homecoming.

JUST 2 OLD HIPPIES

Homecoming... aka the week of festivities where us sorority gals get to dress our best for an entire week straight.  Homecoming is truly a tradition of welcoming back the alumni from years past, but of course, Greek Life has transformed that tradition into one GIANT social.  It's just another reason to put on your hippie outfit, throw up those peace signs, & wear non-prescription glasses for no purpose whatsoever... it just makes life more interesting.  

This year was probably my favorite experience with homecoming because I actually had the opportunity to participate in the events!  You know you do it right when you get all dressed up, you dance like a crazy person with a group of your favorite sorority sisters, you get home super late, sleep 5 minutes, & turn around & do it again... (homecoming week in a nutshell).

Growing up I always had a fascination with dressing up... you know, stealing your mom's costume jewelry for a fancy tea party or finding your great-great-great grandmothers mothball smelling dresses in the back closet to drape over you when playing house.  Then of course there is Halloween... who didn't go all out for that gem of a holiday?  It was a holiday invented for us kids to let our inner freak fly outside the comfort of our own homes. Wait... am I talking about kids here or college students?  Maybe they're one in the same?  The content may have aged, but the idea most definitely has not.

I know I'm not the only girl out there who would play dress up like 47483754 times a day as a little kid & I know I'm not the only girl out there who STILL does this, often.  So... I will bring up this burning question that everyone else has been thinking too (I know you are, don't deny it)... Why is dressing up so fun? 

The answer is... I HAVE NO IDEA.  It is just fun.  Even you guys like to do it too.  Socials prove it all... sometimes they are the ones who even get most into the nightly themes.  & the truth is, it is funny because there is so much hype about Halloween each year, but when you're in a sorority, almost every week is Halloween, but it just never seems to get old.

WOODSTOCK

TAMPA DINNER CRUISE

So after a whole week of non-stop "dress up," I wrapped up the weekend most perfectly with a Gator Game... even though we lost & we aren't doing so hot this year, it is ALWAYS "great to be a Florida Gator."  Especially when I get a wonderful visit from the lovely Alberta!  This time I chose to dress as myself... one of my favorite costumes to dress up in.  It's always nice to know that during the day, after a long week, you can always go back to being a regular, old gator.  Welcome home alumni!    

Ciao & Go Gata!

mumford & sons.

For the second weekend in a row I indulged in a concert... I know how it looks, but this is a fluke!  I never go to concerts.  I just happened to hit the concert jackpot within a week of each other.  I went from the incredible John Mayer to the indescribable talent of Mumford & Sons!  What a crazy awesome concert... rather a fest of concerts; a plethora of indie bands with a very strange yet perfect mix of people.

The music was awesome... all 7-8 bands we heard!  Most I hadn't really heard of, but the best part about not knowing the songs & bands that are playing is that you don't feel compelled to huddle with the other 478538653 sweaty & "personal spaceless bubble" people who are standing as close as possible to the stage, but you just get to dance in the back.  We set up camp with the other rusty dancers & got out of our comfort zone a little.  I can tell you from experience... I am NO dancer, but at a concert it doesn't matter because it's all about letting free your inner spirit (hence the fake glasses... *my inner spirit*). 

On Friday night, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros sang last!  They put on quite the entertaining show because they really interact with the audience.  Edward & Jade would constantly ask for audience stories to add to their songs' conversational portions & they would jump down into the front row of people a few times to hear them speak.  I got so much dance on, especially when "Home" came on... I just let loose.  You know the saying... right?  "Dance like no one's watching."  I DID.  A LOT.  I think Emily may or may not have been embarrassed... but I did catch her sneaking a dance here & there!

The idea of letting out your inner spirit is best described by Edward Sharpe (who is actually really Alexander Ebert).  He created this alternative identity for himself, which he calls his "alter ego," which has practically taken over his life.  Mine is definitely not that strong... my dancing spirit is only visible under low light visibility, at concerts, in the back, with my goofy glasses on. Inclusive.  It's a start.....      

Anyway, after spending a great morning at St. Augustine Beach & stuffing ourselves with delicious BBQ, we returned to the concert stuffed & ready to hear some more bands.  We kept slowly creeping forward because today we came prepared to be packed like sardines.  Everyone & their mom arrived early to get front row seats to see Mumford.  For 5+ hours people camped out to stake a claim on their spot.

I can't tell you how AMAZING it was to see Mumford perform, but I can tell you it was AMAZING to see them perform.  They were perfect & talented; playing banjos & guitars, drums & cellos, mandolins & the microphone... I have never seen a more well-rounded group.  30,000 people were there watching & singing along to every single one of their songs for their FIRST performance in Florida.  They played 6 encore songs & it still wasn't enough!  TAKE ME BACK!!!    

One of my favorite parts of the weekend was the decor all around town... the awesome signs & posters, the flags, the street chalk, & especially the MUSTACHES!!  They were everywhere!  I may or may not have taken one as a souvenir... I like it.

I don't know when mustaches became "in," but all I know is that my good friend Haisley has loved mustaches before I can even remember!  She was above the fad, which I so easily fell into... they are just so cute (not real ones though.......)!

Well... I think that is all!  I mustache you a question, but I'll shave it for later.  (Sorry, I had to).

CIAO!

john mayer.

Well, in 2 words I can pretty much describe my weekend... JOHN MAYER!

Considering it was practically my first real concert, besides seeing Britney Spears in the 4th grade... "Oops I did it again" style, it was a pretty great concert to start off my music run on.  He was perfect.  Although rumor has it he has had difficulty with his throat & singing, he reached those high notes & sang almost all the class favorites in that sultry John Mayer way.  You know how he stares at you with that little quirky smile... his style is intoxicating. 

Anyway, it was very cool to see him in action after listening to his music for years now.  Growing up it was one of the few CDs in circulation that my mom actually liked.  You know... the old school "Room for Squares" album that had some of the best songs (Your Body is a Wonderland, 83, My Stupid Mouth...).  I grew up with John Mayer getting stuck in my head, seeing him rise to fame, watching my parents go to his concert (jealous of course because I didn't even get an invite... hint hint).  But I have gotten over my raging jealousy because... (drum roll please) I finally got my turn!

It was definitely worth the wait, but I was still hoping he'd sing some more of his oldies but definitely goodies.  Believe me... I was more than happy just to be there, watching him jam.  I never understood how talented he actually was at the guitar.  You know the songs & you hear the instrumental parts, but I never sat back & thought about his playing.  He was GREAT--playing behind the back, playing like we were listening to the song in fast forward, & playing long rhythmic solos.   (The way the camera zoomed in on his hands was like watching the "Titanic" all over again... if you've seen it, you'll understand).

I never understood why miss Chloe Briscoe was always so OBSESSED with John Mayer, but now I get it all.  It's all in the music & it's even better live.

Besides him playing my personal favorite, Your Body is a Wonderland (which he sang looking directly at me, of course!!), he did a few covers; including another one of my faves, Don't Stop Believing!  I didn't know how much I would like his concert at first since I wasn't super caught up with his newest album, but it was fantastic... even the new stuff.  I just kind of jammed & swayed along (pretending to know the words) with the music.  I didn't want it to end. 

Met some lovely EPhi Kappas :)

You can tell John ( I can call him that... right?  I think we have that kind of relationship) is a smart guy with those deep, beautiful lyrics, & he had a few wise things to say that reminded me of my blog: he spoke about how when he was younger he always thought about the future, how old he was & constant everyday worries, but now he just thinks about how it is great just being alive & awesome.  It sounds familiar, right?  Sounds a whole lot like "living in the moment..." huh?  I knew John would quote me one day... just didn't realize it would happen so soon!

Anyway... the weekend was in a nutshell, PERFECT! Besides the Gators losing, which we WILL NOT discuss.  

And a big shout out to Chloe Scott & family & friends for providing me with food & shelter during the weekend!! Thank you so much, it was great!

Ciao-Ciao.

biking, hiking & rock&roll.

Colorado is awesome... I mean I already knew that, but it is a completely different breed in the summertime.  Why wasn't I born here?  I belong in the mountains... I am a mountain child.  One of the best parts about being here is seeing the different sides of my parents.  They are mountain people too?  Well... apparently so & they haven't been doing half bad either. 

So back to the title of this post, biking, hiking & rock&roll, that has been the agenda these last few days. 

Yesterday we went biking from Snowmass Village to Aspen, which is about a 9 mile trek through some hilly terrain.  Now I know I am a wimp & a terrible bike rider... but that first couple of miles was rough stuff.  If you promise not to tell anyone, I may or may not have walked my bike up a section.  In my defense, I almost couldn't walk up it either... 

After conquering the more challenging trails, we eventually became one with the wind and began flying down.  It was awesome.

When we arrived in Aspen, we ate lunch at this restaurant in the downtown area called BB's Kitchen, where I scarfed down a pulled chicken salad and a banana-blueberry smoothie.  I am attempting to be a bit more healthy since my stint in Italy.  Day 5... still. eating. gelato.  Why??  I told my mom to starve me.  It is hard when she likes food just as much as I do...

After lunch, we attempted to ride around the city a bit more, but lucky me, I had no padding in my shorts and I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable... if you know what I mean.  Melissa McCarthy from "Bridesmaids" would be more frank about it, but I will stick to subtleties... my but was sore.  I will admit it... I am no Lance Armstrong.  (But then again, I don't think he is either.  Too soon?)

Every day I return to the condo feeling 100% satisfied that I lived in the moment.  I feel tired, but that good kind of tired that proves you did something valuable with your day.  I never feel like I am wasting my time away out here.  We are always on the move, always hiking, biking, & hiking more... & the small amount we relax is important & definitely much needed.  We use our time wisely out here!

The great thing about summer in Snowmass are the free weekly concerts on the slope.  Around 6:30 the music began to call us down the mountain to where everyone in the valley was.  Where did all the young people come from?  I literally didn't know real young adults lived in & around the Snowmass area except during winter time.  It was a completely different atmosphere with the green hills, blue skies, teenagers & college students, live music, beer instead of hot chocolate sold on the slopes, & the lifts not in motion.  You almost wouldn't recognize the place.  The band that played is a British band called the Dunwells... they were nice to listen to, but played quietly.  Mostly people were there to socialize rather than listen to the music... it still counts as rock&roll, even though it was quiet!!


We stayed there for about 2 hours when we heard "Scandal" calling us from the condo.  You always listen to Olivia Pope...she kept us entertained.

Allora, this morning we woke up a little earlier to attempt to leave the condo for Cathedral Lake.  After a bit of a late start, we finally headed about a half an hour away to the trail head.  Cathedral Lake is a 6 mile round trip hike to this alpine lake at 11,900 feet.  We gained about 2,000 feet in elevation, hiked casually through groves of aspens, tripped over rocks in bouts of scree fields (a little bit of rock&roll if you ask me!), & practicaly keeled over and collapsed from the steep switchbacks.  But it was worth it because at the end of the trail there was a bright blue lake surrounded by rocky mountains that resembled cathedral spires.

We sat by the lake for a bit enjoying the ambiance when a dog walked up behind us... it was a shiba-inu.  If you don't know what that means... first off look one up because they are adorable & second off, it is the type of dog we have.  We greeted the shiba with a "hey Suki," because that is the name of our dog & it seemed fitting.  I guess we were right, because guess what that dog's name was?  Yep, Suki.  I know, I know... you can't believe it.  We couldn't believe it either!  That just made the day even better.

And beyond that we ate at this cool restaurant, which is only accessible during the winter by snowmobiles or cross country skiers.  It is literally in the middle of no where, but it was a very delicious meal... especially after a great 5 hour hike! 

Cathedral Lake

Sporting my Camp Pinnacle Hat

So far this has been such an amazing summer!  The only thing I am looking forward to now is seeing my little kiddos at camp, but hey... that can wait because I am living every moment in the moment.

Ciao-Ciao

I signed an aspen tree :)

beatles night.

GIORNI VENTINOVE & TRENTA
So again, ( I am sorry I am being repetitive) I am going to start with today will be a pretty boring post.  Today I woke up rather early and went for a run along the Arno.  The temperature is definitely getting warmer, but today was a strangely cold morning.

When I got back I showered and got ready, and we all went to The Diner for breakfast.  Christina and I shared a massive pile of chocolate chip pancakes and we practiced our oral presentations... I was a little worried about mine because I get so nervous in front of crowds, but when I stood up in front of the class to give mine, I announced, "You are all in your underwear right now."  It helped a lot.  As long as I was fully clothed and they were all wearing underwear, I was golden.

It went well... I only forgot about a few things and I only referred to my paper once!  Rory's was so funny because she took sketch photos of her teachers.  She had this one of Marta where she was looking in her purse in the background behind a small packet of Nutella. Priceless.

After class we headed to wine class, where we had a small quiz to test our knowledge.  Crushed it, but did not succeed in the blind wine tasting... what is this?  Wine is so unpredictable, yet I am hearing that it is pretty readable.  It's just not my forte!

On the way home Danielle totally creeped on Carrie and me, and scared us so bad.  We walked into this store and I had casually said, "I have never been on this street before," and all of the sudden it was repeated behind me.  I felt a shiver go through me... it shouldn't have scared me that much, but it was so creepy!!  You got me Danielle!  You better watch your back because I am getting you back... Just kidding.  Or am I?

Allora, when I got back to the apartment I was pleased to see that Tarah, Savannah, and Christina were still here because Tarah wasn't feeling too well.  Uh, oh!  On the bright side, Carly H., Mallory, and Paula are now in town!  Carly can join us in an epic PI CHI picture and we are planning a great night out with all of them!  So excited!


Anyway, we first went to this Mexican restaurant called Tijuana for margaritas... I officially know I do NOT like margaritas.  Or maybe it's just tequila, but no way!  So we were just hanging out, eating chips and salsa, asking for refills because you ALWAYS need refills on chips when you have queso and salsa... they never thought to tell us that each new basket of chips costs three euro.  We were not happy.  Not only that, there is absolutely no customer service... I know I have talked about this before, but it was ridiculous that we had to actually go find our waitress last night to bring us our check, and she was rude to us the whole night.  If we could give tips here we wouldn't have given anything to her.  Therefore I am openly telling you NOT to go to Tijuana in Firenze.  They will rip you off.  And you won't like it.

After Tijuana and our fight with the staff, we walked to this underground bar where a band of four men did covers of the Beatles.  They attempted to talk in British accents behind their Italian ones and also dressed in Beatles garb.  It was pretty cool and the place was packed!  Eventually Mallory, Carly, and Paula showed up and they all moved to the back room to have more space.  Everyone was really into it except this random girl who was sleeping at the front table... What?  The guitars were practically blaring in her ears and she was just taking a little nap right in the middle of "Help!"  Classic.  I honestly wish I could sleep as soundly as her with that amount of noise
going on around her... Props.

After a while the place got super crowded, so we decided to head out and make our way to another place.  Of course we ended up at the place we swore to never return to... The Lions Fountain.  But today was way better because there were less people and way less obnoxious Americans. 

The music was good and we just had a good time.  Although we planned on staying out until the sunrise so we could watch it on the bridge, I am lame and went back to sleep!  Tarah, Savannah, and Mallory stayed out and hung out on the bridge where this section juts out over the water.  They told me this morning that if the police catch you there it is a 5,000 euro fine.  What?  That is literally the largest fine I have ever heard for something so menial... I can't.

So, right now I am up and ready to go.  Today is another logistics day because tomorrow I will be gone until very late Sunday,  "Gone to the Beach."

IMPORTANT:  I will not be able to blog until maybe Sunday, but probably Monday!  Don't give up on me!  I promise I will be back!

you're gunna miss me when i'm gone.

DAY ELEVEN
I don't know if it was because I ate coffee gelato at night or because I was SO excited to be going to Venice the next morning, but Thursday night was probably one of the worst sleeps (if you can even call it that) I have ever had.  I got into bed before midnight, but didn't actually sleep until well after four-thirty.  And in that span of over four hours, I scared three people in my apartment who thought I was a creeper.  I was always in the wrong place at the wrong time, and I was pegged as robber/serial killer.  I guess I have been talking up Dexter a little too much lately... sorry Tarah!

Well anyway, we woke up at six-thirty to catch the bus to Venice!  I was so excited about going because in my family travels to Italy in the 1990s, we had never made it to Venice, and the movie "The Italian Job" just made the city on water look amazing!  As we drove north for four hours, the sunny Firenze weather slowly deteriorated into rainy and dreary, yet abnormal Venice weather.  "Piove a dirotto!"  Not only was it "raining buckets," but it was windy as well... to the point where you couldn't have an umbrella because it would invert itself constantly!  (Thank you mom for making me bring that stupid disposable poncho!) 

All I can say is that working with both Adventure Treks and Camp Pinnacle over the last couple of years has taught me a few things: 1.  You can NEVER NEVER EVER delta the weather... it is going to do what it is going to do, and you can't change it. 2. When you're stuck in a rainstorm and it is really easy to be miserable... DON'T because it is so much more fun just to have a dance party and smile it off because you might as well make the most of it!  There is ALWAYS a bright side... you just have to find it!

Inverted... unhappy.

When we got off the bus for the ferry to Venice, there was so much rain.  We all looked like gnomes in our ponchos and hooded rain jackets.  We all ambled down the path to the ferry... some running others tiptoeing through puddles.  The ferry was warm, but left most people with that angry face... you know the one that says, "Why am I here? And there is no way they are making me get off this boat!" Well... they made us get off.

Everyone was seemingly miserable, but there was definitely a bright side... we were in VENICE and it wasn't thundering/lighting out!  How cool is that?  Well... I thought it was pretty cool.  The waves were huge and splashed over the curbs(?) (considering the waterways are their streets!) and filled the pathways.  We were walking over bridge after bridge over the greenish water to find Piazzo San Marco, Venice's most famous square that houses the Church of St. Mark and very expensive stores, restaurants, and on this day a swimming pool of ankle deep water!  It was a trap!  We had about an hour to kill before we had to meet up with the group again for a tour, so we looked for Harry's Bar, which is the bar where Ernest Hemingway would write his books back in the day.  We should have known something was amiss when we walked in because the waiters were all dressed in white tuxes, while we were scantily clad with our ponchos, wet hair, and Chacos.  They brought us upstairs (where the ugly people sit) and we looked at the menu in disbelief... I could have fed a small country with the price of single Peach Bellini (16 euro) or a slice of chocolate cake (25 euro).  I settled with one of the cheapest things I saw on the menu, a cappuccino, and drank that while I snuck cookies into my mouth while the men in tuxes were not on the prowl.  I felt cheap, but I also liked it because my cookies were already paid for!

Carrie, Emily, Danielle, & Me Gator chomping

Looking at the Rialto Bridge

In the distance we could see some blue sky peeking out from behind the monstrous clouds.  There was hope!  So Danielle and I went to San Marco to meet up with the group for the walking tour.  At this point, the weather seemed to completely change... Italian weather must be bipolar because it can change several times before I have even made a decision on what flavor gelato I would like (no exaggeration... well maybe a little, but you get the point).  Anyway, let me start off with Venice is awesome.  It is the one place I have been that truly matched my expectations (besides the cleanliness).  The roads were waterways and canals that snaked through the city.  All dead ends ended with a canal and the buildings were all naturally old with old brick showing through behind the colorfully painted facades.  Everything seemed surprisingly real to me.  It was beautiful.  Unfortunately, it is a city that is falling to the sea... they need pylons to secure the heaviest buildings and the water level continues to rise.  Also, one day Venice will be a ghost town only filled with curious tourists because it is too expensive and difficult a lifestyle to live anymore.  The population is quickly dwindling as people grow up and move a way to a more convenient city.

The tour led us all throughout the city and up to the famous Rialto Bridge.  The waterways were filled with the classic gondolas and their gondoliers, as well as an excessive amount of trash.  I guess when you live on an island you have to dump your trash (sewage) somewhere... ew.  It is FORBIDDEN to swim in the water, for health reasons.  If I were to follow any law, it would probably definitely be that one.  That water had seen better days.  It didn't detract from my love of the city though, because there was a quaint charm about it, once you escaped the tourists hogging San Marco, of course.  I feel like I could live there... it just seemed perfect.  I could tell on our tour guide's face how much he loved Venice.  he grew up there and knew nothing different.  How cool would it be to grow up in a place like Venice?

Well anyway, when the tour finally ended, Tarah, Savannah, and Christina and Danielle and I met up to walk around for a bit on our own before heading back to the ferry.  We walked around semi-aimlessly until we reached the bridge and took an excessive amount of pictures as did an excessive amount of other tourists.  There is no patience in a tourist's trap like the Rialto Bridge.  But it was worth the elbows and umbrellas to the face because the view down the Gran Canale was absolutely gorgeous.  The sun was at a perfect shinning position over the water, the boats and gondolas were in complete action, and the colorful homes on the side looked beautiful.  You can't not like Venice.  Wait, was there a raging storm two hours ago?

I don't know if you remember the part of "Pitch Perfect" where Anna Kendrick went to the audition for the "Bellas" and sang that song while playing with the cup.  Well that song became the theme song of our ENTIRE time in Venice.  It was more than stuck in our minds, it was ingrained into them.  We couldn't stop singing it.  If you don't know what I am talking about, check out this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhECTE2-Oqc --THAT SONG!  It is addictive.  I will apologize for getting it stuck in your mind now.  "Oh, I know you're gunna miss me when I'm gone."

"To build a city where it is impossible to build a city is madness in itself, but to build one of the most elegant and grandest of cities is the madness of genius."
-Alexander Herzen 

"It is held by some that this word VENETIA signifies VENI ETIAM, that is, come again, and again, for however oft you come, you will always see new things, and new beauties."
-Jacopo Sansovino

 

Once our time was up, we headed back to the ferry and climbed on.  The only part of the day that was actually efficient was the process of pulling out of the dock and boating to the mainland.  Other than that the day was a cluster of mishaps because of the rain.  Oh well, it turned out great!  We shared the channel back to the mainland with beautiful, multi-million dollar yachts and cruise ships docked along the coast.  Once back to the bus, we drove a very short distance until reaching the hotel, which was a very bazaar-looking establishment adorned with a Las Vegasy-esque feel to it.  It was sort of comical.  We quickly got settled and waited until we were we scheduled to meet downstairs to walk to the"very close" dinner reservation.  It was NOT close.  Fifteen minutes later, in the freezing cold we strolled up to a restaurant in the middle of what seemed to be a ghost town.  I did not pack appropriately for Italy.  Who knew it would be freezing temperatures in the summer?  That's not what the pamphlet said!

The food was actually pretty good though!  We had a pasta dish with vegetables (finally something green!), a chicken on the bone with potatoes, and a flan for dessert.  I approved.  It lasted a little long though... by the time two hours had elapsed, I was ready to get to sleep considering I had slept only two hours the night before.  I was wiped!

Back at the hotel I showered and immediately went to bed.  It was such a great sleep until I woke up at six-thirty shivering.  What is this?!?  I actually went as far is pulling that nasty comforter that probably has never seen a washing as far as my legs.   Well... Buongiorno I suppose!

hakuna matata.

DAY NINE
I don't know why, but it seems like every day it gets harder and harder to wake up... probably because I just keep having so much fun!  Another thing about this summer so far in Italy is that it is not hot.  All I have ever heard about the summer weather in Italy is how sweltering it is.  The temperature hasn't even come close to reaching eighty, and when we wake up, it is in the low fifties!  Global warming what?

Somewhere in the middle is my apartment... no view of the river, but great location near the Arno!

Allora, Danielle and I decided to make chocolate chip banana pancakes this morning!  Of course she mixed the batter and I flipped... always the sous-chef behind Danielle.  They came out delicious, but very different and interesting.  They were thick and heavy pancakes, still sweet with the chocolate, but very filling.  After breakfast, our first item on the "to-do" list was to visit our favorite Forno man.  I bought some round bread for sandwiches, my go-to meal, and Danielle attempted to ask our guy where you could find baking soda to make cookies.  It was cute to watch him attempt to understand.  He had NO idea what we meant.  He understood that it was an ingredient in baking and that it was white, but that is as far as we got.

The bread of Firenze does not have salt on or in it here unless you specifically ask.  Legend says that in the 12th century, when Firenze and Pisa were in a war, the Pisans tried to block shipments of salt into the city to make Florentines surrender; however, Firenze just started to make their breads without salt instead!  Tradition still holds true... and it is a very distinctive flavor on the palate!  Doesn't stop me from eating a sandwich for almost every meal.

I eat, sleep, breathe this movie.

We started walking toward all'Mercato Centrale after hitting up the Forno to buy fruits and stare longingly at all the delicious looking cheeses.  ALL the cheese here look so good and if you don't know me well then you probably don't know that I am obsessed beyond obsessed with cheese.  I am that awkward person who asks "Do you like cheese?" to random people just like Amanda Bynes from "She's the Man."  No shame.  I can seriously carry on a complete conversation about it, but I will stop... mostly for everyone else's' sake and so I can write about more of my day before midnight.  While we walked around aimlessly for a while because sometimes we still like to get lost, we discovered some cute shops that seemed to be reasonably priced!  It is so frustrating living in such a hip city where you want literally EVERYTHING and it is all so expensive!

So by the time we finished up walking around aimlessly, it was about time for me to go to Italian class. Class is starting to move along more quickly, but we still haven't covered any new material in the lessons yet, which concerns me since we are already almost 1/3 of the way through Summer A.  That's crazy isn't it?  I hope this summer doesn't fly by because I want to savor ever last second of it!  Allora, my teacher is so nice, but almost too nice in a way that prevents her from adequately correcting people when they make mistakes... I would rather be corrected so I actually know I am saying something with the right enunciation or emphasis or anything.  It's important.  Again, it really makes us appreciate how great of a teacher Alessia was!  We sent her an email today asking her if she will be able to visit us in Roma when we visit there with the program in about two weeks.  She lives in a small town right outside Roma, so hopefully she will meet us and show us around... that would be awesome!

Right after class, Carrie and I walked to Wine Class together, hoping Livia (our teacher) left her hair down today, so she will be less stiff.  Her hair wasn't down, but she was doing a bit better today.  We tasted three red wines today from different regions and "terroir," meaning soil, of Italy: one from Piedmont in the north, one from the south, and one from central Italy.  We learned about how the different styles of vines (grown on terraces, flat, or hilly ground) affect the color, smell, and taste of the wines.  I loved the Dolcette from Piedmont, and apparently it smelled of pepper and some "fruits," pronounced "fru-eats."  One of Livia's slides explained the olfactory sensations of some northern region red wines, such as wood, pepper, tar, and even rubber gloves... I was at first confused by that, but then I smelled wine number two, and I kid you not I would be surprised if there weren't rubber gloves up in there.  Sometimes the smell of cloves is similar to rubber gloves?  My favorite part of that class is joking around with Carrie and Paige as we taste our wines.    

 

I discovered my new favorite store today, and it may be "the best thing since sliced bread."  And even though I pass it everyday on the way to class, I never actually walked in... it's the "Tutti e 99 Centi" store!  And yes, EVERYTHING is 99 cents!  It is even better than the Dollar Tree because the stuff actually is somewhat good quality.  Okay, I know what you're thinking, but I am a college student, so it is acceptable to shop at a 99 cent store... ask around.  I'm serious.  

Just me behind my own lens... being goofy, per usual!

Well... anyway, when I finished being cheap, I returned to Tintori to make myself one of my famous salami sandwiches and hung out until my roommates came back to keep me entertained!  We finally booked our trip to the Cinque Terre when Tarah and Savannah's parents are here!  I can't wait!   It is going to be perfect!

Here are some pictures from our 1999 family vacation!  It's also perfect! <3

Tonight we plan on going back to that English pub, Kikuya to meet some friends!  Luckily there is no class tomorrow, so il Duomo... here we come!  It is so beautiful and humungous from the outside, so I can't wait to explore!

"Hakuna Matata"

the sound of music.

DAY EIGHT
Today was great!  We woke up pretty early to get ready for our first train ride to Pisa!  Danielle and I played some Goo Goo Dolls to wake up the others... luckily they only complained that the music wasn't cheerful enough, not that it was 8:30 in the morning.  For the win!

Train #4 3/4 to Pisa! Arrivaderci!

We left exactly at 9:30 for the train station and stopped at a panetteria on the way to buy bread for sandwiches later.  Picnic on the Pisa grass?  Yeah, we're cute.  We even remembered to bring towels!  When we got to the station, we went straight to the ticket counter, but an attendant came up to us and told us to buy our tickets at a newspaper stand, where you can buy a train ticket at any time.  On a very IMPORTANT NOTE: when you go to Italy and buy a train ticket, you MUST get the ticket authorized at a little machine on the loading platform!  It punches a small hole and a time onto the ticket, which is important because an attendant will come by on the train and check your ticket.  If it is not authorized you have to pay a fifty euro fine, which would be awful considering our tickets cost just under eight euro... so make sure you definitely authorize your ticket!

1999

2013

The train ride was pretty fun because it was something we hadn't done yet and we were actually going to a different city for the day!  When we arrived at the station in Pisa we all had The Leaning Tower on the mind, and walked straight to it.  It was so weird when we turned the corner and it was just there... it just didn't look real!  Nothing in Italy looks real!  The Tower is so cool because when you look up into the sky, it appears to be falling in the direction of the moving clouds!  In 1997 when I first visited Pisa with my family The Tower was closed to the public because stabilization studies and the weight of the bells were causing it strain.  You can see that Daniel did a great job pushing it down, but Scott and I failed miserably at keeping it up... sorry Pisa?  Anyway, it reopened in 2008, but the cost to the top is fifteen euro... we chose to stick to the leaning pictures instead!  And we got plenty of them for sure!

Pisa is a sweet little town with a bit more diversity than Firenze and way less traffic.  It is a bit pricey, but if you bring your own lunch and sit out by the duomo in the soft lawn, it is awesome and nice relaxing thing to do!  Pisa definitely warrants a visit.  So... after finishing up with our pictures, we laid down our towels and pulled out the bread and salami.  We also had some leftover zitti and some cherries to go along with our beautiful spread!  What is weird about Italy is how people don't seem to care/be aware of PDA (public display of affection).  It is everywhere and anywhere, and bystanders don't seem to react at all to this display at all... it is normal.  In the United States that amount of love is not shared with the public...

After we finished, the sun felt so good that we took a nap in the super soft grass.  It was AMAZING and such a chill way to spend our day.  Tarah put on some hipster music and we became one with the music.  I even stood up at one point and twirled in the field, inspired by the Sound of Music and how perfect the day felt!  Un buon giorno!   

When we finally had to leave around, after forcing ourselves to turn off the music, put our shoes back on, and walk back to the Pisa Train Station. I know, I know... it is a hard life, being forced to return to Firenze after a perfect day in Pisa, but we got through it.  We felt the wave of tired as we sat on the train back home, but when we decided to go out to dinner, we all perked up a bit.  How does pear and asiago cheese ravioli with asparagus in a delicious cream sauce sound?  Amazing... well that's what we had.  All five of us ordered the SAME thing!  The waiter at the Trattoria Four Leoni was pretty amused and continued to watch us and laugh throughout the meal.  He caught me at every awkward bite and made fun of every "Italish" attempt I had.  The meal though, was awesome!  The portion size wasn't big, but then again, it was supposed to be a primi piati, so of course we had to get a small gelato to rap it up.  Worth it! 

Today was so much fun!  Sometimes the simple things in life can turn out to be some of the best memories you'll have!  Today was simple, but perfect, and I loved every second of it.  No deltas for me, just smiles.