Perche?

Oh man. oh boy. oh gosh. What is going on? I think I am beginning to wake from this dream I have been living. Waking up into sort of a nightmare- quite the opposite of what normally happens but I usually don't think of myself as normal.


Where did the time go and how come I don't feel satisfied and ready enough to leave yet? Maybe I will as soon as I finish classes and realize that I have accomplished a lot of amazing things while studying in Florence. It just doesn't seem real that I have visited so many places and have met so many people and have experienced such earth shattering things. I always thought my study abroad experience (if I ever decided to do it) would never bring me to places I've seen on the Travel Channel or read about in Travel magazines, but really it is rather possible.


I spent the final days of class finishing my travel photography portfolio, as well as studying Italian grammar- oy! Everything is becoming a last- the last time to eat here- the last time to walk here- the last time to see him/her etc etc etc...I'm not going to try to make sense of it all because I'm getting a headache thinking about it.

As I sit here in the dark in my apartment listening to Radio Italia, I am reminiscing on these past four weeks and how I have developed as a young woman and how I have found more of a clear path toward what I want to do. I think back on these past summer months and wonder if they really happened. It is true that when you get older the days just mesh into one and your life tends to pass you by. There's got to be some way of slowing it down. Maybe some trick to life that has yet to be discovered.

I wander the streets of Florence in a hazy mix of emotions. The people around me are somewhat silhouette figures that blend together. I make my way through them with ease but with obstacles in front of my face with each person I encounter and each thought that passes through my head. It's the challenge of life that keeps me going and without a bit of personal motivation I wouldn't have been in Florence in the first place. It all goes back to that small epiphany I had in class last semester. All it took was two minutes to change my whole mindset toward what I (sorta) want out of life. I don't think it's time for me to be completely sure and honestly I don't think there is a such thing as being completely sure of one's life.

There are some things about Florence that aren’t so great like the intense heat and the air pollution and random smells that fill the streets but that comes with every city. It is built in a valley so these things are expected I guess. One thing that is very different is the Florentine dialect- they tend to not pronounce the “c” in words so if someone were to order a Coca Cola at a restaurant a Florentine local would ask for a Hoha hola…pretty crazy right? I couldn’t help but laugh the first 100 times I heard it…
I have used my last voucher for one of the restaurants and ate as much gnocchi and seafood salad as I could with a small group of my closest friends here in Florence. I’m becoming more sentimental every day and I know it’s normal but I want to treat this goodbye as a closure to simply this experience with doors opening for other experiences in the near future. I am not someone who likes to say goodbye so I’m not going to say that, especially to Florence. I have fallen in love with this city and not in a million years did I think I would. There’s something about it that just makes me happy and makes me feel comfortable. It’s the draw of the rich history and culture and the people around not to mention the gelato places that line each street and the cute police officers that wander around constantly. I know that with the month I have spent here in Florence and with traveling throughout Italy that I realized there’s so much more to life than rushing from place to place and doing this activity and that activity and overloading my schedule that I’m just not into anymore. I’ve got to learn to adapt the European culture a lot more and maybe not to an extreme, but rather to a level that suites me.

I’ve tried to find some private time to spend alone and I have but I don’t feel ready to leave just yet. Maybe a few more weeks will do. Hey I do have some days with my family here so maybe that will help me get through the transition- or just make it worse. I think the latter one makes more sense. I’ll let you know…time for some time with la famiglia.

The Wacky Weekend Continues

Well that was part one of my wacky weekend but it gets even better. Saturday started out with me waking up early and going to the market to get my shopping done, but that wasn’t the wacky part. I continued with a great lunch that I actually made for myself with ingredients I bought at the market. How amazing! A tuna salad with fresh tomatoes, olives and bread. Couldn’t have been any more delicious! I spent the day walking around being another tour guide to my program assistant’s friend who came into town for the weekend. She gave him the mini sized preview of Florence and we walked to the Piazzale Michelangelo (spot on the hill overlooking the entire city) and to various other sites. I got to hear some more information about the city that I had not heard. After a long day in the sun I was ready to relax, but unfortunately I didn’t find much time for that when I got back to my apartment because I had to be ready for dinner and dancing within an hour’s time. We went to dinner at a restaurant overlooking the Arno River and the Ponte Vecchio. Absolutely beautiful! The food was exquisite and worth the price. We sat and just talked about how beautiful the city is and how it doesn’t compare to any other city. Firenze stands alone. The delightful water flowing, music echoing off of the Ponte Vecchio, the wind blowing over our table- absolutely a great meal! I ate spaghetti with pine nuts, zucchini and fresh tomato sauce. Following dinner, we took some wine and sat out near the bridge to watch the sunset. The colors were breathtaking and vibrant in the sky with shades of blues, purples, yellows, greens, oranges and reds blending together to create a masterpiece above our heads. We sat out there until it was completely dark and met up with others to head to a dance club. It was a great way to spend the full weekend in Florence. Good food. Good people. Good views. Good memories.

The other wacky part of this weekend started early Sunday morning when a friend and I went to the station at 4am to catch a train that apparently no longer was listed to be leaving from the train station, so we had to head back home and spend another day in Florence. I was really upset at first, but really Sunday turned out to be a very productive day. I got 99% of my gift shopping done and went to the market to buy some more bread. I ate lunch and spent the day napping and writing. Another lazy Sunday it was but I wasn't complaining. Liz and I sat outside to people watch and to just talk about all that we have gone through together. It was a very emotional time for us and I couldn't help buy shed some tears. We made a promise to return at some point in the next year- it's up to me to get here first and than for her to have a reason to return, but I'll see what I can work out. :)

The night brought tons of suprises for us! I went for a run and it was one of the best runs I've had here yet. I worked my way to Piazzale Michelangelo to watch the sunset and get an insane quad workout. Phew! Back to the apartment only to find that there is a procession going on near one of the Piazza's. I run back to get my camera and we all run out to follow the procession. They were dressed in olden times clothing and there were drummers and amazing flag throwers. It was great entertainment for the night and we even managed to start some conversations with locals along the Duomo. Awesome! What a great end to a so-so day. It was meant for me to not get on the train I guess eh? I'd like to think that it was all already planned for me...good stuff. I can no longer get upset when things go wrong because something good will always come out of it.

Monday morning came and we headed out one last time to try to catch a train to Lake Como- I was entirely determined to go, but our train out was delayed and that meant that the other trains we were supposed to take would be thrown off, so we contemplated going at all for a good 30 minutes. We couldn't figure out what to do. It didn't help that I can be so indecisive at times...We ended up sitting on the train car and deciding we'd go to the first stop and see how the trains are running from there. Well we got to Bologna and decided to stay on to go to Milan and not try to go to Como. We definitely weren't going to waste the full 20 Euro we'd spent already, so only wasting 3.60 Euro sounded better. We decided we wouldn't have enough time to enjoy Lake Como and Milan would be fun to see and spend a few hours in.

We arrived and took on the city with full force- and when I say full force I mean entirely the forces of superhumans. We seriously walked the whole city and saw most of the popular sites and marveled at how clean and beautiful it was. The people were so put together and the stores were so high class and the whole feel was incredible. We couldn’t understand why people had said so many bad things about the city. I for one really enjoyed it and wouldn’t mind visiting more than once.

A lunch break was needed so we stopped at a local bar where we got one and a half paninis each and chowed down to the max. Our stomachs were growling for some food and we gave them as much energy as our pockets could handle. Quite sufficient I must say even though I could’ve probably eaten about two more ;)

OK. So living near the Duomo in Florence is pretty dang amazing because of how beautiful and immense it is, but the Duomo in Milan was incredibly huge with gothic architecture potruding out of every side and at every angle. I believe it was one of the very few historical sites that I actually stood and stared at with absolute awe and wonder. It was beautiful in a dark and eerie way- each of the statues sculpted on the Duomo seemed to tell a story. In the words of Mark Twain: "What a wonder it is! So grand, so solemn, so vast! And yet so delicate, so airy, so graceful! A very world of solid weight, and yet it seems ...a delusion of frostwork that might vanish with a breath!..."

<<---Other sites to be seen include the Castello Sforzesco.

It reminded me a lot of New York but more spread out and with more ancient history built in within the city streets. It was a way better alternative to the noisy and congested streets of New York. At one point we stopped walking and listened to how quiet the streets were even though there were thousands of people walking along the pavement- pretty quiet and pretty surprising.

Our trip lasted a mere four hours and it was just enough time for us to get a feel for what living in Milan must be like- serious yet carefree, stylish yet casual and modern yet historical. Enticing eh? Well we walked an hour to the train station and headed on home to Firenze once again to join our fellow friends at the Duomo. I ran to dinner and the whole train ride home we talked about what an adventure this had been from the moment we stepped out of our apartment door at 3:35am Monday morning, but how we had no regrets for a single thing we had done all day.

Wacky Weekend

And it’s over. Another school week down and one more to go. One more? Are you kidding. Have I really been taking classes for this long already? Ok, this is weird. I can’t believe it, but at least that means I’m a week closer to visiting my family here! But before I could think about that I had to figure out how I would spend my last weekend in Florence. I couldn’t quite figure out what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go. I had an idea of going out of the country, but realistically unless I wanted to spend hundreds of Euros I was most likely going to be staying in Italy. Not that I mind this at all, but I would have liked to plan a trip away- across the border. I did so much research before, during and after classes and even at night sometimes and I just couldn’t get a set plan for what I wanted to do. Well, ultimately the plan became: Venice, Milan and Lake Como. Ok va bene- sounds good andiamo.

Classes were quite chill this week and we even watched a movie in Italian class based on the violence and crime in Naples called Gomorrah. It was a very intense movie filled with blood and sensitive material that made you really realize that some parts of this world are truly horrid. Kind of a depressing thing to think about when in Italy, but hey it happens. In photography class I worked on my final project photos and did a lot of editing. I was in my zone for two and a half hours every day adjusting the colors, the brightness, the contrast, and the vignettes of my photos. I loved it. It allowed me to express my creativity and artistic style all while not trying to over edit the pictures and making them look natural. I was against editing the pictures in the beginning of this session because I didn’t believe that it was right to alter a photograph that showed what I saw at the moment I took it, but than my teacher said that you weren’t altering the image persay but rather enhancing it. At that point I was sold and knew that in order to make my pictures look awesome and digitally enhanced I had to learn how to edit and really use the tools in Photoshop to the best of my ability. I started window shopping for gifts in between stopping at wine bars and walking around the city.

A few friends and I decided to take a different approach this week in regards to exploring Florence and its cultural characteristics. We sat around outside to listen to concerts and went to local wine bars to experiment with a different nightlife scene. I was definitely more into this relaxed and mature Florentine life because bars and clubs were definitely getting old and prohibited me from spending time amongst locals and truly immersing myself in the Italian culture. Speaking of that...

On Thursday I called the lady that lives in Florence to plan a time to visit her and she ended up inviting me over that night. I got ready and my friend and I walked about 35 minutes to her house on the other side of the Ponte Vecchio in the residential section. It was quite a ways from the center of the city but the area was so peaceful and very different. The walk was treacherous because the sun was beating down on me and by the time I got to her house I was a big sweaty mess, which tends to happen every day walking around the city- damn valley. She had a gated entrance to her door and she welcomed us into her house with ease and although she was sickened with some sort of disease, she seemed to have a sort of fire in her that kept her going strong. I happened to be wearing a purple skirt and she commented on how it was the color of the soccer team in Florence- pretty cool eh? and so funny of her to make that comment. She kept the conversation going with questions about my experiences in Florence so far and she randomly brought up world issues and stories to talk about. I understood about 90% of the stuff she said to me but some of it was jibberish and I would have to ask her to repeat it for me. I got to practice a lot though and it felt good to visit her and give her the package that my new friend back home sent with me. I was so curious as to what was in this mysterious package and the second she opened it I couldn't help but laugh. I was expecting there to be a long letter, maybe pictures, maybe some other special memorabilia but really the envelope had catalogs and calendars and stuff from a few months ago for her to read. Ah. A journey to deliver catalogs! It was very nice and sweet and a bit odd but who's to judge.

The weekend started with a late night festival that my friends and I stumbled upon out of nowhere. We somehow ended up on an outdoor dance floor in a huge festival where people from all over Florence came to party. It was such a great time and what made it better was the fact that circles were formed around old drunken men dancing and parading around as if they were 21 again. Priceless images.

Come Friday morning- like really early Friday morning- like 5am early- two friends and I headed for the train station to catch a ride to Venice.

Venezia! Finalmente- sono andata a Venezia! The train ride was a bit long. We kept falling asleep but tried to stay awake so that we wouldn't miss our stop to change trains. I couldn't wait to get to Venice and break free of the train system. Something so coincidental- five Spanish guys were on the train to our first stop and than switched to the same train that we took to Venice, so basically we took the same route and before we left Venice to come home we saw two of them pass right in front of us. How funny! Out of all the trains and places to be! Not like we talked to them but it was still cool. ;)

Once we arrived in Venice we hopped on a water bus. Well I went to the Tabacchi to buy a bus ticket and I asked for the bus on water, but the guy said with an Italian accent of course "Here in Venice, everything is on water." Well in that case...it was funny but a bit rude at the same time. The city was so weird! Waterways where normal streets would be and buses, taxis, police vehicles- all on the water! I had to take a double take sometimes and once we hopped on the water bus we got to sit and take a tour down the Grand Canal to our destination of St. Mark's Square. On the way the three of us sat separately and after a few stops I had two seats available next to me, but they were quickly filled by two young people.

I was talking to Liz about how we lost our other friend on the bus (we didn't really lose her though) the guy that was sitting next to me started a conversation with me and we didn't shut up for the whole 30 minute ride to St. Mark's. Apparently he was traveling with his sister and they were from Ottawa Canada and were in Venice for the day. We were talking like we'd known each other for 10 years and it was quite interesting to have a conversation with random people on a water bus in Venice. We never ran out of things to talk about and we shared stories of our experiences in Italy. Eventually I invited them to walk around with us because neither of us had a plan for the day and it would be fun to explore Venice with new friends. When we got off at St. Mark's Square we walked around and made it to a sandwich shop to reenergize ourselves with some pizza and calzones. Yummy bruschetta vegetable pizza. The streets in Venice were ridiculously narrow and tiny and were like being in a maze. It is so easy to get lost in the city and unless you follow the signs on the street corners it is very hard to find your way to big sites. We were all getting to know each other while trying to get to know the city. Of course I ended up with the map and somehow turned into the tour guide in front leading us everywhere. It usually ends up being like that but I'm really not complaining about that. I enjoy it. Maybe it's even worth turning into a career- hmm...

After stopping at some main sites and than seeing some churches and sites totally off course we took another water bus to the Rialto bridge. We got off and walked to the bridge that was insanely crowded. I realized that a lot of the people well about 75% of the people on the streets were tourists and I was curious to see some real residents of Venice. I wonder how it feels to live in a city like Venice. Non stop water, narrow alley ways for streets, tourists everywhere, etc. I would be overwhelmed and overcome with confusion and annoyance with all the people in such tight quarters. Everyone was very nice and welcoming though, so I guess it doesn't affect them too much. We got lost quite a few times and somehow found our way through the streets to a cool Jazz Cafe Bar with bras hanging on the ceiling and great music playing to set the mood. I had the best milk free dark chocolate gelato I have ever tasted. We got cones of gelato and I think I was in love with my gelato for the three minutes I was eating it. I couldn't believe how rich it was! I went shopping for some Murano glass and wandered the streets with our new friends Tim and Leanna. We ran out of things to do so after seeing the main sites and stopping for food about every 25 minutes, we made our way to the train station. Our day in Venice was slowly coming to an end and I still couldn't wrap my brain around the set up of the city. I would've loved to go on a gondola ride but they charge so much money for a ride! I heard one guy give a price of 120 euro for a ride. No thanks- I want to be able to eat the rest of my trip!

The three of us separated from Tim and Leanna and caught a train back home. The train ride to Bologna was nice and smooth, but than in Bologna we had a long layover, so we left the station and walked the city for a good hour. Once we got back to the station we looked for our train but it was delayed and every ten minutes it would get delayed more and more. Luckily we were entertained by two army boys stationed in Italy for three years, however they were only about a few months into their service and were not really feeling the whole Italian experience. I tried to convince them to give it some time and live it up!

Our train came about an hour and a half late, but it came. We went on the sleeper train and I was completely delirious. I don't even know if I was alive at that point and I put my headphones on and kept dozing on and off and going in and out of conciousness. The people in my sleeper car all spoke Italian so I smiled and responded every so often, but really all I wanted to do was go home! I wanted my apartment in Firenze ASAP. Gosh what a long ride and the three of us were split up on different carts. We found each other eventually and headed out to catch a cab, but after calling the cab a bus drove by instead. Even though the cab driver was calling me and wondering where we were, we hopped on the bus and took it home for a much cheaper price.

Home sweet home. Time to sleep.

Sicilian Sun parte due

<---this is Francesco!

The beaches in Sicily are sandier than those in Cinque Terre and I got to enjoy the water because there was actual sand before the ocean and because the depth of the water was only about three feet. Yay! How beautiful. The water was so clear and I searched around for some cool shells and rocks to bring back with me. I would go to a beach in Sicily any day of the year and for me to say that is odd because I don’t even take time out to go to the beach back home. Back to the bus and off to the hotel room in Siracusa.

Siracusa was absolutely a tropical paradise. It reminded me so much of Florida. I'd be walking in the humid air during the day and would see mini lizards scurrying up the tree trunks and sides of buildings. Than at night the air would cool and it would set the scene for some time at an outdoor lounge. As I sat outside of the San Rocco lounge, I stared up at the stars in the sky and thought about home and how I used to stand in my driveway, eyes gazing up into the night sky and being totally entrenched in each of the twinkling stars that some times would form constellations. It made me a bit homesick- not going to lie...

Saturday was pretty intense and we woke early to our continental breakfast and headed out into the scorching Sicilian sun and learn some information about Siracusa. The first stop was an ancient Greek ampitheatre and the tour continued with ancient caves and then to the San Giovanni catacombs it was. The catacombs were underground tombs where people were buried and it was dark and eerie. It was quite creepy and though I definitely enjoyed seeing tombs of dead ancient people, I would've much rather have been in the fresh air. It was crazy to imagine though that I was walking on the same ground as people thousands of years treaded- and that goes with all of the ancient sites we visited. That's the one thing that always fascinates me about archeological history- being able to stand in the same place and explore almost the same things that your ancient counterpart once did. If only I could go back in time to see how life truly was in the ancient world.

For lunch Francesco took us to his favorite "fast food" place where we were served aracini- this is a famous Sicilian dish consisting of a deep fried breaded rice ball with bits of chicken, seafood or vegetables inside. Very tasty! Not really what I would consider "fast food" but definitely was made fast and definitely was food. We loaded up on carbs to give us enough energy to get us around the city during our two hour walking tour. Let’s just say I saw a bit more of the city than I wanted to and I’m pretty sure we walked the whole city coast line. This Italian professor came along with us and he came up to me explaining that Francesco had told him that I spoke Italian. Well, this was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

This old Italian professor and I walked the streets of Siracusa together with the group and he explained everything to me in Italian. We would walk by historical sites and streets and important statues and he would explain everything to me in Italian and I would smile politely and shake my head and try to make heads or tails of what he was saying. Granted I did understand about 75% of the stuff he said, but definitely not all. It was as if he thought I didn’t speak any Enlgish at all because Francesco would be explaining things to the group in English and my private tour guide would tell me everything in Italian like I didn’t already understand what Francesco said- It was quite amusing and the group definitely found it funny…

By 4pm and after a seven hour walking tour and exploration of the city, it was time to go out to sea on our boat ride. All 20 something of us hoped on a boat that took us out to sea. We sailed our way to major cliffs on the coast and prepared ourselves for swimming and cliff jumping. I myself went along for the boat ride with preconceived notions that no way in hell would I be getting in the water. Others got in the boat with the preconceived notions that this was going to be the best cliff jump they’ve ever experienced- different, very different indeed.

So the water was quite pleasant and we rocked out to Lady Gaga’s Poker Face and Pitbull's 1-2-3-4 as we laughed and joked around on our way to the cliffs. I felt fine and held onto my camera for dear life while I took pictures off the side of the boat. When we reached our destination a few miles off shore, everyone stripped down to their bathing suits and dove into the water swimming toward the rocks. I, along with a few other fellow group mates (including Francesco and my private tour guide) stayed anchored in the boat to ride out the waves. The end result of cliff jumping was not too fabulous as everyone came back on board with bloody legs and arms that had gotten cut up on the corral. The sun started to burn through me and I could feel some sea sickness creeping up on me. Well, these feelings escalated and I felt like complete crap! I was suffering from heat stroke and sea sickness and hung my head over the side to find some sort of relief, but did not find any. I didn’t know how to take care of the pain. I was in tears by the time I realized that I needed to get off of the boat…that wasn’t in the plans though.

We continued on sailing through the waters and the sickness grew deeper and deeper and the waves grew bigger and bigger. The ride was insanely rocky and I was experiencing complete sea sickness and complete trauma. (lol)…I wanted off but we headed toward another set of cliffs and those who chose to got off to jump the cliffs while most of us stayed on board because of sea sickness or blood loss. It was about an hour after my sickness set in that we were heading back to shore. I have tested the sea twice here and both times did not work out for me- I don’t think I’m willing or ready to test it a third time. We finally returned to the hotel and ended the night with a visit to the center city area to visit an outdoor lounge and ready ourselves for the final day in Sicily.

Sunday was beautiful and we started our journeys early to allow for enough time to see the sites of Noto and Cyclops Island. We got to Noto where almonds are famous and checked out some almond wine as well as almond paste. The city was absolutely gorgeous and the sky could not have been a clearer blue. At one of the sites sat a stray dog and one of the group members pet it, so it decided to follow us around to the other sites it was both sad and cute at the same time. We were rushed out of Noto to make sure we had some time for the beach, but Francesco had another option for us- a classic Sicilian seafood lunch at one of the best seafood restaurants in Sicily. I opted for the lunch. The Sicilian sun would have to do without scorching me for today. This seafood lunch was one of the best I have ever eaten. It wasn’t just your classic shrimp, scallop, mussel choices either- plates of couscous and calamari, sea urchin pasta, fried blue fish balls, whole fish with eyes, etc etc. came out one by one and one after another filling our stomachs up in a good two hours time. The food was tasty and the wine was a sweet white wine. It was the perfect way to spend the last day in Sicily- doing exactly what I wanted to do: sample the Southern seafood dishes.

With our stomachs bulging we loaded on the bus and never quite made it to the beach. Instead we headed to see Cyclops Island and Catania where we would get our overnight train home. The train ride home was quite interesting. Because it was still light out, we got to the spot where the train car boarded the ferry and hopped out of the train to go on the deck to look out to see the coastline of Sicily and watch the beautiful sunset. We enjoyed views from the upper deck and within a matter of 30 minutes we were on land again and had to board our train car to make way up along the coast of Italy to get to Florence. During the train ride home I had a lot of time to write and chill out with some friends to reflect on the amazing weekend. I experienced another side to the Italian culture and that is the Sicilian lifestyle. I was so happy that I could travel to the tropical paradise that most people know as the ball that Italy is kicking. it is also the place where a part of my family comes from through my mother’s side and a place that is worth visiting.

The cost of the trip no longer fazes me because a price can’t be put on the experiences I had, the information that I learned, and the friends that I spent time with. Oh yea. 6:30 am arrival into Florence Monday morning with a 9am class to follow= not so great. But I did it and I survived. The start of a new school week was ahead of me but it won’t be long until it’s over…

FOR MORE PICTURES CHECK OUT MY FACEBOOK***

Sicilian Sun

So I’ve had about eighteen paninis and more than eight cones of gelato since I’ve been here. I can’t tell which I look like more: a Panini or a gelato cone, hopefully neither. Regardless I am enjoying the warm crispy spice of my vegetarian paninis with spicy sauce and the sweet creaminess of the soy gelato, so just try and take me away from them…

My Italian is improving and apparently I am pretty darn good at understanding the locals even though they speak about five million miles per minute. Do Americans speak that fast too? I’ve always wondered if other people think Americans are the same way… I looked for some peaceful activities to take part in this way to help calm myself down after an eventful weekend. What did I find? Well, dancing, running and laughing with my friends here have definitely fallen into the category of relaxing but as I got through a chillaxed week of school work and dinners of endless Italian food service it was already time for the weekend.

The second to last weekend! How could this be already? My roommate Liz and I were in a bit of frenzy thinking about how much time we’ve spent here and how little time we have left. Didn’t I just start writing about life in Firenze? Didn’t I just get off of the plane in Rome? Wasn’t it just yesterday that I stepped in front of my apartment building in sheer wonderment…Not really I guess.

Same old story though. You travel somewhere. You fall in love with the place and all its treasures. It never feels real until the day you have to leave. Then you are pushed right back into reality and you hate your life for a good amount of time because all you think about is the dream life you have been living for the past however many days, weeks, months, etc. Well I’m hoping that doesn’t happen to me and I’m sure it won’t to any extreme measure. All I can really do is take in everything now and every day that passes here in Florence is a day that I can experience something different.

With the end of the school week coming to a close Thursday and my midterm project for travel photography complete, it was time to pack up and head down south- to Sicily that is. A few of the girls from my program and I signed up for the Sicilian Extravaganza weekend with Florence University of the Arts (FUA). We packed up and headed (or ran same thing) to the train station to catch another train to meet the rest of the group.

A twelve hour overnight train ride to Sicily isn’t really the most comfortable or the most beautiful thing I’ve done so far, but it sure got me to a place where I would find comfort and beauty. After a few tosses and some turns in the top bunk of the cabin, we arrived in the city of Taormina on the Eastern coast of Sicily. It was here that our group enjoyed freshly made cannolis as well as a true taste of a small Sicilian town known for its cultural diversity both of the past and the present.

the cannoli I didn't eat haha

Taormina, or the city of the bulls, was first inhabited by the Ancient Greeks as a cool and safe town up on the hills, but later it was taken over by the Romans and eventually the Nomads. Each group passing through managed to leave some sort of architectural building behind and I was very intrigued by the stories our tour guide told.

Let me tell you a little more about this man Francesco. Well he was born outside of Milan in Northern Italy and basically traveled all over the world and learned seven languages. He has friends in every corner of the world and knows just about everything (an exaggeration) about everything…He smokes two packs of cigarettes a day, can swim better than most of us, drinks about six espressos a day and had more energy than each of the 20 students on the trip combined. This man was dubbed a lot of nicknames….Father Time, Wizard, etc etc. Sometimes when he stood pointing at a ruin and was explaining the history behind it I got lost in wonderment of how much information and wisdom was stored inside the merely 5 foot 5 body that stood in front of me. But than I snapped out quick because before I knew it the group was already about a mile ahead of me moving to the next historical site. What an inspiration I tell you…He had a lot of patience to put up with us and though he gave me a weird face every time I reminded him that I was a vegetarian and couldn’t eat cheese, we were still cool. He made our trip educational and interestingly fun at the same time, especially when he invited us out to a lounge in the center of the city. Yes, a 60 something year old man was telling young college students that he was leaving to go out if anyone would like to join him. Because we did, I learned how to get around Siracusa with ease.

Getting back to our travel schedule, after Taormina we headed to the beach at Giardini Naxos on the coast where I got some serious sun time. After just about three hours in the hot Siclian sun, my skin got quite dark and a bit burnt too.

Un buon weekend...uuh?

This weekend put me in shock in more ways than one. Not only because of the fact I almost drowned, but also because the sites that I saw while traveling proved just how amazing Mother Nature really is.

Friday started out quite calm with a nice workout and more staring of course. A group of us headed to Assisi for a few hours to check out the little town on the mountain. The transportation situation was interesting because we took a train straight to Assisi, but when we got off we had to catch a bus to take us up the mountain to the actual town. Very few cars are allowed in the town and visitors get there mostly by bus.

The views from the top of the mountain allowed us to see the Tuscany region and all its wondrous shades of green and yellow. It was a huge workout walking up and down the hills of the town. Just being there you could feel the ancient history seep through the stone walls and the winding paths. This little town became famous because of St. Francis and since then visitors have taken over the town. With the history and the beauty, once can’t help but visit the city and I surely wanted to check it out.

After Assisi, I planned for us to go to Perugia. One because my sister studied there and said it was definitely worth checking out and two because there was a cool Jazz Festival going on and I figured Perugina chocolate and music blend together quite well. After a quick train ride to Perugia, we hopped on a bus that happened to take us right to the entrance of the Jazz Fest and about two minutes from the major town square. It was coincidental and definitely a plus in helping with our sightseeing.

The Jazz Festival was pretty awesome! We heard a band from Texas play and got to enjoy some beautiful weather with great people and music. As I usually do, I ventured off to take some pictures of the town and got some great pictures of couples sitting on cliffs. I than realized that I have this tendency to photograph couples wherever I go, so I think I’ll dub myself the love photographer. Yea. Sounds good to me.

Now that I’m the love photographer and all I have to make sure I get some more great shots while traveling and that I did while travelling to Cinque Terre. There was plenty of love in the air on these remarkable beaches and I tried to capture it with my camera. With my stomach filled with Foccacia and Torta di spinaci, I was ready to go and get some great shots of the beautiful towns of Cinque Terre. We went on a two hour hike across the mountains and towns of Cinque Terre and it was very exhausting but worth every bit of pain. my knee luckily held up for the hike, however I started to feel the clicking toward the end. I just wanted to get to the beach and be able to walk to the train station and I felt as though that might get harder the more hiking I did...

Once we made it to the beach, we got into our bathing suits and headed toward the water. I was so ready to get into the water, but I was a bit worried about there not being much sand. There was basically just rock and deep water on the other side. Because I am not a swimmer, I kept my distance from the water until a few of my friends convinced me to jump in and try it out. Well, after much deliberation and time I decided what the heck right? I'm in Italy on a beautiful beach and I just hiked for two hours- I could use a nice, refreshing swim. So I get ready on the edge and grab my friends hand to jump in. We have the whole thing set up- the photographer, the crew in the water, the exit plan just in case and there we go jumping in the water right as the wave dies down. We jump right into the shallow water and i come up from the water not being able to breathe with my lungs filled with water and my eyes blurred from the stingy salt water. I am in bottomless water. I am not able to breathe. I am not able to see anyone. I can not swim.

What was I going to do? I was going to try and scream for help- that's exactly what I did. I freaked out because I had no way of doing anything else. I couldn't believe how I was in pure shock. As I swam over toward the ladder that was hanging off the other side of the ledge, I was yelling for help. I finally made it over to some coral reef under water and grabbed onto that (probably not the best idea since it definitely tore up my legs and knees pretty bad). At the time it was the best thing for me to find and I got a good grip on it. It allowed me to grab the ladder and hang on until someone could come grab me. My body was shaking and my breathing was short and sporadic. I needed to get out of the water and on the ground. I snapped into survival mode the moment I got into the water and from than on I was not in any condition to be off the solid ground. I laid on the ledge and some angelic Australian woman helped slow my breathing and clear the water out. My friends helped me and after a good 15 minutes of trying to get calm, my chest was moving normal again and I was able to open my eyes.

What I had experienced was my biggest fear hitting me straight between the eyes. Looking back on it, I wish I could have controlled myself so much better, but my fear of drowing and water and swimming in deep oceans overpowered my mental stability. I couldn't believe that I, with a pretty strong mind and body, could let it affect me to such extreme levels. I know that I need to learn to swim or stay away from risky water situations because I do not need to put my body through that shock again. I still have trouble figuring out what I was thinking! I am very daring. For those five minutes of my life I was not thinking- I had no thoughts but thoughts of survival and rescue.... Discovery Channel stuff phew.

After a lot of great help from friends and complete strangers, I was back on my feet and ready to enjoy more sunshine. We took a mini ferry boat ride to the first of the Cinque Terre towns where we got to go on another mini hike and then through the Via Dell'Amore. The street of love? Can you get any more Monica than that?! It was an incredible experience after the ridiculously scary experience earlier. I crossed the Via Dell'Amore with thoughts of love and peace and passion. The history goes that a bridge was built to bring together people from two towns and the Via is where men and women would meet (from the different towns) and fall in love. Absolutely gorgeous. There was love graffiti along the tunnel and hearts everywhere. Yep, definitely me. ;)

After having visited a few towns and cities in Italy this weekend I realized that these towns are simple, small places that tourists have turned into sites where people from around the world come to visit and appreciate each of their beauty. But doesn't that have the potential to take away some of the original, pure beauty? Cinque Terre's economy has changed drastically since a journalist discovered the beautiful coastal towns. At one point there were only fisherman and agriculturalists who worked the city and provided for the residents, but now tourism has taken over most of the economy. The beauty is irresistable but the preservation is most important. We must remember that in order to enjoy what we have now, we must preserve it in its most precious form. That is both the traveler and the environmentalist in me...

Faccio footing, Faccio yoga, Faccio una bella vita

So what's up with the locals mocking runners? Every time I go out for a run it's like I'm put on display and have men mocking me. As a lifelong runner, I have never felt so uncomfortable running on public streets until now. Ancora faccio footing though so don't worry...the locals will not stop me! The view is too beautiful to resist running along the river and over the Ponte Vecchio and down the tiny cobblestone streets...


David was so incredibly huge! I know they say visitors are not allowed to snag pictures of the statue inside of the museum, but who really listens! The rest of the Accademia was beautiful, especially the Mapplethorpe exhibit. He, like Michelangelo, took photos of the body to show the sheer beauty of both the perfections and imperfections of humans. It was amazing to see how exquisite our bodies are artistically portrayed! After marveling at the incredible artwork, night fell and it was time for the Wine Tasting event with our group. I had gone food shopping earlier though, so I had already eaten my soy yogurt meal really Italian eh?;) The Wine Tasting event taught me so much about how alive and delicate wine really is. The wine conusor took us through a step by step process of how to properly keep, pour, smell and taste the wine. It was fantastic! We were swirling, swishing, smelling and more…Now when I am having a glass of wine I can fully enjoy it. A little factoid about how long you should leave the bottle of wine opened before drinking is: however many years old the wine is, you have to leave it uncorked for that many hours before drinking it. Cool right? I thought so…

The night ended early and before I knew it, I was up ready to learn some more grammar and stereotipi (stereotypes) about Americans and Italians. Very entertaining to see how Italians view Americans and definitely entertaining to learn what Italians think of themselves. Futbol…Food…Family. The three F’s is what I got from our class discussion. Big cars…junk food…love beer…for Americans...I’ll leave it up to you to decide how accurate that is.

I have been lucky enough to be in a program where a fellow student friend is yoga certified. I know pretty awesome right? Well for me it is because she has been holding yoga sessions every other day to help get me limber. I have to make sure to stay balanced and work on my meditation, mind cleansing techniques. Counterbalancing that with running is not always the best, but at least I get to practice two of my favorite things in another country. I have been pretty relaxed and keeping my cool, even though I do have sporadic moments where I miss home. I just tell myself to get back in the groove and keep this experience going because the time is now. That is why I’m writing and taking so many pictures. I’m trying to preserve these precious days of my life so I can look back and remember la mia bella vita in Italia...

The tourists in the area are becoming a bit much! Even though I’m pretty much considered a tourist too, I feel I’m a bit more residential- I am living here so…I know it still doesn’t matter, but every minute of every day there are crowds of people outside my door and around la piazza making noise. The sounds of cars, people, ambulances, etc echo throughout the street and come straight into my window making it hard to concentrate sometimes! The soundtrack of a big city eh? Every morning the violinist outside my window wakes me up with some tune he plays over and over and over and over again…He plays for about three hours…the same thing. In the exact same spot, at around 2pm every day the accordion player takes the violinist’s place on the corner and plays…the same thing…for about two hours. It’s just a constant cycle of musical entertainment I tell you…or sheer madness- whichever you’d prefer to call it. It has definitely made this location a unique spot to live.

414 steps. I climbed 414 narrow, ancient stone steps in Giotto’s Tower. The Tower sits adjacent to Il Duomo and every day since I’ve arrived I’ve marveled at how grand it is, so a few of us made the journey up the stairs to get an incredible view of the city. The workout of going up the stairs was awesome, but I got to tell you the view topped it (obviously!) I was on top of the city! There was a caged in area that allowed us to walk 360 degrees around the tower to see all parts of the city. The 6 Euro to get up there was definitely worth it.














We headed to one of our favorite restaurants for dinner- Ristorante Pennello. They serve us family style with about three course meals and bread, dessert, wine, etc all included. The food is fantastic and very authentic! With a lot of food and quick service, it’s not wonder why we love it so much!

The night ended with a visit to a local club, Central Park. It is quite the hot spot in the city, but definitely not so easy on the pocket. They have there ways of getting money from everyone unless you know how to beat the system. Spending money there is so easy, so you have to watch out when they trick you into paying more than you’re supposed to. I had one incident at the grocery store the other day when the cashier shorted me 3 euro (here every euro counts) and I had to explain the problem to her for about 10 minutes before I was given the proper change. You have to be very mindful of everything…

The rest of the week was spent visiting the Uffizi Gallery and seeing famous paintings and statues. I got to see the Birth of Venus and La Primavera- both of which I have learned about since I was in elementary school, so I took the time to appreciate the moment. I got lost in the maze of rooms, but no matter where I went there were beautiful paintings around me, so I just toured without a map and saw the rooms. The museum was quite expensive to get into but well worth the visit, especially because I am living in basically the Renaissance and art capital of the world.

The first full week of classes came to an end and I was entirely exhausted! So many things have been thrown at me since I arrived. I have yet to wrap my brain around it! I am still trying to comprehend what I’m doing and that I am actually here- in Italy- in Florence- studying abroad- living the life. Maybe I need to stop thinking so much about it and just let it be…

P.S. though they have been slow to bite, the mosquitoes are still out for me-
me= 2 mosquitoes= 24

Let the Classes Begin...

Still scratching...the mosquito bite count is now up to 18- no joke. If you're wondering if I've done anything at all to help this (which you may not be), well I'd like to let you know I've purchased mosquito repellent wipes (finalmente) to help ease these nasty attacks. The travel books are not joking when they say that the mosquitoes are nasty here. Every other minute I'm slapping my body to kill a mosquito! Hopefully these wipes will help! I'll keep you updated- because I know you're just so interested in how I repel mosquitoes while in Florence. Dang! Number 19 just got me- what is going on!...

After the grand Vespa adventure through Tuscany, I wanted to take it easy and have a day to myself. Sunday was a day for me to sit and write. After going for a nice run throughout the city and not having a clue where I was going- I just kept running and got weird looks from the locals- I sat in my apartment for about four hours writing and napping. Now why would I do such a thing on such a beautiful day in Florence? I asked myself the same question about 500 times that day, but really it was beneficial. I needed to take some time for myself and to think my life through. Sounds way dramatic, but I did take time to figure out what I really wanted to do with my time here and caught on my writing, which is so important! I was the tour guide for my program mates via phone as they made their way through Pisa though, so I did something within Italy just without leaving my apartment ;).

At night, I left the apartment and felt like a nocturnal creature coming out to enjoy the sunless sky...but it was just good old me...the group met to trek to Piazzale Michelangelo across the river and up massive hills. The walk was crazy rough, but the view at the top made every step worth it. There was a wedding going on at the top and it made me want to get married there! This Piazzale Michelangelo overlooked the entire city of Florence with each grand chiesa and building sparkling as the sun set.

This is a romantic hot spot where people of all ages come to spend the night and sit atop this hill to watch the sun set, cuddle with a loved one, marvel at just how beautiful the city is, and of course, eat gelato. The gelateria atop the hill had gelato of all kinds! The flavors took up about three long cases and I got dark chocolate- senza latte! Absolutely incredible and I wish Willy Wonka would create the everlasting gelato cone...oh what a creation that would be...

I captured moments of sheer beauty and pureness of nature and love's magic with my camera... When the sun no longer shined in the Florentine sky, our trek back led me and a few other girls to another gelateria- yes we're addicted- but this time I didn't get any rather I scouted it out and noticed they sold Soy gelato! I couldn't have been happier to see that there is such a thing...now I know where I have to go, every night ;)

Classes started bright and early Monday morning! None of us realized that we had to take classes while in Florence until we were sitting in classrooms and there were actual teachers in front of us assigning us work to do. Not only was I exhausted from a fun and exciting first weekend, but I was also overwhelmed with new things being thrown at me. I took my Italian placement exam and the instructors were impressed with my abilities to understand and speak the language, but were not so much impressed with my grammar- they said I had to work on it, but that's why I'm studying the language! I got through the first class quite successfully and couldn't help but think of how amazing it's going to be when I'm completely fluent in the language. It's only been about a week and I've already been speaking so much and learning so much, so with another four weeks who knows what will happen!

Travel photography was next. I have been anticipating this class since I signed up for it last month. The teacher is a well known photographer from America who has lived in Italy for 12 years and now teaches student photographers, as well as freelances. The first assignment dealt with spot lighting. I figured out things about my digital camera that I never knew even existed! Who knew you could change the settings to do such incredible things? I surely didnt, I definitely recommend reading your camera manual because you will discover a whole other world of photography with a simple touch of a button!

I got wireless Internet after class. I am now able to be connected to the world from my apartment. Good? Bad? I guess it's a good thing because I can write and stay in contact with friends and family in a more cheaper and efficient manner, however I don't want it to take me away from la città that is right outside my door...I won't though- you know that!

I've realized that the beauty of a vacation or study abroad program or a getaway or whatever you want to call this- is that you are able to explore so many different foods, people, sites, traditions, etc. but some people are caught up in a lot of what they'd be doing in America. I'm trying to appreciate where I am right now as much as possible. My biggest fear is that I leave on the plane home in August with tears in my eyes knowing that I didn't do what I wanted to do while here. That being in Florence was something that I did and didn't work to advance myself toward what I want out of life...

Getting homesick was never an option for me, though there are times that I sit here and think of everyone back home and wonder what they're doing and envy them for the time difference. "It's 12am here and only 6pm there! Gosh!" that's usually what it sounds like- to the t...;)...

I made my way to the supermarket here after class and purchased organic, all natural biscotti and crackers...soy yogurt and soy milk...and fresh produce! How exciting! Not very cheap, though it's so nice to buy my usual food products in a foreign country...speaking of food...I had shrimp and prawn risotto at dinner and have been eating my vegetariana paninis from the Oil Shoppe daily. The spicy sauce is just so irresistible- I'm going to start to look like un panino before I get home!

Well I'm off to see the Statue of David at the Accademia...- ci sentiamo!

Check out my pictures on Facebook (Monica Sellecchia) and let me know what you think!...more to come...

Towers, Vespas, Paninis OH MY!

Ciao ciao.

Sto in Firenze ora!

Yes! I'm in Florence. I made it here finally and it has been a lot like how I pictured it. The little streets (VIA's), the Florentine people, the gelaterias on every corner, etc. As I sit here by my apartment window that faces the Duomo, I am listening to Adele, scratching the ten mosquito bites (they're fierce!) on my right leg and am collecting my thoughts on the first few days of my adventures in Italy.

The plane ride here first of all was a bit rough because I was doing it alone and I was scared out of my mind that something was going to happen to the plane. For some reason (sarcasm) the news reports on plane crashes and malfunctions had put things in my head right before I had to leave. Well, the nice lady from Naples on the plane helped me through the flight, as well as my window seat in which I watched the sun set and sun rise. I ended up studying my Italian, but watched Marley and Me. I cried my eyes out! The people around me must have thought I was nuts! I was seriously balling and I don't know if it was just mix of crazy emotions, but all I know is that the teardrops were pouring out of my glands. Leaving my parents at the airport may have had something to do with it, but really I think it was just the movie. Very good- Very sad.

So as I embarked on this 40 day and 40 night journey of my 19 year old life, I sat and thought about what I truly wanted to get out of it. Did I just want to go on vacation, take a few classes and meet a few people or did I want to reform myself and learn how to live even more simply and engage in a culture that is embedded in my blood for eternity? When I discover the answer..I'll let you know- the noises off the city streets outside my window are clouding my brain too much right now...

I met my roommate Liz at the Rome train station and we bought tickets for Pisa. Well, did I happen to mention that I had two luggages and one weighed 54 lbs and one weighed 38 lbs. My arms were feeling it even though I was just rolling them along. The only thing I could think about was getting to the apartment and unpacking everything, but we had a big stop to make in Pisa.

OK. We got a hotel room to stay over night in Pisa, however, it only took us about an hour to see the sites in Pisa. Most of that time was spent walking to the main sites like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Liz and I tried to take the classic picture of us pushing up the tower, but we couldn't get it to work! Our distance and zoom just wasn't having it!- So instead I took pictures of other people doing it :)

The stay at the hotel was quick and easy and waking up in the morning felt good because we were on our way to Firenze! The train ride was about 45 minutes from Pisa to Florence and it was about 200 degrees. I noticed how different the temperature was in Italy from the moment I stepped off the plane in Rome, but I still haven't decided if I like it better or not. There's something about constantly sweating and being hot and sticky that just turns me off...

FIRENZE- finalmente! We hopped in a cab right outside of the train station and I tricked the cab driver into thinking I was from Italy- well at least I attempted to. He caught me but we had a lovely conversation in Italian about our lives and our deepest innermost feelings- kidding! We chatted about how I look Italian, but not the real Italian- hm compliment or not at all? Still trying to figure that out...I just kept saying I was from Italy and he started talking about Philadelphia Cream Cheese and how good it is ;) Too funny. Liz and I were just laughing and were so surprised how after spending two days in Italy together, about 90% of the locals spoke English. It's like we have "American" written on our foreheads or something and that was the only thing we spoke and that bothered me in so many ways!

Trying to identify myself with the locals was a daily challenge. I used my Italian as much as 80% of the day, but when traveling in groups of more than three people, there is always an assumption made that we are tourists. I'm trying though. My Italian is getting so much better! I am able to have quality conversations with people young and old and I know that I can be fluent by the end of this program.

Oh yea! I am here for a program, so Liz and I met up with the Program Director and Program Assistant, as well as the other students in the program. All 17 of us were college students just looking for an adventure in Florence this summer and after the first night- we knew adventures were surely going to happen.

The opening dinner was fantastic and we ate and ate because they served and served. Each of us hit it off and I was surprised! The group and I were instantly cool and we had a lot in common and definitely were ready to have some fun. Exciting. After dinner, we walked around the city and everyone found out that I was 100% Italian and pretty good with the language and could rely on me for travel and language situations. I was happy about that because I am totally into helping them out with it because really it's helping me too!

We did the whole bar/ club thing the first night and of course everyone knew we were Americans. The streets looked so tiny and confusing and we were all just still jet lagged and totally lost. I had some great conversations with each of the other ragazzi and we danced our first night in Florence away to a bunch of American music in Club Astro :).

Orientation came bright and too early on Friday and we learned about the school and the program and basically about things we needed to know for our stay in Florence. Each of us was exhausted! It was night one and we slept about four hours each. After orientation, we got lunch at the Oil Shoppe and I ate an incredible Vegetarian panino with french fries. Absolutely delicioso! The girls and I took an adventure walk around the city and also to get our internet hooked up . The latter one never happened, but we did have a great time exploring Florence!

It was our second night in Florence and with only four hours of sleep, we got dressed up and headed out to a beautiful dinner at the outdoor restaurant called Boldovino. They had incredible brick oven, thin crust pizza that just oozed with fresh cheeses and sauces. I was insanely stuffed after eating my vegetarian pizza senza formaggio, but I couldn't leave leftovers! We took a stroll around the city a bit more and decided to get Gelato. Absolutely creamy, rich and delicious. The gelateria, Grom, is best known for their dark chocolate goodness.

The pool bar we went to at night was very different and we found more locals hanging out there. The pool looked tempting but none of us brought our bathing suits and we just sat around and made more conversation. I was still learning a lot about each of the students and instead of judging everyone, I'm taking everything in one word at a time. It's awesome to be able to meet 16 new people and travel Italy together! New friendships are made and there are special bonds that are formed that last a lifetime.

Another late night and staying up basically until the sun rose at 6am. This is the stuff you have to do while studying abroad, especially on the first weekend when it doesn't get in the way of classes and school work. Beautiful. La vita bella.

Full day two of this trip= vespa adventures through Tuscany. WOW! I booked a tour for 10 of us to meet at a McDonald's and get a ride to a ranch in Siena to learn how to ride Vespas and go on a more than two hour long trip throughout the Tuscan region where there are breathtaking views of villas and animals and mountains. Riding up and down mountains and throughout small villages and off-roading took place. I was riding up front on my Vespa- pretty much had the whole riding deal down ;)- Toward the end, we went on back roads and through bushes and on stony paths that were so scary! I drove with one of the instructors for a good portion of the tour and he took me and a few other guys through the brushes and grassy lands and muddy and stony paths. We got to see the villa where they filmed Gladiator. Absolutely invigorating! I felt so free riding on the vespas and with the cool wind blowing in your face and the sun setting off in the distance I couldn't have asked for a better way to see Tuscany than on a Vespa! Seriously. Fun in Tuscany Vespa Tours definitely a must when visiting the region and/or country. The crew was totally impressed with how fun and incredible it was. The night just continued on with random things and we met up at the ranch to get a ride to this castle on top of mountain close by. We drove with the instructor that blasted American dance songs and partied until we got to this massive castle. There were knights and candle makers and a lot of medieval things going on! We were allowed to get paninis for dinner, so I ate up two vegetarian paninis and drank glasses of local red wine.

I still couldn't believe I was in Florence, I couldn't believe I was sitting in medieval castle eating paninis and drinking wine with bunch of people I have just met. I don't know if I was still jet lagged or just living the life. I like to think it was the latter. "Oh My!" seemed to be the phrase most used throughout the past two days. No one could wrap their brains around what was happening let alone imagine what more was to come in the next 28 days...

I know I'm ready for it.