Solo una settimana piu'

I can't believe I'll be somewhere over the Atlantic ocean in exactly one week. Time really does fly. We've already taken our last group trip, to Rome (which was fantastic by the way, pictures are up) and I'm deep into my research paper. I gave my final presentation in my cuisine class today--by myself because my partner ended up in the hospital last night from binging (oh, tequila). It went well though, and all I have remaining in that class is my final exam on Monday.

I'm on page two out of seven for my final research paper in Art History. It's due Tuesday, which is also the day of the final, and I'm hoping to finish at least another page tonight, and hopefully two more tomorrow. I'll have the entire weekend to finish it up and study for my finals. It's a little frustrating that I'm only in this city for another week and I'm currently cooped up in the library. Not that I don't love libraries.

I'm going to miss this, as much as I'm ready to go home. I'm ready to go home and drive my car and not have to think so hard about what I'm ordering and to use American dollars again, but it will be weird not walking everywhere. It will be weird not having artisan sandwiches every other day. It will be weird not trying to weave my way through tourists on my way to class every morning. I'm going to miss crossing the river everyday, too.

I'm still excited to go home, though. I'm excited to see my family and to sleep in my own bed. I'm also really excited to go back to Tallahassee on the 9th for RA training. I miss work; I miss my routine. I'm also excited to go back to Tallahassee and impress Mike with my new Italian cooking skills. I'm just excited to see Mike in general (excited is an understatement).

With only six days left, I still have to go to the beach (which I'm probably doing with my roommates on Saturday), and I haven't taken a day trip to Pisa (which really needs to happen but I'm getting worried that I won't have enough time with this paper, although Friday is a possibility). I still need to buy some parmegiano at the market to vacuum pack and bring back home for my pops.

I still need to try to absorb as much of this as possible before it all melts away.

Ciao,

Athena

Solo due piu settimane!

Ciao amori,

Today marks my fourth week in Florence. I can't believe I only have two weeks left; it's quite surreal. I'm glad though, although I'll miss it a lot. Six weeks is a long time, and though I've finally grown accustomed to the way of life here, America is my home. America is where the people I love live and where my culture comes from.

It's strange really. Growing up in America I called myself Greek and Italian, and I came here to seek out a bit of my true culture. I had no idea I would come here only to recognize that my culture is at home. My culture is Coca-Cola, black eyed peas, going to New York for "real" Italian food, sweet tea, the Seminoles, backyards, sprinklers, and The Berenstein Bears. I grew up an American, and I will always remain one.

No matter how much America frustrates me with the Tea Party movement, obesity, and pop culture in general, it's still the land of the free and the home of the brave. America is still the place where Harry Gianakopoulos became Harry Young and paved the way for my Papou and five fabulous Aunts and Uncle; it's where where Rose Gusmano taught my father what it means to be a good person. My personal history is in the West, and I'm glad I've finally come to realize that it's something to be proud of.

I'll miss you, Italy, but in fourteen days it will be time to head home.

Baci,

Athena

Sono tornato dalla Svizzera!

Ciao Ragazzi,

I'm back in Florence today. We got in from Interlaken, Switzerland last night at about 11pm. It was the absolute most gorgeous place I'd ever been in my life. The mountains took my breath away. We took a bus with a group that runs trips from Rome and Florence and got into our hostel at about 4am on Friday. Friday afternoon I went Canyoning, which was one of the coolest experiences of my life. We wore wet suits and jumped off rocks and over waterfalls into the water in the canyons. It was so invigorating and I'm really proud of myself for doing it. I rappelled 25 feet down into the canyon to start, and then we did three jumps, another rappel, and a slide at the end. I walked behind two waterfalls. It was perfect.

The next day, my friend Mel and I took a train to a nearby town in the country. We took a lift up about a mile into the mountains and walked for an hour and a half along a trail at the top. The view was spectacular (pictures are on facebook). When we got to the end of the trail we took a lift down and landed in the Valley of the Waterfalls--which is exactly what it sounds like. We walked for another hour and a half back and saw about 6 waterfalls coming off the mountains to either side of us. There were creeks and streams near us and the water was so cold. The weather was perfect, a really nice break from the heat of Florence, and I absolutely have to go back to Switzerland.

I have a midterm due in Art History on Thursday that I should be able to finish today. We're going to Chianti for a wine tasting today, and then on Friday the study center is taking a trip to Rome. We're staying through Saturday, and we're only doing Ancient Rome so the Vatican is not on the agenda. Some people are staying an extra day to go to the Vatican on Sunday, and I want to, but I have to book a hostel and then get a train back so we'll see how that goes.

After Rome I only have a week and a half left. We have one week of classes after this weekend and then I have final exams. I'll be getting into Pensacola at 11pm on Wednesday, August 4th!

I'm so excited to see all of you and to be home again. I'm absolutely loving my experience here, even though it took me a while to get used to it, but nothing compares to family and friends. I'm excited to have a few days in Milton and then to ship off again to Tallahassee to attend RA training and start my Junior year. Time really does fly, but I'm loving every second of it.

Amore,

Athena

Una settimana fa

I haven't posted since about a week ago, I've been busy/lazy and didn't get around to it.

I've had a really great week. I took two day trips this weekend, one to Lucca and one to Siena. Both cities are here in Tuscany and only take about an hour and half to get to by train. I went to Lucca with one other girl and we got a delicious lunch and rode bikes around the old city walls. It was gorgeous, and it was such a nice change of pace from the crowded streets of Florence. Siena was also slower. We climbed the tower at their city hall and had an amazing view of the city--it was breathtaking. After we climbed the tower we walked around and visited adorable little shops that make handmade goods. I got a few souvenirs for the family ;)

Sunday night I watched the World Cup Final from a field near the Arno river. There were fans from both Spain and the Netherlands, but there were definitely more from Spain. Some idiot behind us kept blowing a vuvuzela and I wanted to grab it from him and hit him over the head with it.

I'm going to Interlaken, Switzerland with a group from the program. We're going through a tour group and I'll be white water rafting. I'm really excited about it, especially the prospect of not being in the heat all the time. FYI southern Europe is hot right now.

It's time for me to start working on my big research paper for Art History and my project on regional wines for my Culture & Cuisine class. I'm enjoying my classes but it's hard to make yourself sit down and work on things when there are so many other things to be doing. Time to buckle down!

I'll be home in 18 short days. It's flying by so fast!
Miss you all and see you all soon.

Baci,
Athena

Un buon giorno

I had a very good day today.

I needed it really badly.

I am very glad.

-arb

Troppo Tempo.

I have too much time on my hands.

How in the world can you have too much time on your hands in Italy, you say?

I've been having a much harder time adjusting than people realize, and than I expected to. It's very hard being completely alone in a country, and I'm not very close with the people in my program. Part of that is my fault, I need to make more of an effort but I feel very much like an outsider and it's hard to make the effort when you feel unwanted to begin with.

During the day things are fine. I'm busy with class and eating, and sometimes napping (it's so exhausting here), and a lot of the time shopping--but at night time when it's just me, I have too much time on my hands and I think too much. I miss my family and friends too much. At night time I miss America and the easy, comfortable feelings. And ice cubes. I miss ice cubes.

I've finally realized that I just need to keep myself busy. It's hard because the only thing people do in this program at night is go out, and I can't function in the mornings for class if I do. At least not every single time. Lara got in today and had a fiasco with lost luggage (thanks Air France. You suck). It was a really stressful day, but once all that has died down I think things will get better for me in the loneliness department. I need to start doing things at night more, even if it's just sitting in one of the piazzas talking or walking up the hill behind my house and looking at the city. I need to remember why the hell I'm here and stop my mind from running all day, and I've just got to make that happen.

Ciao,

Athena

Domani! Domani! Ti amo, Domani!

Lara gets here tomorrow! I'm so excited I could scream. I've really been looking forward to spending my vacation with someone who a) actually has a brain, and b) will enjoy the same cultural experiences as I want to. Hooray! And we're planning a trip to Paris in a couple of weekends and I'm so excited.

After class today, Maggie, Lauren and I went to the absolute most precious stationary shop I've ever seen in the entire world. Everything is handmade. You can buy large sheets of decorative paper, journals, leather-backed notebooks, fountain pens, stamps--everything. It's so quaint and adorable, and behind the register you can see the tables where they're slicing paper and making their beautiful creations.

I found a vintage leather bag at a shop near the school and it's on sale and I want it really bad. I'm trying to talk myself out of it though, because it won't hold as much as I want it to and I really need to get a leather bag to hold my school books. This one is more of a purse, but it's only €40 on sale. Either way I'm sure I'll go back to that shop, because the owner was so sweet and I really want to find something there. Lauren got a broach from the 1950s and after she paid for it he handed her a decorated cookie wrapped in cellophane with a ribbon, "My wife makes these," he said. Today is one of the days I appreciate people. I've needed one of those recently.

I had a pretty good fourth of July, even if I wasn't in America to celebrate. We went to the grocery store and bought everything for a classic cookout. I made burgers on the stovetop, our friend Betsey made deviled eggs (and tiramisu), and we bought potato chips and watermelon. After dinner we took a cab to an art park a little outside the city center. There was a 4th of July festival going on for the American's in the area. It was really strange--a random Italian band covering American classics while a mass of people aged 18-80 danced in the grass. We hung out off for a while and then took a cab back to meet some friends in the city.

I didn't think I would, but I miss the American "culture", whether we believe we have one or not. I miss ice in my drinks and free water at restaurants and a big washing machine and driving my car. But most of all I miss you guys.

Time to go read for Art History tomorrow. It's our first day visiting a site so I'm really excited. It's so hot out though, and my professor likes to ramble on while we stand in the middle of a sun-scorched piazza. Definitely wearing something comfortable.

Ciao,

Athena

P.S

I also miss air conditioning. I'm sitting in my dining room with a portable air conditioner plugged in with the hose hanging out the window just so I can be blasted with cool air. It is glorious.

Venezia

So I spent Thursday and Friday in Venice, and it was pretty awesome, although completely exhausting. It's SO touristy, and since there are no cars it feels like Epcot. We visited the Basilica di San Marco (which was built around 900AD). It was absolutely gorgeous and there was a great view of the water from the top. We had a group meal that night and it was DELICIOUS. Pictures are posted in my Venezia album so you can drool on your screen.

Saturday we took the longest ferry ride of our lives to three of the little islands in Venice. It was gorgeous, but also unnecessarily long and hot. We got lunch after and I had the most delicious crepe ever. The food in Venice was definitely better than the food in Florence--so far at least.

Later on Saturday we went to the Peggy Guggenheim museum. It's a huge collection of modern art and it was a nice chance of pace from all the Renaissance art we've been seeing. After the museum we boarded the train and I slept all the way back to Florence.

Today has been a lazy day for catching up on sleep, and my roommates and I are having house dinner tonight--Pecorino e pere ravioli (pear and pecorino cheese). We also bought pumpkin and lemon ravioli, so I'm kind of excited.

I'm feeling much better after my "I hate everyone in this program" rant. In Venice some of the girls told me that I need to loosen up more and drink more, and then last night when we got back one of my roommate's friends got so drunk I had to escort him in an ambulance to the hospital. One of my roommates went with me, even though neither of us knew him, and his friends ditched. So I no longer feel like I have anything to prove to these people, because I know what I'm here for and I know what I want out of this program, and I don't want to end up in a foreign hospital after vomiting in the street. Way to go, America. You make the world proud.

I think I'm going to buy shoes today. I need some really bad/I want some really bad.

Baci,

Athena