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. 

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)

The Hidden City

     So since I've been here around 4 or 5 weeks (I've lost track) I have made some other observations about Florence. I know my last post was supposed to be about my "observations" but something struck me today. Florence is a BIG little city. By that I mean that the actual land size of it is not very large but there is just so, so much packed into it. And it works so well. From the street, all you see are little shops. However, once inside you see that they go on forever and many of the larger stores are multi level. H&M for example (what, a girl's gotta shop) doesn't look like a big store from the front but then it goes back and down. The main floor is below street level. All of them are like that. Take one of the pubs I went to a few weeks ago. From the front, it looks like a rinky-dink pub (and yes I did just use those words in an actual sentence). Then we went inside, up stairs and into this HUGE open upstairs room. It was amazing. It's the outside of the buildings that gets you. You don't realize it but many of them are complete squares so they have a lot of room inside. And the buildings are TALL. Shops are always on the first floor and here and there are scattered doors into the apartments. There are no apartments on first floors. Anywhere. Which is why the "first floor" here is actually the second level of the building. So when I go to my friend's place on the 4th floor...it's really the 5th. Oof. And I wonder why my legs are looking so great. Last time they looked this good was when I was at water polo camp like my sophomore summer and had to climb a staircase of 115 stairs up and down 3 times a day...before and after workout. Whew. And my clothes fit better. And I'm more confident. I love it.
    I feel more free here. Maybe it's the spirit of summer and the little to no responsibility that I have right now. Sure I'm going to be stressed about money when I get back home but I will deal with that when I get home. Although I do have to start sending out my resume soon...I want a better job when I get home. More like need a better job. It's a necessity. Especially if I want to move back here with a sufficient savings account. I know it's a funny thing to say I want to move here after only being here for a few weeks but it really feels good. I love walking around here. And being here. I want to be able to experience it in the winter too. I think it would be just as beautiful in the winter as it is in the summer. Of course different styles but... I don't know I just really like the thought of it. And I will. I may not be able to get back here for a year or two but it will happen. And my friends will be here. The group(s)  of people that I've been hanging out with are people who repeatedly come back here. Go home and work their butts off for a few months and then move back and live freely.
    So I guess this was more of a two part post. My love for the big little city and why I love it so much. It kind of reminds me of San Jose State (go with me here....) in that it's a BIG place but in a small space. SJSU is crowded but comfortable. It's a set block. Like Florence, which once had city walls (they all did). Of course those walls only remain as the "doors" and it has overflowed but not by much. Sorry I get a little carried away with all the history of this place. It's so freaking fascinating to me. If I did live here, I would be sorely tempted to take an Italian "history of Florence" class. Maybe even in Italian. Probably not though. There are plenty of university satellite campuses here, including NYU =). Oh yes that dream is still alive and well. And since they have a campus here, I could literally have the best of both worlds. And I think I will. Ok well, we're going out for the night....a post will follow on that subject soon. Like I said, I just feel more free when I'm here. =).

Vita in Firenze

      So I have come to realize that I haven't written a whole bunch on my observations of daily life in Florence. Of course, you can't really characterize everyone's days as the same; this city is just filled with too many diverse people. I can tell you about it from my point of view though. For me, this week so far, life has been a little slower than the first 3 weeks, mainly because I am done with my language class and this past weekend I was in Amalfi and then Monday had literally nothing to do. I ran some errands, found a new friend and acted as tour guide all day. For the last two mornings, I've gotten up, showered and hustled over to the train station to catch bus 17 to my internship. On my first day yesterday, I was here for a total of 2.5 hours. Not too shabby eh? Especially since some of my classmates are already working 9 hour days. In a way, I'm envious. There isn't much for me to do just yet and I'm trying to make the most of it and going above and beyond. My assignment is slightly narrow though. Obviously, since I'm blogging from the office. Thank goodness I got my laptop back. It makes life so much easier.
     What I've observed of daily life around here is simple. The workers of the city get up in the morning and make their way to work, either by car, train, bus or their trusty feet. When I leave around 9:30 in the morning, there are people everywhere. And you can tell who the locals are. They are walking with determination and know how to best use the side streets. The tourists are the ones who look completely lost and are wandering around with a map. I try to help give directions if I can manage it but usually just let them fend for themselves. The best way to learn your way around a city is to get lost in it. That's what I did. I still do =). Oh and breakfast over here is a huge part of the morning routine. It is very rare that an Italian eats breakfast at home. Usually it's a shot of espresso or cappuccino or some other coffee drink and a pastry whilst standing at the bar at the local pasticceria. That's what I did this morning when my bosses got in and said "ok we go to eat!" then around the evening when everyone is off of work, everyone just walks around. It truly is a walking city. I mean yes, there are those who get around by other modes of transportation but the streets are so small and crowded that it's just easier to walk. And if you walk fast and know where you're going, it doesn't take long to get anywhere. I believe I made it home in like 20 minutes last night because I FINALLY figured out the most direct route from one of our favorite hangouts back to my place. Thank goodness too... I was dead tired.
    Ok that wasn't much of an observation buuut it's all I've got. Sheesh I need to sleep more. Yes Mommy you're right.... =)

The Amalfi Coast

     This past weekend I had the absolute pleasure of traveling down to the Amalfi Coast with Ali, Yaires, Cassandra and the rest of the Florence For Fun crew. It was SO much fun. We took the bus down to Sorrento Thursday night and got the hotel around 2 in the morning. Got up early the next day to catch the ferry over to the island of Capri, one of the most beautiful spots in the world. Seriously. We took a boat tou around the island and took a dip into the Blue Grotto. For those of you who haven't had the opportunity to do this, i INSIST that you do. It's not a very long trip in there, takes more time to get there and wait outside than you are inside, but it is seriously one of the most breathtaking sights you will ever see. It's a little cave that is accessible only by a small entrance, and that's only if the ocean isn't too choppy. But once you're inside, it's simply gorgeous. The light from outside reflects off the bottom of the ocean to make it took like the clearest blue you will ever see. Check out my facebook if you want to see. Or google it. It's amazing. It's SO peaceful. You can venture into the water if you want but the coastlines of Capri are infested with Jellyfish. Tons of baby ones everywhere. And they still pack a serious punch. Ahh so beautiful. I envy people who get to live there. 

     So after we went around the island and Cassandra pointed out all the famous people's villas and palaces (yes, the Gerber family has a palazzo on Capri...I know it's redic), we ventured over to Marina Picola for lunch and lying on the beach. Swam in crystal clear water and got all salty. Seriously, I could have licked the salt off of me. Accidentally did when I put my finger in my mouth. Haha. Such a relaxing day. Got back to the marina and took the ferry back to Sorrento for the night. Had dinner at the Hotel Cavour (where we were staying...such a cute little hotel and the staff there was so nice and so patient with all 71 of us crazy American tourists/students...we were trouble!) and then headed down to the English Inn in downtown Sorrento. I know English Inn?? Buuut Cassandra's been there a million times and they love her there. I love that place. It's my favorite out of all the places I've been as far as pubs. Mainly because it's a pub downstairs and then an outdoor club upstairs. So if you want to dance and have some fun go upstairs. But if you need a break just head back down the stairs and people watch on the street. People watching in Italy is so so entertaining. Mainly because of the variety of people and states of dress. Seriously, sometimes we wonder if some of these people have a mirror in their house. Or they just don't like looking in it because they know how ridiculous they'll look. 

     So the next morning, we got on the bus again and headed about a half hour away to Positano. Such a relaxing day. Literally layed on the beach all day and had the most delicious lunch with complimentary wine because I ate with Cassandra and Jenn (the two tour guides) and again, they go quite often and always eat at the same place. So nice to know people =). The weather was alternately sunny and hot and overcast and warm, so it was a good day. Went back to the hotel, had dinner and went back to the English Inn. Unfortunately, I got another case of Bronchitis this weekend (found out yesterday and don't worry I am on meds already. thank god) So I really wasn't feeling well. Walked home with Jenn, Cassandra and Brendan. And thank goodness. One of the coolest lightning storms was happening across the bay over Vesuvius and it just lit up the entire sky. Absolutely gorgeous. I loved it. I love thunder and lightning (I'm a little strange what can I say) and then right when we got back to the hotel, it started pouring. Like torrential down pour. LOVED it. haha. 

     Oh another little note about Sorrento. To get down to the beach from where our bus dropped us off, we had to walk down 801 steps. Yes 801. Thank god we ponied up a little money and got a bus back to the top at the end of the day. That was ridiculous. My legs were jello by the time we got to the bottom. And that's why Italians are so damn thin over here. They have to walk up and down mountains just to do their daily business. Absolutely ridiculous. But the beach felt oh so wonderful after. And even though the water wasn't nearly as clear as on Capri, it was still fantastic. I love the Mediterranean Sea. I could seriously live by it the rest of of my life. 

     So after enduring the lightning and thunder storm Saturday night, Sunday morning found us bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready for Pompei. Took us about an hour and a half to get there and we immediately went into the ruins for a tour. Well Mother Nature must have been having some personal issues because she made it POUR on us the first 5 minutes which were of course uncovered. And most of us were in shorts and tank tops with no umbrellas to speak of. Oh well it felt nice and the sun came back shortly after. Now, I was in Pompei last when I was 9 years old. All I remember are the plaster casts of the people, dogs roaming everywhere and how damn hot it was. The cool weather was not unappreciated by me. I loved it. And now that I am older and was armed with a camera I will remember even more. It's just so crazy to think of how old that place is. The tour guide was spouting off years that were BC, acting like they were just in the late '80s. Nuts. And to think that these buildings, although completely ruined and still not completely excavated, are original just blows my mind. So so much history in this gorgeous country. I find European history so much more fascinating than American history at times, mainly cuz there is sooo much more to learn about.  

    The tour of Pompei took around an hour and a half then we had about an hour before heading off to wherever we were going next (more on that in a second). Jenn suggested Hotel Suiss to us and thank goodness. I LOVE pizza here. And since we were down there, people were talking to us asking how we liked southern Italy. I mentioned that had family down in San Giusseppe and omgoodness the guy that was helping us got SO excited, that he dragged 3 pour male waiters over to introduce to me during our lunch because they're from there. They were so confused and I couldn't really explain because A) i was stuffing my face with delicious pizza and B) i didn't know quite exactly how to explain haha. But sheesh they were cute. I like Southern Italian men. 

    So after lunch the original plan was for us to take the bus up to Vesuvius and hike to the crater. Unfortunately that little storm from the night before was still brewing and if we had gotten stuck in the rain up there, it would have quickly turned into a not so fun trip for all of us. So instead we jumped back on the bus and headed home about 3 hours earlier. Thank god because we got back to Florence at 10 pm as it was. By this point, I figured I had Bronchitis again ( I swear I can self diagnose by now...when I get home I'm going to a specialist and telling them to fix me...3 times in a year is a little ridiculous), and I just wanted to get home and sleep. 

    All in all it was a wonderful weekend. Met some new friends, some of which I've already run into around Florence. It's always nice to make new friends. We're all here together but when we get back to the States, it's just another friend to visit =). 

One Week

     It's been exactly one week since I've ben in Florence and like I said in my last post, I LOVE it here. Seriously. I love the sights, I love the people and I love the people that I'm with. To recap the week, here we go: Monday was the first day of school and wandering through the mercat (biiig street vendor market that goes on forever). Made new friends and was out til 1 because I could (nothing crazy). Tuesday, more school, went to dinner at a darling enoteca right near the Palazzo Pitti (huge castle that the Pittis and the Medicis lived in way back when). Tuesday night had my first ever club experience at a place called Twice. SO much fun. Stayed out til 5 in the morning (and now know that I am so not cut out for that on a regular basis haha). Wednesday: woke up at Jasmines and spent the day wandering in the rain and just relaxing. It was a national holiday so school was closed, along with a lot of other businesses. Thankfully, it's a big city and it's summer so most of the things we wanted to do were still open. But it rained allll day. Thursday, more school. More wandering. Bought a purse (thank you Nani...silly me left my big one at home thinking I'd be ok with a little one) and now I have a genuine leather Italian purse. Had a homecooked meal at Robyn's. Walked home and finally all the walking I've been doing caught up with my poor foot and a nasty blister formed. Friday, wore tennis shoes (real ones) to try to alleviate the damn blister. Walked around so much that it burst (gross I know but it's important lol). Spent the night wandering with Ali and Yaires and made dinner at Ali's. Saturday, finally slept in a little bit and met up with Ali, Yaires, Adrienne, Sara and Chantall for a tour of the city with a tour guide that told us some really fun facts about the mnuments of Florence and why they are the way they are.
     Fun Fact #1: Cosimo Medici's wife was of noble Spanish birth and decided that the palace that the Republic was housed in and where they were living was "too small" (it's monstrous) so she bought the Palazzo Pitti across the river with her own money. Plus it has it's own gardens.
     Fun Fact #2: Cosimo built the Uffizzi for offices for his cabinet after taking over Florence officially.
     Fun Fact #3: He also built the passageway aboe the Ponte Veccho that connected to the Uffizzi because he was afraid of getting attacked by one of his many enemies while walking from the Palazzo Pitti to the Republic. Also the windows are small and high so that on one could see him walking.
     Fun Fact #4: The passageway in the middle of the Ponte Vecchio has large and lower windows becuase when Mussolini was in control of Italy, he wanted his good friend Adolf Hitler to enjoy the view from the Ponte Vecchio from up above. Also, no one but noble Italians had ever been allowed up there until Hitler.
     Fun Fact #5: The fact that Mussolini built those windows FOR Hitler is the reason that the Germans didn't bomb it when retreating from the Americans. They bombed every single other bridge in Florence so that the Americans wouldn't be able to cross. Instead they destroyed all the houses on either end of the bridge to block it. Didn't matter the American troops has floating bridges.
     Those are just a few fun facts from Louise, our Danish-Italian tour guide. Oh and the Feragammo family still owns the building that the store is in. It looks like a fortress. 
     To continue with Saturday, or back track, we had lunch at this restaurant that Ali loves and has been to so much that the owner and staff love her and call themselves her big brothers and treat us like family. So much fun. Also met some guys from Indiana University who just graduated and are on a EuroTrip in celebration. They were fun. Also met Jez (met him Monday through Bri, adorable British guy) and his equally adorable looking British friend Neil. They helped direct us to where we were meeting the tour guide. After the tour, we wandered through the gold shops on the Ponte Vecchio (dangerous waters my friends...dangerous) and had a bit of gelato because well you just need to. Delicious. Then we wandered back to Ali's to rest for a few minutes before heading out again. This time we headed to the Fish Pub, a mainly American style pub with cheap drinks but good. Stayed there for a bit and met a group of recent grads from San Deigo State and chatted with them for a while. Ali made friends siwth some Italian guys who gave her 3 roses just cuz she's so pretty haha. She swears it's because of her hair. After we went back to the family restuarant and drank some amazing wine after hours and just goofed around. Then I went home and talked with my roommated for around 3 and a half hours, finding songs for him to play on his guitar and talking about life in general. Couldn't ask for a better roommate and a better week. I live a good life. And I know it and I appreciate it. Amo Firenze. That's all for now. oh and a quick computer update...it's getting fixed. Turns out I need my own laptop for a possible internship position (haven't interviewed yet but my advisor doesn't see why they wouldn't take me on) SO just being safe and getting my sanity back on that little note. Ok more in a few days. I miss you all so much and wish you were here to experience it all with me.

oh and HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDY TO MY BABY SISTER!!! ahhh how did that happen already?!

Amo Firenze

     I love Firenze. No way around it. It amazes me at how comfortable I already feel here and walking around. It's not that hard to get around. You walk everywhere and use the Fiume Arno (River Arno) as a guide and you just need to know where the Ponte Vecchio (sooo amazing) is. I wanted to write about Monday afternoon but now after being out and about I know that I can't, because then I would be gushing about every afternoon in every post. No, here it is. I walk past the Uffizzi, the Duomo, over the Ponte Vecchio on a regular basis. I live in a city that has more culture and history than the whole United States smashed together. I live here. Some of my friends have already decided to extend their stays and see where they end up. I wish I could do that. But I do want my degree, so have no fear, I will be back in August. But I may leave again. Already we have friends who are locals. It's amazing.
     I love my school. Again, I will state that the teaching style here is superb. And I am SO excited to explore even further. But for now, the rain is keeping us indoors. Yes, it rains in Florence, and thunders too. But it's still gorgeous. ok I just wanted to throw that out there. Being in this wonderful city has made me not want to sleep. Unfortunately my body disagrees. Time for an early evening nap. Ciao a tutti e bacci

First Day of School

     Yesterday was not your typical first day of school. I mean how many people can say they had their first day of school at a language school in one of the busiest parts of Florence (and this whole city is always busy)?? It was an amazing day. Mostly because I finally got out and met some new people outside my two roommates (don't get me wrong they're great but sheesh I needed some girlfriends). I started the day with a workout...the beginning of a LOT of walking. Francesco has a little workout room in the apartment and I got on the bike for a bit. Oooh I am out of shape. I knew that but jeeeez. Oh well with all the stairs I'll be climbing that will soon change. Showered and left for my school at 8:45 for a 9 am start. Got to the office and was directed downstairs to a table of 10 other equally nervous looking girls. YAY! We're a mix. Most of us are American but we do have a girl from England, who I ended up spending most of the day with along with a few others, and a girl from Puerto Rico who studies in the States. Awesome. We got checked in and got our notebook and books (thank goodness they gave us books) and were sent right away to our first lesson with Elisabetta. She's our morning teacher and later I found out she's my roommate Omer's afternoon teacher. Cool! She's hilarious. Native Florentine and you can just tell she has a real passion for teaching her language. Which is totally awesome.
     The best part of it all? 10 of the 11 of us are all in the beginner's course. Boy did I feel better about that. I was so nervous that everyone else would be fluent and I would be sitting there with no one. And as the day went by, the Italian that I learned my first semester of college (fall 2006!!! eeeek) slowly came back and I was understanding it so well. I'm sure by later today I'll reach the point of where everything is new (we move fast...it's only a 3 week course with TWO books). I just kept getting more excited as the day went by. Mainly because of my new classmates. I seriously love them already. By the end of the night (which was literally the end of the night...I got home at 1 am) 5 of us commented on how it felt like we had known each other forever, definitely not less than 24 hours. We had a morning break and headed across the street to get a quick snack (well I got water) and then back til 12:30. By then I was hungryyyy. Slice of the most flavorful pizza later on the lawn of the Stazione Santa Maria Novella with Jasmine and Mary Ellen and I was set.
     In the afternoon, we have our lesson with Luigi and two other students, one girl from Brazil and a guy from Switzerland. Poor guy was in a room with 11 girls and one male teacher (note the sarcasm? haha). No but he's a really nice guy. Shy but we're all so not shy so he'll come out of his shell by oh today. Luigi is another amazing teacher. I love the teaching style of this school. Because we have such a small group, it's all about interaction. Most of the time we are going around the room asking our neighbor a question (in Italian of course) and answering to each other. Great way to learn the language AND learn about each other. The second best way is when we leave the classroom and (try to) speak it to the locals, trying to find out way around Florence. We all know "dove de la...." ( where is the...) VERY well already haha. And scusa (excuse me) because man is this place crowded. And it's only the beginning of June, barely into tourist season and summer abroad programs. I saw and heard SO many Americans yesterday, mostly students, which is cool.
      After our lesson ended with Luigi (1:15 to 2:45....my shortest school day since like kindergarten), Jasmine, Mary Ellen and I headed back to my apartment for a little rest and to drop off our heavy books, because we wanted to explore. But first we had to meet with our social coordinator, Cassandra and our internship organizer, Anna. After that meeting I am STOKED on this summer. In addition to the day "field trips" that Linguaviva has planned for us, Global Experiences has 3 weekend trips and two socials (apertivo, the Italian style happy hour and the end of the summer goodbye dinner). So with Linguaviva, I am heading to Lucca on Wednesday (tomorrow or domani) because it is the Festa della Repubblica, which is the celebration day of Italy's unity. Lucca is supposed to be gorgeous. And Saturday, with GE, we're touring the Salvatore Feragammo factory (Italian SHOES!) to see how it all happens. Seriously can't wait. There's more but I don't have the schedule in front of me.
     And that was my first day of school. I'll leave the afternoon adventures for a separate post or this one would be longer than long. Plus I have to get ready for another fun day =). Miss you all so, so much and wish you were here with me. Ciao e bacci a tutti.