Snowed in

Friday morning, I woke up ready to enjoy my last day in florence. Me and my roommate left our apartment to go to the leather market for last minute gifts and walked out to find SNOW. We were so excited. I found all my gifts. As we headed home, the rain started to get more intense. We rested for a bit and decided to climb the duomo steps. By this time there was tons of snow and it was still coming down. We got to the top after 463 stairs! It was so pretty to see the city covered in snow. After this we started to get nervous. Florence aparently hasn't had snow in 20 something years. So naturally the city shuts down. We went to dinner at our favorite restaurant! I got some yummy alfredo! We got back and were all checkign our flights over and over. Around 1 am (yes that's right) expedia emailed my parents that something had changed on my itenerary. My flight was cancelled. My dad called them and they said we had to go to meridiana. I got up at 5 to leave for the airport. Of course, no taxis were running. So we started to drag our bags to the train station to catch the bus to the airport. We met some nice people who tried to help us. (by us I mean me and one roommate since one had ditched us and we later foudn out she got a cab) We had almost made it to the station when we saw some cabs running. We flagged one down and got to the airport. I spent abotu 5 hours in line waiting to talk to the ticket people. I got to the front of the line and tried to be super friendly to the lady so that maybe she would work some magic for me to leave the next day. She did try but could not do anything for me. The next time I could get a flight was for Wednesday the 22nd. I made 2 friends in line who were supposed to be on the same cancelled flight. The airline put us up in a hotel. At the hotel I find out that two of my roommates didnt' get on their flight either. I am now back at my apartment spending the next few days in my apartment. The bad news is that we already through away everything including shampoo, toothpaste, cleanign supplies and dishwashing soap. The good news is that I have company until wednesday, the taxis are now running, and there is not supposed to be any snow. For now pray that there is good weather in London which is my first stop on the way home. At this point I'm ok with being here. Obviously I would rather be home but I've come to terms with the situation at hand. Here are pics of my "last day"
still enjoying the snow
at the top of the duomo

another pic at the top

the duomo covered in snow
veiw from the top!

Ciao!

Christmas break has finally come!

Its official, I'm done with finals!!! I took my last final this afternoon (Italian) and I am now on Christmas break! I feel pretty confident about all my finals and am just glad I don't have to study anymore. Tomorrow is my last full day in Italy. I am going to take pictures, shop for my last presents, and go to dinner with some of my roommates. Its hard for me to explain exactly how I'm feeling about my time here coming to an end. On one hand its kind of sad. This semester was an awesome opportunity for me. I have learned alot and experience so many cool things. I absolutely love to travel and have really enjoyed being here. I now have no excuse or reason to come back to Europe in the foreseeable future. That is probably the hardest part for me, is not knowing when I'll get an opportunity like this again. On the other I'm pretty excited. I have gotten to do everything I wanted. I finally got to see Venice! When I applied to study abroad and during my preperations this summer, I needed aventure. I needed a change of scenery and to experience something new and unique. It was just something that I really needed. I am so blessed that I got to do just that. So, now I am ready. I'm beyond ready to see my family, sit in my living room, put up the christmas decorations, sleep in my own bed in my room, cuddle my doggies, and make christmas cookies. I'm so excited to see all my friends, catch up on everything in their lives, and laugh til our stomachs hurt. I can't wait to drive my car, use the microwave, dry my clothes in a dryer, and not have to bag my own groceries. So, while its a little sad that I'm leaving Florence, I am so excited to be going home. Its true, there really is no place like home!


Ciao!

1 week

It is just so crazy to me that I only have one week here. And its so sad to me that it will be spent studying for and taking finals. Which I hate! Yesterday was an exciting day in my family! My big brother graduated from college! My family is spending the weekend in Abilene and I got to skype them during the party! And here he is, the college graduate!
fixing his hair...so vain!

On other exciting news, christmas decorations are in full swing! This makes my heart very happy! There is a huge tree in front of the Duomo.
how pretty is this?!...you can't spin under it though :(

I have mixed feelings on leaving in a week.I'm a little sad. I don't know when I'll be coming back to Europe and that is disappointing. However, I am getting sick of the pace in Italy. And by pace I mean there isn't one. Everything moves ridiculously slow and it is gettnig on my nerves. I am so excited to see my family. I can't wait to see my friends and sleep in my own bed. Its going to be nice to have my favorite foods, drive my car, and enjoy some fun Christmas happenings! Speaking of chrismas happenings I have been searching the internet to find some fun things to bake and some Christmas crafts.

Ready or not, I will be home in a week!

Ciao!

Fiorentina

I would definitely not refer to myself as an avid soccer fan, or even a small fan really. Thanks to the amount of time I spent with two of my guy friends this summer, I did watch many world cup highlights. In Europe though, soccer is a huge deal. It is pretty much the only sport that matters. With this being true, I felt that going to a soccer game would be an experience that I wouldn't want to miss out on. Me and three of my roommies got our tickets for 10 euro. They weren't very good seats but we didnt' care a whole lot. We went to the Fiorentina soccer game which is the Florence team. We decked out in our purple and headed out into the cold. Lucky for me, purple is my favorite color! The Fiorentina fans are crazy! Everyone is head to toe purple and many bring their own flags. They know all the songs and chants. The atmosphere was really fun. The weather was not fun. Good thing I bought purple rabbit lined gloves the day before! We stuck it out until about 15 minutes before it was over. Fiorentina had just scored and then apparently the ref made a bad call. It went from overjoyed to complete angry mob in 2 seconds. The guy next to us was repeatedly hitting his chair. It was actually quite humorous to us, but it was only funny to us! We decided to leave before we got jumped for laughing hysterically. Overall it was quite an experience. I had a fun time and got to see the true Italian spirit towards soccer. I will leave you with some pictures.

How I spent Thanksgiving

We went back and forth on how we wanted to spend thanksgiving. We first planned to search for a turkey and do it big. Then we decided to go the cheaper route and eat a chicken. The day of Thanksgiving rolled around and we all found ourselves a lot sadder about being away from home than we expected. At about 2:30 right before I left for class we decided to just go ahead with it and have people over. Well now whole turkey was to be found, so we bought chicken breasts, rolls, brocoli, and potatoes. My roommate created a delicious sauce for the chicken and we made brocollie and mashed potatoes. We had 4 people over for dinner and they brought garlic bread, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pies. Including the 5 of us still in town and our friend who was staying with us again, we had 11 people for dinner.

making mama proud, wrapping the rolls

the chicken and the chef

the food

Our friend Robert made apple pies for us. They were delicious! And pretty too!


We even watched a little (disappointing) cowboys football. I was very pleasantly suprised with Thanksgiving. My first thanksgiving without my family was actually pretty fun. I do not, however, wish to repeat it anytime soon!

Ciao!

The last week of classes has arrived!!!

It is crazy that I only have 2 weeks here! Tomorrow starts my last week of class! I present a group project monday, learn a bit of Italian on Tuesday, go to two review classes Wednesday, and review for Italian Thursday! Today I'm going to the Fiorentina soccer game (more to come later), Thursday is my mom's birthday and a party for my school, and Friday my brother graduates from college! This week is way exciting! There is a lot to finish still and studying to dread but that's ok. My last weekend will be spent studying and buying the rest of my presents! In more exciting news, there 21 days til I turn 21! There are also 13 days until I go home. In some ways I feel like I just got here but in other ways, 13 days could not pass soon enough! I will leave you with a picture from a castle/vineyard tour our program took us on a while ago



Ciao!

December is here!

It is my favorite day!! The countdown to my birthday (25 days in case you were wondering) and return to America has begun. I cannot believe its already December. One of the many great things about Italia is that they loooove Christmas here. Every store has Christmas themed window displays. So many of the streets have Christmas lights! It gets dark really early these days. I'm fine with that because that means the lights are on for longer! There is a Christmas market close to my apartment. Seriously, this is a Christmas-lover's dream. I can't wait to explore and,no worries, I'll take tons of pictures of lights! Unfortunately this will all have to wait because I still have class today.

Merry Christmas!!!

Ciao

Thanksgiving across the ocean

Today is Thanksgiving and, normally, nothing could make me happier. Waking up and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade is one of my very favorite things to do. My day is usually spent cooking with my mom and sitting around the table with my family. Today has been nothing like that. Instead, I went to class. The good news is I got a 93 on my Italian quiz! More than anything today I wish I could be home. I wish that I could be with my family and see all my friends from home. I have not been good at acknowledging what this day is really about and have instead been feeling sorry for myself that I'm missing out on everything at home. The whole reason for today is being thankful for the things that I do have instead of thinking about all the things I don't. That being said I decided to talk about all the things that I am thankful for because I really have been so blessed.
1.
My parents: I know that I have the best parents. My mom has tought me what it means to work hard, she is currently working full time and finishing her master's degree. She also tought me to be hospitible. My mom has always welcomed my friends into our house and fed them everytime. My Dad tought me what courage looks like in the face of the worst circumstances imaginable. He also tought me to love unconditionally by loving his little girl even when she was a crazy person. I'm thankful that they were chosen to be my parents. They're also pretty fun to be around.

2.
My brother and sister-in-law: I could not ask for better older siblings. My brother has always been the one to make me laugh. He has shown me how to be easygoing and to enjoy life. I have always wanted a big sister and I'm so glad my brother married Karissa. I am glad she's in my life and fits in perfectly into our family.

3. My grandparents: I am so blessed to still have 4 grandparents. All of them have done so much for me. They are my biggest fans and have always supported me. They are everything anyone could want in grandparents, and I'm so thankful.


4. My cousins: I will also say that my cousins have 3 great wives but we don't have pictures of all us! Even though we are all spread out through Texas, I have the greatest cousins ever. I always enjoy their company. I'm so grateful that we're family!

5. My aunts and uncles: Although I get teased mercilessly I still love them. I'm glad my parents have good siblings. They support me and have been there when my family needed them.

6.health:I'm thankful for health. Anyone who knows my family knows we don't take this for granted. I'm am thankful everyday that me and the ones I love are healthy. This is in fact one of our biggest blessings.

7.Neighbors:I am thankful for my neighbors (across the street and the house on the corner). They are more like family to me and have welcomed us into their families. I know that there are always people watching out for us, our house, and our safety. My parents can never move out of that house because I would miss Diana and the James gang way too much. They took care of my family and they are also just fun to be around. I always know that I have a 2nd house and family! I've also got the 4 best sisters around!

8.
bestiesThese girls are the greatest friends around. We've been through the best and worst times together. I'm so thankful that they've seen me at my worst and still choose to be my friend. I can't even explain how thankful I am for them. I can't wait to be reunited at christmas time after being so far away! The best part is, I know nothing will change and it'll be like we were never apart.

9.Life:I'm thankful for life that is not promised. Its as simple as that. Life is a gift.

10.High school friends:I may not have loved my school all the time but I sure am thankful for the people I went to school with. I love that I'm still able to be friends with them and that they are a part of some of my best memories.

11.
3206 Roomies: I had some pretty incredible roomies. I am so thankful for sophomore year that we spent together. It is such a blessing to have someone to talk to everyday who will be excited when good things happen and supportive when bad things happen. I am thankful for the dinners we cooked together, random trips to target and sonic, Saturday movie days, christmas cookie making, hiding raggedy ann, hocus pocus, greys/the office nights, trips to spoonful, laughs, tears, and everything in between!

12.RSC:This is where I found all my college friends. I am so blessed with such a supportive group of friends. I know that I can call anyone and they'll be there for whatever I need. I'm thankful for all the laughs and long talks. I am just thankful for friendships that see past faults.

13.BOCC: I have so many wonderful people here who care about my family so much. And so many people here care about me so much. I know that here I will always be greeted with open arms and for that I'm thankful.

14.
>
My 2009 cooks: I am so thankful for the 3 months we spent in a tiny cabin working together all day everyday.It is impossible to describe the relationship we have. I know that these girls will always hold me accountable and love me unconditionally. I know that no matter what they will never give up on me. I also know that I can count on them. I'm so grateful for the many tears we shed. I'm grateful for the times we laughed so hard our stomachs hurt and the times we vented to each other in walmart. I could not ask for better people to share my summer with. I feel like I've known them forever.

15.Home: Today and this semester I am thankful for my home. I'm so grateful to my parents for working so hard to not only provide me with a home but to make it into a place that I love more than any other place. It will always be a safe place and a welcoming place for me to return to. I'm thankful for all the past and future memories made there and for how comforting it is just to walk into the front door.

16.Flo, Tori, and Katy: Yes, I am thankful for my dogs. There is nothing like being greeted after a month at school by 3 dogs going crazy with excitement. These dogs (well except katy because she's old and grouchy) are the sweetest most loving little creatures. I'm thankful for them!

17.Skype: I guess it seems silly but because I'm so far away I'm thanful for skype. I can talk to my parents once a week. I also get to skype my best friends. Its just so nice to have some sort of communication.

18. Blue Haven and the 2009 Staff: I am so thankful for this camp that I was able to go to for 9 years. There is just something about it that I can't explain. It changed me and tought me so much. I was so blessed to work there for a summer. I got to work with the most amazing group of people. Nothing makes me laugh like being with these guys. There is never a dull moment or pressure to be someone that you're not. I am so thankful for those 10 weeks in the mountains and the times we get to spend together in "the real world".

19. Travel:I cought the travel bug when I was 17. I am so blessed that I've gotten to go to Europe 3 times. I love travelling and seeing so many different things. Even though its challenging at times, I am so thankful that I'm able to travel.

20. New experiences: I feel like up until I went to college, my life was pretty much the same. I am so thankful for new experiences. Whether its driving 6 hours alone, or travelling around Europe, each new experience has taught me something.

21. Food: I am so blessed that I've never known what it was like to be hungry. I've always had everything that I needed and then some.

22. School: Even though school is a pain and stressful, I know that without it I would never get to do what I want with my life. I'm thankful that my parents worked so hard to send me to school and encourage me to do whatever I wanted. College has given me so many opportunities and taught me so much.

23. Texas weather: I am thankful for Texas weather. I would rather be hot than cold. I'm thankful that it doesn't rain every day and that the sun shines. I can't wait to go home to "warm" weather!

24. Cindy: I'm thankful that I have a reliable car. Me and Cindy have been through many long drives and survived mountain roads together. I'm thankful that I have a way to get back to my family. I'm also thankful that the gas mileage is great and she is very reliable.

25. Christmas music: Now that Thanksgiving is over, I can finally listen to Christmas music! If you have known me for more than 5 seconds, you know how much I love Christmas. Its just such a special time for me and I will always be a child when it comes to Christmas. I love love love listening to and singing along with Christmas music!!!

Wow, I'm sure I've missed out on so much. I am really so blessed and thankful for my life.

Ciao!

Barcelona

Me and three roommates booked a trip to Barcelona before Fall Break. It seemed like it would never get here! We left our apartment at 5:30ish in the morning. We found really cheap flights on ryanair but it flew out of the Pisa airport. We took the train to Pisa to catch our flight. Ryanair is quite a little gem in the travel industry. The gate will close at a certain time and you can not miss it. Then a screen will say boarding and its a mad rush to get in line. There are no assigned seats so its on a first come first served basis. People are really serious about it and get in line in a matter of seconds. We weren't paying enough attention the first flight so we were kind of behind in line. The plane is outside and you have to walk to it. So we made up for the low place in line outside by speedwalking past a couple straglers. After an hour and a half flight followed by an hour long bus ride we made it to barcelona! It is so beautiful! We found our hostel and got lots of directions from the guy working there. So we set off to rent bikes. Biking through Barcelona was amazing! I kept having to remind myself it was real! The weather was perfect and the beach is beatiful!



We ate a late lunch at a restaurant on one of the piers. It was such a welcome change to eat spanish food! Don't get me wrong, I do love Italian food but there really is no other options. Being a Texas girl, I miss TexMex and grilled food. I ate cantelones which were so good!



The next day we slept in which was lovely! We took a walk around our area. They were filming a spanish movie so that was interesting. We walked along this pier and found a HUGE mall.



We went to dinner and I finally got some good Mexican food! In Italy they don't really have a lot of choics when it comes to restaurants. Its basically always Italian. Don't get me wrong I enjoy Italian food but I have missed mexican food! It was very good and worth the trip to Barcelona.
just look at the beauty!

The last day we were there it was really rainy. We took the metro to the Sagrada Familia. This is Gaudi's cathedral. It is permanently under construction because he wants everybody who visits it to see something new and different. Good in theory but construction is ugly.

{sidenote:this is my peacoats first trip to Europe}

We walked around somemore and found some souveniers for people {mich get excited}.On our walk we found a fun food market.It was so much bigger than the one by our apartment in Florence. The colors were brighter and the food choices were so much different. It was very interesting.




I wish I could convey how much a loved Barcelona. I kept finding myself thinking "why didn't I study here?!" I love Florence and am so glad I came here but I think Barcelona replaced it as my favorite place. I am so glad I went!

Ciao!

Venezia

I have wanted to go to Venice my whole life. I remember learning about Venice when I was younger. A city on water just seemed so amazing to me. Ever since, I have dreamed about going there. As I planned out my semester, I knew that I had to go to Venice and would not miss out. My roommate and I went on a day trip with the same company we went to the chocolte festival with. We started out our journey on a bus and then hopped on a train into Venice. As we walked out of the train station and caught our first glimpse of Venice, I could not have been more excited! It was absolutely beautiful except for the huge advertisement for Lufthansa that I could have done without. The city was everything I thought it would be! We hopped on their bus system which, of course, was a boat. I will share this little jem of a quote that I heard from a girl on our tour as we were taking the "bus" to Piazza San Marco: " I knew that Venice was on water but I am suprised that all the "streets" are water too. I keep looking and expecting to see land." Someone didn't do their research :) Here are some pics of my first look at Venice.




Does this look familiar?


I mean, it should because its the famous square in Venice, but its also famous for somthing else. No worries, I'll kill the suspense. If you have seen Just Married with Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy, you may recognize this. I think this is only super amusing to me but I'm, as usual, ok with that. In the movie they go to this square. Brittany Murphy is reading about it in a tour book and looking around. Then you see Ashton and he is being attacked by pigeons and freaking out. This scene always makes me laugh and I was so excited to recognize it. I then had to act it out for my roommate so she would know what scene I was talking about. The best (and most terrifying in my case) part is that there really is an INSANE ammount of birds in this place. And they fly so close to your head! It was not as funny as in the movie!!! Anyways, I'm sure that was unneccisary but its my blog so there!

We got to go see a glass blowing demonstration. It was so cool. I can't believe how easy he made it look. Isn't that always the case though? What a fun skill to have, if only I could master it. That, my friends, is very unlikely! Then we went on a walking tour of the city. The beauty of this place is indescribable. We went after tourist season and it was just so peaceful. If I spoke fluent Italian and could transport everyone I love there, I would move in a heartbeat!





After the tour we had free time to enjoy the city and shop at the market. I got a lovely purple glass ring, and a precious magnet for mia madre. I am so blessed that I got this opportunity. I finally got to do something I have wanted to do since I can remember. Next up, a weekend trip to Barcelona with 3 of my roommates!

Ciao Venezia!

Pisa and Lucca

My study abroad program took a day trip to Pisa and Lucca. We spent the morning in Pisa. We saw the church, baptistry, and old cemetary. It was a gorgeous day and the first time the sun had been out all day in a very long time!


inside the church:



baptistry

I also decided to embrace my inner tourist that I try to avoid with this pic of me holding up the leaning tower.
something about being in pisa makes this ok!

After a couple hours in Pisa, we got back on the bus to go to Lucca. Lucca is a tiny town nicknamed "the city with a hundred churches". Fitting a hundred churches in this town seems a bit unlikely. We went on a walking tour of a couple of churches and an old ampitheater that is now apartments and cafes.




My favorite part about our short stay in Lucca was the fall leaves! Fall in Austin looks strangely similar to summer with a slight change in temperature. Lucca is a very pretty town but unfortunately not too interesting.
gorgeous fall trees