tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10394836721178850132024-03-13T03:29:14.041-07:00thoughts on it allValerie Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00967555866411904038noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039483672117885013.post-24578043601035752712009-12-07T03:08:00.000-08:002009-12-10T04:03:18.217-08:00Final BlogI have decided that this will be my last blog. I have 6 more days and I will be home.... Since I really do not have much to say about what all I have been doing lately, since I have not been traveling, I would like to take this time to talk about what I have learned and how I have grown in the 4 months that I have been away.<div><br /></div><div>Musically:</div><div>I have learned to be more confident and proud of how well I have done in music. I have always enjoyed singing but I never really felt like I was good enough to go anywhere with it. After spending time in Italy with new people and new teachers I really have come to understand that with hard work, like every other singer, I can do great things. My teachers have all been very encouraging. I have learned new methods to practice and to look at a song. My patience with myself has grown tremendously as well. Instead of letting my perfectionist take over and getting frustrated when I can't do something immediately, I simply relax and understand that maybe it just is not the right day for me. </div><div><br /></div><div>Culturally:</div><div>I have spent time with all kinds of people while here in Italy. I have become friends with Americans from different back grounds, Indonesians, Turkish, Japanese, and Italians. Although we differ in culture and how and where we were raised, everyone wants the same thing: Acceptance and happiness. We all get joy out of the same things: honesty, accomplishment, and genuine care from other people. I see that everyone will not always agree with me but it is ok. Surrounding myself with diverse people has taught me patience, love, and understanding. </div><div><br /></div><div>Personally:</div><div>I will have to say, I really was not that nervous coming to a new country with all new people for such an extended period of time. I think maybe I should have been more nervous, but it was something I really wanted to do. Now I see that it was something I needed to do. I was nervous about learning Italian. I really thought it was going to be impossible because I did not have much confidence in my ability to learn a new language. I did very well and actually feel quit comfortable speaking it. No, I am not all that advanced but I have learned enough to be able to carry on a conversation with people that do not know any English at all. </div><div><br /></div><div>Friendship and Family:</div><div>I feel like I have grown closer to my family since being overseas. It has given us the opportunity to share experiences with each other and not have to be in the same room. I realized how important my ENTIRE family is to me and how much I love being with them, not just on holidays, but throughout the year. I know that I will definitely spend a lot more time with everyone in my family when I go home. With friends, I have learned who my real friends are at home and have made several very good friends here in Italy. My new friends here have taught me what it means to look past each other's flaws and genuinely accept people for who they are. Knowing and understanding that people are imperfect are two totally different things... but now I understand rather than just know. Any bitterness and hostility I held toward people before I came to Italy is gone now. I understand that people make decisions, good or bad, and there will always be consequences but it is not up to me to enforce those consequences. </div><div><br /></div><div>I am not saying that living in Italy has made me perfect, by any means. I am saying that it has made me less likely to throw the first stone. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks for following, I hope you have enjoyed my experience as much as I have. Maybe it will even encourage you or someone you know to travel abroad for an extended period of time. I know it has been one of the best decisions of my life.</div><div><br /></div><div>Love in Christ,</div><div>Valerie Joy Wilke</div>Valerie Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00967555866411904038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039483672117885013.post-44494407635383874012009-12-01T03:44:00.000-08:002009-12-01T03:59:39.168-08:00Thanksgiving and three weeksThis year was the first time I was away from home for Thanksgiving. Now, it is three weeks until I go home... all of this is still sinking in.<div><br /></div><div>I knew that Thanksgiving was coming up but it did not feel like Thanksgiving at all. All of my American friends were exciting and preparing big dinners for friends, but for me, Thanksgiving isn't real unless I am with my family. It is one of my favorite holidays because all my life my family has made a big deal out of it. We always went out to mama and papa's (grandparents) house and cooked turkey and all kinds of stuff that I never really liked. I think one of the funniest things for me, looking back, is that I was so picky about what I ate that my family had to make more food just so that I would eat something. Now, that is not a problem, I will eat just about anything. However, since they added in all the different foods, they are now a staple. I missed them this year. The turkey and ham that I never used to like, the maccaroni and cheese that i have always loved, rice, green beans, etc. Oh and the desserts... I missed that a lot. We always cook enough food for an army and the dessert table was usually just as large as the dinner table. </div><div><br /></div><div>My Thanksgiving this year consisted of me going to Bologna (the best city in the world) and spending time with a couple of friends. It was a good time, walking around the city, eating pizza. It was not the same, though. I know next year I will really appreciate the holiday with my family more than I ever have. Missing Thanksgiving, this year, was one of the first times I was really homesick. I also missed another big SC holiday recently... the Clemson v. Carolina football game. Wow... what a bummer with how that one turned out! It was so nice to get a phone call from my family and talk to a few of them while the game was going on. When they told me how badly the game was going and how my brother was acting, I could see him in my mind pacing back and forth, growling, and clenching his fists. Although I did NOT want my team to lose... it was a good, familiar thought to have about him. Every year, for a while now, I have watched the game with my brother, sister-in-law, and their friends. I really missed that this year. </div><div><br /></div><div>In three weeks I will be heading home. Wow. This semester is flying by. All of my friends go home in two weeks, so I will have one week here to just work on music. I think that week is going to be a long one, I will be ready to home by then. Christmas is coming up and I really want to see all of my mom and grandma's Christmas decorations. I now have to decide what songs I am going to sing for my family for Christmas and finish up the shopping. Wow... time flies... </div>Valerie Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00967555866411904038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039483672117885013.post-31709524378413021432009-11-24T03:38:00.000-08:002009-11-24T03:55:38.688-08:00Living like the EuropeansThis past week has been a lot of fun because I have spent a lot of time with friends and have rarely spent any time in the house. Some of you may know exactly why I needed this... but now it seems to have caught up with me. I have not gotten very much sleep this week, so excuse me if I seem not so excited. <div><br /></div><div>Last time I left you I talked about my fish dinner. The rest of the week after that is a big blur and some of it I cannot remember where the days end and begin. I went out to eat one night with a huge group of friends- it was a really good night. The group started out as being only a few of us and some how turned out to be about a group of 10. Lately it seems every-time I go out the groups just grow, grow, grow. It is really cool, but anyone that has spent any time in Europe knows that they do not split checks here... so trying to figure out how to pay is a big hassle. Trying to figure out how to pay usually takes a good 2o minutes or even more. After dinner, we went out to a bar and played darts and had a few drinks. It was a good time for sure! I got to meet a couple of new people that were all very nice and fun! </div><div><br /></div><div>I would tell you more about what I did day to day... but it is all going to sound like what I just told you... so I will move on to something a bit more interesting. </div><div><br /></div><div>This weekend I went to Dublin with my friend Heather. Our flight out was 7am Friday so we had to get up really early, but of course got in late... so we were running on about 2 hours of sleep. We made it to the airport in plenty of time, but while we were eating breakfast we were a bit delirious so we came up with a new head warming product and I wrote the jingle... it was ridiculous... but really funny. (of course we won't really produce it, haha, it was a joke) Our flights were rough landing.. the turbulence was rough. There was one flight that even the flight attendants were getting worried, but I prayed and everything came out just fine. I absolutely loved Dublin though. It was such a beautiful place, beautiful people, wonderful food, and many more things! We did not really go see any castles and what not because we stayed out late every night, so that meant sleeping in everyday. We met a lot of people from all over the world and had a great time! I toured the Guinness factory and that was really awesome! The Guinness factory is made to look like the production of the beer and to look like the inside of a pint of beer. The very top of the factory was the Gravity Bar which offered a 360 degree view of the city while you enjoy time with new people and a free beer. </div><div><br /></div><div>I really loved Ireland so much, one weekend was not even close to being enough. I think one day I would like to live there... or at least back pack across the country for a while. Did you know that Irish is an actual language?? I sure didn't until I got there! I also did not know that I was going to be eating the best oysters in the world... and they definitely lived up to their reputation. This week and weekend was just full of food and fun... nothing big and exciting. No touristy things... just living the life of a European. I'm really beginning to fit in. I love it. </div>Valerie Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00967555866411904038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039483672117885013.post-24498500626030112662009-11-18T04:37:00.001-08:002009-11-18T04:58:58.060-08:00past, present, and food.Time for another update already?? It seems like the closer my time comes to an end, the faster the trip goes. The longer I am here, the more I enjoy my time here. <div><br /></div><div>This past week held some pretty cool adventures. School wise: It was my last week with my Italian level 2 teacher. I was very sad to know that I wasn't going to see her any more after that. The school had to cut down on the teachers. So, since she was the newest, she was the one to go. For the last day of class we just played games since it was only a half day. So, the night before I made some oatmeal/chocolate/peanut butter cookies. (thanks to Peggy's recipe... thanks Peggy!) The entire school LOVED them! That made me feel really good. I spent a good bit of time working on them and it was the first time I baked here in Italy. You would be surprised how hard it is to find oatmeal, cocoa and peanut butter! Just when I was about to give up, my friend Heather found it! I do need to send out a message, however, to Paula Dean. so here goes:</div><div><br /></div><div>Dear Paula Dean,</div><div>You need to know, there IS such thing as too much butter! Sorry to break your heart! </div><div>Valerie</div><div><br /></div><div>haha. ok so here is what happened. I had a little bit of mix left and a little bit of butter. The mix was drying out so I decided to add the rest of the butter. I knew it was too much butter, but I thought I would see how it turned out anyway. They turned into a big soupy mess!! It actually looked like it would float. (it tasted terrible, too, by the way).</div><div><br /></div><div>This weekend I decided to go to Napoli. I do not understand why people say "Do not go to Napoli." It is absolutely beautiful! I saw the two castles and sat next to the water eating REAL pizza!! I will say, the pizza was quite good! My second day in Napoli I jumped on the metro and went to Pompeii. I spent about 4-5 hours there. It was so cool to walk in the ruins of this town! I kind of felt like a kid again because when I was little I would pretend to have a house and my appliances looked like Pompeii looks now. (leave it to the immagination of a kid!) It was so amazing to know that people once lived there and their lives were ruined by the Volcano that you see so clearly in the back ground. The scenery was completely unreal! As soon as I walked in to Pompeii I was thinking "wow, I can actually kind of feel the lives of the people that were once here." There is one area that you can go see all of the objects that the architects have been able to preserve. There are several casts of people from the volcanic ash settling on them. I could see the sad and terrified expressions that they held on their faces when they were passing away. I will say that Pompeii was a very cool experience but also very sad at the same time. It is such a shame that those people and children had to lose their lives in such a horrific way, but if they hadn't we wouldn't know nearly as much about our past! </div><div><br /></div><div>So this next little tid bit of information is for my family and close friends. I made a deal with one of my Italian friends here that I would make him cookies and he wanted to cook fish for me. He was sure that he could convince me to like fish. So, I said ok. Last night I ate with several friends and I brought cookies, he made the fish and the side dish, one person brought the appetizer, and another person brought some wine. The fish was..... AWESOME! I actually liked it a lot! The meal was fantastic all around! We even ended it the real Italian way, with a caffè (espresso). </div><div><br /></div><div>I feel like every week here I grow as a person more and more. Living in another country and having to step out of my comfort zone has really taught me to be more mature and take care of what needs to be taken care of. I'm sure next week will hold even more fun and adventure!</div>Valerie Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00967555866411904038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039483672117885013.post-36044921775176760982009-11-10T03:40:00.000-08:002009-11-10T04:10:21.882-08:00simplicty: the way to go!This past week was the first week that Mason was gone, so I will admit that I was a bit sad. I had such a wonderful time with him here, traveling around Pisa, Firenze, and Paris. Going back to class and not being with him was a really sad thought. We had to get up really early for him to leave and of course we ran into problems with the bus. We thought the bus to the airport wasn't going to show (it was 4am so it was REALLY cold!) but it finally did. I went to the airport with him and cried as I walked away to get back on the bus. It was a good thing that I was really tired from traveling because it gave me an excuse to sleep for the rest of the day. Enough of the sob story!<div><br /></div><div>This week was a relatively ordinary week. Classes and homework. I did go out with some friends a couple of times and it was a lot of fun. I have met a lot of people this week and I am happy for that but a little sad at the same time. I feel like it is so late in the semester for my having met people. I have finally been able to find situations that I've been able to meet Italians, Germans, Greeks, etc. but I am leaving in 6 weeks. I wish I had met these people earlier so that I would be able to have more time with them. One of the new people I met introduced me to a jazz club that I absolutely love, so we will be going there pretty often. The jazz club not only has jazz musicians but also classical musicians. It has a secret bathroom hidden in a book case and smells like the coffee shop at home. Needless to say, I felt completely at home! </div><div><br /></div><div>This weekend I went to Bologna for the day, on Saturday. It worked out wonderfully because I had not really gotten the chance to spend time with one of my friends, Marissa, and she was going to the same city that I wanted to go to. So, the night before we went to a piano concert (which was one of the strangest things I have been too yet.) Then woke up the next morning and jumped on the train and went to Bologna. She has a friend in town but we could not meet with him until 1:00 so we walked around the town in the street market and then climbed the tower. The tower was very different than the other ones I have climbed because it had wooden steps and some places the steps were so narrow it was like climbing a ladder. We then went to the piazza where we were supposed to meet her friend. He then became our personal tour guide! We went to eat a place that only locals know about. We had a long wait, but it was definitely worth it! I had pasta, vegetables, tiramisu and coffee. By the time lunch was over I couldn't even think about moving (or eating) any more! Of course, that was only the beginning of our day. We then walked around town and Giovanni, our friend and tour guide, told us all about the city. We met his friend Diego who then hung out with us for the rest of the day. My favorite part was going to a church that was absolutely beautiful and looked like a story book! (when we got there, I looked at Giovanni and said "this is not real, you know." he laughed) Monks actually do live in this church so we were sure to be very quiet. I did not want to leave but we had to because I had not planned on staying. The last train out was 8:45 and I got my ticket at 8:37. I had to run about half a km to the train so we barely made it! </div><div><br /></div><div>This week was a simple week but I really enjoyed it once I got out of the house and started doing things. I feel like I did not get enough time in Bologna so I am planning on going back. It was a beautiful city with no tourists (Except for Marissa and I haha). The food was amazing, the lights were amazing, and the view was breath taking! </div>Valerie Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00967555866411904038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039483672117885013.post-90826490343235869872009-11-01T06:48:00.000-08:002009-11-01T07:17:16.034-08:00Paris, Pisa, and Firenze with Mason!I realize that I did not blog last week. I have two simple reasons for that: Mason came on Saturday and nothing significant happened to blog about. So this week blog will be all about my travels with Mason. <div><br /></div><div>Mason was here for 9 days and we went to Pisa, Paris, and spent some time in Firenze, of course. The first night he was here he was extremely jet lagged so we only went out to eat. Nothing exciting really. However, the next day (Sunday) we got up and jumped on the train to go to Pisa. Did it go that smoothly? No, of course not. I forgot that the time had changed, so we got up an hour earlier than we really needed to and (thought) we bought the wrong train tickets. They turned out to be the right ones so we ended up having double the tickets. I was a bit irritated with that because that was wasted money but I held on to the tickets just in case I wanted to use them again. When we got to Pisa things went smoothly and we made it to the leaning tower, baptistery, etc. with no problem. Pisa was beautiful! We climbed to the top of the tower and went in the duomo, baptistery, and cemetery. He was so glad to be able to go to Pisa since he did not get to visit when he was in Italy a year ago. When we climbed to the top of the tower I was terrified because... well... it was leaning! I have vertigo and (obviously) really bad ankles and feet. So, as soon as I stepped into the tower I was fearing for my life. I did make it to the top, though, and the view was phenomenal! Walking down the tower was much more terrifying than going up, but I made it and was glad that I did it!</div><div><br /></div><div>The next day we stayed in town and walked around. I cooked for him several times and he was impressed! So that made me really happy! That night we found an awesome deal to go to Paris, so we decided to go to Paris at the last minute.</div><div><br /></div><div>I had to sit in the immigration office for the entire morning and afternoon. I had to get my temporary residency permit. It took so long I was beginning to get concerned because it was taking so long and we had to get on the train to go to Pisa, which was where we flew from (to go to Paris). I got out of the immigration office just in time to grab a sandwich and (literally) run and jump on the train. (this is where those extra Pisa tickets worked out- we did not have to buy new ones!). We got to the airport in plenty of time. However, we started getting concerned because the flight got delayed and when Ryan Air delays that usually means they will cancel the flight and not give you money back for the missed flight! The flight did show up, though, and we got on the plane with no more problems. We made it to Paris after a couple of hours... and that started a whole new ordeal.</div><div><br /></div><div>We had originally booked a three person room but they put us in a four person- with no discount. However, they made up for it by putting us in a better room at no extra cost. We also had a hard time finding places to eat that took credit card- but eventually found places that worked out. We visited the Eiffel tower, Notre Dame (climbed to the top), saw the big arch, the Louvre (spent 3 hours and only covered on floor), and Sacre Coeur (the highest point in Paris). Paris was absolutely beautiful and we had a fantastic time! We got to see everything during the day and at night when it was lit up. I was so happy to be able to spend several days with Mason in Paris. I couldn't have asked for a better time! We had fantastic crepes and quiche! </div><div><br /></div><div>We left Paris at night and came back to Firenze (Florence). We got back too late to do anything but get checked into the hostel and go to bed. The next day was Mason's last day and we went to the Uffizzi and ate some awesome Italian food at my favorite restaurant in town! We had to go to bed early because he had to be up by 3:00 since his flight was at 7:15. We had a bit of trouble with the bus to the airport but we did make it in time, so everything worked out fine. </div><div><br /></div><div>It was so hard for me to say goodbye to him. I won't get to be with him for another 7 weeks. I just hope these next 7 weeks go by as fast as the past 8 have. I was so happy to have him here, it was by far the best time I have had in Europe yet!</div>Valerie Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00967555866411904038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039483672117885013.post-34213708072097268112009-10-19T12:49:00.000-07:002009-10-19T13:47:57.026-07:00Oh yeah... this is Italy... I forgot.This week was a focus on a couple of specific friends. School was about the same for me except for a test. My weekend, however, was rather interesting and humorous. <div><br /></div><div>My friend Melissa, from LA, finished her program this week. So Wednesday night the whole group went out to eat for her going away party. It was a lot of fun but I was not ready to say bye. Every time she tried to say goodbye I would say "there are no goodbyes, only see ya laters!" That night was a really cold night too! Everyone went out to the bar after dinner but I opted out because it was already midnight and I had an exam the next day. I caught a taxi home. That was the first time since the first week in September that I have gotten a taxi. Then, Thursday was my friend Heather's birthday. So, Thursday night we all went out to eat. The food was amazing and we all had a great time! The Italians attempted to sing Happy Birthday but only sang the last line of the song. So we were a bit confused and it all turned into a big blunder of "duh duh duhs" and "la la las" and "birthday." </div><div><br /></div><div>I had my final test for Italian level 1. This semester is going by so fast! I can't believe how quickly everything is flying by! It won't be long and I will be back in good ol' South Carolina! I am happy about that, but definitely not ready all at the same time! </div><div><br /></div><div>So for my weekend:</div><div>Friday night was a late night because that was the last night Melissa was going to be here. She had to leave really early Saturday morning for her flight so several of us spent our time with her. We hung out at her apartment and went to the bar. That is about it. Saturday I did nothing because I wanted to sleep in and then go out of town for the day on Sunday so I stayed home and saved money. Well, Sunday came and it was the most interesting part of my week. Here is the story:</div><div><br /></div><div>I looked all week for places to go over the weekend that would be affordable. I decided that the town of Rimini would be a nice place to go (pictures are on my facebook). It was supposed to have a nice beach and some nice ruins from the Roman period. The train was supposed to leave at 9:40am so I dragged myself out of the bed at 8:30 in the morning (when I could have been sleeping) and got to the train station by 9:15 and bought the ticket. The train never came. So, my options were to wait until 11:40 for the next train or go to a different place. I decided to wait it out. </div><div><br /></div><div>I got to Rimini by about 3pm. I read online that I should get a bus to the historic district. So I finally found where to get the bus tickets and the bus stop. I then waited 45 minutes for the bus to come. I got on the bus and was not sure where to get off. We passed the large arch that I had read about, so I figured the next stop would be a good place to get off. Well, the next stop was residential. So I waited until we got back in town... which was another hour! I realized that I had kind of turned into the crazy old people that ride public buses for entertainment. So I jumped off the bus with the most normal looking people that were on the bus as well. I turned around and realized that we were back at the archway. I decided to walk around and take pictures and maybe try to find all the ruins that I had read about. Of course, I never found them. So I walked around and decided to take pictures of leaves, trees, and flowers. I mean, after all, I needed to have <i>some </i>kind of pictures! </div><div><br /></div><div>It was about 5:00pm by this time and the last train left at 6:20 to go back to Florence. (It is about a 3-3.5 hour trip) I then saw that there were a lot of people down the road so I walked over to see what was going on. It was nothing too interesting so I kept walking to see the town. I then turned down a road and saw something that looked kind of nice. As I walked closer I realized that it was the train station! *Light Bulb* I never needed to buy the tickets or wait on the bus or even ride the bus! That was a bit frustrating. So I thought "With how this day is going, I need to just go ahead and buy my ticket and wait the last 40 minutes at the station. I don't want anything else going wrong today" (Boy was I wrong!)</div><div><br /></div><div>I had two options: one train that went straight back to Florence or another one that required me to change stations like I had earlier. I opted for the straight shot. Yes, it was more expensive but it was quicker and left less room for human error. At about 15 minutes until I was supposed to leave I checked to see which track the train was coming in to. Of course, it was not showing. Panic mode went off in my mind for about 10 minutes. It left me just enough time to realize that that train was not coming and I had to hurry and buy another ticket so I could get on the train that went to a different station. Well, I got to the second station and was going to buy my ticket and then realized I was 55 cent short because the second ticket I bought at the previous station was a lot more expensive. I had 20 minutes to figure out what to do. So I tried to use my credit card in the machine... It would not accept the card. So then I walked around trying to find an ATM- there wasn't one. I started panicking a little again because this was the last train home. So I got in the line to buy a ticket at the window and, literally, prayed that God would help this guy work quickly. I got to the window- and in my extremely broken Italian- told the guy that I needed a ticket to Firenze. I had to put the last 55 cent on my credit card (he was not very happy about that). I got my ticket and had three minutes to stamp it and get on the train. I barely made it. However, I did make it. When I got home, I was thinking "this would only happen to me! How do two trains in one day just not show up... oh yeah... this is Italy. I forgot for a few minutes."</div><div><br /></div><div>How is that for interesting?</div>Valerie Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00967555866411904038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039483672117885013.post-90073837935226877562009-10-12T04:05:00.000-07:002009-10-12T04:23:43.783-07:00things are improving.This past week did not get much better in some ways, but in some ways it was better than last.<div><br /></div><div>My foot was hurting really bad all week still from the twist/sprain/break (haha) and I was really beginning to think that I may actually have had a fractured bone in it. However, I just dealt with the pain because I honestly just did not want to go to the doctor. I really do not like hospitals AT ALL. Besides the pysical pain factor, the week actually went a good bit better. <div><br /></div><div>I went out to eat with a couple of new friends. We went for aperitivo; which is a 6-8 euro buffet meal with one mixed drink. The place that we ate was really nice. I really enjoyed my time with them and getting to know them a little better. The restaraunt was actually about a 40 minute walk from my apartment so I did NOT like that at ALL!!! my foot was hurting really badly! On the way home, I twisted it a couple more times, of course. However, I did make it home! </div><div><br /></div><div>The rest of the week days were relatively uneventful. My friends and I went to eat at a restaraunt where one of our friends is interning. The food: Not good, the prices: ridiculous, serving size: tiny tiny tiny, atmosphere: beautiful. So, I think you can tell how that one went. I don't need to say anymore! haha</div><div><br /></div><div>I went to Cortona for the day this weekend. Cortona is where Under the Tuscan Sun, with Diane Lane, was filmed. It was an absolutely beautiful town but very boring! haha. The shopping was not all that great there, but the scenery was phenominal so it was well worth the early morning and plenty of walking, day! I suggest to anyone that visits the Tuscan area: they should go to Cortona! Sunday night I went out to eat Chinese with 11 of my friends for Kazutoshi's birthday (a student here from Japan... he is a Chinese major!) We had a lot of fun! The food was really good and very affordable and then afterward we all hung out together. Our group that night consisted of half Americans and half Japanese. It was really nice to get to spend some time with the Japanese students. By Sunday night my foot was feeling much better and now it has just become a nuisance. </div><div><br /></div><div>Overall, I will have to say that this week was an ok week- not overally good nor bad. That is what we call "cosi-cosi" (so-so in english) in Italian. I am glad to not have had an aweful week again! I hope this week goes well! </div></div>Valerie Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00967555866411904038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039483672117885013.post-29493533334030003232009-10-04T10:43:00.000-07:002009-10-04T11:26:27.711-07:00Italy: The silver liningSo, you know how they say "tomorrow is a new day, it will be better" and "this too shall pass." Well, this week was probably one of the worst weeks of my life... I REALLY hope this next week goes better. <div><br /></div><div>My right foot was pretty much completely healed up by Monday, so I was very encouraged by that. Then, as I was walking out of my voice lesson, and thinking, and listening to music (Obviously a very bad combo for me) I stepped onto the sidewalk and instead of landing on the sole of my foot I landed on the outside of my ankle (the left one). I really thought that it was broken for about 30 minutes. I sat down, crying and trying to breathe, and about 7 or 8 Italians were on the street and saw what happened but did not come to check on me... how very nice! (that comment is dripping with sarcasm, of course) After I realized that it was just badly twisted, I walked home very slowly. The rest of that day was spent in the bed hoping for the pain to subside. </div><div><br /></div><div>The next few days were rough on walking. I was getting really concerned because it wasn't seeming to feel any better and Oktoberfest was coming up for the weekend. However, Wednesday night came and I felt much better and thought that Oktoberfest would not be so bad after all. Thursday came, and I developed a cold. Not just a minor cold but one that made me feel like crap all over. I decided that I was going to go to Oktoberfest anyways because I had paid for it.. and after all.. it was just a cold. </div><div><br /></div><div>The ride to Oktoberfest was 8 hours on a bus. Anyone that knows me, knows that me on a bus for 8 hours is a REALLY bad idea. I did take some motion sickness medicine and we were traveling at midnight so I figured I would be able to sleep through all of it. The third hour of the trip, I woke up, and got sick everywhere. I couldn't make it to the bathroom and did not have a bag. That was embarrassing and that meant one set of clothes was going in the trash. Everyone was really nice about it, though, so I did not really worry about it for the rest of the day. We arrived at Oktoberfest at 8 in the morning on Friday and I felt fine there. I spent the whole day at the festival and had a great time. We did not get on the road back to the hostel until eleven pm and it was another hour drive. I finally got to bed at about 2 but then we had to wake up at 7. I thought about telling my group that I was just going to sleep in and meet them there later but I decided I may as well go even though I was exhausted. I felt fine for the first 30 minutes of the bus ride back to Oktoberfest... and then I got sick again. This time I had a bag but of course it busted on me. I was so humiliated and I could not stop crying. I cleaned everything up, but I was absolutely disgusting and I was on my last pair of pants. The bus driver could not speak any English but after everyone got off the bus he came up to me and hugged me until I calmed down. He was so nice. I was glad to have someone there that actually made me feel like it was okay. I then walked to the train station, bought a ticket to go back to the hostel and to go back to Firenze, Italia. I got on the train, went back to Augsburg (the city I was staying in) and searched for a taxi for about 2 hours and then finally got back to the hostel. Showered, packed, and slept. Then I went back to Firenze. The train ride was about 9 hours and it was a sleeping train so I took my very last phinergen (not sure about the spelling) and slept the whole way. I made it back to my apartment a little before 7am Sunday morning. I was so glad to be "home."</div><div><br /></div><div>I hate to say it but this week was so bad that I really do not remember anything good about it. I am sure that good things happened, but at this moment in time I cannot really think of any of it. I am glad to be starting a new week and I am sure that this week will be better. At least I am in Italy... that is the silver lining to everything from this week. </div>Valerie Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00967555866411904038noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039483672117885013.post-29631310082209891282009-09-28T03:58:00.000-07:002009-09-28T04:11:04.832-07:00A bit more eventful!This past week was a bit more eventful! I will begin by saying that my classes are going quite well still. I really do enjoy my teachers and Italian class is so much fun! We play games everyday in the class! One day we played Battle Ship in Italian. We drew our grids onto our notebooks and used the flap from the notebook to hide the grid. I lost by one ship!!! I was not happy about that, lol. We also throw whatever object she gives us and whomever catches it has to say the next number or next letter in line. Today, we played a board game. Whatever we landed on we had to answer or conjugate. So needless to say, I am learning a lot. Everyday she gives us a new way to have a conversation... one day I did get frustrated because I could not quite understand what she wanted us to do. I like that when she sees that we are frustrated, she moves on, she does not push us into more frustration. <div><br /></div><div>Tuesday night I went to a concert with all of my friends. There were 20,000 people there!!! It was packed, shoulder to shoulder!! I had so much fun, danced all night! The concert was a celebration for field workers and not being taken over by the mafia and being able to return home. (I will tell ya, the mafia here is a big deal. You hear about it all the time at home, but it really is a big deal! Thankfully, Firenze is not really effected by the mafia.) I also hurt my foot pretty bad that night. I wore sandals, unaware that there would be mosh pits. Of course I ended up being the wall for them... drunk people, mosh pits, and sandals are a REALLY bad idea!!! So I had a hard time walking around town this past week. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thursday, I spent the entire day in the Immigration office. I have to get a temporary residency permit, I sat there all day and all they did was fingerprint me and then tell me to come back at the end of October. What a waste of a day!</div><div>Thursday night I went to a club with my friends. I was not that impressed with it because it was all house music... not spanish or hip hop. The floor was also so sticky that I was barely able to lift my foot off of the floor. That did NOT help my foot!! Every time I moved it was twisted a little more. I turned in early that night!</div><div><br /></div><div>The weekend was quite uneventful. I really did not want to do anything strenuous because of my foot. So, today I am feeling and walking much better. This coming weekend will be Oktoberfest! I am so excited about that! Hope ya enjoyed this blog a bit more! </div><div><br /></div><div>Valerie Joy</div>Valerie Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00967555866411904038noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039483672117885013.post-60370005934910216742009-09-21T07:53:00.000-07:002009-09-21T08:12:58.524-07:00Finally settled in!This week starts the beginning of another 4 week program. I am back in the beginner level, which I expected and wanted, and the classes start Tuesday. I did very well on my final test, B-, so I am very confident that my next exam will easily be an A+! My voice lesson schedule is now set in stone and I am really beginning to get used to my teachers. My favorite teacher is definitely my music history teacher. His English is not very good at all but some how we still communicate very easily. He has such an amazing bass voice, so he understands what I struggle with because I have a low voice for a female. My other teachers are women and they are very nice. One of them does not have good English at all, while the other one has fantastic English. They all make me feel very good about myself because they compliment me every day on how much they love my voice. They say "Bello voce!" (beautiful voice) I will admit, it is very intimidating singing Italian songs for Italian teachers, at home it is not intimidating at all! I am really beginning to warm up to the music department though, even though I do not like the set up for the class rooms. I did not really do anything too exciting during the week because I was trying to study for my exam and keep my voice healthy. <div><br /></div><div>For the weekend, we took a day trip on Saturday. We went to San Gimignano, which is about an hour train ride from Florence. I absolutely LOVED this town! It was in the Tuscan country side so the view was stunning! It is a town built on a hill top and is from the Medieval period. It was one of the most powerful places in Europe and was built like a fortress. There is no getting in if they do not want you in, that is for sure! The food here was some of the best food that I have had yet, and the desserts are wonderful too! Some of my friends did wine tasting, I did not because I really do not like it that much. I sat outside and listened to a harp player while I looked out at the rolling hills. I definitely suggest that anyone that visits Italy should go to San Gimignano!</div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday night I got together with all of my friends here and we had a big dinner for one of our friends. He is from Indonesia, and for his religion he has Ramadan (fasting for 30 days). Sunday night was the end of it so we all had a big surprise meal planned for him. I really enjoyed that! </div><div>Thanks again for following! Maybe next week there will be some more interesting things going on!</div><div><br /></div><div>Valerie Joy</div>Valerie Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00967555866411904038noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039483672117885013.post-91956604172296109562009-09-13T05:57:00.000-07:002009-09-13T06:13:50.995-07:00secondo settimanaSo it is the end of the second week, going into my third week in the country. Last week was my first week of classes. I was very frustrated because when I entered my classes, I was thrown into the middle of the 4 week program. So, everyone else had been in class for two weeks and I had just started. I also was really exhausted my first day so I was sick. My schedule was also changed about 3 times last week, that got really annoying. However, by the end of the week things seemed to work themselves out. I am getting to where I do understand a little more Italian, but of course not up to par with everyone else in class. The teacher told me not to worry about being behind, I will just be in the same level after everyone tests. Things are very strange here, school program-wise. One of our roommates is moving out this week and we will be getting a new roommate soon, although I am not sure when she will move in. Other roommates will be moving out at different times during the semester. So they really do personalize every single schedule here. Even the people that I hang out with have different departure schedules. I am slowly getting used to it though. I have gotten lost everyday going home from school. The roads make NO sense here. I started getting really frustrated so I am not walking alone from school anymore, or at least until I learn the city more haha. My roommates are all very nice. Several of us hang out together all the time and we have a group of people that we meet up with too. Yesterday I went to the beach with 4 other people. It was very nice. The water was cold, but thankfully the weather was moderate so I really did not get hot enough to need to get in the water. (also, the sunscreen here is about 20 euro, small, and not waterproof... so I didn't want to waste it) When I turned around, I had mountains behind me. It's not very often I get to see the ocean and the mountains all at once. There were no waves at this beach (I liked that A LOT!) but there were also very few shops around. So obviously this was nothing like Myrtle Beach! Tomorrow it is back to class, I am glad. I enjoy my teachers and classmates. Next weekend I am not sure what I will be doing. Travel across Europe is super super cheap so there is no telling where we will go next. My roommate and I are going to a local pub to watch some Football (american) tonight. That is all I have planned for today. Keep following, next week is bound to be more interesting!Valerie Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00967555866411904038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039483672117885013.post-45091103101967928272009-09-06T07:50:00.000-07:002009-09-06T08:01:49.216-07:00una settimana (first week)Today I moved into my apartment. Now that I finally have a minute to catch my breath and talk about this previous week, I will. The flight over was an hour shorter (7hours instead of 8hours), so that was nice. Mom and I mostly slept (or tried to sleep) since it would be morning when we landed. That was kind of a bad idea because we went to sleep before dinner was served, so we went hungry for a little while. We spent the first day in Rome, but it really felt like 2 days because of jet lag. The tour we took was about three hours and it was at night. It was nice but by the end of it we were pretty much exhausted. Then the next day I got sick because my body hadn't adjusted to the food and time change. I stayed in the bed for a few hours and then we got up and went to the train station and went to Florence. The hotel we went to was not up to our standards. The rooms were small and very closed in. The air worked for the most part, the morning came and it broke. The location was also too far from town and the internet did not work, so that did not go over well. We changed hotels the next day... after dragging luggage across Firenze for about 20 minutes (but what felt like 2 hours!) we found Hotel Roma in the Santa Maria Novella Piazza. This was much nicer and we got a/c and internet. Most of our time in Firenze was spent walking, getting lost, and taking taxis. We did a little bit of shopping, ate some gelato (and pizza and what not), found my school, and my apartment. We tried to walk from my apartment to the school and almost made it when we got lost. Just when we were about to give up we found the school.... it only took us an hour (it was supposed to be 15 minutes, so please note the sarcasm). Today, we got into my apartment and I met my roommate and apartmentmates(?). The place is nice and the people are really nice too. They try to speak in mostly Italian in the apartment and with the other students. I like that... I will learn Italian much faster! Mom left after we had lunch, she had to catch a train back to Rome so she can go home tomorrow morning. So, nothing too exciting this week, but it is very very beautiful here!!!Valerie Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00967555866411904038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039483672117885013.post-3629020885732563852009-08-31T09:12:00.000-07:002009-08-31T09:45:54.338-07:00goodbye America, Buon Giorno Italia!So I am packing today... you know the boring stuff... washing clothes and trying to decide what clothes I really can't live without and which clothes I will be ok with leaving at home to gather dust for a few months. I can't believe that this past weekend was the last time that I will get to spend time with most of my family and friends until Christmas. Tonight will be the last night I get to spend time with the rest of them. My mom will be coming with me the first week to Italy, I'm excited about that. It's going to make it a lot easier to get settled in. I am starting to get a little nervous, I will have to admit it. This entire summer I have had people ask me how I feel about leaving and the whole time I have just been excited, but now I am getting a little nervous. I'm not so much worried about being alone, I'm sure those nerves will hit once I land in Rome, but more nervous about not being with family and friends for so long. After all, this will be the first Thanksgiving I will have missed. However, I'm still very excited and cannot wait to get there and start eating that awesome food that I have heard about, start learning more Italian, studying music, and seeing a little bit more of the world! I leave tomorrow morning for my flights and will land in Rome Wednesday afternoon. I hope you will continue to follow me as I will keep this as up to date as I possibly can. (I'm aiming for once a week) Seeya at Christmas!<div><br /></div><div>Goodbye America! Buon Giorno Italia!!</div><div><br /></div><div><ul><li>If you started an online journal, or blog, what would you want to write about?</li><li>What parts of Italy would you want to see pictures of?</li></ul></div>Valerie Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00967555866411904038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039483672117885013.post-1495742825115531152009-08-11T17:38:00.000-07:002009-08-11T17:48:10.343-07:0011 August 2009- 3 week count down!So today marks three weeks until I leave for Italy. I cannot believe how fast this summer has flown by. It's really hitting home now that I'm going to be really missing certain people. I guess it's about time that I start making lists of what all I need to pack. The excitement is certainly starting to build up minute by minute, day by day; but the sadness is certainly also. I don't want to think about how much I'm going to miss everyone though because I feel that will put a damper on things. So I'm keeping my eye on the prize, convincing myself that I don't have anything to worry about (home wise) while I'm gone, and making travel plans. I have even bought some pens and pencils... haha big whoop-di-doo right? So, I'm school supply shopping and packing and loving everyone as much as I can while I'm here. I had someone tell me tonight "Now don't go turning too Italian on us now!" I said "Nah, I think I'm going to love Italy... but I'm an American girl at heart!" So, I sure hope that this American girl can teach the Italians a thing or two while learning from them also! <div><br /></div><div>Things to ponder:</div><div><ul><li>What kind of impression would you hope to make on other people?</li><li>How do you school shop for a different country?? (haha)</li></ul></div>Valerie Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00967555866411904038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039483672117885013.post-27628981067925108472009-07-13T19:24:00.000-07:002009-07-13T19:38:45.846-07:00Ciao! mio sono adulti!Buon Giorno!<br /><br />I am very excited about leaving for Italy in less than two months, everyday it sinks in more and more. I have really begun to think about what all I need to pack and really work on my Italian! I am very happy to be able to spend more time with my family before I leave, for sure. Being away from my family and trying to save and pay bills has really shown me how much my family does for me. There are times that I wish I hadn't moved out because of finances and realizing that I am not going to see my family for quite a while... but it has also taught me to be more responsible with my time and money. I joke about becoming an "old person" but really, I am happy for it. I have forced myself to understand that being patient really IS important (had I not been so anxious to move out I would have a lot more money)! However, it has also taught me to she love (amo) and be more paitent with my parents-esp mom (madre)- because they know what they are talking about (never thought I'd admit that!) Anyway, just thought I'd share a little bit of my "growing up" experience that this summer has brought me. I will say that I am very excited that my mom is coming with me the first week in Italy. I think it'll make the transition a lot easier... and it'll be good to be able to vacation with her besides the beach =-).<br /><br />Thoughts to ponder:<br /><ul><li>If you could take your parents anywhere to vacation, where and why would you?</li><li>What made you realize that growing up really was what you parents said it was?</li></ul><p>Arrivaderci!</p>Valerie Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00967555866411904038noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1039483672117885013.post-83658072272617885142009-06-26T18:34:00.000-07:002009-06-26T18:49:46.048-07:0026 June 2009<div><strong>This past year has been a little rough on myself as well as the rest of the world. Tonight, however, as <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">I'm</span> sitting in the coffee shop (my second home in Florence) I have some specific things on my mind. I guess the only place to start is at the beginning:</strong></div>
<br /><div><strong></strong> </div>
<br /><div><strong>I wonder why lifetime connections so easily diminish in such a quick time. How can you be best friends with someone your entire life and then so easily be replaced by someone else. When that friend was the one person you could <em>always</em> rely on and then that friend turns into the person that ignores your calls or "forgets" about you. </strong></div>
<br /><div><strong></strong> </div>
<br /><div><strong>I also wonder how a guy that has known me my entire life and even had hand in raising me (since i was best friends with his daughter growing up) doesn't care to speak to me when he sees me. </strong></div>
<br /><div><strong></strong> </div>
<br /><div><strong>Where in our daily lives do we lose sense of living. My youth pastor used to say "are you a liver or a survivor?" and I think <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">I've</span> become a liver. I forget that I am leaving a legacy with my every action and word. then the reality hits me when someone dies that you never thought would die. The person that you thought would outlive the rest of the world, doesn't. there is no warning with death, it just happens. It reminds me to watch what i say and do. it reminds me to actually live... not to get bogged down in the daily mundane things; that i do have dreams and I may not live long enough to reach them so i have to do what I can now... before <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">I'm</span> out of time. </strong></div>
<br /><div><strong></strong> </div>
<br /><div><strong>Questions to ponder (as will I): </strong></div>
<br /><div><strong></strong> </div>
<br /><ul>
<br /><li><strong>Who would show up to your funeral?</strong></li>
<br /><li><strong>Do your loved ones know how much they mean to you?</strong></li></ul>
<br /><div> </div>Valerie Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00967555866411904038noreply@blogger.com0