Senior year move-in day

So today was my move-in day to my new apartment that I will be residing in until May of next year. Lots of stuff and a car literally packed so full that I could not even see out of my rear-view mirror or windows but I made it in one piece. It took quite a while to get everything in and unpacked but I am very proud to say that I have accomplished it all by myself. Pretty cool to be in the apartment. Everything was redone this summer so it is all white and we even have new appliances. It's really nice having my own room for a change. The bathroom is small but we have a new shower/tub so I can accept it. It's really weird being in an apartment all by myself. My roommate will not move in for a couple more weeks so this could get quiet around here. Luckily I will be kept plenty busy with RA training. I was able to Skype with two of my Milano friends today, so i was very excited to have been able to do that. Just about to watch a movie and go to bed to prepare for a busy 3 weeks. Wish me luck in surviving my last year of school!

Ciao Ciao
Elle

All roads lead to Rome

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of going to Roma, Italia. I almost could not make the trip because it was during the week of my finals. Fortunately I finished early and was able to go and see this spectacular city. Even though it was a quick two day trip, my friend Angela and I were able to make out our time and see the major sites. The first day was spent hunting down the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Trevi fountain and just walking around to get familiar with the city. We decided to take a combined tour of the Colosseum and Palatine Hill which turned out to be a great idea. Since there are not any signs with information about either two sites, a traveller would never know anything about the detailed history of these to places without doing their own research or taking a tour. I learned some interesting facts, and even some fun ones as well. Once we finally found the Trevi I could not believe how enormous and how beautiful it was. Even though it was dark, the lighting made the fountain a brilliant work of art tucked away in a little piazza. I, like every other single person there, made my wish and as tradition goes threw my coin into the fountain. After we found the Trevi fountain in the dark, which took my breath away, we stumbled into a quaint little restaurant. The service was great and the lasagna was to die for. We enjoyed our wine and good conversation for a while and headed back to the hostel for some shut eye. We woke up bright and early the next day to take on the motherload of sightseeing.
Our first place of the day was the most holy city in the world, the Vatican. It was really neat to go through the whole museum and see the Sisteen Chapel. The museum is filled with thousands of beautiful artworks and sculptures. We then headed over to St. Peter's Basilica which has to be the most beautiful church in all of Europe. Even though it was filled with people, the mood was quiet and respectful not only because of the fact that we were in a church, but also because of the beauty and detail inlaid in every inch. Even the floors were miraculous to look at.
We saw the Spanish steps, a couple of other minor sights and went back to the Trevi fountain area for dinner again. We ended up eatin at the same place because it was so good. After some final pictures at the Trevi we called it a night and left at 4 to catch our flight back. It was a quick trip but completely worth it.

Romeo and Giulietta

This past weekend was spent in the beautiful city of Verona, Italy. Mary, Rina, and I all took a train in the morning and traveled to the city of tragic love. Upon arriving in Verona, the inviting/glorious sun decided to make a special appearance just for us (it had been raining in Milano for the past week). We made our way out of the train station and decided to just go for a walk around the city with our newly bought map. Just walking around Verona was an adventure. We saw an Egyptian statue replica just sitting on a lawn advertising a restaurant. We saw a sign for Bingo, which I insisted that we come back but we did not have time or the energy to handle serious/seasoned Italian Bingo champions. We saw the city's Colosseum, which looked incredible to me, but to Mary and Rina it was not much compared to Rome's Colosseum.
Then, fate happened. As we were walking towards Giulietta's balcony we came across a German beer festival! This festival was completely legit with people in costumes and traditional music and dancing. We decided that we would have to stop by on our way back to the train station.
We grabbed lunch at a local cafe and headed in search for Giulietta's balcony. One of the most interesting things that I have found in almost any city of Italy that I have traveled to, is that no matter how big or small the city is, there will always be incredible shopping!
We finally made it to the most famous balcony in Shakespearean history and I was amazed. Before you make it into the courtyard area of the balcony there is a little hallway/walkway that is filled with love letters. Some are inscribed with the confession of an undying love for another, some are filled with best wishes and hopes for friends, and others contain wishes for Giulietta to send love to them. This was truly an incredible site to see so many letters in so many different languages. Once I made it through the hall my eyes were drawn upward to a structure that I had only read about in books. I had never imagined that I would be able to view the object of the most tragic love story of all time. Even though it was much smaller than what I had imagined, it was still amazing to have been able to see it.
While in the courtyard of Giulietta's balcony I made my love known. In Europe many people put "love locks" on bridges and various gates in important cities or places special to them. A love lock is an actual lock that is supposed to symbolize or represent your love with another person. Once the lock is secure, the key is thrown in the river so that the love will never break apart. Even though it looks cluttered, the keepers of the different bridges do not remove the locks in respect for the idea of love. I decided that Giulietta's balcony was the perfect place for me to lock my love for my betrothed. I then threw the key in the river off the bridge in Verona. I was very happy to have shared my love for another in the country that has changed me forever.
After we left the bridge we walked around for a little longer before making our way back to the train station. While walking back we saw the great beer festival again and decided to have my very first draft beer. Even though I am not a big fan of beer, it was a fun experience. The music was unique and the dancing was very traditional. We ate pretzels and contemplated on staying forever but decided that we needed to catch the train back.
We were very tired and looking forward to a quiet ride home, but we were in for a real treat. Instead of normal passengers, we were treated with about a million Italian Apennines who were on their way to the annual military reunion festival. For almost the entire train ride, we were treated to the loud friendly singing of traditional Italian drinking songs. They even hummed the national anthem for Rina, Mary, and myself. Mary and I of course were forced to sing, but we had a very nice time watching these crazy old men sing and drink homemade wine.
Even though my time in Verona was brief, it is certainly a trip I will never forget.

ciao ciao
Elle

Life in the past three weeks

Okay so life lately has been pretty uneventful in terms of traveling to different countries. Instead, for the past couple of weeks I have been exploring a new place...Milano. Now I know this might sound strange considering I have been living here for three months, but I had never really taken the chance to sit and explore this enchanting city that I have been so fortunate to live in. I have been eating at different places around the city, including this amazing crepe place in the Brera region. I have become a regular at a local cafe called Bar Spuntino. I have ran a different path, three times a week, outside my apartment area which has led me to a couple different parks, and random quiet streets that provide interesting buildings and little shops. The employees at the grocery store recognize me and always start up a small conversation while I am at the check-out counter.
My Italian has improved tremendously from when I first got here. I really feel like I know this city. I even recieved work teaching English to kind young boys who live near my school.
I am a regular at Monday Disney dinners hosted by my dear friends Ruthie and Rachel. Every Monday a group of us go to their apartment and eat a homecooked meal and then watch the Disney movie of the week. Last week was Cinderella, and this week is Anastasia.
I am also a regular at Wednesday night dinners hosted by the greatest, Rina. Tonight was one of her roommate's birthdays so we celebrated with a gluten free meal upon the request of the special birthday girl.
It seems that just as I feel I am starting to fit in around here, my trip is coming to a close. I am thrilled to be able to see my family and my love. I really understand how much they mean to me, and how important it is for me to have them in my life (even if it's just via the internet). I have really grown up in more ways than one since being here. I truly value everyone in my life, and I will never forget how much they all have sacrificed for me to be here. They are the greatest, and I am incredibly lucky to be able to call them my friends and family.
Basically what I am saying is that this trip has been the most life changing experience so far and I still have Rome, Lyon, and Paris to conquer before I leave in four weeks. So keep the good thoughts headed my way, and wish me buon fortuna as I head into finals in a few weeks.

Ciao Ciao
Elle

The Amalfi Coast

First off when I say the Amalfi Coast, I mean Sorrento, Capri, Positano, and Pompeii. These are all cities in Italy that run along the Amalfi Coast.

So I had an eye opening experience to just how beautiful the world can actually be. The first photo is taken in the historical city of Pompeii. What you see is a perfectly preserved body that was covered in ash during the fateful Mt. Vesuvius eruption of 79 A.D. Pompeii was a very interesting city with hand painted murals on many walls, theatres, and of course the famous brothel. It was truly incredible to be able to spend my Easter in a city with so much history and wonder. Although I missed my family, and of course my loved one, I realize just how lucky I am to be able to have had this experience. We took a tour around Pompeii for about two hours, but our tour guide informed us that being able to see all of Pompeii would take days. The city of Pompeii is completely enclosed and is a labeled as one big archaeological dig. Millions visit every year, and walk along the lava rock filled streets. The buildings were interesting to see but the people is what really struck me. I saw the body of a pregnant woman, the remains of a young slave boy with all of his teeth still intact, a dog curled up in the fetal position, and the most interesting was my first picture. After seeing this person with their hands over their face as if they were crying, really showed me how quick the eruption must have happened. There were actually two eruptions that day. The first was an eruption of hot ash that shot 20 miles up out of the volcano and rained down on the city. Whoever survived the first eruption was killed by the second which consisted of hot lava overtaking what was left of the city. Pompeii was a truly tragic, yet beautiful city that was lost to nature.

My second picture is of a little cove my friends and I discovered in Positano. A truly vacation city, Positano consisted of a beautiful beach and many rich people. We were only there for four hours, but in the time I was able to sit on the rock beach and enjoy the weather and also have a pair of leather sandals made for me by the sweetest old man. We talked in broken Italian as I watched him measure and then create my new beautiful sandals. Even though it was a short visit, Positano was definitely beautiful.

My third and fourth pictures are from my new favorite city in the whole world, Capri. If there were ever a city I would want to retire, and then die in, it would be Capri. We arrived in the morning and took a boat tour around the whole island. Our first stop was to the famous Groto Azzuro, blue grotto, which is where my last picture was taken. Although it is one of the 7 wonders of the world, I was a little disappointed with how small it was. We were also only in the grotto for about three minutes, and for 11.50 euro, I think that next time I will pass. We got to walk around the island after the tour and saw some amazing views. We also saw all of the fancy shops, and even ate lunch next to Dolce and Gabbana. We walked to the famous gardens which is where my third picture was taken. I sat on a bench, in the sun for a long time and all I could think about was how I wished he was with me to share in the experience.

Being without the most important people in your life really starts to take its tole after a while. I know how incredibly lucky and fortunate I am to have family, friends, and my special someone who completely support me and my dream of coming to Italy. I also know how I could never live without them and how much they have helped me grow along this journey. So this last note is a thank you to everyone for making my dreams come true. I draw my strength from you and go on everyday knowing that I will see you soon. So here's to you all. Salute!

Baci Baci,

Elle

Sicilia-Palermo and Catania

So just got back from the beginning of the best Spring Break I have ever had. I have just spent the past six days in Sicily. We started off the trip getting a little bit delayed at the train station and had to wait for a bus for three hours at night time. This might have been a little bit nerving if it hadn't been for the patrolling police officers stopping and making friends with us. We all found this to be hilarious and we attempted our best Italian every time they would stop to chat.
We finally made it onto the bus for the airport at 4:30 in the morning and needless to say we were all very tired at this point. We took off for Palermo around six, and when we landed I thought I was in a whole new world. While landing we flew straight past a gigantic rock and over the water onto a tiny little landing strip. This of course terrified us to death, but once the plane stopped we all knew it was going to be an amazing place to be.
We made our way to the hostel in Palermo, and checked in. What we did not expect was the amazingly large room with a beautiful balcony overlooking the city center. It was like the ideal vacation was finally starting after a long night of traveling. We spent the next two days just walking around the city and discovering cute little parks or street markets. Everything seemed so different. I finally felt like I was in the real Italy that you read about in books. Everyone spoke Italian, and there were hardly any other tourists, so we really felt the true feeling of Italian life.
Next came Catania. After a two hour long bus ride we pulled up to a beautiful and warm city. This was exactly the type of weather I had been dreaming about for two months already. It was around 75 degrees and clear blue skies with the setting of a volcano, Mt. Etna, in the background of every sky scene. The first day in Catania we got familiar with the city and landed at the cutest little restaurant I have ever been to in my life. The interior design was that of an old 30's style house with candles and music from the 30's playing softly in the background. The chef personally came out to our table to introduce himself and let us know about his specials for the evening. We spent the next two hours just sitting and eating and soaking up the strangely wonderful new experience.
The next adventure was us four girls renting scooters and driving up the Catania coast line. After getting adjusted to driving a scooter we all drove down right by the water and ran our hands along the Mediterranean Sea. It was absolutely amazing to drive by the ocean and see the little picturesque red houses along the shore. And laughing as we all tried to not kill ourselves by balancing and driving a scooter for the first time.
After feeling really confident about our navigational skills and driving skills, because Catania traffic is insane, we decided to rent a car and go to the only active volcano in all of Europe, Mt. Etna. Just driving there was incredibly fun as all four of us girls sang at the top of our lungs and enjoyed the warm day that was given to us. Once we were at a stopping point on the mountain, we got out and for some reason thought it would be a good idea to climb to the top of a huge crater. It was truly incredible to be able to look out over the city and see a snowy mountain to one side, and the ocean on the other. My breath was absolutely taken away, and at the moment all I could think about was how this was the feeling that I have been searching for during my whole trip. The feeling of accomplishing something difficult, like trying to find our way to the top of a mountain without a map, and then climbing the rocky hill to get to the top, and then just completely having your breath taken away by the beauty of the world.
We eventually headed to the beach in the afternoon and stuck our feet into the icy cold waters. By then it did not matter that we were on a beach with fake sand and trash everywhere. I felt incredibly close to the people in our group, and we were all very proud of ourselves for having the drive and desire to try new things and enjoy the experience from it.
Our last day was spent taking one last stroll around the city we had all fallen in love with. Even though I feel like I say this about every trip I go on, I will most certainly be making another trip to Sicily someday.

Ciao Ciao
Elle

Firenze e Siena

So this past weekend Maaike, Barbara, and myself went to Florence. Even though our train was two and a half hours late, the trip was well worth it. Sitting on the train as we passed through Tuscany we could still see snow on the ground from the previous week's snowfall. It was beautiful seeing all of the hills from the train.
We checked in at this quaint little hostel right near the center, and set out for dinner. We decided to go to one of the recommendations in Lonely Planet, and came upon a sweet looking little restaurant with three people running the whole place. The wine was good and the food was incredible. We started out with bread that had tormino cheese and honey. This was an interesting combination, the cheese was not very strong but the honey added just a little something extra to it. Then the peppercorn beef stew came and I thought that I had just discovered a fine treasure hidden in the restaurant. The beef was so tender it fell off of your fork. We quickly devoured that and sat for a while talking about our studies and how we were excited to be in Florence. The waiter came over and immediately poured us more wine and also brought to the table hot apple cake. Needless to say our first evening in Florence started off with amazing food and hospitality.
The next day we went and saw all of the sights, like the statue of David by Michelangelo (which was beautiful and giganctic), the ponte vecchio, the Duomo and my favorite, the Piazza del Michelangelo. This spot was truly the most beautiful part of Italy that I have seen so far. We were treated to a panoramic view of Florence. Words can not even describe how amazing and content I felt seeing such a beautiful city from high above. It was truly something magical. Almost like being in a movie. We grabbed dinner at a local pizzeria and enjoyed listening to All Saints play through the speakers. We decided that since Tuscany is famous for Tiramisu, we had to have some. After a desperate search we finally found this upscale restaurant and believe me, the tiramisu was well worth the search.
Sunday morning we headed to Siena which was also incredibly beautiful. The weather was wonderful and we walked around and sat on the steps of the Duomo for some time. Maaike and Babsi decided to head up and see the view of Siena but I was perfectly content on just soaking in the sun. After some time I saw a violinist start setting up. As he started to play I was immediately put into a dream. The romantic songs he played and the way he played made me wish that my someone special was there with me to share this little secret by the church. I felt as if I was the only one who could hear the sweet notes being played and the music made sitting at the duomo that much more serene.
We walked around for a little longer and then got on the train for the 4 hour ride home. All in all Firenze and Siena made this past weekend something truly amazing and that I will never forget this special part of Italy.

Ciao Ciao
Elle