I find this blog difficult to write sometimes, hence the lack of consistent entries. I want to give you all a rounded idea of what I am doing... but I dread filling out the boring details to the point of simply not writing anything at all. Sorry if this blog seems abrupt... but I find it impossible to write a novel here.
The latest news in my life: I'm lying in bed with a swollen ankle propped up and iced.
<<Che รจ successo?>>, you ask yourselves with grave concern. Did Louisa beat away a gypsy woman with her ankle from stealing an infant? Did she slide into home base at the wrong ankle (oops, I mean, ANGLE)?
I wish. That sounds kinda dignified.
Nope. I opened the door to my classroom, knowing there was a deep step immediately past the door frame, and fell down anyway with a GIANT SNAP to my ankle as I went down for the count.
Oh, and it gets better. I started crying out of pain and shock to the sound of all my classmates jumping out of their seats to help me. Did I mention I was interrupting class because I was 5 minutes late from the break?
So my Russian classmate Sergei is my new hero/doctor/official class badass. Once I identified my ankle as the source of my misery, he got my shoe off in record time, ripped off my sock and felt it to see if it was broken. Fortunately, I had a PERFECT PEDICURE STILL (yessss, some remaining shreds of dignity) and clean socks on.
My classmates are absolutely gems. They all instructed me how to take care of my foot, whether it be ice, Italian icy hot gel (my professor wrote the brand name ON THE BOARD and then Sergei copied it and gave it to me with the instructions "twice a day"), and elevation. My Korean classmates stuck a special Korean bandaid on my foot. The best moment was when Sergei noticed it and said, "What is this?!" as if he was actually saying "What is this bit of nonsense in this time of gravity?!"
But because we are in Italy, we sent for the university doctor... who had already left for the day. It wasn't even 2 PM yet. Someone went to the cafe for ice... they didn't have any. My Irish classmate Avril went across the street to get a synthetic ice pack at the pharmacy across the street.
Throughout this ordeal, I couldn't speak Italian. I was so shocked. I was supposed to go to Verona in 2 hours. What if I broke my foot? I'll have to leave Italy. How the hell am I even going to get back to my apartment if I can't walk? How the hell will I get that damn gel if I can't walk? Oh, I'm so embarrassed right now. Everyone is looking at me. I just want to disappear.
So I sat at the front of the classroom with my foot on a chair, a blank face with tears sneaking out every 4 seconds. My professor tried to keep teaching, I guess to distract me? She brought cake that day and she kept offering me some and finally I took it so she would shut up haha. She said I should take some to help my "dolore" (pain/sorrow/suffering). That at least made me laugh.
My American classmate Bill, who is a dad and used to his kids injuring themselves, was so kind to me. He helped me get out of the building and called a cab so I could get home. He tried to get me to go get an X-ray but I couldn't bear the thought.
I turned to him and said, "So, Bill, what do you like? Wine, food, chocolate?" which made him laugh.
This happened yesterday. I've been icing it, put the gel on it, wrapping it, elevating it...
...and it still hurts whenever I move it or try to put some weight on it. Normally, 24 hours of a wrap helps sprains. I'm worried for sure. If it isn't better by tomorrow night, I'm going to go get an X-ray and hopefully a boot of some sort. If I can't go up a flight of stairs easily... I might just go back to the US. (If I can't get to a grocery in under 40 minutes, living here will be my personal hell. How could I do anything?! I live on a flight of stairs. I'm not kidding.)
That seems super dramatic to me but I am oddly not too upset. My sole regret would be that leaving Italy closes the door on my Italian fluency goal. I would probably get a refund of some kind since I got injured in a university building haha. I don't need the Italian credits for a degree, but personal enrichment. Ironically, the 24 hours before I fell, I had thought quite seriously of staying in Perugia for an extra 2 months...
Awesome!
I'll be home all weekend, possibly until Tuesday! If anyone would like to Skype, now would be a great time!
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
A Jarful of Nutella Helps the Bitterness Go Down!
Well. Perugia is being a pain in my ass. You heard me! I didn't think re-entry would be so difficult. The problem is I have a new apartment... which I HATE. I miss my old apartment. It was practically perfect compared to this place. In my old apartment, I always had hot water, I rarely got splashed by the sink, the heat worked consistently and there was more living space. My new room is a third of the size of my old one. My shower is half the size- which I didn't even know was possible. And I can't wake up to natural sunlight because my shutters are on the outside of my windows which face a street. Counter space? What is this mythical creature of whom you speak?
I cut garlic today with a dull steak knife in a sloped plate because I couldn't find a sharp knife or a cutting board.
ARGH.
The hardest part of living in Italy is the living.
School is going pretty well. I've discovered that I've learned and retained so many things. I like half of my classmates. I enjoy the material and most of my professors.
I haven't slept enough though. Today was a trial. I slept for 5 hours and then woke up at 4 am. I was awake until my first class from 8-11, my tutoring from 230-430 and then my final class from 5-7. Ready to drop dead!
But the fun never ends. I found out my schedule is utterly incompatible with the world. I cannot audit a class at Umbra. I am missing orientation for my internship that is apparently very far away. So I will probably do neither of those things.
So much for filling up my spare time with more education and activities. WHY IS IT SO HARD TO BECOME NERDIER HERE?! Pooh pooh ca choo.
Thank God for this jar of nutella and this spoon.
I cut garlic today with a dull steak knife in a sloped plate because I couldn't find a sharp knife or a cutting board.
ARGH.
The hardest part of living in Italy is the living.
School is going pretty well. I've discovered that I've learned and retained so many things. I like half of my classmates. I enjoy the material and most of my professors.
I haven't slept enough though. Today was a trial. I slept for 5 hours and then woke up at 4 am. I was awake until my first class from 8-11, my tutoring from 230-430 and then my final class from 5-7. Ready to drop dead!
But the fun never ends. I found out my schedule is utterly incompatible with the world. I cannot audit a class at Umbra. I am missing orientation for my internship that is apparently very far away. So I will probably do neither of those things.
So much for filling up my spare time with more education and activities. WHY IS IT SO HARD TO BECOME NERDIER HERE?! Pooh pooh ca choo.
Thank God for this jar of nutella and this spoon.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Good News: I Remember How to Speak Italian
First day of school again...
I've had a lot of jet lag issues. Yesterday I finally got to Perugia around 11 am. After eating something I decided to lay down because the apartment was freeezzzziiinnnggg. Next thing I know, I've slept for 5 hours. I only got up because I had to go to evening mass. After mass, I went to Sigrid's 20th birthday dinner. The restaurant we went to had some "Tex Mex" options, such as burritos, enchiladas and tacos. I had just said on our way to the restaurant that I would never get Mexican food in Italy. I resisted ordering them... and I'm glad I did. The enchiladas = fajitas in flour tortillas without any sauce. Burrito = soft taco. They made me sad. Fortunately, the girls who ordered them enjoyed them a lot.
So I've been in Perugia for over 24 hours and I still haven't gone grocery shopping. I'm an idiot. I keep putting it off because I'm tired. Also, to go to the store, I'll have to go up the stairs right outside my house. I. am. that. lazy. I also don't want people to see me dying on the steps. Hey, I didn't get to exercise at any point over break. I've got to get my stair muscles back for sure.
Since I have no food, I went to class without coffee or food. I had class from 9-2pm. It was kinda rough. Plus, I had to completely recollect how to speak Italian! Reimmersing yourself without caffeine = rough. But I pulled through! Huzzah!
My class is... funny? There's some smarmy men who think they are God's gift to our class. But they make me laugh because I can't understand them and they make mistakes when they read. I'm such a brat. They are cocky he-men so I get to giggle at them.
The other classmates seem cool. There's a good mix of nationalities. My favorite classmate so far is this older man from San Diego (of course, Sigrid, he's my favorite after you ;) ) . He's a professor/teacher of music theory, I think at a Methodist school, and is on sabbatical. His Italian is so good and he wants to only chit chat in Italian. It's great practice. He's staying in a Catholic monastery in Perugia so he could have a Christian community. So we chatted about theology and such.
After class, I tried to unpack. Mistake. My new room is a third of the size of my old one and maybe a third of the storage. I tried to organize for over an hour... no such luck. I got upset so I took a break.
Aaaahhhh I kinda want to die. I'm so tired. But I truly cannot postpone shopping any longer.
But I discovered today I remembered a LOT of Italian and I can still speak. YES. I mean, SI!
I've had a lot of jet lag issues. Yesterday I finally got to Perugia around 11 am. After eating something I decided to lay down because the apartment was freeezzzziiinnnggg. Next thing I know, I've slept for 5 hours. I only got up because I had to go to evening mass. After mass, I went to Sigrid's 20th birthday dinner. The restaurant we went to had some "Tex Mex" options, such as burritos, enchiladas and tacos. I had just said on our way to the restaurant that I would never get Mexican food in Italy. I resisted ordering them... and I'm glad I did. The enchiladas = fajitas in flour tortillas without any sauce. Burrito = soft taco. They made me sad. Fortunately, the girls who ordered them enjoyed them a lot.
So I've been in Perugia for over 24 hours and I still haven't gone grocery shopping. I'm an idiot. I keep putting it off because I'm tired. Also, to go to the store, I'll have to go up the stairs right outside my house. I. am. that. lazy. I also don't want people to see me dying on the steps. Hey, I didn't get to exercise at any point over break. I've got to get my stair muscles back for sure.
Since I have no food, I went to class without coffee or food. I had class from 9-2pm. It was kinda rough. Plus, I had to completely recollect how to speak Italian! Reimmersing yourself without caffeine = rough. But I pulled through! Huzzah!
My class is... funny? There's some smarmy men who think they are God's gift to our class. But they make me laugh because I can't understand them and they make mistakes when they read. I'm such a brat. They are cocky he-men so I get to giggle at them.
The other classmates seem cool. There's a good mix of nationalities. My favorite classmate so far is this older man from San Diego (of course, Sigrid, he's my favorite after you ;) ) . He's a professor/teacher of music theory, I think at a Methodist school, and is on sabbatical. His Italian is so good and he wants to only chit chat in Italian. It's great practice. He's staying in a Catholic monastery in Perugia so he could have a Christian community. So we chatted about theology and such.
After class, I tried to unpack. Mistake. My new room is a third of the size of my old one and maybe a third of the storage. I tried to organize for over an hour... no such luck. I got upset so I took a break.
Aaaahhhh I kinda want to die. I'm so tired. But I truly cannot postpone shopping any longer.
But I discovered today I remembered a LOT of Italian and I can still speak. YES. I mean, SI!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
The Victory Lap!
I have successfully lived in Perugia for four months.
Wow.
I've lived in another country with a different language from my native tongue away from my friends and family.
(Ew, that sentence was SO CLICHE. But I couldn't be bothered enough to really change it. What is this? A watered downed crappy travel blog for a university? You know, those links on study abroad websites that say "Click here to read the banal and cliched blogs of our former student Sarah M.!" I can't tell you how many terrible facebook statuses I had to read last week when the English Program students from my Institute left. I never want to see the words "awesome", "amazing", "unforgettable" and "experience" put together ever again. It was actually funny because they all were EXACTLY the same... while also being forgettable and un-"amazing." Sorry to be a hater, but someone had to say it. As Suzanne would say, "Sucks to suck." Haaaahahaaa.)
I've also lived in my first apartment and enrolled in my second foreign university. I've finally been to Spain and Germany! I survived daytime weather below 30 degrees and bought my first real down coat and snow boots. I know Florence better than I know Perugia...
Don't worry, I somehow managed to be miserable 40 percent of the time. So many times, I wanted to go home or cancel my second semester. But because I was chicken and America is so dang far away, I stayed! Lest we forget, I must also thank my mother, Suzanne and various chums who encouraged me to tough it out!
I also am now at B2 level for Italian! I'm so happy! If you have no idea what that is, here is a link to the European Framework for language levels.
But What Does It Mean For Louisa To Have Just Spanked B1 Real Good? Click here!
Last night, I was messaging Alex and said something completely wrong in English. It was because I just got off the phone with my aunt who speaks Italian, I was messaging my cousin Natasa in Italian, listening to American music and talking to Suzanne in English. Strugggggle bus.
I can't tell you how hard it just was to not call English "Inglese." I'm sure this blog has weird mistakes in general. I've noticed some for sure! Mi dispiace, parlo e scrivo in italiano spesso!
I'm anxious about next semester but there are promising things coming up! I will be taking challenging classes. I'm moving to a new apartment. My school offered an internship teaching English at a local high school. My Italian will improve!
But in between now and then, I GET TO GO TO AMERICA! To quote my soul sister Honey Boo Boo:
Wow.
I've lived in another country with a different language from my native tongue away from my friends and family.
(Ew, that sentence was SO CLICHE. But I couldn't be bothered enough to really change it. What is this? A watered downed crappy travel blog for a university? You know, those links on study abroad websites that say "Click here to read the banal and cliched blogs of our former student Sarah M.!" I can't tell you how many terrible facebook statuses I had to read last week when the English Program students from my Institute left. I never want to see the words "awesome", "amazing", "unforgettable" and "experience" put together ever again. It was actually funny because they all were EXACTLY the same... while also being forgettable and un-"amazing." Sorry to be a hater, but someone had to say it. As Suzanne would say, "Sucks to suck." Haaaahahaaa.)
I've also lived in my first apartment and enrolled in my second foreign university. I've finally been to Spain and Germany! I survived daytime weather below 30 degrees and bought my first real down coat and snow boots. I know Florence better than I know Perugia...
Don't worry, I somehow managed to be miserable 40 percent of the time. So many times, I wanted to go home or cancel my second semester. But because I was chicken and America is so dang far away, I stayed! Lest we forget, I must also thank my mother, Suzanne and various chums who encouraged me to tough it out!
I also am now at B2 level for Italian! I'm so happy! If you have no idea what that is, here is a link to the European Framework for language levels.
But What Does It Mean For Louisa To Have Just Spanked B1 Real Good? Click here!
Last night, I was messaging Alex and said something completely wrong in English. It was because I just got off the phone with my aunt who speaks Italian, I was messaging my cousin Natasa in Italian, listening to American music and talking to Suzanne in English. Strugggggle bus.
I can't tell you how hard it just was to not call English "Inglese." I'm sure this blog has weird mistakes in general. I've noticed some for sure! Mi dispiace, parlo e scrivo in italiano spesso!
I'm anxious about next semester but there are promising things coming up! I will be taking challenging classes. I'm moving to a new apartment. My school offered an internship teaching English at a local high school. My Italian will improve!
But in between now and then, I GET TO GO TO AMERICA! To quote my soul sister Honey Boo Boo:
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Packing? Do I have to?
Packing is the worst.
Packing would be the best. I am staying the entire year! What could I possibly have to pack? Oh yeah.. I HAVE TO MOVE. (%$#$%#$#$%#$%^$%^$%^$%!!!!!!)
All the perks of staying here? Gone.
And it gets better. I have a weird 3 hour period to do it. Kill me. My new apartment is at the bottom of 150 stairs. Cabs can't get there.
So I have four things to pack for: my overnight trip to Florence (easy), my new apartment (terrible. must include clothes, toiletries, books, everything from my kitchen.), my last week of Perugia (because I have to move all my possessions seven days before I leave. WHAT?!) and my trip home.
I have a stress rash. Additionally, I'm playing hookey... a lot recently... so my stress rash is also living off my semi-irrational fear that my attendance hasn't been sufficient to take my final exam.
I just want to go to home SO BADLY. I would go home now even if it meant leaving 80 percent of my possessions behind. I accumulate so much crap so that's saying something. All the American students get to go home in the next two days. I'm SO JEALOUS. I've wanted to go home for over a month.
Just when I feel totally wretched, I think of everyone else who have to do finals. You guys are the real sufferers here! I may be stuck here for another week but at least I have no intelligent hurdles.
Packing would be the best. I am staying the entire year! What could I possibly have to pack? Oh yeah.. I HAVE TO MOVE. (%$#$%#$#$%#$%^$%^$%^$%!!!!!!)
All the perks of staying here? Gone.
And it gets better. I have a weird 3 hour period to do it. Kill me. My new apartment is at the bottom of 150 stairs. Cabs can't get there.
So I have four things to pack for: my overnight trip to Florence (easy), my new apartment (terrible. must include clothes, toiletries, books, everything from my kitchen.), my last week of Perugia (because I have to move all my possessions seven days before I leave. WHAT?!) and my trip home.
I have a stress rash. Additionally, I'm playing hookey... a lot recently... so my stress rash is also living off my semi-irrational fear that my attendance hasn't been sufficient to take my final exam.
I just want to go to home SO BADLY. I would go home now even if it meant leaving 80 percent of my possessions behind. I accumulate so much crap so that's saying something. All the American students get to go home in the next two days. I'm SO JEALOUS. I've wanted to go home for over a month.
Just when I feel totally wretched, I think of everyone else who have to do finals. You guys are the real sufferers here! I may be stuck here for another week but at least I have no intelligent hurdles.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Italian Men Just Wanna Dance
My mom emailed me today.
"Did you have a crazy adventure this weekend?"
Nope, I didn't... but then I thought about it and I did a fair amount of things. Haha. I'm just so used to living in Perugia and thinking nothing of our little escapades. Friday night I went to a birthday party that turned into "Let's GO OUT IN THE CITY CENTER" (aka 10 feet away from where we live) that then turned into "LET'S GO TO A CLUB 20 MINUTES AWAY NOW THAT IT'S 12:30 AM!"
So we did. A bunch of the Italian guests drove us there where we paid 8 euro to dance until 4 am in the smokiest club EVER. It was surprisingly not very sketchy. People JUST WANNA DANCE, OK?!
My two favorite things from my time in Italy: Accented, bad English and how straight men here really just want to dance.
You don't believe me. But I promise I see this phenomenon every time I go into a bar, even if it isn't a club. Straight boys here like to boogie. And they are HILARIOUS, I mean, very musical indeed.
I was giggling at one guy dancing by himself once on the dance floor. I turned to my friend from Thailand and said "Look! Baha!" and my Thai friend Nate said "Ah, come on, we've all been there. He's just dancing." I give him a weird look and said, "Do you realize straight men NEVER dance alone in the States? They barely dance even with other people." His mind was blown. He had no idea that was unusual. Ha! Here, bartenders dance to songs they like while behind the counter.
Here is a musical treat for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw4oRym4HSM
"Did you have a crazy adventure this weekend?"
Nope, I didn't... but then I thought about it and I did a fair amount of things. Haha. I'm just so used to living in Perugia and thinking nothing of our little escapades. Friday night I went to a birthday party that turned into "Let's GO OUT IN THE CITY CENTER" (aka 10 feet away from where we live) that then turned into "LET'S GO TO A CLUB 20 MINUTES AWAY NOW THAT IT'S 12:30 AM!"
So we did. A bunch of the Italian guests drove us there where we paid 8 euro to dance until 4 am in the smokiest club EVER. It was surprisingly not very sketchy. People JUST WANNA DANCE, OK?!
My two favorite things from my time in Italy: Accented, bad English and how straight men here really just want to dance.
You don't believe me. But I promise I see this phenomenon every time I go into a bar, even if it isn't a club. Straight boys here like to boogie. And they are HILARIOUS, I mean, very musical indeed.
I was giggling at one guy dancing by himself once on the dance floor. I turned to my friend from Thailand and said "Look! Baha!" and my Thai friend Nate said "Ah, come on, we've all been there. He's just dancing." I give him a weird look and said, "Do you realize straight men NEVER dance alone in the States? They barely dance even with other people." His mind was blown. He had no idea that was unusual. Ha! Here, bartenders dance to songs they like while behind the counter.
Here is a musical treat for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw4oRym4HSM
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
The Manna of My Life Comes for a Visit... And My Italian Thanksgiving!
I forgot to write about when Anna the Manna came to town!
We planned on meeting in Rome's main train station. I was super nervous I would never find her. She doesn't have a cell phone and doesn't know Italian. To be honest, traveling in Rome without Italian is pretty easy but hey, I am a nervous nelly. I acknowledge it. Obviously, it worked out because Anna is oh so intelligent. She even got there early! It was so cute because I walked in the cafe we had planned to meet at and there she was, drinking a cappuccino and reading Anna Karenina in German.
We went to St. Peter's because she had never been. I tried to get to English confession... but a lady was parked in the confessional for a REALLY long time. I assume she was a bit off because a woman came and took her away from the confessional after a good 20 minutes. Then a girl cut me in line by accident... So after sitting there, meditating on what an awful person I was with deep guilt, for maybe 20-30 minutes, suddenly the priest turns off the light and gets ready to roll. "Father, are you finished?" "Yes, I'll be back at 2:30. Peace out!"
Dammit. Back to square one. So I felt pretty lousy and poor Anna had to deal with Louisa, the spiritually downtrodden. Hahaha. After some picture taking, we headed back to the station...
...where we RAN for our departing train... and then we arrived at our connection station... didn't realize we didn't have to actually get off the train like our ticket said... and then watched our train leave without us.
After figuring out we had to wait about an hour for our next train, we did what any normal people would do: we bought 3 cappuccinos and a bunch of food. We were so tired we didn't realize the soccer game we were watching was actually a rugby game. Haaaa.
When we finally arrived in Perugia, Anna was impressed with the city. I was SO PROUD to show her where I've been living with these past months. I love Perugia and I loved that her first impression was how pretty it was. Then we got home and my wifey Suzanne had an amazing feast for us.
SUZANNE, I LOVE YOU. NEVER LEAVE ME.
Saturday night we went out dancing with my friends. The next morning we slept in and then went to my beautiful church for Mass. Then we got dinner and a beer with my friends Connor, Kim, Sigrid and Suzanne. Monday we went to Firenze and met up with Irene Dana. It was so pretty... but I got us lost for like 30-40 minutes... fortunately, Irene and Anna didn't care/barely noticed. I felt like an idiot. Firenze is the city I perpetually get lost in.
Anna and I went to Santa Croce. Holy smokes. It was worth the 6 euros. There was so much to look at and come on, we all know we are both obsessed with Room with View...
So I went on and on about how Anna needed to try some good Italian food... and then we walked by the American diner in Firenze. I broke down and begged. They gave in. I ATE A REAL BURGER AND IT WAS AWESOME. Mmmm. It even had avocado.
In retrospect, I've had so many better burgers. But I was SO HAPPY to be eating a burger that it was worth it. We ended up sitting there for hours talking. Irene had so many stories from her travels with Phil, Andrew and Annie. It sounded fun but exhausting...
I'm such an old lady. When I travel, 70% of the time I'm thinking about how much I wish I was back in Perugia in my bed. Even though my bed is cripplingly unsupportive.
Anna stayed a few more days. She went to Assisi while I was in class. We ate a lot of chocolate and ice cream while she was here but took walks which I've now taken a liking to very much. It was so lovely to have her here and I was sad to see her go!
She left on Thanksgiving which stunk. But fortunately, my friends and I were invited to a big Thanksgiving dinner which was a blast. Suzanne and I brought a bunch of food and we got to eat fresh turkey and pumpkin pie. Good Ol' 'Murica.
Did I tell you I met the turkeys I ate? The guys who had the party went to a farm and bought four live turkeys. Anna and I met them. Hilarious. They butchered them the day before thanksgiving (I'm dying) and then cooked them at the restaurant where they work the day of... So funny. What a Thanksgiving to remember...
We planned on meeting in Rome's main train station. I was super nervous I would never find her. She doesn't have a cell phone and doesn't know Italian. To be honest, traveling in Rome without Italian is pretty easy but hey, I am a nervous nelly. I acknowledge it. Obviously, it worked out because Anna is oh so intelligent. She even got there early! It was so cute because I walked in the cafe we had planned to meet at and there she was, drinking a cappuccino and reading Anna Karenina in German.
We went to St. Peter's because she had never been. I tried to get to English confession... but a lady was parked in the confessional for a REALLY long time. I assume she was a bit off because a woman came and took her away from the confessional after a good 20 minutes. Then a girl cut me in line by accident... So after sitting there, meditating on what an awful person I was with deep guilt, for maybe 20-30 minutes, suddenly the priest turns off the light and gets ready to roll. "Father, are you finished?" "Yes, I'll be back at 2:30. Peace out!"
Dammit. Back to square one. So I felt pretty lousy and poor Anna had to deal with Louisa, the spiritually downtrodden. Hahaha. After some picture taking, we headed back to the station...
...where we RAN for our departing train... and then we arrived at our connection station... didn't realize we didn't have to actually get off the train like our ticket said... and then watched our train leave without us.
After figuring out we had to wait about an hour for our next train, we did what any normal people would do: we bought 3 cappuccinos and a bunch of food. We were so tired we didn't realize the soccer game we were watching was actually a rugby game. Haaaa.
When we finally arrived in Perugia, Anna was impressed with the city. I was SO PROUD to show her where I've been living with these past months. I love Perugia and I loved that her first impression was how pretty it was. Then we got home and my wifey Suzanne had an amazing feast for us.
SUZANNE, I LOVE YOU. NEVER LEAVE ME.
Saturday night we went out dancing with my friends. The next morning we slept in and then went to my beautiful church for Mass. Then we got dinner and a beer with my friends Connor, Kim, Sigrid and Suzanne. Monday we went to Firenze and met up with Irene Dana. It was so pretty... but I got us lost for like 30-40 minutes... fortunately, Irene and Anna didn't care/barely noticed. I felt like an idiot. Firenze is the city I perpetually get lost in.
Anna and I went to Santa Croce. Holy smokes. It was worth the 6 euros. There was so much to look at and come on, we all know we are both obsessed with Room with View...
So I went on and on about how Anna needed to try some good Italian food... and then we walked by the American diner in Firenze. I broke down and begged. They gave in. I ATE A REAL BURGER AND IT WAS AWESOME. Mmmm. It even had avocado.
In retrospect, I've had so many better burgers. But I was SO HAPPY to be eating a burger that it was worth it. We ended up sitting there for hours talking. Irene had so many stories from her travels with Phil, Andrew and Annie. It sounded fun but exhausting...
I'm such an old lady. When I travel, 70% of the time I'm thinking about how much I wish I was back in Perugia in my bed. Even though my bed is cripplingly unsupportive.
Anna stayed a few more days. She went to Assisi while I was in class. We ate a lot of chocolate and ice cream while she was here but took walks which I've now taken a liking to very much. It was so lovely to have her here and I was sad to see her go!
She left on Thanksgiving which stunk. But fortunately, my friends and I were invited to a big Thanksgiving dinner which was a blast. Suzanne and I brought a bunch of food and we got to eat fresh turkey and pumpkin pie. Good Ol' 'Murica.
Did I tell you I met the turkeys I ate? The guys who had the party went to a farm and bought four live turkeys. Anna and I met them. Hilarious. They butchered them the day before thanksgiving (I'm dying) and then cooked them at the restaurant where they work the day of... So funny. What a Thanksgiving to remember...
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