living independently...

This week I am living in San Marcello in Toscana. It is an extremely SMALL town in the mountains where everyone knows everyone. Walking down the street everyone greets one another, and, being an outsider, I get a lot of stares because people do not know who I am!

Let me count the ways in which I love this town…

There are 3 tutors because it is a small town. Mark, Sara and myself. Our house families are all friends, and their children (our house brothers and sisters) are the same age and are friends. Everyday after camp we go to the gelatteria all together and get a gelato. Then, we usually go for a walk and head back to our homes which are all within a 2 minute walk of each other. We are forming such a strong bond with the house siblings and the tutors very quickly. I am thoroughly enjoying my time with them after camp.

The families are amazing! They’ve organized things for every night! Monday we all went to Marks house to hang out. Tuesday night Mark and Sara came to my place after dinner to watch a movie, tonight we’re all going to Pizza with the families and camp directors, tomorrow we’re going to a Medieval Festival in a nearby town, and Friday we’re going to Pistoia! It’s an action packed week. I basically only have time to shower, eat and hang out! There isn’t really any spare time which is kind of crappy because I haven’t been lesson planning as much, but at the stage I am so content that Im not too preoccupied about it.

The town is amazing. Everywhere you look there are mountains. The school is on a hill and the outside area overlooks the town and the mountains. It’s like a picture perfect town where you could snap a shot anywhere and it would look like a postcard. This is the first small town I’ve been to and I am so happy here. It’s quaint and cute, the main Piazza looks like something from a Disney Theme Park with the buildings, bar’s and little fountain in the middle. Very cute!

For the first time I am living on my own! I have the whole upstairs on a house to myself. The Nonno lives downstairs but he is quiet and keeps to himself. I only see him at dinnertime. Actually, he left today for a few days so I have the house to myself until Thursday evening! Not too shabby. I’m only ever alone at night before bed so it isn’t too bad. I do feel like an adult though, I cook myself breakfast, do my laundry and hang it to dry. Feels like I am living on my own hehehe

So far I love this town! I don’t leave until Sunday for Belluno so I am excited to see what the family has planned for me on Saturday! It is Ferragosto so it is a big holiday but I hope they do something with me. Take me to Lucca or Florence or something!? Stay tuned and I will keep you posted….

nostalgia for the world I live in...

I am sitting here in a lovely family room in Calcio Bergamo, Italy. A little over a month left and my adventure is coming to an end. I cannot believe that I can see the Windsor light…. It came so quickly and I am sad to think my time is almost over. Being in Italy has taught me so much already. I have been so fortunate in my experiences, with Italian families, the scenery, fellow tutors and camp directors, and of course, the children.

This has been an adventure to remember. Looking at pictures from Paris which wasn’t long ago, I feel like it was a dream. Someone else’s life. I feel like I am living some else’s life everyday actually. The role of a lifetime doesn’t usually come my way. However, I sought out this role and am so glad I had the courage to leave behind a life I adored for ¼ of a year. Leaving behind family, friends, a boyfriend, work and comfort was extremely difficult for me. I always wanted to travel and see the world, but when it came down to it, I feared I was more of a talker than a doer. Turns out, I am a doer and want to continue this life. As many of you know I am going to audition for Theatrino which is an acting troupe based out of the same company I am working for now. They travel in groups of 3 to different schools all over the country doing hour shows in English, promoting the English language. It would be a great opportunity and I am so happy for all the support I am receiving from the people in my life about persuing this goal. I would be gone for 6-8 months, and only home for about 3.5 before I would leave again. It’s a big step but I know I am ready to take it. Unfortunately, I’ll have had to make sacrifices if I get accepted, and that isn’t easy either. Letting go of people I loved is never easy, and I wish life could just work out amazingly. Unfortunately, life never works out how we want it to. But we plan and hope for the best regardless. I am trying to take things day by day and deal with the circumstances right in front of me instead of trying to conquer the world.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a life. So I am taking this opportunity to explore the European life as much as possible before I return to the life I know and love. The way of life here is so different. Laid back and positive. People work hard and enjoy their days off but its just different. Everything is no problem and people genuinely seem to care about one another. The language is beautiful and even though there are days where my brain is exhausted from translating, I am still in love with it.

So here’s to Europe- the adventure of a lifetime, the adventure I love, the adventure I wish to continue in the near future!

an ode to Gramma...

Some say Death is the next big adventure after life. I’d really like to believe that, but unfortunately I don’t know what life holds for us after we pass. The reason I ponder this tonight is because my grandmother passed away this morning. She had been sick for sometime and before I left for Europe, visiting her deep down I knew it would be the last time I would see her alive. However, I don’t think you can ever fully prepare yourself to lose someone you love.

The call came around 6:45pm from Brad. Initially when I heard his voice I thought it was a call to say hey and to talk. I was very happy to hear the familiarity on the other end of the phone. My excitement quickly vanished as the words rolled out of his mouth “I don’t know if you’ve heard….”. And I hadn’t. I hadn’t checked my emails and my dad never called. Naturally, my heart hit a jolt and I wasn’t sure how to react. Crying didn’t seem appropriate at the time because I wanted as many details as I could get from him. Turns out she has been at home since the beginning of June which is good because she wanted to pass at home. In the last week however she hadn’t been taking any meds and was in excruciating pain. My heart goes out to her. I believe she wanted to die to be with my Papa. Even after 22 years she still missed him very much and wanted to be with him.

Now the chaos begins. I am not home for the funeral arrangements which is extremely hard for me. I feel as if it will be something that will be hung over my head for years to come from my Uncle and Dad. Unfortunately, being in Italy it isn’t possible for me right now. I only hope they understand and know that I am thinking of them constantly. Mourning in a different way, although my presence won’t be there, I am still in pain and affected.

We are such selfish people. When someone dies, instead of rejoicing for their happiness onto a better place, we only think of ourselves and the pain we are going through. I am trying to hard to cling to fact that she is no longer suffering and is where SHE wants to be. Even though the void seems to grow deeper with each passing letter I type. The keyboard is actually becoming hard to see because the tears welled in my eyes. Death is never easy, for those left behind there are memories forever burned into our imagination and we must hold tight to them. Never losing sight of the times we shared with these special people and the bonds we formed. She will forever be my Gramma and I have nothing but admiration and great things to say about her. My memories are all fond and filled with fun and laughter, specific smells Sunday phone calls and delicious foods. Feeding DeeDee dog biscuits and the hot tar in the summer.

I have never known anyone like her and never will. Death is a part of life, whether we want it or not.

I love you Gramma. I always will. You taught me a lot growing up and I thank you for being you. May you rest in peace now and always.

You will never be forgotten.

vineyard bike ride

What started out as a lovely bike ride turned into a hill climb from hell! First of all, let me state that I do not remember the last time I rode a bike. It’s probably been 6 years at least! Needless to say when I first started, I was a bit wobbly! It was highly embarrassing pedaling down the main street trying to keep my balance and drive in a straight line. After about a minute I got the hang of it again though! Thankfully! Hahaha I also feared for my life on some of the streets because I wasn’t completely confident and cars come extremely close!

The school we work at is on a hill, so I wanted to see what was on the other side of the hill. I had no idea how much farther uphill I would have to pedal past the school, but I didn’t think it would be as far as it was! The climb really started to burn in my legs so I got off the bike and began walking up the hill. Holy hell was I sweating! Sweating like 10 men and I was in pain. However, this was about 15 minutes into the climb and I could see what looked like the top of the hill so I kept on trekking. Needless to say, I made it to the top, and was glad I put in the sweat. The view was gorgeous! I didn’t want to stop on the side of the road so I kept peddling and found a vineyard on the side of the road. There was a little open area so I sat there. The vines were growing behind me, directly in front of me was a house with a huge yard and farther on all I could see were vineyards, trees and open land. To my left was the real sight! The downward slope of the hill, open fields, random homes, and in the farther distance, mountains! Mountains that were as far as my eye could see. It was such a tranquil place. The occasional car or vespa passed, but the only other noise was that of the tree frogs. I had my ipod and played some “think” tunes, just enjoying and soaking it all up with me eyes. I couldn’t believe such a beautiful place existed in San Colombano, it’s so flat and very much like Windsor. But a 25 minute bike ride away is a gorgeous view! If I have the courage to make the trip again this week I will def bring my camera. I doubt pictures will capture what I am seeing but I will try my best. Maybe I will do a little video. The bike ride back was a breeze, literally, I hardly had to pedal because it was mostly downhill ! A gorgeous afternoon.

a tale of star crossed lovers

So, I went to Verona for the weekend and fell in love. I actually didn’t think Verona existed and was pleasantly surprised to find it did exist and is actually known as “Little Rome”.

We bought our tickets the morning of, and online it said we transferred in Milano Central Station. So, we go to Milano, just chatting on the train not paying attention, and we go to find our binario but cannot find the train number… WELL! I look at the ticket and see we were supposed to get off at Milano Lambrate. There was a train leaving from Central but it wasn’t a regional train and we could have gotten heavily fined. So, we decided to hop on a train to Lambrate and pray they didn’t look at our tickets. Being a 5 minute train ride we thought we would be safe. We didn’t even sit down, just stood in between cars and thankfully got off at Lambrate and didn’t miss our train to Verona! So, we were on our way in a nice air conditioned car.

From the moment we arrived I loved it. The main Piazza is lined with restaurants on the left hand side. On the right is a mini park with a fountain, benches trees and a statue of Vittorio Emanuelle II. Behind that is the Arena (mini colosseum) and the the shopping district. We walked around for a while trying to find our hostel. I decided to start asking people and we eventually found it, right in the middle of the shopping district! Perfect location!

The hostel was great. Cheap, only 25euro each. In a nice area, very clean and the room was huge for 3 people! The only thing was we had to share a bathroom with everyone else but, it was clean and I didn’t mind. The only issue I had was the heat. There wasn’t a fan, and the little window didn’t let in any air. We all woke up wet! It was honestly like I just had a shower. Disgusting, I know! You’d think after 9 weeks in heat I would be used to it but I still am not used to the fact that I am ALWAYS sweating, and never feel clean. Ah the joys of Europe!

So anyways, back to Verona! We began by having some lunch. Pizza Please! Then set out on the journey towards Juliet’s house. We found it no problem. The infamous graffiti wall was there. I brought a paint marker for the occasion and we all signed the wall. It was glorious! After the wall you walked into a courtyard complete with Juliet’s bronze statue and her balcony! Clare and I paid the 6 euro to go inside her house which was basically a modern art exibit by a local artist. It was cool because we could stand on the balcony, and there was a replica of her room from the original film version of the story. As well there were the original costumes the actors wore in the movie. I was very excited by this and actually felt like I was walking back in time and looking at what could have been Juliet’s room. Once we were done we went into the little gift shop and I bought some overpriced souvenirs. Overpriced became the phrase of the weekend! Everything was ridiculous. I went to ask how to get to Romeo’s house when James came up to us and said “someone give me your camera quick” and he took off. Once we found him it was incredible – he was back in Juliet’s courtyard where there were two actors acting out the famous balcony scene. Once that was done we were invited up for a free show. They acted out 3 famous scenes from the play in Italian. I was in 7^th heaven and got goose bumps and choked up on more than one occasion during the show. I was watching Romeo and Juliet in Italy, at Juliet’s house in Verona. I could not have been more lucky. After the show I asked if I could take a picture with the actor playing Romeo and he said my Italian was beautiful! I was just on such a high after that for a few hours! Not to mention he was gorgeous! The most beautiful Italian I have seen thus far in my opinion.

We tried to find Romeo’s house but failed. It looked like it was going to start to rain so we opted to climb the tower to see the view of Verona. BEEEEEUTIFUL! I only wish my camera could capture what my eyes saw.

We did a bit of shopping and had a lovely dinner than did a nice roundabout of the city in search of a disco. Needless to say we didn’t find one, but we did walk to the Castle and got to appreciate it at night and go for a nice walk around the city. The Arena was a site to see all lit up. James brought a cigar so we sat by the fountain and he smoked it. I was feeling fun so I tried it as well. I didn’t like it though. I love the smell, but the taste, not so much! So that was basically our first day. We finished off at a pub just chillin and talking.

Sunday we had to be out by 10 so we woke up early and went on our merry way. On our way to find a café for breakfast we passed a grocery store so we went in. Bought some Nutella, bread, water and fruit for 5 euro! We took our gourmet breakfast to the Castle and ate overlooking the river, castle and mountains. Beautiful start to the day! We did some exploring at the castle and ended up at a park. We were all exhausted so we took a nap on benches for an hour to the sounds of the wind and tree frogs. Not too shabby! We then had lunch, did a bit more shopping, grabbed our stuff (the hostel let us keep our bags there) and were on our way to an Internet café for James. He needed to tie up some loose ends for the beginning of his 3 week solo tour of Europe. We ended up taking the long way back to the station and walked with our stuff in the intense heat for about 45 minutes. Nice little tour of the residential area of Verona! Before I knew it I was on a train ride back to San Colombano for another week of camp!

When in Rome...

Aawww Roma! The place I love. From the moment off the train and looked around at the Termini Train Station I knew I was someplace great. The train station is basically 25 binarios (platforms) connected to a mall. I took some pictures, it was really cool. I could have easily spent all day there. There were 3 levels to the shopping area of the station, and 3 exits to different main streets of Rome. It was a bit overwhelming at first, I found myself roaming around, but once I took a breath and got my Barings, I was good to go.

The hotel / apartment was kind of in a cute little area. Kind of hidden from things but close to Piazza’s and cafes, and only about a 25 minute walk to any major areas of Roma. We walked to the Colosseum, Vatican and everywhere in between.

My first evening we went to the Trevi Fountain which was a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be. It was gorgeous at night, all lit up with the water shimmering crystal blue. There were hundreds of people crowded around, it’s a busy place at night! We threw in our coins for luck and took quite a few pictures. I was very impressed by the fountain at night and was glad it was the first thing I saw. We walked down Via Del Corso which is the main shopping street, and even though the stores were closed it was a nice walk. We had dinner together and took our time walking back. I tried very hard to orient myself with where I was and where I wanted to go so I wouldn’t get lost in the morning. By the end of the day I was exhausted from all the traveling, so I passed right out.

Wednesday morning I was up nice and early at 8 am! Showered, and got ready for my fun filled Roman day! I had breakfast and was on my way to the Roman Forum. By 10am I was already sweating, but that made me happy, it was a nice contrast to the cold in Liverpool. Once I got my ticket and stepped foot on Forum ground I was elated with joy! I had to call mom, even though it was 5am for her. I was just so excited to be among the Caesar’s that I had to tell someone! The forum was really cool. A lot of it is in ruins, but even the ruins were amazing. The details that went into every pillar were amazing. Words, and designs made it all so marvelous. The main arch way is still intact which was a great sight to see!!! I loved it. I made my way up Palatine Hill which provided a great view of the Forum and Rome. I thought of the many Ancient Eyes that looked over the Forum before mine, and the things they would have seen. Invasions coming, horses and chariots, people going for strolls along the walkway… I let my imagination run wild for a few minutes. On Palatine Hill are the remains of Remus’ home and Augusts’ . They don’t look like much, mostly blocks of where the walls would be, but it was still interesting to see where they would have lived and how. The ceilings were not high by any means which leads me to believe the men were not very tall. As well, the walkways are all cobblestone and I understand why their calve muscles were sooo defined. I was in so much pain after all the walking and for the rest of my time there. Def. think I got shin splints from it. Every time we left the app to walk I died! If I wasn’t going at a snail pace then I was in trouble.

The next day the three of us went to the Vatican, Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. The Vatican was gorgeous on the inside. All the different methods of architecture, Marble, Stone, paintings, gold… it was beautiful. The outside however was not as impressive to me. It looked more like a municipal building than a church to me. I am not sure what I was expecting, but that def wasn’t it! It was really cool in the front, it’s like a major piazza just open space for people to walk in or do whatever. I’m sure the purpose was for masses and such, but it was nice to walk in there, dance, do whatever we wanted ya know!!?? The Vatican museum was fun too, the only thing is nothing is marked. They want you to pay for a guided tour so we just had to figure things out on our own and guess as to what things were and what age they were from. We walked through and took some pictures, enjoyed some things, but the main thing we wanted to see was the “Creation of Man” in the Sistine Chapel. It was a long and windy walk, but we made it. The room was covered from floor to ceiling in paintings and although it was cool, I turned to Alyssa and said “I don’t really care about this, I want to see the Creation of Man” and she said “It’s here” ! we laughed but at the same time I was expecting it to be it’s own entity, the center point of the room and very ornate. Instead, it was amongst other paintings and nothing really special. I looked at it and began to appreciate the room more because I realized Michael Angelo painted everything, the amount of time and sweat that went into it were mind boggling. So I did end up enjoying the Sistine Chapel very much for that reason.

My last day (Friday) I went to a museum in search of the Romulous and Remus statue. On my way through the museum I almost pooped my pants when I saw … wait for it … The Dying Gaul! It was incredible. I felt like my Humanities text book was coming to life before my very eyes. The detail put into his face was incredible and I got goosebumbs as I sat there looking at his facial expression while he looked down at his shield. I took a moment to really take a step back and enjoy where I was. I can’t allow myself to become desensitized to where I am at the present time. I am among Ancient stories, and architecture and things that people read about more than they experience. So I soaked in my surroundings and continued on my journey towards my two Roman friends. Eventually after 2 wrong turns, Egyptian pottery and ancient grave tablets I found my statue! It was perfect! The myth of the birth of Rome was before my eyes and I couldn’t help myself… I touched it! I know you’re not supposed to but no one was around and I felt I would truly know I was there if I could feel the marble under my skin. It was amazing! I must have stood in the room for 15 minutes, walking around the statue, looking at it, and appreciating it for what it was. I took some pictures, not the best because I couldn’t use flash, but that’s ok. At least I have proof I was there! On my way out I walked by an Ancient Roman Chariot intact!!!!! It was encased in glass and my pictures are extremely blurry of it. It was incredible to see! The platform was worn where they used to stand, but the rest was jewels (some missing) and ivory lace. Stunning.

I ended my trip at a restaurant next to the Trevi with two great friends! It was a wonderful “Roman Holiday” and I am so thankful I was fortunate enough to be in Rome and experience the culture.

Liverpool 2

So today was incredible! I still am having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that I am in Liverpool, walking the steps of John, Paul, George and Ringo. I did so much today, but at the same time relaxed and enjoyed where I was in each moment.

I began my day by heading to the internet café with Jules. When we parted for the day he reminded me to be careful on one road because a lot of Meth addicts go for their fix Monday morning… hmmmm sketchy! I checked my emails, booked my flight out ( L ) and was on my way for the adventure ahead.

Albert Dock was first on the agenda. This is where the “Beatles Story” and “The Fab Four Store” are. I figured those were two things I really wanted to see so it was top priority. The Beatles Story took about an hour to go through. It basically recounted their fame with memorabilia, quotes and copies of posters, billboards etc. It was very fun to go through, however, I didn’t learn much and was disappointed in the lack of Beatles memorabilia. I am in Beatle Land! I figured they’d have gold records and what not. That’s alright though, I still enjoyed myself thoroughly and am glad I went. At the Fab Four store I bought some stickers, buttons and a souvenir program on the four boys. Along with my ticket I got a pass to see the John Lennon “The White Feather” exhibit created by Cynthia and Julian Lennon. I made the trek there and was very happy I did. There were postcards John had sent, records, personal belongings, unknown pictures and recounts from Julian, Cynthia and Paul. At the end there was a Peace Tree, so like a good fan I filled out a postcard and added it to the tree. It was amazing to look at some of the postcards and where they were from. Literally all over the world. I would have loved a picture but you couldn’t take any at the exhibit. My postcard had –“you may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one…” I thought it was fitting because people from all walks of life were coming here to leave their mark. I put my name and location on the back, along with the date, gave it a kiss and put it on the tree.

From here I took the bus to Penny Lane! I also wanted to go to Strawberry Fields but the bus route looked a bit complicated and I really didn’t feel like getting lost in Liverpool. Plus, a local told me it was kind of a dodgy area, so I settled for a solo trip to Penny Lane. I was happy I went! There was the barber shop, café, shelter and the street sign (of course). I took pictures and a breath at each of the locations, and thanked my lucky stars for being fortunate enough to actually be in those places. As England promises- it rained! And there weren’t any stores or areas with shelter so I went in the Penny Lane Wine Bar and had a cup of tea. I felt It fitting for the time and place. Once the rain stopped I made my way back to the Liverpool 1 and Matthew Street area.

Once on Matthew Street, I went into the souvenir shops again and bought some cool Abbey Road cufflinks, and a tee for Jules as a thank you for everything. I really wanted to go for a drink at the Cavern Club but I forgot my passport (typical me) so I opted for a juice that was on the house! I love the Cavern! Ahaha I pulled up a chair, drank my juice and let my imagination run completely wild. I thought about what it would have been like when they actually played, how packed and sweaty it was. It was humbling to be in the place it all started.

On my way back to shop I walked by Cavern Walks which looked like one store but once inside it was like a mini mall. There was a café FULL of pictures and memorabilia called “Lucy in the Sky”. It was so cozy inside! By this time it was after 3 and I hadn’t eaten. I was too concerned with seeing everything, there’s always time for food! Haha But I ate a muffin at the café and once again, soaked in my surroundings. With a full belly I was ready to do some hardcore shopping.

Most of my money went to Primark. An AMAZING English store that is so cheap! I got a whole new wardrobe for 55 pounds. Jeans, 3 pairs of shoes, jewelry, shirts, a skirt, and belt…. I couldn’t believe how much I bought and for the price! It was great. 2 hours later, I was finished in the store and walked out to pouring rain!

I made a beeline for the train station, and was soaked to the core! It was pretty awesome. I knew I was England at this moment. Wet, Cold and on the train passing the industrial sector. Awesome day!

To finish the day, Jules and I had some authentic fish and chips! The meal was huge! I couldn’t finish it even though I tried very hard. It was absolutely delicious. After dinner I downsized my belongings and left a bunch of stuff at Jules’ house to make room for my new wardrobe! Then I had a cup of tea and fell asleep while Jules was busy doing coursework.

All in all, I am in love with England! I love the people, everyone was so friendly, the accent, the scenery. It was amazing for me. I could definitely live/work here. I am just so extremely happy here. I found I always had a smile on my face and just wanted to stay as long as possible, making the most of my time. I look forward to London to see if it is awesome as Liverpool! I am so glad I got to experience the birthplace of the four lads who shook the world.