So This is It

So things are finally wrapping up, and its a bittersweet relief. It's amazing how this culture that was so foreign and so difficult for me has in many small ways, become part of my daily routine, integrated itself into the way I speak and dress, and affected on a larger scale-who I am and who I want to be.

This abroad experience, although beautiful, fun, adventure filled and awe inspiring has also been extremely challenging, disheartening, lonesome and frustrating beyond anything I've known. It was much harder for me, a student not from the main university, to make lasting friends with the girls and guys who have come to Florence amongst their best friends-circles that, at least with these students, are too tight to be intruded upon. Its true, I know many people here now and when we pass each other in the Villa or on the streets we converse like old friends, but I am also the outsider, always have been. These girls, however kind, would not think to call me on the weekends and in turn, it is simply too awkward to keep pushing myself upon them. Don't get me wrong, I have now a great few friends that I will miss very much when I leave, but altogether, walking down the florentine streets has been a very quiet, lonesome ordeal.

The Italian culture is a very frank, forthright, loud culture and in truth, I am entirely fed up with the sneers from women in nasty white, plastic looking winter jackets and large chanel shades, the exhasperation from shopkeepers as I try my very hardest to order exactly what I want in Italian and the COMPLETE LACK of organization- a thing which I cannot emphasize more and this is what bothers me most of all. For example, my school fought to have two students accepted for an internship with a museum in the center (I am one of those students) and upon arrival, all three days I've gone so far, I was faced with the humilation of standing aside in corners as the artists installed their pieces because they had no work for us, didn't need us, and most obviously did NOT even want us there. Also, Syracuse University in Florence has arranged that tomorrow for the student exhibition, all the studio arts, english, theater and music be exhibited at the same time--pick one subject to attend, and miss three others... I don't know how this culture gets anything done. And don't get me started on the weather. Even my host mother said to me the other morning, "The weather is mad, like Italian people!"

Let me not leave so bitterly, however. There is a true poetry to the art that is so deeply, strongly rooted within the Italian people and their buildings, gardens, streets and museums. There is history here in every square inch of the city. Even the stones of their cobbled streets are each individually documented and archived within the main library as a trace of their heritage-the stones that their ancestors once walked in the time of Michelangelo, DaVinci, Botticelli, and others. Now that the Wysteria has bloomed, the air is much sweeter and the gates of apartments are adorned with the soft purple haze of their petals. The days are getting warmer, the gelato never tasted better and I have never enjoyed walking so often and so far before in my life.

There is an unbreakable, unfathomable loyalty among the Italian people, amongst family and friends. Once you earn their respect and trust, you have a friend for life. My host family has been this way for me. They have taken me into their home, fed me, washed my clothes, shared holidays, stories, and advice with me, and without them I don't know that I could have stayed here in Italy for this semester abroad. We know something more about each other after so much time, like how Cristina is both so funny and sweet with her parents, but also a bit rebellious. How Federico eats every sweet and trace of icecream in the house when he comes back for a weekend and likes to pull on his dad's ears because he thinks they're squishy. How Laura, my host mom, doesn't like peanut butter but has a love for pancakes and New York that goes nearly as deep as her Italian roots and how Alberto, my host dad, is the most accomodating, kind and patient man to put up with all the yelling that happens in this small apartment. Alberto will also never let a conversation fail because of the language barrier and will persist for extended lengths of time to gesture and question until you can finally understand, even if all you were trying to say was, "there's a mosquito in my room" or "does the museum exhibit require a ticket?"

What a challenge and a fight to get through, but also what an enlightening, strengthening, wonderful experience this all has been. I'd say the highlights of the semester for me have been: Seeing some fantastic museums in Amsterdam, finding Jinty McGuinty's Pub in Scotland, exploring London on my own, my trip to Paris, and the beautiful day I spent in the mountains with my host family for the easter holiday-Which was like the backstage pass to Italian culture. We ate an ENORMOUS lunch of prosciutto and cheese, wine, artichoke lasagna, pasta shells filled with artichoke and brie, steak, pot roast, peas, potatos, salad, more wine, chestnut flour sweets, champagne, cookies and cakes, all at a long table by a huge, warmth exuding fireplace. My host brother's girlfriend, a professional opera singer, performed Italian arias. Nonna (the grandma) waltzed with Federico while the dog Rommy barked at their feet (I love Nonna, she pats me on the cheeks). Hot espresso was served and we walked through the mountains after a rest, admiring the beauty of the 12th century farmhouses and snow capped mountains. It was the loud, happy, bustling Italian experience I'd been waiting for all along, and never before had I felt so much a part of their family. it was a gift that I cherish, and I will remember and love those moments for the rest of my life.

KSHGKJAD SJAKNA JKAWFH SSJK Baaaah!

ELEVEN MORE DAYS TILL HOME!!!! :-D

im very happy

Pisa Pisa Pizza Mia

Today I woke up feeling kind of lonely, so I decided to text a friend and see if she wanted to go to Boboli Gardens with me, considering they're just across the Arano River and I haven't been there yet. She called me back to say that she was up at the station getting ready to catch a train to Pisa, and asked me if I wanted to come along. These were my options:

1) Stay in Florence, walk the gardens alone and do work until the sun goes down
2) Live it up, go to Pisa and see the leaning tower, eat pizza and have fun with a friend.

I chose number 2.

It was only an hour by train, and the second we got there we made two new friends outside the Pisa station as we all eyed the cartoonish map. Alex is a communications and entertainment major at a university in Georgia, and she was touring Italy with her video camera taking shots and films for her mother who, because of her job, was unable to come at the last moment. I can't believe Alex was traveling alone, but she seemed happy and fine and had a lot on her agenda. Our other friend was Dany from Madrid, a twenty seven year old engineer for a construction company who has a two week vacation that doesn't coincide with any of his family's or friend's. He was also traveling alone for the first time, and we spoke in English and Spanish which was suuuuper fun for me because after all this Italian, I've even forgotten how to say "Eat" in Spanish!!! "EAT!!" COME ON!!! The basics are slipping from me and that scares me considering I'm signed up for two of the top level Spanish courses for the fall semester...oh shit.

Anyway, the leaning tower was really cool, and yet much shorter than I anticipated. We took turns poising each other's cameras at cheesy "look at me holding up the tower" shots, and walked around the church for a bit. It was really nice to spend time with new friends, especially because we talked as casually as old friends who were actually intending to meet up at that map, and see the tower, and have a meal together. Never before has it felt so natural spending an afternoon with strangers. Mama mia look at the time... gotta write a paper. Ciao bellisime. XOXO

P.S. I'm hiking up to the church San Miniato tomorrow with a friend to see the sunrise. I'm so tired but I always say yes! aaaah