Traveling Reflections

I cant believe that a week just passed by and that Lindsay is already gone home, and that I have less than three weeks until I am home in Austin. It seems like time is such a bizarre concept - unchanging with respect to science but indefinite with respect to our minds. Our trip was absolutely amazing! It was surreal to be in one country and then another and then another so close together - the beauty of Europa...no trans-Atlantic flights! Its hard for me to describe the trip, so Ill go ahead and give a summary of what happened:
Lindsay came in on Saturday and on both Saturday afternoon and Sunday we walked all over Roma and saw everything! We took tons of pictures and ate some great pizza near the Colosseum. At night, we went to get some pasta at a nearby restaurant and Lindsay had some called carbonara which is a Roman specialty! The next morning, we woke up and were out of my apartment by 4:00 AM! It was an early morning, but being excited about the journey ahead gave us energy. We were taken to the airport along the Via Appia, the oldest Roman Road, which leads out of the city. Our arrival in Paris was breathtaking - we were plopped right in the center near the Arch de Triomph and were taken back immediately, not only by the extreme cold and wind, but also by the amazing beauty of the place. The trees are either orange or have lost their leaves and the Christmas lights are hung. The buildings are grand but also quaintly picturesque and it feels like something out of a story book. They say that the French can be rude, but I thought they were kind and helpful, no doubt with an air of superiority about them, which is sort of elegant, anyhow. In France we saw absolutely everything, and most of it in the rain, including the Arch de Triomph, the Eiffle Tower, the Lourve, most of the gardens, the Obelisk, the Seine, Notre Dame, and Moulin Rouge. There were more museums that we would have enjoyed but we only had two days so we had to cram in as much as possible and I will have to save those for the next trip! Our hostel was great and the people were really cool. When we saw the Mona Lisa and it was really amazing to actually be standing there in front of her! I thought the size of the painting was really underrated: they had a wall that was completely blank and roped off so you could only get so close, and then the tiny painting of Mona Lisa on it...it seemed dwarfed. It was incredible to think that one day so long ago, DaVinci was standing as far from it as I was and was painting on her mysterious face and the details of her setting. We saw the Nike (a statue in the Louvre, who is the God of Speed and which inspired the brand, Nike) and that was really cool - it was my favorite thing to see at that museum. We ate crepes and I fell in love with them - warm and chocolatey but not too heavy. Yum! We had to use our umbrellas a lot - direct affect of extreme rain - and with the umbrella I had, it could only lead to disaster. Mine decided that it wanted to invert every two minutes so that it wasnt actually doing any good and I ended up drenched anyways. I decided to embrace the rain and didnt mind the wetness so much, but dealing with the cold was a test of my sanity. One night, we made dinner out of several of the foods we wanted to try in Paris because we kept circling around but couldnt find a restaurant we wanted to go to and were about to fall over from exhaustion. It ended up being so delicious - bread and cheese galore! When it was time to leave France, we headed to a very early Ryan Air flight to Barcelona. When we arrived in the center we werent all that impressed but the longer we spent, the more we loved it and left wishing we could spend more time. Our hostel was amazing with internet and events planners and a kitchen in our "apartment," which we shared with three other rooms of people. We had a great view and were right off of the main road so that was really convenient. The hostel gave us restaurant ideas and Lindsay had a Spain book, so we felt really ready for the journey ahead. We set out the first day and saw the Cathedral, which was really gothic in nature and had a cool choir room more towards the center than normal. There were chandeliers and stained glass which is prevalent in Barcelona. We spent a lot of time looking at the work of Gaudi, who basically created most of Barcelona's architecture. My favorite of his buildings is one without any straight walls! In another part of the city, he did a building called the Sagrada Familia which has many spires with fruit on top - very bizarre - and in the front has a very rigidly carved nativity scene, which has actually brought some controversy. My favorite place in Barcelona was affected by him but not entirely attributed to him: Park Guell, which is set at the highest point in Barcelona (we had to take escalators to get there) and is a really beautiful site. On the way up there are lots of cool photo stops but nothing compares to the highest point, a small chunk of land on which there are three crosses and you can turn around 360 degrees to see everything: the ocean, the main roads and city grid, the major buildings, etc. There was a sax player and a guitarist up there, and I loved their music - I could have stayed for hours. It was really busy and its was neat to see everyone's reaction to Barcelona. It was as if we all forgot the things we had seen and were looking at it for the first time ever - as if we were looking at trees for the first time and water and mountains and everything for the very first time. On the way back down we stopped in an area designed by Gaudi where dozens of children were playing soccer and running around having a good time - their laughter echoed off of his strangely configured mosaic benches and columns. In Barcelona, I ate Mexican food (though it didnt compare to the food at home) that had a bit of a Spanish twist...including guacamole which was amazing! She made it right there fresh for us and it was really exciting to have after so long of missing it. I still crave Tex Mex but it was a great Thanksgiving present to myself...no traditional food but still a taste of home. Another day we had Indian food, which is very common in Barcelona, and that was really wonderful...I love curry. The last day of our trip, I lost my metro pass somewhere around lunch time and we still wanted to see things way across town, so we walked and agreed Id buy a new one for the next day. I think our feet almost fell off but it ended up allowing us to see and enjoy more of the city than we ever would have in the under-caverns of its metro system (which was heated, even though it was really warm outside). Barcelona has the feel of a city, and reminds me of Roma in some ways, but its laid back atmosphere that makes you feel like anyone will help you if you need it and that people are happy - not rushing on to their next thing. Everyone we ran into wanted to make our stay really enjoyable and that was so incredible to have happen, as none of the other cities Ive come close in hospitality. London was easy because ther was no language barrier, Paris was okay, and Rome is rough but Barcelona was incredible in this respect. Another thing I loved, really quickly, was the market where they had everything there fresh. Ive never enjoyed a market so much - fresh produce, candy, fruit and vegetables, fish, meat, and even juices! At the egg post, there were even emu and ostrich eggs! I loved it.
Overall, the whole trip flew by and I loved it so much! I cant wait to go back and it was perfect traveling with Lindsay, who is always a great friend, even when Im grumpy at 4 AM and even when our feet are falling off. I couldnt have asked for a better trip!

Wee Wee Paris!

Today is my second day in Paris and the typing is slow because Parisian keyboards are really different from the ones Im used to but Ill do my best. My closest friend, Lindsay came to Rome on Saturday and we spent the whole day seeing the city. Then on Monday morning, we left for Paris and are here now! I am having so much fun and find that Paris is something like a mixture between Rome and London. It has the external appearance of London but the culture is more similar to Roman culture...but maybe that is only because I feel foreign in both Paris and Rome, but not as much so in London. Yesterday, we saw the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, and some beautiful gardens (where a Parisian man yakked our ears off randomly...practicing his English I think). Today we saw the Eiffel Tower (I got scared), Notre Dame and the area around Notre Dame, which is breathtaking. The Seine is so picturesque! We are hoping to go to Moulin Rouge and if zwe see any tee shirts, I prommise to get you one, Abbey.
Tomorrow I go to Barcelona and I cant wait!!!! Ill write more soon! Happy Thanksgiving soon!

Unable To Sit Still

Yesterday I made the discovery that in one month and two days, I will be HOME!! This revelation first caught me dumbfounded at the sheer unbelieveability of it, and secondly gave me heart palpitations. When I leave Italy for Christmas, I will have been here for seven months - thats 6.25 months longer than Ive ever gone anywhere else in my life - and until now it has felt that I would never reach this point. I remember this summer, in a very low point of my experience in Italy, thinking that it would never end and that the months ahead of me were like a long sentence without a period. Now that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and can accept the reality of my upcoming trans-Atlantic voyage back, I can hardly sit still. Let me tell you, this feeling of having the jitters and also the pile of homework I have to do are not a good combination. Fortunately, with some calming tea and about 12 glances at my computer calendar last night (just to make sure this is reality), I managed to finish a major paper, which had been looming over me. I still have quite a few major assignments to go before I leave, so we'll see how those go. I feel like a student with "senioritis" or a child who has been sick and wants to go play. Every bone in my body is itching to run onto an airplane home, which I could probably propell with the sheer force of my adrenaline. I just cant wait to see everyone and to feel Austin again and to sense the holidays at home.
Another reason for my inability to sit still is that my best friend, Lindsay, is coming this Saturday (thats right, two days) and we are going to travel for Thanksgiving! Ive never been to France or Spain, both of which Ill be exploring next week - its so soon! That is one excellent thing about living in Europe - you can see the rest of Europe without paying for a trans-Atlantic flight...so I thought I'd take advantage of it a little bit. I am thrilled to see her and catch up; in addition to making flights at unGodly hours; seeing beautiful European art, monuments and cities; and eating (of course) new and wonderful foods from other countries. There are so many great things about my life and what is coming up ahead of me that its hard for me to stay in one place thinking of it all. Its such a wonderful thing to feel ecstatic just to be living and to be young - to be healthy and hopeful and to enjoy the one moment when the world stops spinning long enough for you to say "life is so sweet."

Ive Fallen in Love

This weekend I fell in love. Everyone expected that in Italy I would meet a really attractive Italian man and fall in love, but as it turns out, my true European love is London. Five of my friends and I went there, the most wonderful city ever, and spent Friday through Sunday seeing everything. If the sterling pound were not twice as strong as the dollar, I would have called JCU and said "um....withdraw me from my classes. Im staying" but thats not the case. Three of my friends left on Thursday night, while one other girl and I left Friday morning early early. We had to wake up at 3:00 to catch our flight because the airports are all far away from the center. When we arrived in London, I already felt like I was at home - the city just fit me perfectly - in a way I cant explain. Of course, everyone told me I would love it this way before I went, and they were right (congratulations to Mom, Dad and Lindsay).
We started out on Friday and through the course of the weekend we saw Westminster Abby, Big Ben, the London Eye, the Aquarium, London Bridge, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace...the list goes on. Mostly, we hit all of the major buildings and additional areas like SoHo (where two of my friends tried to go get their noses pierced but failed) and Chinatown. I really enjoyed the theater district and the area near Chinatown all the way to the London "Time Square" which were all so full of life. We spent some time in a park in Hyde Park (not the actual Hyde Park, but another one) and also ate at a really wonderful Japanese restaurant called Nobu which was started in London. My friend, Alexa, and I are obsessed with sushi so she went crazy with it. On Saturday morning, we went to a great little breakfast place and had a "typical English Breakfast" which was absolutely to die for - I had forgotten what a good breakfast tastes like since Italians only drink coffee for breakfast (they might have a cornetto, too). I was thrilled with the accent, which I've always wished I had, and it was magnificent hearing everyone speak in English and not having to think of how to say simple phrases. The funny thing is that I actually found myself evaluating how I would say something in Italian, forgetting that I didnt have to! Oh, and we made several trips to Starbucks for their holiday blends, because lets face it, Im addicted.
London was freezing cold - much colder than Rome - but I was prepared with a big jacket and the air was crisp and refreshing. In Rome, I sometimes feel like the cigarette smoke and smog and general pollution takes over, but in London it was incredible how even being in the center of the city had a very country-air type of feeling. I never felt overwhelmed by industry or by urban traffic. There are huge parks in London everywhere, and I especially loved one of them which had lots of lawn chairs out, provided by the government, for people to sit in! We joked that, in Italy, they wouldnt last two minutes without disappearing and then reappearing on someone's back porch...how true it is.
Even though my feeling in London was significantly more positive than anything Ive ever felt in Italy (especially, Rome), I dont regret my choice to go to Italy to study. In fact, I applied to several schools in England but decided ultimately, that I would gain the most from a study abroad experience by going somewhere completely opposite from the U.S...and I was dead on in my assumption. Italy is nothing like the States, which goes in and out of disappointing me and thrilling me, but no matter what else it is, it is unique and new 100% of the time. I can really see myself living in London one day or for a while, and Rome is somewhere that I can only live in short term, but its definitely been worth the experience Ive had to come here. Ive learned infinitely more about myself in Italy than I could have learned in England just for the nature of the place. Italy has the potential to teach more because its so different from what I know and identify with.
I loved London because it is the perfect mixture of what is wonderful about Europe and America, but without the negative elements. I felt so at ease and so happy - I could have spent so much more time there, but I suppose now I have an excuse to go there again soon!

E Molto Freddo!

Winter is upon us here in Roma. My best friend checked the internet for our temperature in fahrenheit and it was 46 degrees without wind, or the fact that I walk everywhere, taken into consideration. Only a week ago I was going to school in a skirt and tee shirt - maybe pants or a long sleeved shirt but not both. Now, a swift cold front moved through and has changed the landscape to what seems to be a quick decline into cold weather. Unfortunately, our heating doesnt come on for two more weeks, and once its on, we arent sure how warm it will actually be. Im convinced that our favorite person, the landlady, will spite us and give us only enough heat to argue that she turned it on. On the other hand, the winter is fabulous here. Im fond of cold air because it is so crisp and refreshing. It makes me want to get some tea in my new cow mug (see previous post) and curl up on my bed with some sudoku for hours. It is the winter when I really appreciate the fact that Im a literature major; there is always something good to read, while tucked into a cozy blanket, and not only that, but Im doing work at the same time! Brilliant.
There is an art festival going on in the main piazza near my apartment and many vendors have set up stands there for the weekend. There are so many neat things, including jewelry made right in front of you, funky rings based on comic books and japanese lettering, Venetian glass, hand-woven bags and so forth. Everyone seems to be freezing (where are those chestnut roasters when you need them?) but it brings some beautiful life to the piazza.
Im looking forward to seeing just how much cold I can endure. Being from Texas, this is a true test of will power - I am determined that I will prevail and somehow force myself to adjust to the cold. One of my roommates is from Bulgaria where it takes 40 minutes to shovel snow from the driveway every morning in the winter (hah!)...she laughs at my Californian roommate and I who were both shaking and chattering our teeth when it was 50 fahrenheit outside...its going to be a long one.

Birthday and Halloween Fun

Monday was my 21st birthday and it was a really special day. Starting somewhere around midnight I began receiving a multitude of text messages to say "happy birthday" and the following day, got to talk to my best friend and my parents. My friends got me a balloon that looks like a small creature with eyes that move back and forth (see Flickr photos) and one of them got me a mug that looks like a cow, which I love. My roommates got me a manicure and a massage at this spa near our apartment, and that is such a treat! At night, my four best Italian friends and I went to dinner at my favorite pizzeria and talked and laughed. It was a perfect night spent with them.
The next day, October 31st, was Halloween!! In Italy, Halloween is not as big of a deal as November 1st, All Saints Day, when everyone takes off of work. Still, as early as 5:00 there were both kids and adults out in their Halloween outfits ready for some fun. I went over to my good friend Alexa's house, because she was sick and brought her some medicine. She didnt want to go out so we decided to make the night fun staying in. We went down to the Standa (Roman grocery store - the biggest one they've got...Ill take pictures sometime) and we got 2 pumpkins, which we carved. I should say, which Mel and Alexa carved, because I was rather unsuccessful and using the very fat kitchen knives to round the edges of my pumpkin's eyes...but I think Im okay with that failure. My contribution was chocolate chip cookies, which burned on the bottom (the ovens here are insane) but their roommates (8 of them!) thought they were good. Wahoo! When we tried to turn on the oven, which is a gas oven and lights from the bottom, I put the lighter in there and it looked like an A bomb had just exploded and a plume of fire came up momentarily, threatening to melt my face in one poof. It didnt happen, fortunately, but we had a good laugh. Why Italians refuse to come into the electricity age is beyond me. Alexa had some movies and we watched those until the wee hours of the morning and then fell asleep. Those are the nights when you really feel that it doesnt matter if youre at a party or burning your face with the oven fire or scraping seeds out of a pumpkin or doing nothing at all - its completely about who youre with when youre doing it.