and we're almost done here. Finito. This time next week I will be sitting in my kitchen in my family's house down south. Ahh I can see it now =). Anyways, yesterday Emily, Ali, Sarah, Kim and I went with a group to Chianti through FlorenceForFun (the trip was meant for all the girls in the group but some opted not to come...oh well). It was an early morning, meeting at the farmacia in the Santa Maria Novella train station at 7:30. Took an hour long bus ride out and started walking. We were in an adorable little town called Panzano. Our tour guides, Remigio and Stefano, took us on a 2 and a half hour walk/hike through the country side where all the vineyards were, stopping for an hour at a church that had one of the most amazing views. The way the clouds were moving through the bright blue sky and casting shadows along the hills was just beautiful. I wish I could see that everyday. And the church was nice and cool and very pretty.
Finally around noon we got to the House of Sassolini, the family and wine makers that were hosting us for lunch and wine tasting. Delicious meal and great wine. Some not my favorite but hey I'm up for trying anything nowadays. We were just so hungry because we really hadn't eaten breakfast (it was 730 am!! I wasn't getting up any earlier than I needed to) and we had been walking around in the sun. It was a welcome break. The wine's weren't what I was used to and the grappa at the end was certainly not what I was used to. It's 40% alcohol and very very sharp to taste. Oh well have to try it once!
Got back on the bus at 5 and got to Florence around 6. My friend Kim, who was with us for the day, is actually a visiting Global girl from Milan and staying in Florence with her parents so we went back to her place to rest up and get ready for dinner. Her parents took all of us out and it was so so much fun. Ali and I suggested a restaurant that we've been to a few times and it was the perfect dinner. Everyone had a good time. We were tired but it was another friend's birthday so we ventured out after dinner just to say hello and happy birthday for a bit then it was back home to sleep. I woke up at 10 today....ahh the life. Loved it.

The Duomo

     There are many "duomos" in Italy but the largest one is in Florence and I just have to say...it's huge. And magnificent to look at. Anywhere you are in the city you can almost always look down a side street and get a glimpse of it near the sky. It's amazing. I love it. And last Saturday, I finally climbed it. Yep, climbed it. There are 463 steps leading to the top of the capella and it is a feat that is done by hundreds of people a day. The climb was interesting. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, which really surprised me, as I am recovering from bronchitis right now and Saturday was only day 2 of medication. Of course, once I got to the top, I started coughing like crazy but hey I made it. And omgosh the view almost took my breath away. You can see EVERYTHING. Like everything. It's a 360 degree view of Florence and beyond. It was gorgeous. Unfortunately, a nasty incident happened later on Saturday and I no longer have my camera so all the pictures I took aren't available. Buuut I will be "stealing" my friends pictures. So so gorgeous. I will have to come back and do it again with a better camera. And maybe on a not so hot day. We were sweaty. Like normal.
     It was just so surreal to think of how many other people had climbed those steps. The dome was completed in 1434 and has been in use since then. That's nearly 600 years ago. Crazy to think about. And the Cathedral is beautiful. Emily says that it's not as impressive inside as the Duomo in Milan but our Duomo is gorgeous on the outside. The colors are pink, green and white and oh it's just so pretty. And enormous. It's the longest nave of any church in the world. And it has a bell tower next to it as well as a baptistry in front of it. That is where the famous gold "doors of paradise" are. I can't believe this is where I've been living for the last 7 and a half weeks. Yep, that long. Which means that in just a week and a half, I'm leaving. Not for good but for now. Such a strange feeling. I can't really remember life outside of Florence. Well no, I do, but it feels like it's been so so long since I lived that life. I was walking with a friend last night and I said "I haven't driven in over 2 months...what if I forgot?!" Which is silly but seriously....I am not looking forward to having to drive everywhere. And that is for another post.
     The Duomo was gorgeous and the views were magnificent. I am definitely coming back and doing that again. Thank you stairs of Florence for preparing me for that epic climb. I wasn't even sore after =).

We're really growing up

Last night Ali, Yaires, Emily and I went to see Toy Story 3. It was hands down the best out of all of them and I cried like a baby at the end. Cried. Sat there with tears streaming down my face and making soft little crying noises. Sniffling included. And if you have to ask why I cried, just go see the movie. And if you've seen the movie and still don't understand why I cried...you have no heart haha. Oh I love that movie. I could go and watch it again and again. It was a little more grown up than I thought it would be but hey the movie was about growing up. I grew up with that movie. Those movies. The first one came out in 1995 when I was 7. I'm now 21. Andy is going to college. I'm about to graduate. It was all culminating. Our childhood (at least for my generation) truly is over. Between Toy Story ending and the final Harry Potter movies coming out, childhood really is over. The first Harry Potter came out when I was in 6th grade. Just a little older than Harry was. Now it's done. 

     Obviously I have been aware that my childhood has been over for many years. But those classics are finished too. They'll live on but not like they did with us. Oh I don't know I've just been feeling so nostalgic lately. This whole year is nostalgic for me. The end of a chapter of my life. My formal schooling is almost done. As of December I'm done. No longer a student, in the school sense. I'm in my 20's now and before you know it these posts will be about what I'm doing at work or (very very far down the road) a family of my own. And yes I will still be posting. Because I have realized that I love writing. If I don't get thoughts down on paper, no matter how rambling they may be, I get a little crazy. Well crazier than usual =). Ok speaking of rambling, I'm doing it again. Toy Story 3. See it. Multiple times. Just go. Loves and Kisses from Florence. 

A Feeling of Nervousness

     This is the first summer in a long, long time that I have not had a job. I mean I know I am doing an internship here but it's not as stressful as past summers have been and I am not working a second "job" for income. It's been nice. And for a few weeks I let myself enjoy the freedom of it. But now...well the worry is starting to close in again. I'm starting to get into school mode again (I know I know I have 5 more weeks left why am I letting myself get like this already). I just wish that everything was easier to foresee. I wish I knew that I was going to be able to go back home and find a good paying job and that everything would be ok. It's nerve-wracking. I realized earlier this week that I had to also think about buying books for my classes. Luckily they're not that expensive (thank goodness) and I have one already. And I hope I can get enough hours right when I get back. It's not that I'm looking forward to working again...I just need to. I need to feel like I'm doing something again. I have learned that about myself this summer. As carefree as I act, I really need to always be busy with something. Need to be working on something or my mind gets idle and I start to get bored and impatient. I like doing what I do and I wish I had more to do of it. That is why I'm looking forward to this fall so much. I worked it out so I have 5 classes on two days a week and 3 days a week where I can work work work. Hopefully I can find a place that will allow me to do that. I might even get 2 jobs just so I can be busy. I've done it before. Also I think I'm going to need it. I'm going to miss this place so much that I just need to keep busy and not think about it. Oh my mind is all over the place right now. I'm also slightly sick. Woke up with a nasty runny nose and my cough just won't go away. And this heat. Oooh the heat is not helping. And that sounded a little like complaining. I'm not. Just stating my feelings.
    I need a plan. I need to know what I'm doing this fall now. Which is why I've been looking up companies all week and trying to email companies about possible fall internships. No dice so far. It's also the time difference. They probably get thousands of emails a day so when I email them at 3 am their time...well it's down the pile and probably won't be found for days. I am nervous. I don't like being nervous. I'm usually a very confident person who knows exactly where she's going within the next few months. Now I don't. I do have a faint idea but nothing set in stone and that is starting to creep into my brain and bug me. I was chatting with a friend about my summer and he commented that by the time I get to NY I'm just going to want to get to school and get to work. He knows me too well. That is probably true but I will try my hardest not to think about it. That week is with Samantha. And it will be filled with catching up with her while lounging in her pool, going to the beach and going ocean kayaking (now THAT makes me excited). Until then I will try not to let my mind wander into nervousness. I will do what I need to do and then I will let it rest. Yes, that's what I'll do. Ok thanks for reading along with my rambling mind...like I said it's all over the place right now.

Life Here is Temporary

     It is now the Wednesday of my 7th week in Florence. Seven weeks. How did it get to be that long of a time? And how did the time go so fast? I feel like I've only been here a short time yet been here forever. Two weeks from Saturday I will be getting on a train and heading down south to visit my family. And when I leave, nothing will be the same. Even if I were to come back, the people I've met here (well most of them) will be gone and it will be a different time. I know I've posted in that strand of thought before, about how nothing is ever the same the second time you visit it, but here it is especially true. This city is such a youthful city that a good chunk of its residents rotate in and out around every 4 months. In the summer it's an even faster rotation. Most summer programs are only 6 weeks. I was fortunate enough to have a 9 week program and stay a bit longer. It's a fun and fast time but for those who actually live here, it's bittersweet. Sure they meet a ton of people every few months and gain friendships that allow them to visit but really, when are we all going to get the time to travel the world and visit each other. One would hope that would happen but the reality is that only a handful will. A friend of mine moved here from England with his family 6 years ago and he remarked that this life is just normal to him...making new friends every 4 months or so and then watching them go again. Some do stay longer, sometimes a year, but for everyone that just makes leaving that much harder.
    The friendships that I have made here hopefully will be long lasting. I know of a few that definitely will be. You become like family. You have to because in reality you don't have anyone else to turn to when you need that family feeling comfort. You eat together, you go out together, you talk constantly, you share your daily problems with each other and you take care of each other. It becomes normal to see each other on a daily basis and before you know it you've forgotten what life was like before you met all your new friends. I was chatting with a friend from home yesterday and it struck me that I can't remember how it is to be back home. I feel like I've been here so long. And to be quite honest, I'm a little nervous about going home. I feel like I'm going to wake up in my bed in San Jose one morning and ask myself if this summer really happened or if it was a long fantastic and very real feeling dream. Of course, I know it's real and I know it's happening. This post wouldn't exist otherwise. Going home is going to be so, so bittersweet. I love the people I've met here, but at the same time, I know that this lifestyle is not one to live long term. I don't know how they do it here. I'm getting burnt out already (and yes Mom I did just admit to that...which is why I've been taking naps the last 4 days...that and it's too hot to do anything else). Of course, if I were to actually live here and make a living here, things would be different. Much different. And the next time I come back, I will be older (maybe wiser) and have different interests. I wish that I had saved a little more money to come here so I would be able to travel a little more and really see it, but I know that this is far from the last time I will be visiting Italy. I love this country. It's just so gorgeous.
     So as I said, life here is temporary. The people you meet are here on a once in a lifetime meet and greet. You could meet someone by chance one night only to hear that it's their last/only night here. It's a travelers city, a stop on people's journeys. Which is fantastic. I've met people from all over the States and all over the world. We met a group of people who were traveling from South Africa who said that if we were ever in town to let them know. And with the wonderfulness of Facebook, I could very well do that. And friends from Scotland and England and everywhere else. I have a roommate from Israel that I would have never met otherwise because let's face it, Israel is not on my top 10 list of countries to visit. It's there but only as an if something comes up and it's possible.
     To the people I've met and become friends with, thank you. I love you. The next two and a half weeks are going to be fantastic. To the people I'm going to meet in the next two and a half weeks, thank you as well...you're in for a fun time =).

Project MODA Fashion Show

So any of you who are friends with me on Facebook have noticed that I do an awful lot of "tagging" in my status updates. It's a cool thing about Facebook and very convenient when I'm trying to get the word out about something, like the Project Moda Fashion Show that the Global Experience interns put on last weekend. It was an experimental show, one that was made to look like  Project Runway show, but secretly wasn't. Of course, like I said, this was the first time and well Rome wasn't built in a day. For it being the first time and for being a little bit in disaray for a day or two there, it went fantastically. We had 6 different designers and one vintage accessory designer donate their pieces for the show and 4 of our girls along with a professional modeled the pieces. They were fierce. The stage wasn't very big but we designed a sort of cross the stage/crossing in front of each other walk that turned out looking so so cool. And our hosts were wonderful. Cassandra was our host no matter what and a few days prior, she got her friend Mario to co-host. He was awesome. He's Napoletan so he took over the Italian speaking portion. Plus he's smooth looking. Gotta love that good ol' italian good looking man. I was running around a bit and at one point even helped dress one of the girls just to turn around and run back downstairs to let the DJ know we were good to go. I swear I climbed those stairs at least 20-30 times in like 4 hours. Oof. The show went off without a hitch and one of our teams "won" and then we all enjoyed an Aperitivo and headed out for some fun. I really had a fun night. We needed it. And I looked fantastic (not to toot my own horn or anything). Somehow there was a few spare minutes in there for the hairdresser to put my hair into this crazy up do that I would have NEVER thought of and then Chantall made my eyes look amazing. She's crazy talented...and she loves doing makeup.
So I know that's not a very satisfactory description of the show but there was so much going on and leading up to it that in order to fully explain....well it would take a loooot of writing and probably a day or two of reading. We had fun and I hope that GE continues this experience next year!

E Molto Caldo in Firenze

     One thing to know about traveling in Europe in the summer...it gets HOT. And I'm not talking about the California/Arizona/Utah/all of West Coast dry heat. Not even the East Coast humidity. Take East Coast humidity and dump a steaming bucket of water consistently on it. That's what it feels like. Like you are constantly being misted with warm water that is in no way refreshing. Oi vey. And it never stops. Even when the sun goes down, that constant slick feeling of your skin is there. You fall asleep to it and you wake up in it. Unless you're fortunate enough to have a fan or even AC out here, which is a biiig rarity. Electricity is precious and the buildings are pretty old. Having AC is a big time luxury.  However, it's all part of the experience right? It takes some getting used to and the locals who live here treat this weather as if it's a regular 70 and sunny. I see people in pants around here all the time. I want to know their secret to not sweating profusely...maybe I can learn someday haha.
     Actually it reminds me of a picture from one of the first times we visited my family down in Southern Italy. It was August (the worst and hottest time ever) and my dad snapped a picture of me and my sister still sleeping. The covers are down, our hair is up in messy ponytails and I believe we're both just in our underwear because it's so hot. And we're in that baby sleeping position with our arms above our heads and our legs kind of spread eagle. I know that sounds so strange but honestly it is pretty much the only comfortable position to sleep in when it's this hot. No covers, no pillows and minimal pjs. Of course we were young then. That sort of picture today can't be talked about haha. But honestly, I don't remember what it's like to feel cold. I know the feeling of a breeze on my face, but it's no where being cold. The AC is barely a relief. It just gets you back to a normal feeling. I know I'll look back on this in oh say November when I'm back in San Jose, freezing cold in my bed and curling up under the covers and wishing I could get warm. Grass is always greener on the other side eh? Ok that's my little rant about the heat. And even though I rant, I do love it here. Just wish it was about 20 degrees (F) cooler. =)

A Slice of Normalcy

     Last night I got to spend time with the Redmonds, a family from home that my family has known for years. Kelsey is two years younger than me but we all grew up together and it was just so, so nice to see them and spend time with them. Even more so when Jack met me for mass at the Duomo. That was when I felt just SO content. I could close my eyes and just pretend that I was transported back home to Padre Serra sitting in church next to Jack and maybe my mom and my other side. I even had to pull him away from the priest, just like we do at home. All of my parents friends can talk for ages. It was always the same when we were kids. "get out of the pool we're leaving in 10 minutes!!" An hour later and dressed, all the kids are sitting there while the parents are still happily chatting away, maybe with a purse in their arms or something. Never changes. Of course I do that too now. "We're leaving...oh wait let me say bye!"
       So I met up with Jack at the Duomo while Sharon and Kelsey took a nap (shopping in this heat will run you down). After mass, we went out and met them outside the Doors of Paradise (I love that I can call that spot my "meeting spot"...so surreal) and Kelsey and I nearly knocked each over. I haven't seen her in so long. In fact we were talking about how much, or little, I've been home since I moved up north and I think I've been home a total of 6 or so weeks since last January. SO strange. And then Kelsey started at U of A this past year so none of are home now. The parents are all home with empty nests. Anyways, we had a drink outside one of the restaurants near the Duomo, one that I always walk past but don't even think about stopping at because well it's damn expensive. Then we strolled around for a while and did some window shopping before going to dinner at this adorable little restaurant where I tasted the most amazing ravioli ever. It has cheese and pear in the middle. OMG. Unfortunately that wasn't what I had ordered so now I have to somehow go back. Before I leave. I have to haha. And it was just so nice to sit and talk with someone that has known me and I could feel like I was with family again. I miss my family so much, and when I say family, I don't just mean blood relatives. My friends at home are my family. Like I've said before, I have about 20 sets of parents. Sharon and Jack are one of them. We had such a good talk about what I've been doing, what they've been doing and so forth.
     After dinner, I asked if I could have Kelsey come and hang out with some friends of mine. They've been on a two week tour of Italy and well I figured the girl could use some fun night time fun haha. We met up with my usual group and just went to one of the bars we frequent. It seemed like a low key time so Ali and I took her to Red Garter for a little taste of some of the dancing that goes on here. We called it a night early though because they had an early wake up time. But seriously it was just so much fun. It was so cool to be able to somehow connect my two worlds. Because this is seriously a whole different world for me. I have my world in Camarillo, I have my world in San Jose and now I have my world in Florence. I doubt the three will ever really be combined but that would be so cool someday. Maybe at my wedding haha. Which is eons away by the way.
      Seeing someone from home made me appreciate what I have back home. I know I want to travel the world and see as much as I possibly home and I can find comfort in the fact that no matter where I am, I can always go home. I will always have someone to talk to there and "family" to visit. My parents talk about moving somewhere different, but secretly I hope that they never leave there. I know they will (they want to live in Italy for a few years, which is perfectly fine...as long as they go straight back to Camarillo). I love where I grew up and I love the people I grew up with. I know someday we will all be far flung from each other but we'll never truly be away from each other. It's how family works.

What a Difference a Year Makes

     Being here in Italy has had me reflecting a lot on what my life was like a year ago, specifically my crazy but wonderfully fun internship last summer. It's all so different. I got up every morning and went to an office and worked all day, albeit had fun laughing with my fellow interns but hey we worked hard. The entire summer. Well actually March through August. 6 months long. Driving a car a half hour every day. Wow that's different from now. I haven't driven a car since ohhhh May 28th and well I was in one the other day and it was just so strange to me. I don't know how I'm going to feel about having to drive everywhere. I mean I could walk but San Jose can not hold a walking around candle to Florence. It's just not going to happen. And last summer, I was working towards a specific event. It had a huge purpose and all of us were working towards the same goal. I feel like this is my "float" summer, where, yes I am doing an internship and experiencing a new life, but it doesn't hold the same level of stress as last summer did.
     There was so much more riding on my success in what I did last summer and so much depending on the team I was working with. I kind of miss that crazed "we have to get this done right and get it done NOW" frenzy. Even the 2 weeks of the Senior Games where I was driving to Stanford at 8 am every day and staying til 9 pm because I just wanted to do so much and just didn't want to leave. The days where I left early were so strange to me. I wanted to soak it all in and experience as much as I could of being in that event. This summer, all of my fellow interns from last year are all doing so many different things. Some of us have graduated by now and are working in real jobs, some are doing other internships and yet others are just traveling and having fun, like me. I feel like I've grown immensely in the past year and by the end of this summer, I will yet again have changed or rather tweaked some things. That is what life is...constantly growing and changing. It's a good thing.
    Ook got that off my chest =). I suppose I should get back to work, huh?

Homesickness

     So I have been here in Florence for over a month now and well to be quite honest I am getting a little homesick. Twice now I've skyped with my mom and made her stay on with me for over an hour just because I miss her and want to hear her voice and see her face. It's different than being at home because in San Jose, I can just call her (which I do...sometimes too much) and hear her voice. They say that hearing someone's voice, such as a parents, is equivalent to getting a hug. And I'm a girl who likes hugs. Just ask anyone =). It's not so much that I miss home (well I do) but more so that I miss seeing familiar faces. I could be anywhere in the world and as long as I had a familiar face with me, I would be fine. Most of the time I am a very independent person. But right now, I just want a good long hug from someone I know and love and just to spend time and talk. Everyone around here is from such different walks of life, and I love it. But sometimes I feel like I just want to jump over to San Jose or Camarillo for a quick minute, see who I want to see, then come right back. They are working on instant transportation, right? (my best friend and I have been dreaming about that for years...imagine how much easier life would be with instant, snap-of-the-fingers transportation would be).
     I think the thing that is getting to me the most is the fact that I feel like I've already been here for so long and I know I have sooo much longer to be here, even if my last two weeks will be spent with family. I am so excited for that. Mainly the food haha. My family makes extremely good food. And a good time is always had with them. It will be strange to be there without my parents and my sister but we all have to do that someday right? It's only July 2 and I don't return to CA til August 20. That is a verrrry long time from now. And once again I'm missing birthdays and such. At least last year, I was still in the same state and time zone. Oh well, such is life and I am truly enjoying living here. It's a crazy lifestyle, one that I'm still getting used to but in due time, right? I am making friends here that I hope will be lifelong friends. Of course, none of us have a crystal ball and no one can say where we will all be in a year's time. Who knows.
    Ok this rant is over. But I have another one up my sleeve (which you already know if you read this from top to bottom like any other normal person reads a blog)