The first few days of Spring Break was spent in D.C. for the National Model Arab League Conference where my partner Amber and I represented Egypt in the Environmental Committee. It was pretty chaotic and crazy at times, but we met interesting people from all over the country and even a school from Cairo, Egypt. A minor transportation setback delayed our return to Converse, but Spring Break started the next morning when I drove home to Myrtle Beach. I was only able to go to the beach once that week because of the continuous rain, but it was still an exciting week because my sister and I celebrated our birthdays!

My birthday week was excellent. My friend Victoria created a pirate-themed scavenger hunt with poems leading me to the grand treasure of chocolate, pirate accessories (i.e. eye patch and a plastic sword) and fake red hair extensions. A group of my friends hung out together later that night with Gia's visiting brother. The next day I attended a Passover dinner with my friends Hahna and Kelsey at the Rabbi's house. The Rabbi and his humorous and kind guest made it a very educational, beautiful and entertaining experience.

Last weekend, I drove back home to spend time with one of my best friends before she departs on her mission to Indonesia. Allison will be leaving in two weeks to begin serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for a year and a half, so I won't be seeing her again until next October. Allison, Catherine and I ate at Carrabba's for dinner on Saturday night, a tradition we've managed to incorporate into almost every reunion. I then visited her church on Easter Sunday to listen to her farewell speech to the congregation. It was so lovely and touching. I love my friends.

By the way, I can't believe that I will be graduating in a month.

During the question and answer period after the film, fellow Converse student Christine Wells made a point that particularly impacted me. After first commenting on the home videos that displayed the important role of the African American caretakers and maids in the lives of the family of Felicia Furman, Christine remarked that the paths of the white and black families paralleled one another yet did not intertwine. Though the African American men and women were essential and integral in the lives of the Furmans, they were also invisible because of a distinct racial and social divide. While the editor of the film did note that the selected images were chosen with the purpose of evoking feelings in the viewer that supported the intention of the filmmakers, the images were key in communicating unspoken points that nevertheless expressed the truth of the complex relationship of the families. A story told by Rhonda Kearse's mother detailing the punishment of her two older brothers after jokingly criticizing cars passing in the street was another aspect of the film that struck me. According to Kearse's grandfather, black people needed to know “their place” in society because white people made the laws that could protect them from facing legal repercussions if a black individual was killed by a white individual. This statement saddened me because of its honest yet resigned observations concerning class and racial differences that remained relevant well after the end of slavery in many parts of the country. Because legal justice did not support the black population, social justice was virtually impossible. I thoroughly enjoyed the documentary and the dialogue that it inspired. As was remarked by Rhonda Kearse after the viewing, these events must be remembered and discussed today to strengthen our understanding of one another as human beings. Additionally, the topics discussed in the film helped to dismantle some of the myths about past and present day issues of race relations in the South.

As a student of history, I continue to find one of my favorite aspects to be the cultural diversity of America. Whether it be the stories of Native Americans or immigrants from Italy, South Africa, England or China, the preservation of the old while assimilating into the new touches each and every individual and community in American society. I am optimistic about America. It is not perfect, but like any beautiful man made creation, it is constantly evolving. We are the ones constantly revising and reworking it. Perhaps one day it will be a masterpiece.

If you would like to learn more information about this film, please visit: http://www.sharedhistory.org/

Valentine's Day was pretty awesome. My friends and I consider Valentine's Day a day for celebrating all types of love, including friendship. In the morning, Anne and I volunteered at a retirement center and met some wonderful people. That evening, a large group of us went out on a 'friend date' to the movie theater to see He's Just Not That Into You, which was quite adorable, and then went out for dinner together. A few days later, my friends and I decided to have an Opposite Day. Each of us picked a friend, preferably one that was our opposite in some way, and dressed and acted like her for the day. I was Anna Owens and she was me, so I dressed in really cool, trendy clothes and she dressed in sweatpant-capris and curled her hair. It was so accurate. :)

In other news, I just got back from a Model NATO conference in Washington, D.C. and I loved it! During our time there, we visited embassies to learn about the policies of the countries that we were representing for the debate, ate at some really great restaurants and met incredibly fun people. I helped to represent Belgium with one of my Converse little sisters, Monica, on the Nuclear Planning Group. We made so many new friends from all over the country and the world (several schools were from Canada and one was from Italy). I was really excited to visit the Smithsonian American History Museum, the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. One of my favorite parts of the trip was looking out from the top of the Washington Monument because we were able to see the whole city. We ate Ethiopian and Thai food and visited Chinatown, but our last night was spent eating good old American hamburgers.

When I returned to Converse late on Sunday night, I attended an Oscar party that my friends had organized. Everyone wore glamorous gowns in celebration of the festivities and for the red carpet walk of fame. Apparently Slumdog Millionaire is a film worth watching. It was a great few days, but now it's back to school time again.

In the evenings, my friends and I have been watching several other movies and will soon begin a nightly movie festival that my friend Melody has organized. It's called Movie Genre January and it basically allows us to watch and share some of our favorite movies with our friends. As you can tell, all of my friends really love movies. I am responsible for selecting the movies for five nights. My genres are: tragedy, drama, animated non-Disney, mob and miniseries. I showed Citizen Kane for my tragedy selection and hope to show Mr. Smith Goes to Washington with James Stewart for the drama category. The latter is quite appropriate for inauguration season. I'll update you all on what my final selections turn out to be.

This past weekend was a good mix of work and fun. On Friday I went to work in the Converse mail room, then headed over to the history museum at the Chapman Center in the afternoon. I volunteer there every week since I'm considering a career in museum studies and public history. I've been working on an educational resource booklet for teachers in Spartanburg to teach their students about Black History Month in February. One of the employees showed me an exhibit the museum is working on that showcases a medical traveling bag from the Civil War. Many of the bottles and packets in the case still had medicine and powders in them. It was so incredible! Several of my friends and I went out for dessert after dinner in Gee, mostly because we wanted to have an excuse to dress up. We had a lovely night. On Saturday we continued our movie viewing by going to the movies to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I think that we all really loved it because of it's beautiful cinematography and unique story. Sunday afternoon and evening were devoted to Model League. I'm a new member and I'll be one of the representatives for Belgium's nuclear planning group at Model NATO in DC. I'm so excited to be working with Monica, one of my Converse 'Little Sisters'! She's a wonderful partner. The best part of the weekend was when our friend Lindsay came back from her trip to Ireland! We were all really happy to have her back and to hear her stories and experiences. Ah! And now it's snowing. Well, the South Carolina equivalent of snow-- which is not much. But still, life is pretty great.

Mari, Gia and me being Chandler, Joey and Ross from 'Friends'

Christmas at the Gallitto house was really fantastic. I truly love my family and there are no other people in the world I would rather spend time with. Although we may bicker over who has to do the dishes or set the table, we make each other laugh and genuinely care about one another. Maybe I watched too many Frank Capra movies over the break, but it's all true. Anyway, we had several family members visit us from Italy, including my uncle, my aunt and some cousins. Taking them around to see the sights of Myrtle Beach was pretty fun. My sister Cristina and I took several of them to the Brookgreen Gardens Night of a Thousand Candles, which is really lovely and always puts me in the holiday spirit. It's really magical because, as expressed in the title of the event, thousands of candles illuminate the gardens during an evening of holiday music and family togetherness. A few days before Christmas, the entire family attended the Dixie Stampede Christmas Show! I know it sounds cheesy and, quite frankly, it is suuuuupppper cheesy, but it's also awesomely great. Rather than the audience being split up into the opposing teams of North and South, as is customary in the regular show, the Christmas spectacular pits the North Pole against the South Pole. Competitions include racing pigs, chasing chickens, and fake pony races, as well as stunts performed by professional horseback riders. I encourage all to see it. For Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, everyone gathered at my Uncle Louie's house for excellent meals. There was amazing food, opening of gifts and dancing-- salsa dancing. I think everyone had a great time.

The day after Christmas, I spent some time with my three best friends from home and we had dinner at Melting Pot. It was incredible because, not only did we get cheese fondue, but we knew the waiter so he gave us a double portion of dessert. By the end of the meal, it was really a challenge to eat any more chocolate covered marshmallows. My sister and I also had a lot of fun together. Along with my mom, we watched so many television marathons. I never watch television when I'm at school, but the Christmas marathons that were aired made me a new fan of House, along with several other shows. My sister and I also took our dog, Jupiter, to the dog park several times. That became one of our favorite activities, and I think Jupiter loved it too.

New Years was once again spent with my family. It was somewhat of a relaxed celebration because I think we were all pretty exhausted, but we went out to dinner and then went back to my mom and dad's house to watch the New Years Times Square ball drop. We also performed our yearly tradition of eating lentil beans to usher in a, what we hope will be, prosperous new year. Every bean you eat is supposed to multiply the money that you have in your pocket. I don't really like beans, but I'll need all the help I can get with graduation approaching. Now I'm back at school and hope to have a great new year with my friends and family.

1889 Week is a tradition here at Converse that encourages school spirit by creating competition among the classes. At the end of the week, we have a skit and dance night with performances from all of the classes. We worked really hard on the dance, especially, and had an absolutely amazing time! It was so much fun and it really brought the whole class together. All of the classes did a great job. Unfortunately, the seniors didn't win the entire competition, but we did come close. After the competitions are over, we have a semi-formal dance called the 1889 Dance to celebrate and spend time with friends. My friends and I busted a few moves and danced the night away. I'm pretty sure we were the last ones to leave.

Halloween was also a blast! On Halloween night, a huge group of my friends and I went out to dinner to celebrate our friend Laura's birthday. Then, we went over to the Halloween Party being thrown by a few organizations here at Converse. I dressed up as a giant jar of Nutella, my favorite snack. Some of the other costumes included: a whoopie cushion, a cup of coffee, a leg lamp (like the one from A Christmas Story), a disco ball, a box of hot tamales (the candy), Hannah Montana, an iPod and many others that I can't currently remember. At the party, there was a haunted house and a really cool fortune-teller/clairvoyant. I got to provide the music for the party, which was exciting (especially when I could tell that people were liking my selections...you can't go wrong with Beyonce' and Sean Paul). I had a really wonderful Halloween and we all got to be ridiculous for a few hours by dressing up in crazy outfits.

Though it wasn't exactly the warmest of weather that day, we also walked around at the beach. I really like going to the beach in the fall and winter when it's secluded and not teeming with tourists because it's so serene. Anyway, that was fun and just laid-back. We then hit the mall for a while to mostly pine over the pretty dresses and shoes. Our plan is to one day go on a shopping spree when Gia's a famous record producer and I'm a wealthy whatever. Good times. Pumpkin picking was my favorite adventure of the weekend. We picked out baby-sized pumpkins for ourselves and one larger pumpkin for my family. We then decorated them later that night after dinner. I decided on a Beatles motif on mine with an illustration of the cover of Help! and the names of all of the members. As is tradition every time I go home, we visited the pet store with my sister so that we could see the little puppies that are always so adorable and then went out for coffee. I can't wait to go home again for Thanksgiving!

When I'm not doing my crazy amounts of homework, I mostly spend time with my friends. A big group of my friends went to Jason's Deli for lunch last Sunday before finishing off our 10^th Kingdom marathon. After a week of being in bed with the flu like a hermit, I was very happy to leave the room and hang out with my friends last weekend. As mentioned by Anne in her blog entry, we went to the Spartanburg International Festival. I was still feeling a bit ill and unlike myself, but we had so much fun. The honored country this year was China, so I helped out at the Chinese booth for a while since my Chinese teachers from Wofford were there doing calligraphy for the kids. There were also Scottish bagpipers and an Italian booth! My favorite part is always when all of the children wave their flags and march around the park during the cute little cultural parade. The weekend before the Festival, my Chinese classmates and I performed some children's songs and poems for a really cool Chinese festival at Wofford. It was really fun (and mildly embarrassing), but I was really grateful that a big group of friends from Converse came to support my friend Caroline and me. I have included a few pictures of our adventures.

This week was a bit stressful because I had my teaching assistantship interview and some makeup work to do for my classes. I was pretty nervous about the interview, but I think it went okay. My friends and I celebrated the end of the application process by getting all dolled up for a night out on the town. We discovered a new restaurant that we like and listened to a funky jazz band that performed there. This week will probably be pretty hectic since fall break is next week, but I'm excited about going home and spending a few days with my family.

My family and a group of my friends with me after my oath ceremony.

Next up on the summer list was my family's tradition of a yearly adventure around America in, what I like to call, the 'Little Miss Sunshine Van'. We rent a giant 12 passenger van and travel to fun destinations around America...and this year was a tour of the Grand Ole South. We went to Asheville, NC, all over Tennessee (including Pigeon Forge, Nashville and Memphis), Tupelo, Mississippi, Birmingham, AL and then back to SC. Not only did we go to Graceland in Memphis to see the King's mansion, but we also went to Sun Studios and visited with my friend Sara from my semester in Italy. She lives in Memphis and it was so nice to see her. My other favorite part of the trip was seeing Elvis' boyhood home in Tupelo because it was so humble and simple...a far cry from the elaborate mansion he would later call home. Overall, it was a great summer with lots of great memories with family and friends.

My first week back at school has been really wonderful. So far, I haven't felt stressed or overwhelmed with things to do, so life is pretty nice right now. I really love the classes that I'm taking this semester, which is always a plus. I'll be taking an Italian DIS class with Dr. West, Women's American History with Dr. Walker, Arabic with Mirko, Chinese at Wofford, and Yoga. I'm so excited to be taking Arabic. I think that Converse is really lucky to have an Arabic program and Mirko is so great because he's always so enthusiastic and interested in teaching us. I'm also working in the Converse mail room with the lovely Carol and Sabrina again this year. I've had so much fun being back with all of my friends. Last week we watched Steel Magnolias and Camp Rock. One for a good cry and the other for a ridiculously good laugh. A big group of us went on a little day trip to the Greenville Zoo this past Saturday. I had a terrific time with everyone and I really liked the primate exhibits. This past weekend, I also saw one of my graduated friends, Leah, at the bike race in Greenville. We cheered for all the cyclists by shaking our cow bells and screaming like rabid fans. It was delightfully crazy. Mostly, we just sat around, chatted, and ate some watermelon.

With final exams over and final papers turned in, my last night was spent at dinner with a big group of friends I had made while in Italy. Many of them would remain for several more weeks or months to travel around Europe, but I was excited to be returning home the next day to see my family who had gone through so much these past few months. The night was the perfect last night, actually. Friends, food, and one final marriage proposal from our Italian waiter made it a proper Italian evening. Sara, Catherine and I went out for ice cream by the Trevi one final time and just sat for a while reminiscing before sharing a little group hug and parting ways. Catherine and I spent much of the night packing the last few months of our lives back into our luggage and headed for the airport in the morning. We took a taxi to the airport (one, because it was sooo Real World and two, because there was a transportation strike effective that morning) and started our journey back home together. We almost didn’t have enough money for the cab, having spent some of our last euros on the ice cream from the night before, but the nice cab driver just told us to have a safe trip home and covered the extra five euros himself. It was a sweet last moment.

Upon arriving home, I experienced a surprisingly easy transition back into life at home. It’s a little like a Frank Capra movie or something because no matter how far you travel, home is always the same when you see family and friends. A few days after getting home, I went up to Converse to visit all of my friends for a day and had an incredible time. It was so wonderful seeing everyone again and hearing all of their hilarious stories. Currently, I’m taking a bit of a break and spending time with my family and a few of my friends before getting serious about finding my summer job. I’m also thinking about my future a bit and narrowing down my goals and options as my senior year approaches. I feel that Italy changed me in the sense that I worry a little less, enjoy a lot more and remember to love constantly. Thank you to everyone who have read my blog and shared these experiences with me.

As my trip to Italy comes to a close more and more, I have come to realize a few things about this wonderful country. Although I have loved traveling to other countries, there is an element intrinsically special about Italy. I’ve tried not to generalize during my time here, recognizing that generalizations, good or bad, are often unfair, idealistic/pessimistic or naïve. Perhaps I have developed this view because I have been fortunate enough to make so many exceptionally generous friends during my time here, but I would argue that Italians are some of the most incredible people in the world. They have their faults, as all people do, but this culture values family and friends (who are basically treated like family as well). I say this as my trip to Milan ends and I head back to Rome, which was surprisingly one of the best of my life.

Not only was I able to attend an AC Milan soccer game which allowed me to see my favorite player (Gennaro Gattuso!) play, but I was completely immersed in the Italian language and culture. During my time in Milan I stayed with the family of my mom’s best childhood friend named Simona. Everyone was so welcoming and I spent most of the day being ushered around town by her daughter Alessandra and niece Gaia, as well as their two guy friends Danny and Simone. A word about Danny. Upon being informed that I attend a college of all women, Danny vowed to immediately visit Converse in order to find an American girl. Or as he so gleefully expressed it when talking to all of his friends later, “I am going to America tomorrow and I will find a thousand beautiful American girlfriends at Laurann’s school!!!” All of his very nice Italian friends also informed me that they would be visiting Spartanburg in the near future. Hilarious…I imagine that our little college is now famous in the 18-24 male demographic in Milan. I taught him all the basic phrases for wooing us American girls, of course. You know, stuff like: “Hello, beautiful. My name is Danny and I am from Italy. You have very beautiful eyes.” Look out, Converse. I really did have a great time, especially because I got the chance to speak in Italian. I was also able to have really in depth conversations with everyone about culture and politics, well, after the conversation about Danny’s future travels to the States. And, best of all, I saw Gattuso, my favorite soccer player. One of my dreams was to see an Italian soccer game, so I was out of my mind with excitement when I was actually there in the stands sitting next to other screaming fans.

Then, we were off to Edinburgh, Scotland for two days. Edinburgh quickly became the favorite. Not only is it absolutely beautifully situated in a valley, but its striking Edinburgh Castle stands as a gem in the center of the city. As we stepped off of the bus and onto the Royal Mile, we could hear the sound of bagpipes faintly playing in the distance. I know many of these things are just done for the tourists, but I soaked it all in because it created such a charming, if only fabricated, ambiance. Snowflakes began to fall, so we felt obliged to buy some pretty nifty hats with zig-zags and pom-poms decorating almost every inch. We stopped into the Elephant House, the famous location where J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter, for a bit of coffee and lunch. It was recommended that we also partake of fried Snickers bars, a new beloved snack of mine. We toured several museums as well, including the Scottish National Gallery, the Tartan Museum (yes, as in kilts), and the Scottish War Museum at the Castle. Edinburgh made me feel like a princess, especially when I saw the crown jewels at the Castle. I’d really like to go back to Scotland one day and tour the rest of it…and perhaps catch a glimpse of old Nessy.

Next up was Dublin, Ireland. We stayed in a bed and breakfast right off of O’Connell Street in the center of town. We visited the Chester Beatty Library, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the Dublin Castle while we were in the city, but my favorite experience in Ireland was our bus tour of Wicklow County. Just south of Dublin, Wicklow is full of ideal, picturesque Irish countryside. When you think about the greenery of Ireland, Wicklow is it (which explains why so many movies about Ireland are filmed there). In fact, the movie P.S. I Love You was filmed right along some of the roads we traveled and in a small town we visited. It was gorgeous. We ended our trip with a few double cheeseburgers from the Burger King down the street and then flew back to Rome the next morning. I had an unbelievable time. It’s weird to think that in only a few weeks, I’ll be home. My time abroad has felt like it’s flown by, but I’m excited to see my family and friends soon.

The next weekend, Catherine, Sara and I jetted off to Barcelona, Spain for the weekend. The Sagrada Familia was artistically and architecturally phenomenal. We took the advice of a few of my friends and waited in line for the elevator that took us to a magnificent view of Barcelona. It was truly wonderful. I also really loved that we saw this big group of gypsy-like students playing guitars and dancing in the park. You really must go to Barcelona because there’s something indescribable about it…it’s so musical and mellow.

We also visited the Picasso Museum for an afternoon and accidentally stumbled upon a huge peace protest on our way back to the hotel. I was a bit fearful at first because of some anti-American government sentiment being expressed by the signs and chants, but I asked some people in the crowd about it and found out that it was taking place because it was the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq. There were also people calling for a Free Tibet. The protesters and journalists I spoke to (in my imperfect Spanish) were really nice and informative. It was such a fascinating experience and cool to see passionate people being politically and socially active.   

Although we had eaten the quintessential Spanish dishes like paella and churros with chocolate, our after-church Sunday meal was some good ole KFC. Palm Sunday in Barcelona was absolutely beautiful because of the warm beach weather and colorful palm decorations. The Palm Sunday parade that we saw was so elaborate and vibrant and included musicians and a giant float carrying a statue of Christ and flowers. We briefly went to the beach to take a look at the Mediterranean and bask in the lovely sunshine. Our last stop was Guell Park which was a really peaceful end to our unforgettable trip. Barcelona had an incredibly cool vibe. I loved it.

Laurann: I hate Rihanna. She tries too hard to be Beyonce. No one is like Beyonce.

Catherine: No. You’re wrong. Beyonce is like Beyonce.

Laurann: (As we stare at a ditch/cliff below the narrow bridge we are walking along.) What would happen if we just fell right now?

Catherine: Death.

Laurann: (After climbing up and down about 500 steps.) Catherine, my legs are starting to burn and I think I just twisted my ankle.

Catherine: Live. Breathe. McCain.

Laurann: (Shamefully silenced and continues climbing.)

Laurann: (Looking down at the beautiful water.) What if I jumped in?

Catherine: Well, you’d get really cold and then you’d hit the rocks and die.

Check out this cool article by my friend Sara (she's awesome and she writes for the JCU newspaper) to find out more about the trash in Naples story.

Because of the positive comments I got regarding my last entry, I thought I would ask Catherine to once again contribute to my blog. I truly needed her to help tell the story of our Florence trip because I knew I couldn’t quite express its hilarity. Thanks, Catherine.

We walked up ten flights of poorly-lit staircases and knocked on the door to our temporary home. We were greeted by bloodshot eyes and a manic voice proclaiming “How lucky I am. Sixxxx beeeautiful girls!  Six sexxxxy girls are here!” We hesitantly stepped inside and handed over the cash, ten euro each, for our luxurious accommodations: lime green walls and six beds to a room, one bathroom for sixteen or so strangers to share and, last but not least, Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” and Madonna alternately blaring from the kitchen.  I think McCain might have had flashbacks to his prisoner of war days (there were five and a half years of them), but we were in Paradise.  We settled in a bit before venturing out into the streets of Florence. We made it back later that evening just in time for the complimentary wine tasting, hosted by the man himself, where we picked up our Korean friend, Gina. After “respecting the wine”, we all followed the manic Franco into the streets where he led us to one of his favorite local restaurants. It was late and the place was getting crowded. Laurann refused to follow Franco’s advice to use her “mafia influence” to get us seated quickly, so instead our host ran inside at least ten times to check the status for his “six sexy girls”. After dinner we hesitantly returned to our hostel in time for the dance-off in the kitchen. We played Franco and friends some Shakira and he showed us a poster of his famous model ex-girlfriend. After declining some wine being served from an old water bottle, we went to our room and snuggled in under the giant poster of David; simple but elegant décor. Bed bugs, schmegbugs! The night was peaceful aside from a few violent uproars coming from the bar across the street. We found Franco the next morning and said our tearful goodbye.  He might not have shown it, but I think he cried a little too. Probably one solitary tear, accompanied by “Beautiful Liar” poetically playing in the background…

Life, according to Catherine:

Last weekend, TommyTom, the captain of CEA, took us on a magic school bus ride to Tuscany.  We had a one million course meal complete with barrels of wine. Well, not really, but we did try the homemade cheese, salami, olive oil and a glass or two of wine. After adequately gorging ourselves, we went for a walk around town.  BOY was that pretty.  We then went to Montepulciano and Perugia where we found that dreams really do come true.  At least in the form of chocolate, that is.  We ran around our fancy-shmancy hotel room like kids on a Disney world vacation.  McCain’s sparkling smile blessed our presence on the English CNN network on the hotel television.  We went out to the discoteca and discovered the art of Italian techno dance.  Some forms of art just can’t be expressed in words…how to convey the concise snap sway technique our native male performer?  After about thirty minutes of “crazy” barhopping behavior we retired to the sweet serenading voice of our beloved McCain. The next morning we were greeted by a breakfast of real food (i.e. pastries +!).  Our friend, Dakota, rolled up in the dining room shortly after, complaining about the pain in his legs— after tremors (obvious evidence of dancing the night away). We took an informative tour of the city underground built during the time of the Etruscans. We then had a balanced lunch of hot chocolate with a sauce-like consistency, lasagna, and French fries.  They know how to treat us Americans right!  We then rode the bus home, giving that insulin a good four hours to get the job done. Home sweet, Rome! 

Monday night we decided to be big tough city girls and venture out after eight.  After sprinting to catch the number 3 bus (you know what they say about things in threes) we made it to our metro stop.  The metro car is appropriately decorated by enough graffiti to give it the look of a circus tent on acid.  We stepped into the magic box and it took us through the ant farm of Rome to our musical destination.  The orchestra started to fill the stage about twenty minutes after the listed time.  This made me nervous— didn’t they realize it was a school night?   Laurann fell in love with a cello player who wore sunglasses on his head throughout the entire performance— just in case the stage lights got too bright, you know?  They started to play Harry Potter and the cultured orchestra audience began to perk up.  After finishing the program, the director responded to the customary applause by playing again, and again. While the music was undoubtedly beautiful, I couldn’t help but start sweating— didn’t he know that the buses stopped running at midnight???  How were we ever going to make it back at a decent hour?  

Taking the bus home from the Rome Philharmonic Symphony performance.

And now, my part:     

We took the train to visit my family in Pesaro this past weekend. Everyone was adorable! All of my mother’s family and half of my father’s family live there, including both of my grandparents. My Zio Leo was a great host because he took us out for dinner our first night in town, provided CNN for us on his television, and gave us a guided tour of Pesaro on Saturday morning. We had lunch at my Nonna’s with my Uncle Nicky, Aunt Maura and cousin Andrea. Before going shopping in Riccone with my Aunt Frances and other cousins Alessandro and Elisa, we drove up into the hills to see the Panoramica of Pesaro. It was so charming because we saw the Adriatic Sea, all of the greenery from the hills and the town below. After looking at things we couldn’t afford from Armani and Gucci in Riccone, we ate a regional dish called piedina for dinner. So good. Before leaving for Rome on Sunday evening, we had a huge lunch with my mother’s family. The Vincenzettis. I practiced speaking Italian a lot, enjoyed the home cooked meal, the entertaining conversation, and my Zia Roberta’s tiramisu. It was fantastic and I look forward to going back throughout the semester.

Me with my uncles and grandfather.

Hope you all had a great Valentine’s Day!

The highlight of Thursday was going to one of our favorite pizza spots across the street from our apartment. Along with our dinner, we got a lesson in spotting the perfect pizza from this hilarious older Italian man holding a cigarette and muttering something about good bread being the base for great pizza. It was probably one of my top 10 favorite moments, thus far. Friday, I went to the Villa Borghese Park (located just beyond the Spanish Steps) and read among the peaceful greenery. The view of the entire city was gorgeous! Friday night I also got to talk to my family on the phone for a while. My dad is sounding a lot better and seems to be doing well. He had a heart attack during my first week in Rome and had emergency bypass surgery earlier last week. Not being there for my family was really difficult and made me want to go home more than anything, but I’m glad to know that he is now recuperating nicely and will get to rest for a while at home.

This weekend was unbelievable. We had a guided tour of the Colosseum and the Forum on Saturday. We learned that the Colosseum was built almost 2,000 years ago (1,920 years ago, to be more accurate) after Titus brought back the treasures he had seized after conquering Jerusalem and looting King Solomon’s Temple. I also learned that the stage was flooded to have simulated naval battles and that stone from the Colosseum was recycled (mostly during the Middle Ages) and used to form or decorate other Roman monuments. Oh yeah, and the name of the Colosseum actually comes from the colossal statue of Nero located outside of the stadium that served as the meeting point before entering. Actually waking around inside of what are now the remnants of Ancient Rome was so remarkable. Yesterday we went to the Vatican and saw St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. There is no preparation for either. It was so surreal, ornate and gigantic. The last Sunday of every month has free admission, so we didn’t even have to pay. Still, we’re going back because I don’t mind paying for it or standing in the enormous lines that wrap around the block. No words in the human lexicon exist that can even begin to describe the beauty of what I saw—and any attempt to articulate the feeling one experiences when seeing Michelangelo’s work would fail in serving it any justice. All I can say is, if you could only go to one place in the entire world to appreciate what man is capable of accomplishing, go to the Sistine Chapel. I also saw the Pietà, the School of Athens, and dozens of other masterpieces. I feel so lucky to be here.  

The first is the view from our apartment window.

After our long flight, my friend and now roommate, Catherine, and I met two of our roommates at the airport. Carly and Nikki are twins from Chicago who go to the Universities of Arizona and Wisconsin. After moving into our apartment and getting unpacked, we met Allison and Katie (both are from Presbyterian College). I think we are all going to get along well. On our first night, we toured the neighborhood a bit and went for some pizza and gelato. Man, the pizza is good. No wonder I’ve eaten it every day since. We live just outside of the center of Rome, so we take the buses to just about everywhere. Our first day of orientation was quite the adventure. It wasn’t a Mary-Kate and Ashley movie or anything, but we passed the Colosseum— truly mind-boggling. We were so obviously the Americans on the bus because we all freaked out while no one else on the bus really cared. My favorite part of orientation was when Police Chief Michele talked to us about safety in Rome because he kept referring to the Italian national sport of chasing women. Be prepared to hear a “Ciao, Bella!” or two when coming to Italy. Overall, we have learned a lot in the past week about the sights and the culture of Rome.

The Colosseum, Pantheon (outside and inside), a gelateria, and the view while crossing the Tiber River.  

The day we took a tour of Rome was my favorite! Our tour guide was really knowledgeable. We saw so many extraordinary sites: the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, old Roman aqueducts, and dozens of churches and fountains. The Trevi Fountain was absolutely gorgeous and truly surreal! The next day we went on a double-decker bus tour of Rome. I couldn’t take a bad picture because it was all so amazing. On Saturday, Catherine and I went to Piazza Barberini to see an underground crypt started by Capuchin monks. From the 1500’s to the 1700’s, they used the bones of over 4000 people to create very elaborate and ornate designs all over the walls and ceilings of 6 rooms. It was really morbid and creepy, but it was so cool. On Sunday, we went to the area of Rome that was once the Jewish ghetto to visit the Jewish Museum and ate at Da Giggetto. We had fried artichoke, which is famous and apparently the Jewish style of eating artichokes. Today we started classes at John Cabot, so I think it will start to feel like we really live here. For the next four months, I will be a resident of Rome…so unreal.

The Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain.

Unlike Audrey Hepburn’s character of Princess Ann in the film Roman Holiday, I am not an actual princess (much to my chagrin) and will probably not encounter Gregory Peck during my time in Rome. Still, I am tremendously excited to be studying abroad in Rome, Italy this semester at John Cabot University through a program called Cultural Experiences Abroad (CEA). Over the past few months, I have been making preparations for my trip by filling out applications, renewing my passport, working out finances, asking lots of questions, buying my plane ticket, etc. It’s so bizarre to only be a week away from departure! After arriving on January 14^th, I will have about a week of Orientation before starting classes the following Monday. I will be taking five classes total while I am at JCU including history, art history, and Italian language classes. Also, I am so excited to have the chance to take trips around Italy and Europe! CEA has set up activities to sites in Rome as well as several weekend excursions to various parts of Italy. If time and money permit, I also plan on traveling to Spain, France, Germany, Greece, England, Ireland and Scotland. I think that studying and traveling will allow me to experience the diverse cultures, cuisine, history, people, art and ideas present in Europe. I also hope to visit my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who still live in Italy. My family and I moved away from Italy when I was two years old, so I look forward to getting to know those family members a little better. Fortunately, I will also be sharing this experience with one of my best friends! Her name is Catherine and we have been friends since elementary school. Although we decided to go to separate colleges to pursue our different interests after high school graduation (she goes to Presbyterian College), I am so glad that we will be spending the semester together at the same university. This experience is truly a dream come true and I am so grateful for this opportunity.

The past few weeks of vacation have been incredible! I have loved spending time with my family and friends. I had a wonderful Christmas and a fun New Years celebration! For New Years, my roommate, Allison, came to Myrtle Beach and we saw the movie P.S. I Love You together and played Italian bingo with my family for most of the night. I have also gone to the Wacatee Zoo with my sister and Disney World with Catherine and one of my other best friends from high school. I called some of my friends (Mari, Lindsay and Laura) at Converse today and was happy to hear that they are enjoying their Jan Term. I am so thankful that I was able to spend my break with my little sister Cristina, especially, but also with my parents and friends before leaving for the next few months. Right now, I’m feeling a little nervous but thrilled at the same time. I keep putting off packing (mostly because I have been watching way too much America’s Next Top Model), but I plan on starting early this week. I am really looking forward to the next few months and will keep everyone updated!