GL350: Week Two

        When we first got here, Professor said after the first week the next seven weeks were going to fly by....he wasn't joking! We're already on to week three, and this past week has been unbelievable. We started out the week with a free day, so Rachel and I decided to visit our site for our tour. We eventually found it and went into some of the buildings, trying to sketch out our route. It started raining and the temperature and our moods dropped quickly; however, this changed after we realized Italy has a Subway (which we have yet to try, fingers crossed it's as good as America) and we went to a super cool gelato place, all for the sake of our tour. We wanted to make sure we reccomment good places. Tuesday and Wednesday flew by, we had a student led tour by Sydney and Ciarra of the Spanish Steps, Piazza di Spagna and Piazza del Popolo. Thursday after class we went biking on the Old Appian Way, and it was definatly worth all the random bruises I am just now starting to find. We biked 8 miles on cobblestone and dirt paths. It was a lot more fun than it sounds, and I wish we could've stayed longer.
      This past weekend, we had our first group trip to Venice. I successfully set the correct alarm and woke up on time to be out the door at 4:15am to get to the airport. (accepting high-fives here) I honestly don't really remember the flight, I fell asleep and woke up and we were there. Venice is beyond beautiful, and so much different than Rome. Water, water, water...everywhere. It was much different than the trains and subways we usually use everyday in Rome. Ferrys and "water taxis" took us everywhere we needed to go. Although this was super cool, by the end of the weekend I was ready to come back to campus. Coming from someone who grew up on a lake and has a boat, by the end of the weekend I was starting to spin when I sat down. Constant on and off the boats, having to fight for seats, and getting off on the right stop was starting to get to me.
         Among the neat things we did while in Venice, going to the Morano glass factory and getting a "behind the scenes" tour and taking a gondala ride at night were at the top of my list. After hearing Justin Timberlake recently got married in Italy, and being obsessed with a video of Jason Mraz singing on a gondala in Venice, I was on top of my game searching for both of them. Although this was far from reality, my eyes read every single call button on doorsteps, looking for J.Timberlake or J.Mraz....hey, a girl can try. We also visited the Peggy Guggenhiem Collection/Museum. It was cool, and I recognized some pieces such as the giant neon sign that states, "Changing Place Changing Time Changing Thoughts Changing Future." I remember pinning it on one of my boards on Pinterest, so it was super cool to actually see it in person.
       Although I am having the time of my life, I am definatly starting to miss certain things from home. Not necessarily getting "homesick" persay, but my stomach is. People think I'm crazy to say I miss American coffee and food. I'm not talking about McDonalds here...I'm taking my mom's crockpot ham, fresh green beans, and redskin potatoes. And let's not forget about BREAKFAST and yummy flavorful coffee (not hazelnut, that is seriously the only flavor they have here; and salt....hazelnut and salt). I never thought I'd say this, but Nutella and pizza are getting the best of me; I am over them. Don't get me wrong, we have had some great meals here, espically the two three course meals we had in Venice and lunch at the Hard Rock. Having BBQ suace on my chicken and ice in my drink put a smile on my face.
      In The Italians, Barzini states that, "Man must have many things, a great confusion, in his head, one must allow contradictory tendicies to proliferate, one must cultivate opposite ideals, one must follow reason alone, one must not fret over the imperfections of  life on earth. One must carry on." I agree with this entirely, and believe that the confusion and imperfections of this trip is just adding to the experience. Whether it be forgetting to get off the ferry and getting lost in random roads in Venice, I continue to keep a smile on my face and laugh in the moment. I am trying to keep an open mind and immerse myself in this different culture, but I will admit I have great confusion in many things; not all being bad. Getting lost is a part of the journey, because I've found so many wonderful places one would have never found with a map.
      After this weekend, I hope these next weeks slow down...it's been flying by to say the least. This upcoming weekend, Sydney and I are traveling to Spain to see Leire, who was my family's exchange student two years ago. She is like a sister to me and I can't wait to reunite with her, and introduce her to Sydney. There is so much more exceitement that is waiting. In meantime I'm going to keep a smile on my face, wait for my parents to send my "peanut butter care package" and carry on.