As of today I have only 30 days before I'll be back in the USA. This quote pretty much sums it all up.
"A year has passed and now we stand on the brink, of returning to a world where we are surrounded by the paradox of everything and yet nothing being the same. In a couple of weeks we will reluctantly give our hugs and, fighting the tears,we will say goodbye to people who were once just names on a sheet of paper to return to people that we hugged and fought tears to say goodbye to before we ever left.We will leave our best friends to return to our best friends.
We will go back to the places we came from, and go back to the same things we did last summer and every summer before. We will come into town on that same familiar road, and even though it has been months, it will seem like only yesterday. As you walk into your old bedroom, every emotion will pass through you as you reflect on the way your life has changed and the person you have become. You suddenly realize that the things that were most important to you a year ago don't seem to matter so much anymore, and the things you hold highest now, no one at home will completely understand.
Who will you call first? What will you do your first weekend home with your friends? Where are you going to work? Who will be at the party Saturday night? What has everyone been up to in the past few months? Who from school will you keep in touch with? How long before you actually start missing people barging in without calling or knocking? Then you start to realize how much things have changed, and you realize the hardest part of being an exchange student is balancing the two completely different worlds you now live in, trying desperately to hold on to everything all the while trying to figure out what you have to leave behind.
We now know the meaning of true friendship. We know who we have kept in touch with over the past year and who we hold dearest to our hearts. We've left our worlds to deal with the real world. We've had our hearts broken, we've fallen in love, we've helped our best friends overcome eating disorders, depression, stress, and death. We've lit candles at the grotto and we've stayed up all night on the phone just to talk to a friend in need. There have been times when we've felt so helpless being hours away from home when we know our families or friends needed us the most, and there are times when we know we have made a difference.
Just weeks from now we will leave. Just weeks from now we take down our pictures, and pack up our clothes. No more going next door to do nothing for hours on end. We will leave our friends whose random e-mails and phone calls will bring us to laughter and tears this summer, and hopefully years to come. We will take our memories and dreams and put them away for now, saving them for our return to this world.
Just weeks from now we will arrive. Just weeks from now we will unpack our bags and have dinner with our families. We will drive over to our best friend's house and do nothing for hours on end. We will return to the same friends whose random emails and phone calls have brought us to laughter and tears over the year. We will unpack old dreams and memories that have been put away for the past year. In just weeks we will dig deep inside to find the strength and conviction to adjust to change and still keep each other close. And somehow, in some way, we will find our place between these two worlds.
In just weeks."
Friday, June 6, 2014
Monday, June 2, 2014
La famiglia
Ciao ragazzi! It just now hit me that I haven't written on here for a while, but pretty much the time that's passed can be summed up in one simple sentence, MY FAMILY CAME TO VISIT! It was the first time in 9 months that I had seen them, and needless to say I was pretty emotional. So let's start from the beginning.
At 3:30 am May 18th I got on a bus to the Bari airport flew to Rome for a layover, then flew to Venice by myself. About every 30 minutes I would be choking back tears from the anxiety of traveling alone and the thought of being reunited with my family in mere hours. At noon I landed in Venice. When I was exiting the gate the first thing I saw was a man in a purple shirt standing in the middle of the crowd waiting for someone. That man was my dad. I broke out into tears when I saw him and quickly ran so he wouldn't see me. Trying to compose myself I snuck up behind him and surprised him. We then walked over to where my mom and sister were sitting and I cried some more. Yes I know that I'm very dramatic and emotional, but I'd like to see you do it. It's something very few people understand.
From the airport we got on a water taxi that took us to our hotel which was situated right on the grand canal, only two bridges away from Piazza di San Marco. That day we explored the city by ourselves. We walked around for at least two hours and didn't even see half of the city. I'm pretty sure we were just going in circles. We went back to the hotel fairly early to rest because we were all exhausted. The second day in Venice was when we had all of our organized tours. Our first tour started at 9 and consisted of us walking through Piazza di San Marco, Doge's Palace, the prison, and Saint Mark's Basilica. I had already seen the square, but this was the first time I could go into the buildings. The palace and Basilica were breathtaking, all elaborately decorated in gold. From Doge's Palace we walked across the famous Bridge of Sighs and entered the prison. When the tour was finished we went to our hotel to rest before catching a bout ride over to the island of Murano. Anyone who has been following my blog posts knows that Murano is near and dear to my heart. We watched the glass blowers make a flower vase and a horse in a matter of minutes. It's amazing how amazing their artwork is. We then walked through their gift shop. Everything was so beautiful, but the prices made me cringe. "Oh you like these two birds? That'll be €200" we quickly got out of the shop to find a cheaper one where we bought bracelets and a vase. Upon returning we ate and started walking around for the last time. I had this need to buy a venetian carnivale mask and searched for two hours before finding one that was well made but still reasonably priced. It's gold, white, and purple and is the face of a cat. The following morning we said goodbye to Venice and boarded a train to Florence.
Upon arriving in Florence some person tried to help us with our bags. Rule #1 of traveling in Italy: trust no one! These people are here to steal your bags. Thankfully my dad never let go of the bag or we would have been in a lot of trouble. Every big city in Italy is full of robbers and pick pockets. NEVER let go of your bag/purse and never keep anything in your pockets. On our trip we met a couple from New Jersey who had their passports and wallets stolen and just yesterday someone stole my host mother's purse. From the train station we took a short car ride over to our hotel. Our hotel room was two floors, and the hotel itself was 3 blocks from Ponte Vecchio and 5 blocks from the Duomo. We walked around the entire part of the antique city that day and saw most of the most famous parts of the city. The next day, like in Venice, we had our tours. We started our tour in the morning with a bus ride to the top of a hill to get a scenic view of the city. We then returned to the city to tour the Duomo and went over to the Galleria della Accademia to see the most famous sculpture in the world, Michelangelo's David. No pictures were allowed but obviously I had to sneak a few. After lunch we took another tour to the town of Fiesole where Leonardo da Vinci tested out his famous set of wings. We then came back to the city to tour some famous squares before entering the Galleria degli Uffizi, which was named the most beautiful museum in the world. I had many geek out moments when I saw the famous paintings such as La Primavera, The Birth of Venus, and countless others. Unfortunately they were very strict about photos and I didn't manage to take a single one. If you love art you absolutely have to go to this museum. After the tour we went out to eat. I can honestly say that the best food I've ever had in Italy was in Florence. One day I had some delicious gnocchi and our last night in Florence we went to a mozzarella bar where I ate the best pizza I've ever had. It was a magical experience. The following day we got on a train to Naples to pick up a rental car to take us to Nova Siri.
Naples was an... Unforgettable experience. Mostly because the car rental place gave us a car that barely ran. It was a certain type of hell driving in Naples. Something I wish to never repeat. We arrived in Nova Siri with no major incidences and I introduced my family to my host family. We ate dinner together that night. The next day I took my dad and sister to my school and to the beach while my mom hung out at the hotel. We ate lunch at my host family's house and then went to see the sassi of Matera. We got lost on the way back of course and almost ended up driving off a cliff but we got back safe. The next morning we got up bright and early to drive to Rome for the last leg of our journey.
Remember how I said we had a less than perfect car? Well when we were about an hour away from Rome it broke down. Of course all of the messages were in Italian and I don't know much about cars so all I could understand was "stopped" and "engine." After letting the engine cool down a bit we started to drive again. We just barely made it to our hotel. The car fiasco had taken up a good deal of time. We had just arrived at the hotel when a car came to pick us up for our tour of the Vatican. God bless the Vatican, it was one of the few places in Italy where we were allowed to take pictures. The Vatican museums were breathtaking, and of course I left our tour group for a bit to go see the Egyptian section. In the museums everyone is directed in a line towards one place, the Sistine Chapel. Was gorgeous, however no pictures were allowed. You couldn't talk either, which was kind of ironic because there were guards with loud speakers yelling "No pictures! Be quiet!" After the chapel we went into the Basilica and to the square. It's impossible to describe. After the Vatican we returned to the hotel then went out to eat dinner. The next day was very jam packed. In the morning we visited the pantheon and the Trevi fountain. We then went on a tour of Palatine Hill, the forum, and the Colosseum, and later went to the Spanish Stairs. Each was beautiful in it's own way. That was the last night of the trip. The following morning I took a taxi to the bus station to go back to Nova Siri. It was probably the hardest thing I had to do all year. All I wanted to do was stay with my family. Now that almost a week has passed since they left in starting to feel less sad, but it still feels like something is missing. But as of today I have just a little over one month left, so at least I'll see them soon!
To see pictures of the trip follow me on Instagram or friend me on Facebook!
Alla prossima!
At 3:30 am May 18th I got on a bus to the Bari airport flew to Rome for a layover, then flew to Venice by myself. About every 30 minutes I would be choking back tears from the anxiety of traveling alone and the thought of being reunited with my family in mere hours. At noon I landed in Venice. When I was exiting the gate the first thing I saw was a man in a purple shirt standing in the middle of the crowd waiting for someone. That man was my dad. I broke out into tears when I saw him and quickly ran so he wouldn't see me. Trying to compose myself I snuck up behind him and surprised him. We then walked over to where my mom and sister were sitting and I cried some more. Yes I know that I'm very dramatic and emotional, but I'd like to see you do it. It's something very few people understand.
From the airport we got on a water taxi that took us to our hotel which was situated right on the grand canal, only two bridges away from Piazza di San Marco. That day we explored the city by ourselves. We walked around for at least two hours and didn't even see half of the city. I'm pretty sure we were just going in circles. We went back to the hotel fairly early to rest because we were all exhausted. The second day in Venice was when we had all of our organized tours. Our first tour started at 9 and consisted of us walking through Piazza di San Marco, Doge's Palace, the prison, and Saint Mark's Basilica. I had already seen the square, but this was the first time I could go into the buildings. The palace and Basilica were breathtaking, all elaborately decorated in gold. From Doge's Palace we walked across the famous Bridge of Sighs and entered the prison. When the tour was finished we went to our hotel to rest before catching a bout ride over to the island of Murano. Anyone who has been following my blog posts knows that Murano is near and dear to my heart. We watched the glass blowers make a flower vase and a horse in a matter of minutes. It's amazing how amazing their artwork is. We then walked through their gift shop. Everything was so beautiful, but the prices made me cringe. "Oh you like these two birds? That'll be €200" we quickly got out of the shop to find a cheaper one where we bought bracelets and a vase. Upon returning we ate and started walking around for the last time. I had this need to buy a venetian carnivale mask and searched for two hours before finding one that was well made but still reasonably priced. It's gold, white, and purple and is the face of a cat. The following morning we said goodbye to Venice and boarded a train to Florence.
Upon arriving in Florence some person tried to help us with our bags. Rule #1 of traveling in Italy: trust no one! These people are here to steal your bags. Thankfully my dad never let go of the bag or we would have been in a lot of trouble. Every big city in Italy is full of robbers and pick pockets. NEVER let go of your bag/purse and never keep anything in your pockets. On our trip we met a couple from New Jersey who had their passports and wallets stolen and just yesterday someone stole my host mother's purse. From the train station we took a short car ride over to our hotel. Our hotel room was two floors, and the hotel itself was 3 blocks from Ponte Vecchio and 5 blocks from the Duomo. We walked around the entire part of the antique city that day and saw most of the most famous parts of the city. The next day, like in Venice, we had our tours. We started our tour in the morning with a bus ride to the top of a hill to get a scenic view of the city. We then returned to the city to tour the Duomo and went over to the Galleria della Accademia to see the most famous sculpture in the world, Michelangelo's David. No pictures were allowed but obviously I had to sneak a few. After lunch we took another tour to the town of Fiesole where Leonardo da Vinci tested out his famous set of wings. We then came back to the city to tour some famous squares before entering the Galleria degli Uffizi, which was named the most beautiful museum in the world. I had many geek out moments when I saw the famous paintings such as La Primavera, The Birth of Venus, and countless others. Unfortunately they were very strict about photos and I didn't manage to take a single one. If you love art you absolutely have to go to this museum. After the tour we went out to eat. I can honestly say that the best food I've ever had in Italy was in Florence. One day I had some delicious gnocchi and our last night in Florence we went to a mozzarella bar where I ate the best pizza I've ever had. It was a magical experience. The following day we got on a train to Naples to pick up a rental car to take us to Nova Siri.
Naples was an... Unforgettable experience. Mostly because the car rental place gave us a car that barely ran. It was a certain type of hell driving in Naples. Something I wish to never repeat. We arrived in Nova Siri with no major incidences and I introduced my family to my host family. We ate dinner together that night. The next day I took my dad and sister to my school and to the beach while my mom hung out at the hotel. We ate lunch at my host family's house and then went to see the sassi of Matera. We got lost on the way back of course and almost ended up driving off a cliff but we got back safe. The next morning we got up bright and early to drive to Rome for the last leg of our journey.
Remember how I said we had a less than perfect car? Well when we were about an hour away from Rome it broke down. Of course all of the messages were in Italian and I don't know much about cars so all I could understand was "stopped" and "engine." After letting the engine cool down a bit we started to drive again. We just barely made it to our hotel. The car fiasco had taken up a good deal of time. We had just arrived at the hotel when a car came to pick us up for our tour of the Vatican. God bless the Vatican, it was one of the few places in Italy where we were allowed to take pictures. The Vatican museums were breathtaking, and of course I left our tour group for a bit to go see the Egyptian section. In the museums everyone is directed in a line towards one place, the Sistine Chapel. Was gorgeous, however no pictures were allowed. You couldn't talk either, which was kind of ironic because there were guards with loud speakers yelling "No pictures! Be quiet!" After the chapel we went into the Basilica and to the square. It's impossible to describe. After the Vatican we returned to the hotel then went out to eat dinner. The next day was very jam packed. In the morning we visited the pantheon and the Trevi fountain. We then went on a tour of Palatine Hill, the forum, and the Colosseum, and later went to the Spanish Stairs. Each was beautiful in it's own way. That was the last night of the trip. The following morning I took a taxi to the bus station to go back to Nova Siri. It was probably the hardest thing I had to do all year. All I wanted to do was stay with my family. Now that almost a week has passed since they left in starting to feel less sad, but it still feels like something is missing. But as of today I have just a little over one month left, so at least I'll see them soon!
To see pictures of the trip follow me on Instagram or friend me on Facebook!
Alla prossima!
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