Trial and Error

I sit here, sipping my Spumante (sparkling wine), having just finished my Sociology midterm. I decided that instead of sending out mass emails to family members (which I have yet to do) and my sorority sisters (I know it clogs their inboxes!) I would try a blog! My roommate in Italy, Laura, writes in her blog almost daily and so I thought I'd give it a go!

My mom is in town right now, which is so muc

h fun! I didn't realize how much I missed home until I saw her big smile as she waited for me in the Rome hotel. I was 2 hours late because I got on the wrong train. We had a blast in Rome for the weekend, but it's such a huge city that we were both exhausted! I'm so happy to be able to use my Italian to show off for my mom! I'm pretty good at Italian because languages are something I've always had a knack for. She and I have been spending a lot of time together, mostly shopping and eating, both of which are accompanied by good conversation. She is really bringing some things to light that I never knew or never realized. We have a very strong relationship, for which I am thankful.

I came to Italy having saved up money for the following 5 things: 1. a p

air of leather boots 2. nice gold jewelry from the Ponte Vecchio 3. a leather biker jacket 4. a leather purse and 5. weekend travel. So far, that money has covered 4 of those 5 and I have been very good about getting my moneys worth and finding a bargain without sacrificing quality. The only thing left is an Italian leather purse, which I can find cheap in the markets of San Lorenzo. 

So far I have travelled to the following places since I left in September: Berlin, Krakow, Prague, Rome, Southern Tuscany, and The Amalfi coast (Amalfi, Sorrento, Capri, and Pompeii

). In my last 7.5 weeks abroad I have the following trips planned: Rome (with my art history class), Spain (to visit Lindsay from my sorority!), Denmark (to visit Rachel from my sorority!), Amsterdam (with my history class and most of the program) and maybe some day trips when my dad visits for Thanksgiving. I am so lucky and fortunate to have been given such amazing opportunities. For some people, my roommate included, this is their first time to Europe. This is my fourth time to Europe and I am loving every minute of it!

I do get homesick, especially when I think about missing my usual Thanksgiving routine with my family and missing out of most of Rush with my sorority and missing Barnett, but overall, I made a conscious decision not to waste my time missing home too much because I am only here for a limited amount of time. The rest of my life (more or less) I w

ill be near or in a similar time zone to the people I miss currently. This is a great growing experience for me. I am a very independent women (sometimes too independent) but I have learned a new sense of the word with my travelling alone and coming into a program only knowing one person and not even very well. Some people enjoy being around people most of the time, but anyone who knows me well can tell you that I cherish every ounce of alone time I can manage. I sometimes just leave my pensione (budget hotel where

 I live) for hours just to do whatever. I love it!

Ok, I promise no other entries will be quite this long, but I felt the need to update on various aspects of my experience so that my future posts can be more centralized on one topic. Above left is the Duomo, for which Florence is known. I see this pretty much every day. Below is a picture from Krakow. It's random, I know, but gorgeous!

Ciao!