Well, I don't know where to begin. As I sit here in my hostel in Dublin, Ireland, it occurs to me that I haven't written a blog post in almost two months. I have fallen behind so here goes my attempt at catching everyone up on the last two months of my life...
October 10th I went with some friends on a winery visit. My wonderful friend Dane is staying with a host family while here in Italy, and his host father works at a winery. We got a personal tour of the facility and were able to walk around in the vineyard. We tasted the different kinds of wine they produce and their olive oil is to die for. It was easily the most beautiful Tuscan hillside I have ever seen and I didn't want to leave.
October 24th the OU in Arezzo students took a pasta making class. We learned how to make 3 kinds of pasta. I LOVED learning how to make pasta. I have never made pasta from scratch before, and it was an incredible learning experience. I hope that at some point when I get back I can make some for my friends and family.
On October 31st, the OUA SAC, or OU in Arezzo Student Activities Council, planned a Halloween festival for some of the local Arezzo children. I had a blast there. We painted their faces and made mud cups. They all had a lot of fun and my face was painted like a toucan. I carried around one of the little kids all night because she didn't want me to put her down. I definitely got my exercise for the night.
November 7th we took a trip to Bologna and visited the Ferrari Museum. It was a nice relaxing day and one of the visiting engineering professors took a test drive in one of the cars. He was so happy and the pictures of him driving turned out great.
This past weekend I went to Greece with a few friends. It was the first time I have left Italy while traveling and it was my favorite trip I have taken by far. The food was incredible, the people were sooo nice, and the Acropolis is even more amazing than the Coliseum in Rome. I wish I could have stayed there longer. One day I will go back for another visit and see the islands.
Now I am currently in Dublin. I don't ever want to leave Ireland. Going to pubs and eating the most wonderful comfort food has been the perfect break from living in Italy. I cannot wait for the next few days. I have so many adventures to go on here in Ireland and I already know I want to come back and visit this beautiful country. I guess now I just need an Irish man to fall in love with me and get me to move here. :)
More stories to come later!
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Monday, October 6, 2014
One Month Later
Italy is such an amazing country. I am constantly learning new things and meeting interesting people. It has been almost a month since I have updated my blog so here is a brief overview of my past few weeks here in Italy.
The OU in Arezzo students all had the opportunity to go on a Winery visit on September 12th which was very educational and of course, tasty. We went to a winery in Arezzo, only about 15 minutes away from my apartment. It's crazy that just a short walk away from where I live are fields of grapes and the facilities to ferment wine. I was able to learn about how the wine is made and got to sample the three kinds of wine that they produce with lots of tasty cold cuts, cheese and of course good old Tuscan bread.
The next week on September 17th we took a trip with our Resident Professors to Rome and had an awesome guided tour of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. I had already seen them in August, but it was fun to go again with a big group and get to walk around Rome again.
That same week on September 19th we attempted to take a trip to the beach. Unfortunately it was a bit chilly and there was no beach to be found but I really enjoyed climbing around on the rocks and looking out into the incredible view. Since it's no longer tourist season the towns we visited were very quiet and pleasant to walk through.
This past weekend I had the most amazing time in Venice and Verona with six other friends. We spend Friday and Saturday in Venice then went to Verona on Sunday. Venice was one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to. Although it is a bustling tourist town, it was still fun to walk through the streets. I walked around all day with my friend Evan and we got lost for at least an hour. The streets are vey difficult to navigate but we ended up in the residential area where a child was having her birthday party. It was fun to see the local people just living their everyday lives. The second day we spent in Venice a few of my friends and I went to Murano island and were able to watch a man make Murano glass. It was incredible the way he shaped the molten glass and he made it look so easy! Murano was so peaceful and a nice break from the tourist track of Venice.
On Sunday morning we made our way to Verona which I absolutely loved. It was like a bigger, Italian style version of Norman. I want to retire there some day. It was so beautiful and had one of the prettiest parks. While we were there we visited Casa di Giuliette, the House of Juliet. That was one of my favorite places I have been so far. It was rather busy with tourists but absolutely worth the trip. We also walked around the city, ate at a wonderful Osteria, and attempted to visit some other historic buildings. The problem with going places when it is no longer tourist season is that many places are closed, such as the old Roman Amphitheater and the Tombs. It was disappointing that we didn't get to see them but I am hopeful that some day I will visit again. I would go back to Verona in a heartbeat.
The next stop on my adventures list was Pompeii and the island of Capri. Going to Pompeii is the best trips I have taken while here in Italy. Walking through the streets that used to be covered in ash and seeing the people who were suffocated by the volcanic ash was incredible. It was not the happiest ending for them, but it left an important historical event for us to look back on. Naturally, I wore my Doctor Who shirt the day we visited so I could take a picture in Pompeii in at courtyard that looked similar to the one in the episode about Pompeii. It was so much fun and I wish I could turn back time to see what it would've been like to live in Pompeii back in the day.
After we saw Pompeii we went to our hostel in Sorrento and spent the rest of the evening relaxing. The next day we visited the beautiful island of Capri. That island is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. I couldn't get over how amazing the view was. We took a boat tour around and then walked through the city. Words can't even describe how wonderful the experience was. Unfortunately the water was too high for us to see the Blue Grotto, but we did get to see some places on the water that were very similar.
Now I am back in Arezzo and won't be doing any major traveling for the next few weeks. I can't wait for Thanksgiving Break and I really look forward to relaxing and finally having time to post all the pictures I have taken. Hopefully they will be up soon.
Sending many hugs from Italy
Buonanotte!
The OU in Arezzo students all had the opportunity to go on a Winery visit on September 12th which was very educational and of course, tasty. We went to a winery in Arezzo, only about 15 minutes away from my apartment. It's crazy that just a short walk away from where I live are fields of grapes and the facilities to ferment wine. I was able to learn about how the wine is made and got to sample the three kinds of wine that they produce with lots of tasty cold cuts, cheese and of course good old Tuscan bread.
The next week on September 17th we took a trip with our Resident Professors to Rome and had an awesome guided tour of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. I had already seen them in August, but it was fun to go again with a big group and get to walk around Rome again.
That same week on September 19th we attempted to take a trip to the beach. Unfortunately it was a bit chilly and there was no beach to be found but I really enjoyed climbing around on the rocks and looking out into the incredible view. Since it's no longer tourist season the towns we visited were very quiet and pleasant to walk through.
This past weekend I had the most amazing time in Venice and Verona with six other friends. We spend Friday and Saturday in Venice then went to Verona on Sunday. Venice was one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to. Although it is a bustling tourist town, it was still fun to walk through the streets. I walked around all day with my friend Evan and we got lost for at least an hour. The streets are vey difficult to navigate but we ended up in the residential area where a child was having her birthday party. It was fun to see the local people just living their everyday lives. The second day we spent in Venice a few of my friends and I went to Murano island and were able to watch a man make Murano glass. It was incredible the way he shaped the molten glass and he made it look so easy! Murano was so peaceful and a nice break from the tourist track of Venice.
On Sunday morning we made our way to Verona which I absolutely loved. It was like a bigger, Italian style version of Norman. I want to retire there some day. It was so beautiful and had one of the prettiest parks. While we were there we visited Casa di Giuliette, the House of Juliet. That was one of my favorite places I have been so far. It was rather busy with tourists but absolutely worth the trip. We also walked around the city, ate at a wonderful Osteria, and attempted to visit some other historic buildings. The problem with going places when it is no longer tourist season is that many places are closed, such as the old Roman Amphitheater and the Tombs. It was disappointing that we didn't get to see them but I am hopeful that some day I will visit again. I would go back to Verona in a heartbeat.
The next stop on my adventures list was Pompeii and the island of Capri. Going to Pompeii is the best trips I have taken while here in Italy. Walking through the streets that used to be covered in ash and seeing the people who were suffocated by the volcanic ash was incredible. It was not the happiest ending for them, but it left an important historical event for us to look back on. Naturally, I wore my Doctor Who shirt the day we visited so I could take a picture in Pompeii in at courtyard that looked similar to the one in the episode about Pompeii. It was so much fun and I wish I could turn back time to see what it would've been like to live in Pompeii back in the day.
After we saw Pompeii we went to our hostel in Sorrento and spent the rest of the evening relaxing. The next day we visited the beautiful island of Capri. That island is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. I couldn't get over how amazing the view was. We took a boat tour around and then walked through the city. Words can't even describe how wonderful the experience was. Unfortunately the water was too high for us to see the Blue Grotto, but we did get to see some places on the water that were very similar.
Now I am back in Arezzo and won't be doing any major traveling for the next few weeks. I can't wait for Thanksgiving Break and I really look forward to relaxing and finally having time to post all the pictures I have taken. Hopefully they will be up soon.
Sending many hugs from Italy
Buonanotte!
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
One Month Down & Three To Go.
Time for another update.
This past weekend I was lucky enough to get to see the Giostra del Saracino, the Saracen Joust, here in Arezzo. It happens twice a year, once in June and again in September. The Quartieri, the four neighborhoods in Arezzo, compete by having two jousters per quartieri try to hit the center of a target while riding their horse towards the wooden Saracen. The neighborhood with the most points at the end wins and is awarded a Golden Lance made by a local carpenter in Arezzo. The four neighborhoods are, Porta del Foro, Porta Crucifera, Porta Sant'Andrea, and Porta Santo Spirito. I live in Porta Crucifera. I had no idea how serious they are about the competition. It reminded me of an OU v. OSU game or even OU v. Texas but with a much smaller audience. The members of each neighborhood cheer on their riders and do everything in their power to distract the opposing neighborhoods horses. Although my neighborhood Porta Crucifera has had the most wins, Porta Sant'Andrea was favored to win and in the end Santo Spirito won the tournament.
I have been in Italy for almost a month now. It will be one month this Friday. The time has just been flying by. It doesn't seem like I have been gone that long yet it also feels like ages since I was in the U.S. I have found myself occasionally forgetting that I am in Italy because I'm finally comfortable with my surroundings. It feels like home; a new home at least. Nothing like my actual home. I miss my cats Kiwi and (soon to be mine) Voodoo. My friends at home keep sending me pictures of Voodoo and it's the worst kind of torture. I love getting pictures of her but I also miss her and my cat Kiwi. Also it doesn't help that everywhere you go in Arezzo, someone has their dog with them. Literally anywhere. Restaurants, the grocery store, a bar. You name it. There will be a dog there.
There have been ups and downs, homesickness and great adventures and I still have three months left here. I talk to friends back in the states regularly and it's hard to describe but when people ask, "Oh my gosh how is Italy?! It must be so amazing," I normally just tell them it's awesome and that I love it. Don't get me wrong I do love being here and it has been incredible so far, but people don't realize that it's just another place where people live. Sure it is more historic than most of America and it's easier to travel to various European countries, but in reality, I am living my life as I normally would, just a few thousand miles away from home. I wake up, go to class, go to my internship, nearly get hit by the stupid cars that drive down the narrow streets, hang out with some friends, then go back to my apartment and prepare myself for the next day. I have gotten over the crazy realization that I am living in Italy. It's normal to me now. There is still a language barrier and I definitely miss some things about being in America, but I have adapted to the lifestyle here.
I am looking forward to the winery visit this Friday and the hike on Saturday that I will be going on with other OU in Arezzo students. It should be a lot of fun and a nice relaxing weekend.
More updates to come later!
Ciao!
This past weekend I was lucky enough to get to see the Giostra del Saracino, the Saracen Joust, here in Arezzo. It happens twice a year, once in June and again in September. The Quartieri, the four neighborhoods in Arezzo, compete by having two jousters per quartieri try to hit the center of a target while riding their horse towards the wooden Saracen. The neighborhood with the most points at the end wins and is awarded a Golden Lance made by a local carpenter in Arezzo. The four neighborhoods are, Porta del Foro, Porta Crucifera, Porta Sant'Andrea, and Porta Santo Spirito. I live in Porta Crucifera. I had no idea how serious they are about the competition. It reminded me of an OU v. OSU game or even OU v. Texas but with a much smaller audience. The members of each neighborhood cheer on their riders and do everything in their power to distract the opposing neighborhoods horses. Although my neighborhood Porta Crucifera has had the most wins, Porta Sant'Andrea was favored to win and in the end Santo Spirito won the tournament.
I have been in Italy for almost a month now. It will be one month this Friday. The time has just been flying by. It doesn't seem like I have been gone that long yet it also feels like ages since I was in the U.S. I have found myself occasionally forgetting that I am in Italy because I'm finally comfortable with my surroundings. It feels like home; a new home at least. Nothing like my actual home. I miss my cats Kiwi and (soon to be mine) Voodoo. My friends at home keep sending me pictures of Voodoo and it's the worst kind of torture. I love getting pictures of her but I also miss her and my cat Kiwi. Also it doesn't help that everywhere you go in Arezzo, someone has their dog with them. Literally anywhere. Restaurants, the grocery store, a bar. You name it. There will be a dog there.
There have been ups and downs, homesickness and great adventures and I still have three months left here. I talk to friends back in the states regularly and it's hard to describe but when people ask, "Oh my gosh how is Italy?! It must be so amazing," I normally just tell them it's awesome and that I love it. Don't get me wrong I do love being here and it has been incredible so far, but people don't realize that it's just another place where people live. Sure it is more historic than most of America and it's easier to travel to various European countries, but in reality, I am living my life as I normally would, just a few thousand miles away from home. I wake up, go to class, go to my internship, nearly get hit by the stupid cars that drive down the narrow streets, hang out with some friends, then go back to my apartment and prepare myself for the next day. I have gotten over the crazy realization that I am living in Italy. It's normal to me now. There is still a language barrier and I definitely miss some things about being in America, but I have adapted to the lifestyle here.
I am looking forward to the winery visit this Friday and the hike on Saturday that I will be going on with other OU in Arezzo students. It should be a lot of fun and a nice relaxing weekend.
More updates to come later!
Ciao!
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Wow. This Place.
Alright friends and family time for another blog post.
I have spent the past two weeks in Arezzo, Italy and I am getting to know the town much better now. I can walk around without constantly having my map out which is a big step forward. There is a big tournament happening next weekend and my neighborhood is decorated in green and red flags and streamers. It's so much fun to see the citizens of Arezzo coming together and getting ready for the joust this weekend. I'm really looking forward to attending the celebration and getting to experience some true Arezzo history.
This weekend I went to Cinque Terre and Turin with my friends Ayanna, Pablo, and Evan. The trip was so much fun. We went and saw all 5 cities of Cinque Terre in three days and spent one day walking around seeing Turin. For those who don't know, Cinque Terre is a collection of five cities along the Northern coast of Italy. They are beautiful and you can actually walk to all five cities. We didn't have enough time to walk between them all so we took the train but is was still an incredible experience.
We also went to the church that the Shroud of Turin is in and we saw the Egyptian Museum. The Museum blew my mind. There were so many artifacts and they had a few mummies on display that they are working on conserving. When I went into the room with all the Egyptian statues I just wanted to stay there forever. It felt like I had traveled back in time to the Egyptian period. I LOVED that museum. There is so much to do in Turin and I wish we had more time to see the sights but we had a lot of fun.
Now I am back in Arezzo and I'm entering my third week of being here in Italy. I am finally settling into a regular schedule. I have class in the morning and I just started my internship today. It is the neatest little place. Arezzo Factory houses some rooms for people to take classes and they also have music rooms. They offer Japanese and Nursing classes and you can rent rooms to practice music like guitar, piano, drums, and so on. It's a new experience having to work with people who do not speak much English but it is going to be so rewarding in the end. The people who work there are so nice too. When I was waiting for my supervisor one of the guys who works in the caffe asked me who my favorite music artist was having trouble finding the music I said so he pulled up some Dave Matthews Band and played it over the speakers. I couldn't help but smile. This internship is going to be challenging and so much fun. They want me to plan an event so I will most likely be hosting an event in October. The pressure is on!
That's all for now. I hope to write again soon but who knows, life is about to start getting crazy!
Ciao!
I have spent the past two weeks in Arezzo, Italy and I am getting to know the town much better now. I can walk around without constantly having my map out which is a big step forward. There is a big tournament happening next weekend and my neighborhood is decorated in green and red flags and streamers. It's so much fun to see the citizens of Arezzo coming together and getting ready for the joust this weekend. I'm really looking forward to attending the celebration and getting to experience some true Arezzo history.
This weekend I went to Cinque Terre and Turin with my friends Ayanna, Pablo, and Evan. The trip was so much fun. We went and saw all 5 cities of Cinque Terre in three days and spent one day walking around seeing Turin. For those who don't know, Cinque Terre is a collection of five cities along the Northern coast of Italy. They are beautiful and you can actually walk to all five cities. We didn't have enough time to walk between them all so we took the train but is was still an incredible experience.
We also went to the church that the Shroud of Turin is in and we saw the Egyptian Museum. The Museum blew my mind. There were so many artifacts and they had a few mummies on display that they are working on conserving. When I went into the room with all the Egyptian statues I just wanted to stay there forever. It felt like I had traveled back in time to the Egyptian period. I LOVED that museum. There is so much to do in Turin and I wish we had more time to see the sights but we had a lot of fun.
Now I am back in Arezzo and I'm entering my third week of being here in Italy. I am finally settling into a regular schedule. I have class in the morning and I just started my internship today. It is the neatest little place. Arezzo Factory houses some rooms for people to take classes and they also have music rooms. They offer Japanese and Nursing classes and you can rent rooms to practice music like guitar, piano, drums, and so on. It's a new experience having to work with people who do not speak much English but it is going to be so rewarding in the end. The people who work there are so nice too. When I was waiting for my supervisor one of the guys who works in the caffe asked me who my favorite music artist was having trouble finding the music I said so he pulled up some Dave Matthews Band and played it over the speakers. I couldn't help but smile. This internship is going to be challenging and so much fun. They want me to plan an event so I will most likely be hosting an event in October. The pressure is on!
That's all for now. I hope to write again soon but who knows, life is about to start getting crazy!
Ciao!
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Arezzo. What a Wonderful World.
Ciao America!
I'm finally all settled into my apartment. I have a great view and the walk to our class center is only 10 minutes. Life is good. My roommate Lucy is awesome and I think we are a great match to be roomies. We both have very similar interests and we survived our first shopping adventure so things are going well.
I cannot believe how beautiful this place is. I thought I loved Rome, but man, Arezzo is even better. It's a small community and the people here are so friendly. I can't wait to get to know the people even better and learn about my internship.
Tonight we had an OUA group dinner at Tortello Divino. It was the best meal ever. We had a four-course dinner and some street performers came by and did a show at the end. This week has been fantastic and I look forward to many more adventures over the next four months.
I also found out today that I am the only student enrolled in the Beginning Italian 2 class which means on Monday I have a one-on-one class with my Italian teacher. I'm super nervous to be the only student because I don't remember much of my Italian from last semester but hopefully this semester will really advance my knowledge of the language. Tuesday and Thursday I combine with the Italian 3 and the Italian 4 students. The three of us are going to be doing lots of studying together.
There is a fair this weekend where they sell fresh food and many other things so I fully intend to buy some fruit and freshly baked bread. I think I am going to get used to this place pretty easily.
That's all for now.
Arrivederci!
I'm finally all settled into my apartment. I have a great view and the walk to our class center is only 10 minutes. Life is good. My roommate Lucy is awesome and I think we are a great match to be roomies. We both have very similar interests and we survived our first shopping adventure so things are going well.
I cannot believe how beautiful this place is. I thought I loved Rome, but man, Arezzo is even better. It's a small community and the people here are so friendly. I can't wait to get to know the people even better and learn about my internship.
Tonight we had an OUA group dinner at Tortello Divino. It was the best meal ever. We had a four-course dinner and some street performers came by and did a show at the end. This week has been fantastic and I look forward to many more adventures over the next four months.
I also found out today that I am the only student enrolled in the Beginning Italian 2 class which means on Monday I have a one-on-one class with my Italian teacher. I'm super nervous to be the only student because I don't remember much of my Italian from last semester but hopefully this semester will really advance my knowledge of the language. Tuesday and Thursday I combine with the Italian 3 and the Italian 4 students. The three of us are going to be doing lots of studying together.
There is a fair this weekend where they sell fresh food and many other things so I fully intend to buy some fruit and freshly baked bread. I think I am going to get used to this place pretty easily.
That's all for now.
Arrivederci!
Friday, August 15, 2014
When in Rome
Well I managed to make it to Rome safe and sound with my four other travel buddies. After many hours of sitting on planes and listening to a crying child next to me on my flight from Canada to Rome, I still have most of my sanity.
We just spent our first day in Rome! It's already been an incredible experience. I'm finally getting through the jetlag and can't wait to go see the sights tomorrow. We got to the airport and our baggage had not been put on our flight so we will have to get it tomorrow. Not a huge setback though. We were still able to see some amazing places today and eat wonderful Italian food. Staying in the hostel has been just as exciting. There are three other girls in the hostel room with me and my friends. They are from Barcelona and we spent a good hour teaching each other card games. It was so unexpected but an awesome time. I found a sign that said Fermata on it which was REALLY cool, took a picture of some cats and listened to a man play the accordion while I ate dinner. Basically, I feel like I'm in a movie. Europe has already amazed me and I haven't even been here 24-hours! We have to get up early to go back to the airport to get our luggage so that's all for tonight!
Ciao!
We just spent our first day in Rome! It's already been an incredible experience. I'm finally getting through the jetlag and can't wait to go see the sights tomorrow. We got to the airport and our baggage had not been put on our flight so we will have to get it tomorrow. Not a huge setback though. We were still able to see some amazing places today and eat wonderful Italian food. Staying in the hostel has been just as exciting. There are three other girls in the hostel room with me and my friends. They are from Barcelona and we spent a good hour teaching each other card games. It was so unexpected but an awesome time. I found a sign that said Fermata on it which was REALLY cool, took a picture of some cats and listened to a man play the accordion while I ate dinner. Basically, I feel like I'm in a movie. Europe has already amazed me and I haven't even been here 24-hours! We have to get up early to go back to the airport to get our luggage so that's all for tonight!
Ciao!
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
The Packing Begins
I started attempting to pack for Italy today. I didn't realize how much stuff I have been planning on taking. Getting this all to fit in my suitcase and making it under 50lbs is going to be like a super intense game of Tetris. Good thing I have gotten lots of practice with playing Tetris with the camp freezers over the past three summers. Packing four months of my life into a suitcase and a carry-on bag seems impossible. I guess the next week will determine what possessions are really important for me to take with me!
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