There's No Place Like Home!

Well, I've been home for a few days now. We had a fun-filled last week in Italy, including a farewell dinner and an "anything-but-clothes" party! The last day in Ariccia was bittersweet. We walked around town saying goodbye to everything. It's a beautiful little town, and I would love to go back and visit some day. Some people in the group were sadder than others about leaving. I think I'm more used to leaving places since I've moved around my entire life. I wasn't that sad; in fact, I didn't even cry!

Katie and me at the BBQ

The plane ride was supposed to take ten and a half hours, but we had a really strong tailwind so we landed an hour early! The ride wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. There was a huge difference between the flight to Italy and the flight back. I think the biggest difference was that this time I was surrounded by my friends. Three months spent with a group of people can really force some bonding time! I made friends on the trip that I know will be friends for life. We had fun on the place joking and reminiscing. It made the trip go by so much more quickly!

Obviously, Jenny and I got a little bored.

When we landed in Atlanta we were so excited! We flew through customs and went looking for our families. I didn't see them at first, but then Zack came out of nowhere with a hug and flowers! Mom and Daniel were right behind him, and Paul appeared at baggage claim. It was such a happy reunion! The only thing that made it a little less happy is that my Daddy wasn't' there. He is in Texas at General Conference. He is one of seven delegates elected from our conference! It's a big honor and he definitely deserves it! I'm very proud of him, so it helped me not miss him as much when I got home.

Me and my boys!

Since I've been home, I have tried to catch up on all the things I've missed. I've eaten Mexican food and Chik-Fil-A, watched all my shows (The Office, House, and Bones), and played with my crazy kitty Buster! Zack stayed in Hartselle for the weekend, and we had a good time. He bought me a new iPod for our anniversary, since mine broke while I was in Italy! It's so cute; it's a blue Nano! I love it (and him)!

Now that I've been home for a while, I'm starting to get a little bored. Mom works all day, and I don't have a car! Paul's car broke down so he's using Daniel's and Daniel is driving mine. Once Mom gets home we have a lot of fun, but until then I'm stuck at the house, just me and Buster. Oh well, it's nice to have a little downtime after such a busy semester!

Here are the photo albums from our last two weeks in Italy!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2227738&l=969cb&id=7005597

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2227743&l=ffe74&id=7005597

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2228660&l=c3a84&id=7005597

I had an amazing time studying abroad, and it's a weird feeling knowing it's over. I will miss Italy, but I'm super excited about whatever's coming next in life! After all, "domani e un altro giorno!"

What We've Learned

We have two days left in Italy, and I can't begin to describe the effect this experience has had one me. I have learned so much in the past three months, and I'm beginning to realize how much I have grown. I have to much to do to sit and write my personal thoughts, so I'll post an article my good friend Jessica Vance wrote about our trip. You won't understand all of the inside jokes, but the general idea is pretty clear.

It is needless to say that over the three month period, we have learned a thing or two. But just so we don't forget it, I summed up some of the highlights.
What we have learned:
-The pleasures of real towels, a bathtub, and having enough room in the shower to shave.
-To pack lightly because what you bring you will have to carry, drag or weigh
-That discount airlines are cheap for good reasons
-That some of the best things you can’t plan or find in Rick Steve’s
-That the hotel, La Rupe and the porchetta stand make a killing from us because we are too lazy to walk anywhere else
-The joy of cold aqua del rubinetto (free and not frizzy)
-To amuse ourselves with reminiscing over old game shows, i.e. the slobsticle course
-To watch our purses and passports as if even the nicest old lady falling over on the bus is plotting to rob us
-To live without a trusty dryer, English cable, a good cell phone, or a high powered blow-dryer
-That playing the ‘question game’ can drive some of us crazy
-That there is no place better or cheaper to eat than the Chinese restaurant
-To brush things off, talk things out and to use ‘I/you’ statements
-More about each other in three months than some friends learn in years
-To adapt to different customs here like late meals, less personal space, lots of carbs, paying for bathrooms, and “Italian time”
-To make it 4 weeks without a washing machine
-To plan trips on our own including planes, buses, metros, and a lot of wandering
-That being abroad is not for everyone but something that everyone should try
-That we learn just as much through our experiences as we do in the palace
-That there are some people here that we will never forget- Jessica for answering all of our questions, Marco and Mary Lou for being those grandparents you love to listen to, Roberta for planning all of the behind the scenes work, Maurizio for his amazing networking skills, Rosella for making us thinking harder about philosophy than most of us can handle, Francesco for his funny comments and random appearances, Susanna for always being adorable and saying “God bless your heart” when we sneeze, Cinzia for being willing to do anything to help us out, and Dr. B for always being ready to laugh out loud until she is red in the face (i.e. MultiAss)
-The importance of hand sanitizer, Febreeze, and Charmin to-go
-That no matter where we are, we can bet on hearing Riahnna’s ‘Please Don’t Stop the Music’
-To share clothes, stories, and food with each other
-That America may not be so bad after all but then it might not be so good either
-To overcome language barriers with a smile, sign language and the phrases ‘per favore’, ‘posso’, and ‘mi dispiace’
-How to say, “The dog is eating the meat” and “Giovanni and I are going to Rome today”
-That there is no Italian equivalent to a bag of good-ole Goldfish
-How much we love and miss Mexican food, Chik-fil-A, Waffle House, and unlimited ketchup and coke
-That being abroad and updating your Facebook profile constantly is a quick way to piss off your friends at home
-That we can both love and hate Skye simultaneously
-How to use a Europacard, navigate Termini, and use an Italian video-producing software
And most importantly…
-That this has been three months that we will never forget! Ciao, safe travels, and good luck in life!

Uno Piu Settimana!

Translation: ONE MORE WEEK! This time next week I'll be on the airplane home (hopefully sleeping)! I can't wait to get home and see everyone, but I know I'll miss Italy. This last week is not a tough one for us. We don't have class anymore; all we have to do is write an 8-10 page paper by Wednesday. After Dr. Silvern and Dr. Kaminsky's classes, eight pages isn't that big a deal. I plan to knock it out pretty fast and have the rest of the week to pack, hang out, and finish up some things I've been wanting to do. We've already planned about three parties before we go home. I know this week will be bittersweet.
On another note, I HAVE A NEW COUSIN! Joshua Dalton Styes was born on April 18. I saw pictures, and he's so beautiful! I can't wait to get home and meet him!
I'll probably write one more time before I leave. I should probably start on my paper.

By the way, here are three new photo albums:
Venice and the Riviera del Brenta
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2225049&l=cfdcd&id=7005597

Milan
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2226171&l=d7e62&id=7005597

Cinque Terre and Pisa
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2226380&l=0035f&id=7005597

Something for Everyone!

Here is the weblog I just wrote as a class assignment. You can see it complete with pictures at http://www.humsci.auburn.edu/pmachine/weblog.php, along with entries from my classmates.

We just got back from a whirlwind tour of Venice, Milan and the Cinque Terre. I could spend paragraphs writing about the beauty of this country, but I am not eloquent enough to do it justice. If there is one thing I have noticed that I did not expect, it would be the diversity of cities and scenery in Italy. Every place we have visited has its own personality, citizens, and ambiance. Going to three places on the heels of each other helped me to observe these differences. Venice was our first stop on our Grand Tour. I absolutely love it; it is my new favorite city in the whole world (and that's not an exaggeration)! It has an old-world feel to it that is fresh and unexpectedly relaxing. The elaborate buildings and slow-moving gondolas are reminiscent of Venice's glory days, when it was the height of elegance, wealth, and luxury. You could get lost in the maze of streets and canals and not even care if you ever find your way!

Milan was a total surprise to most of us. I heard someone say that it reminds them of New York but with less traffic! It is very cosmopolitan, but somehow it manages to keep that Italian charm. At times I even forgot I was in Italy, at least until I tried having a conversation with anyone! We visited art exhibits, skyscrapers, and design studios, and we learned many interesting things about architecture, fashion, and interior design. Milan has a strange tradition that requires every visitor to the Galleria to stand on the private areas of Torino's Bull mascot and spin around three times!

Traveling from Venice to Milan was an adjustment, but it was nothing compared to the contrast between Milan's big city atmosphere and Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre literally translates to "five lands." It is a National Park based around five coastal and mountain towns. There are trails linking each town, complete with breathtaking views at every turn. We spent the whole weekend hiking and enjoying the sunny weather. It was a nice change from the hustle and bustle of Milan.

I knew I was going to love Italy years before I came. I expected it to be beautiful, fun, and interesting. What I wasn't prepared for was the variety of experiences to be had here. There is truly something for everyone in Italy!

Pictures!

I finally uploaded some pictures onto Facebook! They go all the way back to Florence weekend.

Florence:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2220781&l=bf2b0&id=7005597

Some churches in Rome and the Vatican City:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2221336&l=c6310&id=7005597

Dublin for St. Pat's, some Italian villas, and Rome with Paul:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2221337&l=c22af&id=7005597

Spring Break! London Album:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2221341&l=9249b&id=7005597

Spring Break! Paris Album:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2221347&l=00511&id=7005597

Hope you enjoy them! Let me know what you think! Ciao!

SPRING BREAK OH EIGHT!

Partay! JK, it was really more of a sightseeing trip than a partying one. We were so busy the whole time, but we had so much fun! Easter Sunday Paul and I and a few friends went to mass at the church in Ariccia. I should post pictures of that church; it's beautiful! It was designed by Bernini himself! After church we caught the bus to the airport, and to London we went!

London was great. We saw lots of cool things, mostly your basic sightseeing spots-- Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, etc. We went with two girls from my group, Amy and Alex. They're really sweet girls and lots of fun! Our first night in London ended pretty badly. We were in a restaurant, and as we were leaving Amy realized her wallet had been stolen! It had her passport, credit cards, and IDs in it. That was a big mess because we had to take trips to the police and the US embassy, but she got everything worked out in the end and we didn't let it spoil our trip.

(That's Amy on the left and Alex in the middle)

The best part of our London trip was going to see Wicked! It was amazing- exactly what I would expect Broadway to be like. And we were on the fourth row! Incredible!

On our last day in England, Paul and I went to Stonehenge! It was so cool! You see pictures of it all the time, but I never expected to actually go there! We had an audio tour that told about the mysteries surrounding it. It was very interesting.


I caught a cold right before leaving on the trip, so I was semi-miserable most of the week. I just had to push through because who knows when I'll be back there again! The sad part is that in most pictures of me I look like death warmed over, even in front of the Eiffel Tower!


Yes, the Eiffel Tower! Our next stop was Paris, a beautiful and romantic city. Our flight to Paris left at 6 AM Thursday morning. We couldn't figure out a way to get to the airport that early from our hotel across town, so we decided it would be ok to sleep in the airport. Bad idea! Right when we got settled on the floor, a pack of Irish guys came and sat right beside us and practically screamed for the rest of the night! As a result, we kept falling asleep on our first day in Paris! I actually nodded off in the Louvre! We saw most of the basic sights in Paris too: Notre Dame, Versailles, and many museums. We went to the Louvre for a little while, but my favorite museum was Musee D'Orsay. It has many works by Van Gogh, Manet, Monet, Rodin, Renoir, and many other artists that I really enjoyed. I started to get over my cold, which was a relief, but as soon as I started feeling better, I started to get tendonitis because I wasn't wearing shoes with good arch support! So for the last part of the trip I was limping everywhere we went! I was pitiful. Paris is breathtaking, but it made me miss my love.
The Moulin Rouge!
Spring Break was amazing; probably my best ever! I learned a lot about traveling and saw things I never thought I would actually see! This week we have regular classes until Friday, when we leave on an eleven-day extravaganza to Venice, Milan, and Cinqueterre! I need to recover from my break before the next trip!

Tooty Ta!

Lots of fun things this week! Yesterday we visited Ariccia's elementary school. The school contains preschool children all the way to fourth grade. Since I am the only person in our group in education, I was volunteered to teach the kids a song! Of course, I chose Tooty Ta, the great Early Childhood classic by Dr. Jean Feldman. The kids liked it, but they were very shy. I also don't speak a lot of Italian, so it was hard to get them into it. One class taught me their own Italian version! It involved the tune of "Singing in the Rain" some hand motions, and the words "shoo shoo sha sha!" It was pretty cute, especially the part where you put your head back and do a little dance. The kids burst into giggles at that part. They were very sweet and so smart! They are not older than ten, and they're already doing projects in English! One little boy shamed us by saying "why don't you learn Italian?"

PAUL IS HERE! I am so excited that my little brother got to come see me! We're going on Spring Break Sunday. We're heading to London and Paris. I'm so excited! The only thing that would make it better would be if the rest of my family could come too! I don't know when will be the next time I will write. If it's not until after Spring Break, then Buona Pasqua, everybody (happy easter)!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

It's been a couple of weeks since I wrote last. Things have been pretty crazy around here! Last weekend was Florence. It's a great city; the only downside for me was there were way too many Americans! I did a lot of shopping and spent way too much money. Right before we came back, my friend Alex and I climbed the bell tower of the duomo! It was 414 steps! The view was beautiful. I had one of my favorite dishes so far on the trip at a nice restaurant in Florence. It was Bitter Cocoa Ravioli with Cinghiale filling. For those of you who are not in the Italian cuisine loop (like me, haha), Cinghiale means wild boar! It was so delicious! It had a hint of cocoa with a delicious savory meat filling. I was definitely satisfied. I have discovered that I love trying new foods! My friends are all impressed by my adventurousness (is that a word?).

This past weekend we went to IRELAND! I was surprised by how much I liked it. I want to go back someday; the only thing I didn't enjoy was the weather. It rained steadily ALL DAY on Saturday. I forgot my umbrella at the hotel so I was miserable! I did try some more interesting food, though. I had Dublin Coddle, which is Irish stew with a big glob of mashed potatoes in the middle and sausage on top! Sunday we got fish and chips. I wanted to try shark but they were all out, sadly. Despite my wet boots, I felt like we didn't have enough time in Dublin. I am going to add it to my list of places to go again.
We had a big adventure on the way back. A group of us took the cheap way home and booked discount airlines from Dublin to London then London to Rome. When we got to the airport we discovered our first flight was delayed by fifteen minutes. We would have been ok but when it was time to land in London we had to circle the airport three times until there was a spot to land. As a result, we missed check-in for our connecting flight by five minutes! We were very stressed out, running across the airport with all of our bags. It felt like a movie, only less funny. When we realized we had missed it we didn't know what to do. Luckily, we had a mom! One girl's mom was coming back to Rome with us, so she made us all feel better. If she hadn't been there we probably would have been bawling on the floor! Just when things were at their worst, we had a comforting sign from home. We were so lost and sad, and then we turned around and saw a KRISPY KREME! The workers probably thought we were insane; I bet they've never seen anyone more excited about doughnuts! Our collective mom bought us two dozen and informed us that she just happened to be a member of the Hilton club. So instead of sleeping in the airport like some people we met, we got to stay in a cushy hotel room! The only problem with that setup was that our flight left at 6 AM, so we had to wake up super early and be at the airport at 4 for check-in! Finally, after only three hours of sleep, we boarded the plane and made it back to Ariccia in time for our class at 11. So the only real harm to come out of the incident was the loss of my cute new umbrella at the security checkpoint and a serious dent in my bank account from buying a new plane ticket. It could have been worse; at least we didn't have to sleep on the airport floor!

Bella Tuscany!

Last weekend was definitely one of my favorite experiences since I've been in Italy. On Friday we went on a class trip to Assisi, where St. Frances is from. It is a beautiful medieval town up on a mountain in the Umbria region. After we explored Assisi and the cathedrals there, four of us got on a train to Tuscany. We stayed at a B&B in the country. It was so relaxing and fun! The owners of the B&B were super-nice. They cooked Tuscan food for us and taught us about wine (don't worry, Mom, I didn't drink a lot)! We went to a flea market, took a lovely walk, and learned to cook things like Risotto with Truffles! It was exactly the retreat we needed, and we came back refreshed and ready for an exciting week!
I am writing this in an internet cafe in Siena, Tuscany. Yes, I'm back in Tuscany again! Yesterday our class left our hotel in Ariccia at 6 AM. We traveled to Pienza and Arezzo, then we had a wine tasting and dinner at a real vineyard! We spent the night in Siena and have spent the day exploring. The duomo in Siena is a beautiful church with gorgeous frescoes. The colors are amazing! I will post pictures when I get back to Ariccia. It is freezing in Tuscany this weekend; last weekend the sun was shining and it was warm! Tomorrow we are going to Florence, and I am spending the weekend there in a hostel. I am so excited! Florence was number 2 on my list of places to see in Italy, next to Rome. It should be amazing! It might snow; I guess I will have to buy some warm gloves at the leather market! ;-) I will tell you all about it when I get back. Have a great day!

P.S. Here is the facebook album of my Tuscany pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2213384&l=9d773&id=7005597

Mambo Italiano!

Well, a lot has happened since I last updated. We went to Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii, then we spent the weekend in Sicily. We hiked up Vesuvius, which was really cool. We saw smoke coming out even though the volcano is dormant! Did you know that Vesuvius is due for another catastrophic eruption like the one that buried Pompeii? It could happen anytime, and there are thousands of people living in the area. They say there is a system that can tell in time when it will erupt, but since it hasn't erupted since the seventies, they haven't had a chance to test it! I guess they're just crossing their fingers!

Pompeii was very interesting. The casts of real people were touching. Some of them still had teeth and bones! We saw the town brothel, complete with frescoes depicting the options, kind of like a "prostititute menu!" It was pretty funny, but strange.

The Sicily trip was a little stressful. We had 13 girls, and everything that could go wrong without being disastrous, did. I don't really want to talk about it ;-) One interesting thing that we did was go to the opera in Palermo. We got the cheap-college-kid tickets and ended up in the highest level, all the way around the side. You either had to lean all the way forward or stand up to see the stage! When the opera started, we were amazed to realize that it was in English! There was a little screen above the stage with the Italian translation on it. As the opera went on, we realized that since the Italian audience had their own translation there was no reason for the Italian actors to pronounce the English correctly. We couldn't understand a word they said! It was certainly an interesting experience. We spent all of our time trying to figure out what was going on. It was called "A Rake's Progress" and it's by Stravinsky. The music is beautiful. I'm still not totally sure about the story!

This week we have visited a few interesting things. Civita di Bagnoreggio is called the "dying city." It is on top of a high mountain which crumbles away gradually. Every once in a while a building will fall off the mountain. Now there are only 17 people who live there. You get there by climbing one path that goes straight up to the city. It was very pretty. Then we went to The Park of the Monsters. It is a garden that a man built in memory of his young wife. It has lots of huge and beautiful statues and monuments. It was a fun place to take pictures!

This weekend I'm headed to the Tuscan countryside with three of my friends. We're going to learn how to cook Tuscan food and visit Florence. I'm excited! Tomorrow we're going to Asissi on a field trip. I'll update about that later.

Comment so I know people are reading! And don't forget to put your name so I know who you are! Ciao!

Week of the Dead!

A lot of stuff happened last week, and since I'm leaving for Pompeii and Sicily tomorrow, I need to get caught up with my blog so I don't have a million things to write about!

Last Wednesday we went on a class trip to Ceveteri and Ostia Antica. Ceveteri is an Etruscan cemetery town. It had lots of huge mounds with tombs inside them. The Etruscans were the people who lived in Italy before Rome was built. Not a lot is known about them because the only writings that survived were religious texts and not about daily life. Nobody even knows where they came from! They apparently believed, like the Egyptians, that the body still held traces of the spirit. Their graves were built just like houses. Some of them were very elaborate and some were just hollows in the side of the hill. We were a little bit bored by it because you can only see so many graves before it gets old! We made it more fun by pretending they were haunted houses. Some the tombs had passages that wound through the hill. They were so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face! We had to use our camera flashes and cell phones to light the way. That made it more interesting. Here's a pic of me sitting in one of the tombs on the little ledge where the body used to be (the bodies had all been removed):

After Ceveteri we went to Ostia Antica. It was an ancient Roman city that has been very well preserved. The coolest thing there were the public bathrooms, the apartment building, and the restaurant.

This weekend we went to Rome again. We like to spend time in the different piazzas just getting a feel for the city and eating yummy food. I got an extremely ugly caricature done of me! One very interesting thing we did was go to a church that has a very unique feature. It is called the Capuchin crypt, and I have never seen anything like it. The story is that this group of monks called the Capuchin monks lived at the church. As the monks died, their crypt started filling up. Eventually they had no more room, so they had to figure out what to do with the bodies piling up! They took all the bones from all the monks and made decorations for their chapels! These rooms were filled with skeletons dressed in monks' robes, chandeliers made of jawbones, and art pieces made of skulls! They said there are more than 4000 skeletons used in the crypt. It was semi-disgusting but very interesting! They wouldn't let us take pictures, but here's the Google Images site: http://search.aol.com/aol/image?query=capuchin%20crypt

So basically, this past week has been filled with dead people! It doesn't stop there, however; tomorrow we head to Pompeii! I think after that I'll be burned out on dead people, but hey! When in Rome...

Pictures!

So, I haven't been able to upload many pictures to this blog, and I know everyone wants to see lots of pics. Fortunately, Facebook lets nonmembers see photo albums. So, here are my first few picture albums for your enjoyment!

Arriving in Italy and our first day:
http://auburn.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2207412&l=7798c&id=7005597

Scenes from Ariccia, the Chigi Palace, Frascati, Nemi, and Castel Gandolfo
http://auburn.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2208392&l=8eb15&id=7005597

This album isn't totally finished yet, but I'll keep trying to update. There are some of Rome, Ceveteri, and Ostia Antica.
http://auburn.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2209962&l=7ca64&id=7005597

Let me know what you think and which are your favorites!
I'll have to wait until later to update you on the latest goings-on.

Mi Piace Roma!

Buona sera!

I hate that I can’t update more, but I get so frustrated with the slow internet at the hotel! I have to force myself to even check my email. Anyway, I finally went to Rome! It is such an incredible place! We went on Friday and Sunday and just explored our hearts out. We saw the Pantheon, the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, and so many other cool things! We went to a café called Antico Caffé Greco and had coffee. It was one of the most meaningful things to me because it has been there since 1760 and some of the world’s most famous philosophers, poets, writers, and icons used to gather there to discuss things back in the day. We sat there and had a coffee in the same room that had seen Byron, Keats, Casanova, and Goethe. The coffee was not too bad, either!

This is me in the Roman Forum. That was a really neat place, too.

The Romans aren’t as nice as the people here in Ariccia, but the visitors to Rome are mostly very friendly. Most Romans speak English, so the experience doesn’t feel as authentic there. I’m used to trying to get by with my little bit of Italian. That’s the fun part. The concierge at the hotel teased me today when I tried to say “Quattro”. I ended up saying “quaCHro” like a real southern girl. It was pretty funny.

Behold, the Coliseum!

Tomorrow we’re going on a field trip to visit the ancient Etruscan ruins. They were the people who lived in Italy before Rome was founded. It should be pretty cool. We’re going to see their tombs and stuff. Hopefully it’s not too freaky. I don’t like dead people very much. :-) I’ll let you know how it goes! Buona Serrata! (have a good day!)

Lovely Lazio!

This is me in front of the Palazzo Chigi, where we have classes!

Bongiorno, tutti!

I haven't been able to update in a couple of days because we're always really busy and the internet is spotty at the hotel. Finally, I found an afternoon where I could spend some time updating pictures and the blog! It's a really long post because so much has been going on! I’ve been eating a lot of meat. I had prosciutto so many times in the first few days. I also love the porchetta, which is pork with spices. Last night we ate Chinese food! It was way better than the Chinese food at home. It was cheaper than most of the other meals we’ve had. I got chicken with mushrooms and bamboo! That and bottled water was €4,80. Did you know that they switch the comma and period when talking about numbers and money? It can get sort of confusing.
My teachers are really cool. They’ve all done so much in their lives. Our Italian teacher and History teacher are married. Their names are Mario and Mary Lou Antonini. Mary Lou is from South Africa. She sounds like she has an English accent. It’s fun to hear her talk. Mario is old and kind of hard of hearing, but he knows so much about the history of Italy, Ariccia, and Rome. He just sits and talks, and he always has a problem with his Powerpoint. Their son is Maurizio. He is sort of a director. I’m not totally sure what his job is, but he’s around a lot and is very helpful and nice. Jessica is our liaison. I think she’s from New York originally, but she is amazing at Italian. She helps us figure out how to get around and get what we need. Cynzia (pronounced Cheen-tsee-ah) helps Jessica. She is gorgeous and so sweet. We are always asking the two of them how to say something in Italian.

Yesterday we took a tour around our area. First we went to Frascati, which is a beautiful town with an interesting mascot. They have lots of pictures and figures of a woman with three breasts. Apparently, two breasts are for milk and one is for wine! Then we went to Nemi, a small town with a beautiful lake where the Emperor Caligula used to stage mock sea battles. They are famous around Italy for their tiny strawberries called Fragolini, which are delicious! We ate lunch there, and I had lake trout that was served whole! It was delicious. Our final stop for the day was Castel Gandolfo, the place where the Pope has his summer residence. Since it’s not summer, he wasn’t there, but it was interesting anyway!

La mia pesce buona!

We had an interesting experience today. On Thursday afternoons most shops and stores in the small towns close for the afternoon. A small group of us needed stamps, so we went looking for a Tabacchi, which is a small convenience store. We passed a lot of closed shops but we couldn't find one that was open. Finally we spotted a tabacchi with a ton of people standing in front of it, so we decided to check it out and see if it was open. I asked a guy standing there if it was closed and he said no, so we went inside. All of a sudden there was a man yelling at us in Italian and pushing us out the door. We quickly exited, and the man started barking at us! The people around the store were laughing as we came out. We were kind of discouraged about it until we realized how funny it was!
Tomorrow we’re going to ROMA! I’m very excited to see all the beautiful and interesting things there. I’ll update about that soon. Ciao!

Bongiorno, Italia!

We have arrived! I'm finally in Italy, and it is so wonderful! The plane ride was so long and tedious; I only got two hours of sleep on the nine hour flight. When we finally got to Roma we were so excited! We goofed off with luggage carts for a while, then got on the tiny buses for the ride to Ariccia!



The scenery reminded me a little bit of Alabama except for the red and orange houses! We got to the hotel, which is amazing, and set up our rooms. Then we went to a bar and restaurant called BBQ and had pizza! I got a pizza called Capricciosa. It was sort of weird. It had different types of meat, eggs, and black olives. I couldn't decide if I liked it or not. After dinner we weren't tired so we headed to an Irish pub that was in town! It was a neat atmosphere, and it made me excited to go to Dublin for St. Patrick's Day! Today we toured the palace Chigi, where our classes are held, and we strolled around Ariccia and met the mayor. We ate at a restaurant called the BeBop, and it was pretty yummy. In about an hour we are going to take a walk to Albano, the next town over from Ariccia. They are having sales in all of their stores, so I guess we will shop a little! Ciao until next time!

This is our beautiful hotel! Hotel Villa Aricia.

Winter Wonderland!

Ok, this has nothing to do with Italy, but it definitely snowed today! I love snow, so I just had to rave about it. I think it's the first time I've seen it snow in Auburn, and it was beautiful! It only stuck a little bit, but if you squinted it sort of looked like you were somewhere a little farther north. Tennessee, maybe. Or Huntsville.

I didn't take this picture, but War Eagle, anyway!

Where books come to life!

This is a post I had to do for a class assignment. You can find it and my classmates' thoughts at: http://www.humsci.auburn.edu/pmachine/weblog.php

I was the last student to sign up for this trip. It was a very spur-of-the-moment idea. I was sitting at lunch with my friends from the College of Education when I just said out of the blue, "I think I'm going to Italy next semester." They just laughed; I'm not well known for my follow-through. The deadline had already passed, but, lucky for me, there was one spot left. I took that as a sign to mean that I am meant to go on this trip. My major is Early Childhood Education. Most of my fellow travelers are students in the College of Human Sciences. It was more than a little intimidating for me to go into that first class knowing that many of my classmates are fashion and interior design majors (I'm not known for my sense of style, either). I consider myself blessed to find such a friendly and interesting group of people with which to share this adventure.

I am looking forward to many things on this trip. As an educator, I am very interested to visit the local elementary school in Ariccia and note the similarities and differences between Italian schools and our American schools. I am also a voracious reader; in fact, I hope to become a librarian one day. I really enjoy reading historical fiction. The Human story intertwined with past events brings history closer and makes it more personal. I can't wait to actually see some of the landmarks that I have read about in all those books! I'll feel like I'm inside the story. It's really a dream come true for a bibliophile who doesn't usually travel much farther than the last page.

This is a picture of Florence (or Firenze). I once read a fascinating historical fiction novel that is set during the time of Savonarola and the "Bonfire of the Vanities." I have wanted to visit the city ever since.

...The assignment was to tell a little about yourself and something you're excited to do or see in Italy. I ended up saying two things I'm excited about. For my next post I'll describe some more.

17 more days!

So we've been going to our orientation class for a week now, and I am getting pretty pumped up! The people in my group are really nice, and I'm excited to get to know them better. There are 20 girls and 2 guys! :-)

I've been trying to see my friends as often as I can. I'm going to miss them all when I'm gone! My cohort buddies are doing their internships this semester. Every time I've talked to them they've been exhausted. It makes me wish that time would go really slowly for the next few months! I've also been spending a lot of time with Zack. He's really sweet and I'm going to miss him.

I've already learned a lot about Italy, Ariccia, and Rome. We've been studying Italian to try to get some key phrases stuck in our heads. I love my little Italian phrasebook. It has some hilarious stuff in it, e.g., "Il tuo ego e fuori controllo." That means, "your ego is out of control!" HAHA! I need to remember that one.
Dr. Abell gave us copies of menus from some of the local restaurants. One is called the "Bebop." Cute, huh? One of the pizzerias has some very interesting pizzas. For example, how would you like to try a pizza topped with salmon, tomatoes, and mayonnaise? ...That's exactly what I said!

Anyway, every day that goes by gets me more and more excited for the trip! It won't be long now!

Ciao!
~Rachel

Bongiorno!

Welcome to my Blog! I wanted to make my first post, but I didn't know what to say. My mom told me to say that I'm excited, even though that goes without saying!

I'm heading to Ariccia, Italy on February 2, 2008. I still can't believe that I'm actually going to do something that I've always dreamed of doing! I'm going with the College of Human Sciences at Auburn. There is a group of twenty-something that is coming with me. I know two of my classmates, but once the orientation classes start on Tuesday I'm sure I'll become friends with the others in the group.

It's hard to believe that in less than a month I'll be flying across the ocean on the way to Italy! I'm going to use this blog to keep my family and friends updated on all of my adventures. I'll post pictures and write entries as often as I can, so be sure to check back often.

Ciao!