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.

"T" Time

The magic word of the summer= TRAVEL.


Travel like you'll never get another opportunity to! I am a mere week away from embarking on a journey to clarify my mind and invigorate my senses. The preparation is pretty easy, but I've been bogged down in way too much work. I'm s.l.o.w.l.y getting through it all but I am getting through it.


I've been getting my mind together to make sure I am mentally ready for what I will be experiencing in the next 40 days. So far so good. No complaints. I am free to take in anything that comes at me. One thing I made sure I did was research vegetarian/vegan restaurants and health food stores in the Florence area. I came up with a great website: http://www.happycow.net/europe/italy/florence/. This is such a useful list, but if you plan on traveling other places around the world feel free to check out http://www.happycow.net/ and get your search on.


Another site I've been using is www.skyscanner.net to look up cheap flights to and from European cities. Even Rail Europe has some great deals to get me around. I'm simply keeping my options open and trying not to schedule too far in advance because I have a feeling that once I get there, things are going to change and mostly for the better.

Each month has passed by quite slowly, but than these past few weeks of June flew by me one by one and never once slowed down. Now that I am only days away from getting on the plane and leaving the US, I am only focused on my trip! Sure I'm getting my work done, but every other minute of the day is spent thinking and preparing and day dreaming about my trip. What will I do, where will I go, who will I meet, what will I eat, how much will I spend? Questions and Questions and more Questions...

The answers are waiting for me thousands of miles across the Atlantic in the place I like to call my second home- Italy.

Keep checking in to my blog because you will be the first to hear about my travels and experiences while abroad. So stay tuned because some interessssssssssting things are going to be happening and who wouldn't want to be the first to hear/see it all unfold?!

Message from the U.S. before my trip:

Don't Stress...Invest.
Get out and enjoy the summer by fitting some "T" time into your schedule!

TRAVEL!

CIAO! Ci sentiamo! (we'll talk soon)

Summer Stress anyone?

Sort of an oxymoron right? Summer usually is defined as a time of relaxation and peaceful time for one to engage in extracurricular activities and bask in the sunlight that great Mother Nature provides for us, but that's not exactly how things started off for me.


I already knew this summer would not be as restful as I would like it to be, but with Italy on my mind I know it is only temporary stress that will disappear the moment I step onto the plane- at least I'm hoping.


As soon as spring semester ended and troubles with my knee continued, I had about three days to semi-relax and get my mind together only to start more classes and have more work thrown at me. It's a vicious cycle of wake, work, sleep, wake, work, sleep, wake, work...yea. It makes me question my motives of graduating early and than I am thrown into this daydream of thoughts and visions of what my life can be once I'm out of school and I snap back in and know I'm going in the right direction.


What the direction is...hmm....so....yea.....I'm still sort of trying to figure that out, but really I promise- I'm on the way. There has been a reason for everything in my life thus far, so I know that what has happened and the people I've met are helping me through this journey to finding out my purpose. I figure- the only way to find your purpose is if you just stop looking. Just like when you're seeking out a relationship, why do so? Sometimes you're wasting energy that could be used toward other things- it's this untangible thing that usually comes out of left field when you're busy swatting flies and hits you unexpectedly...so for the time being...just let it be. The Beatles had it right. Timing. Positivity. Patience.


The only purpose I know right now is that taking classes in the summer will bring me closer to graduation. Done and done. Now what I do after graduation and whether it'll lead me closer to my purpose is something unanswerable and quite honestly I like it that way. Not knowing sometimes can be one of the best things for you. The more you know (or that I know) the more I stress sometimes. It's hard being a truth-seeking Scorpio though, but maybe it's good to lay back and set life free.

Three classes. Yep, three. Tres. Tre. In one summer session! Phew- Time to get on my grind for sure. I started a new job too and this is what I was most excited about. I finally landed a job where I can put my creative journalism and web media skills into action! Working at the Office of Sustainability was definitely not something I expected to be doing. The job just came to me one day as I visited the office to speak with the Director (now my boss) and the graduate student workers (now my colleagues) about general activities and environmental things going on on campus. I couldn't believe I walked out of the office with a job! Web and Media Assistant. Has a reallllly nice ring to it eh? And with both web media and environmental work involved, I knew this was the right job for me.


Week by week I followed the routine of classes, work, classes...and managed to make it through 20+ hour work weeks and the insane classwork. One class in particular really had me bogged down: TV NEWS REPORTING.


This class should have a disclaimer built on it! WOW- the proposals, the shooting, the editing, the writing, and the overall production. Every week there'd be a whole new package due and every weekend I'd have to shoot footage, do interviews, and edit my material. It was very time-consuming and now that the class is coming to an end, I can honestly say that I do not regret spending those hours of my time on the projects. This class has helped me fine my talents and interests in the Journalism field. Sure I like writing. Sure I like reporting. And Sure I like doing it all. But really what I realized was that I really enjoy shooting video footage and capturing images and making them come alive. Whether it be with a digital camera or digital camcorder, I had this new desire to take pictures and cover stories visually. The beauty of perspective and the art of photography started to radiate through my fingertips as I took more and more pictures and recorded more and more shots. Maybe I was finally onto something...we'll see where it takes me :) The more mistakes I made working on my packages the more my skills improved. I realized that I'm a student journalism still learning the basics and after time and practice things like getting the audio right or catching the right shot or writing in the right tense will come naturally to me. It really isn't worth getting frustrated. I made peace with myself. The challenges were invigorating and exactly what I needed this summer.

The theme of the class was Immigration in Philadelphia. I decided to cover Italian Immigration in Philadelphia and felt like it was an opportunity for me to cover Italian- American stories to add to my resume. Because I am minoring in Italian, I hope to do something with Italian travel, writing, photography, reporting, etc. I have a strong interest in the Italian culture both in America and in Italy itself. I would love to start my career in this field because it is where my interest, knowledge and creativity really shines.

A few times I had to escape and I went into the city to sit and relax for awhile. People watching and being out in nature is so incredible and it helped bring my stress levels down. I'm learning how to breathe. Finally I am accepting my life and learning to become concious of my thoughts and feelings enough to know which are wasting my energy and which are helping me grow spiritually. The first step of reaching enlightened conciousness includes acknowledging your thoughts and egoic mind. When you live in the past rather than the present moment of your life you carry negative emotions and past occurrences with you that may slow you down. As Eckhart Tolle says, "Almost everyone carries in his or her energy field an accumulation of old emotional pain, which I call the 'pain-body.' Any negative emotion that is not fully faced and seen for what it is in the moment it arises does not completely dissolve. It leaves behind a remnant of pain."

Remnants of pain that I am ready to let go of. Past experiences that need to stay in the past and not affect my life now. How can you enjoy life if you're always living in the past or even in the future? Why cloud your present conciousness with things that happened in the past, especially if they were negative and caused you physical/emotional pain? It's not so easy, but we are all capable of letting go of the past and leaving the future in the future and giving every second of the day our full attention. Today's society relies too much on deadlines and looking ahead or looking back on what already happened and sure it's necessary because without that way of thinking advancements wouldn't be made and no one would learn from mistakes, but in terms of personal lifestyles those thoughts should be filtered.

But who am I to preach spiritual enlightenment and becoming fully concious if I'm still learning? Well, at least I'm taking the steps to do it and though its a struggle and I'm not doing it perfect, at least I'm trying. Sometimes I think I'm going crazy thinking this way, but who in this world doesn't have a little bit of crazy in them? :)...I know that my trip to Italy will allow for further growth of my conciousness and this getaway will allow me to breathe a bit deeper and with more ease. I'll be able to release a lot of the stress that has been building up this summer session because this is not how I want to be spending my summer...but it has only just begun.

Racing Thru the Pain

Once I finalized my study abroad plans, I fell right back into some frustrating routines. My heart was taking over my life. Paperwork, classes and internships became monotonous, and my escapist self was looking for somewhere else to go. Well, at least there was a break...


Spring break came and went real fast and I didn't do much more than work. Ever since I turned 15 I have had this voice in my head that says when you work a lot, you can get a lot of money, and with a lot of money you can do great things. Well, it's true- most of the time. Because with a lot of work, you have less time- and that time could be used toward other things in your life that you just may not be able to do because you have to go to work. Hm. Just a thought.



The continuation of my spring semester was one of many tumultuous events. I was working hard with my radio reporting and definitely refining my skills of writing, performance, and editing. Once April came I knew I'd be just fine this semester with grades and there was nothing to stress over.



Only a few weeks before the Broad Street run my body was feeling a bit stressed and it expressed itself through pains in my knee. I had trouble running and couldn't train before the race. I was left doing simple exercises and hoping that my body would stay in good shape- enough to make it 10 miles. The most important thing I had to remember was to keep my health in check. Because I'm a vegetarian, I had to make sure I was getting enough protein and supplementing with iron and vitamins. Running tears at your body and if you're not healthy enough it can really bring you down. I stocked up on a lot of peanut butter, whole grains, Kashi cereals, Luna energy bars and packed in the fruits and veggies...


May 3, 2009- I couldn't comprehend that after four months of preparation the race was finally here. I was fairly nervous, however I managed to get over it once I got to the starting line and had no other option. The one thing that worried me was the question of whether or not my knee would hold up. I knew that I had to push my body to new limits and make it down Broad Street regardless of anything and anyone. The weather was wet and damp- not the greatest for running with an injury, but it motivated me to reach the finish line faster. Throughout the first 3-4 miles my friend and I stuck together and ran at a 10-minute mile pace, however Mother Nature called and I had to make a stop at the closest YMCA. As my friend continued to run ahead, I made my stop and headed back out to now run the race alone. I had six more miles to go and I was not backing out. The crowd around me was insane and supporters lined the sidewalks on Broad Street. I got into my zone. I focused my attention on finishing. I blocked out other runners around me in order to ignore the pain and exhaustion my body was experiencing. Each mile felt like 10 miles and when I got to City Hall I knew I was more than half way there. I couldn't wait to reach the navy yard. I remember the tingly feeling in my shoulders and the loss of feeling in my hands. There were a few times I had to pull back and take it easy, but it wasn't only a matter of 30 seconds where I would speed back up and get back in the race. I asked many runners beside me what mile it was and how much longer we had, but each time I got a different response. I laughed to myself and just kept going, but there were a few times where they told me only a quarter mile longer and I would speed up a little and it ended up being another mile...I wasn't laughing to myself then...

As the finish line drew near, I dropped deep into my zone of mental concentration and thought about all that I had been through these past five months, the pain that I felt, the early morning training sessions, the career I had as a runner in high school- just things that had all pushed me even more into this race. I finished. I put a kick in my step and I finished. My feet were crossing the finish line and I was able to relax. I finally stopped moving my feet when I met up with my friend to congratulate him. We were so proud of one another. I found out that I beat my goal time of two hours...it felt so rewarding! One hour, 41 minutes was my time, WOW!
One of the proudest days of my life...honestly.



The weeks and the days flllew after the race...I was still in pain from running and once my muscle cramps subsided, I still had pain in my left knee. It was a different kind of pain- one with substance to it and worth getting checked out. I ended up getting an x-ray and MRI, but nothing was wrong with it! How could it just be stressed...maybe my whole body was just stressed.

Throughout May a sort of gray cloud hovered atop my head for some reason...many reasons actually- mostly having to do with my heart.

However, I managed to finish the semester quite successfully getting all A's and making myself proud. I couldn't believe it but when I saw it in writing it was definitely a lifetime dream come true for both me and my parents.

I had such a confusing and introverted spring semester. It was ruled by my heart while my mind was just busy trying to make sense of it all. Guys had got me down and trying to decide between them wasn't so easy. The more I thought about it the worse it got because the questions felt no where close to being answered....

I just wanted the semester to end so I could start the summer and situations would change and I would have some time to breathe and give myself some space...

My knee was still inflammed and I was feeling pain but even more prominent was the pain within my heart.

Thought of the Day...

"Cease looking to conceptual definitions to give you a sense of self. Cease looking to thought for identity. When you fully accept that you don't know who you are, you actually enter a state of peace and clarity that is closer to who you truly are than thought could ever be."
--A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

Full speed ahead...

I focused much of my attention on planning ahead for the summer. I went through weeks of research and decision making accompanied by full out frustration. I didn't know what I wanted to do! I had an idea that I'd take summer courses, but when could I fit in some vacation time? I looked into Study Abroad programs and tried to see which would best suit my academic schedule.


First I went with my desire to visit Greece, so I looked into a program there. Than I realized that I had declared a minor in Italian, so why not study in Italy. I must have spent three months just trying to piece parts of my life together. Let me tell you- it was not all that exciting. I just waited for some sort of epiphany and some sort of mini revelation to push me forward.

It came to me right before my radio news reporting class. I had just spoke to my friend who got accepted into an LA internship program and I found myself really upset and jealous at the fact that this was now going to be her second "study elsewhere" program and I had yet to do one! My reasons were financial ones. I try to be an advocate of the old "money isn't everything" saying but really when it comes down to the specifics, money is something that needs to be considered. I took it to the extreme and decided not to study abroad just because of money, but I realized that was not a good enough reason.

I am young and in college and this is basically my last summer as a college student. Why would I not take advantage of a study abroad program? The opportunity to live in another country, take classes and live the college life only comes during these prime years of one's life. This was my time to experience it. Money could not stop me.

So I got to my class, hopped on a computer, and called up Fairfield University that had a fantastic program available in Florence for the summer. I had already applied to the program a few weeks back but I decided to cancel my application because I felt overwhelmed by the program cost. Now that I was experiencing this grand epiphany, I felt the urge to call and reapply to the program. For some odd reason the lady I spoke to remembered my name and just so happened to have my application on file. I had to send a few other things, but really it just fell into place. It was odd and I felt it was exactly what needed to happen. I was ready to commit to this program and study abroad this summer. Exactly what I have wanted to do for quite a loooong time...

It seems things worked out too fairytale- like for me right? Well, sometimes life works that way. There were a lot of sleepless nights and deep conversations with friends and family trying to weigh the pros and cons of different things, so I'd say I earned a peaceful resolution to deciding how my summer will work out. All I had left to say was full speed ahead....

Unexplainable Occurrences...

The title basically explains it all.

Beginning a new semester this spring, I could never imagine the things that occurred. It's incredible how fast things happen in life, especially when you're so tied into daily routines. Well, my daily routines had gone out the window once Winter Break came along.

I planned on taking a trip somewhere. Anywhere. Maybe Canada? But that didn't work out once I heard of all the snowfall and cold weather they were experiencing. (Mind you I do not fair well in cold weather). But there had to be somewhere else I could go just for a week or so. Unfortunately, I never found that place because the only place I found myself was on campus; working. Yes, I was working but Winter Break was a great opportunity for me to earn some extra cash and maybe put it toward my next attempt at taking a trip out of the city.

The one thing my friends and I kept looking to was spring semester. We knew that 2008 was a rocky year for each of us, but the high hopes we had for spring helped us focus our attention to a brighter 2009.


Well brighter it sure was! The sun was shining on America the day Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. What a great way to start off the semester! I remember sitting in the student center at school alongside friends, classmates and people from the community. I don't think there was one person in the room who wasn't smiling.

With my heart and mind filled with thoughts of opportunity and compassion, I moved forward with the semester knowing that big things were going to happen.

I was back in the groove of classes and extracurriculars, especially with my radio show and my Resident Assistant position. Yea, this year has been quite busy as I'm working more than four jobs but really only getting paid for half of them. I enjoy it though. I honestly couldn't imagine my life without having something to do every night or someone to help or another idea to come up with. My mind is constantly going anyway, so why not put it to use. Here is a taste of my week: Monday: workout, radio show, work, class, meeting #1, meeting #2, homework, sleep
Tuesday: classes, homework, meeting, prepare for show, program, sleep...so by Friday one could understand that I have not only accomplished a lot in one week, but have also worked my brain to the max. That is where my yoga and meditation needs to come in.

I made it a goal for this spring to meditate at least 20 minutes a day. Simple right? Well, I started off quite well and than things didn't go as planned, however new ways of relaxing found their way into my schedule in the form of running.

Running has been a huge part of my life for the past five years and to get back into the training zone felt invigorating. I was excited to wake up early three days a week to train and it was partly because I had a goal to reach. A friend and I had signed up for the Philadelphia Broad Street Run. Yes, I was going to run a real-time race! I mean I had run races during track meets in high school, but never have I registered myself to run an official race. I had four months to train my body to run 10 miles. I had no doubt that my mind wasn't strong enough to endure that mental strain, however it was my body that suffered at times. My knees weren't so strong, so I paid careful attention to any pain I'd feel while running. I did my thing and waited to see where it took me...

I distinctly remember sitting down with my best friend before the spring semester started to discuss the past and what could happen in the future. We both had had anxieties about our prospective careers. There were times where we'd break down in tears and find comfort in the fact that we had potential to do great things and all that we believed in could be applied to bettering the conditions of the world. Also, there had been some issues with relationships for the both of us.

Relationships were adventurous for me, as well as for those around me, but for some reason I always felt I would be stuck on never-ending roads of struggles, heartache, and confusion. I longed for freedom and peace of mind. But no matter how much I tried to push things aside, love always finds its way into my life.

When you let something go, especially something that you love, what does it mean if somehow, someway it finds its way back to you or better yet you find your way back to each other? The confusion I thought that had subsided only heightened as days passed and new situations arose.

Oh boy. My heart was so entangled in emotions and no matter how many times I tried to focus on myself I just got caught up in my feelings again. It's all a matter of living and learning and feeling and figuring out and deciding what is really right. It's not an easy task to do and I've come to learn all the questions can't be answered or cleared up in a day, a week or even in a month.

I found myself listening to my heart and my inner emotions. The heart is such a complex thing that I associate myself with all too often. But I don't think its so much a bad thing, but maybe something that makes me too vulnerable. I've grown some tough skin through the years and it has only made me a better person, so I'm going to leave it as something that just makes me, me.

I now realized that in no shape or form can I predict what will happen in the future. When we sat down to discuss the spring semester, my friend and I had no idea what we'd be facing in the road ahead.

Times were different now. Things that once seemed impossible and unreachable somehow became realities with a drop of the 2009 New Year ball.