Do it for the story. Do it for where the wind blows.: CINQUE TERRE

So this past weekend my program went to Cinque Terre, which is five villages on the Italian Riviera coastline. So after three different train rides, we arrived in Cinque Terre. Props to program advisor Chiara because she is like our own Peer Mentor (just abroad status). Sat on the last train surrounded by 3 Germans which complained about how useless and hard the Polish language is to learn... cool i'm gonna put in my iPod to drown you out, kthanks have a nice travel. When we train it by through the 5 villages and see the views of the Mediterranean Sea, unreal. Then we get off the Monterosso (the last village where our hotel was) and it's breathtaking views. The whole place looked like a computer screen background, not real life.

So the first day we get to hike the mountains between the villages, the first leg was hundreds (maybe even at least a thousand) stairs up a mountain then a half hour walk on this nice mountain sidewalk. You can't even see the horizon line because it is that hazy in the ocean. The water is so clear and this beautiful cerulean blue (look it up if you never used any crayola crayons like I did my entire childhood). Then the next leg was unfortunately closed for whatever reasoning, and the detour was a 2 hour hike up and around so we trained it to the 3rd village. Hiked like it was my job cutting an hour off the 2 hour hike to the 4th village with Katie, Kat, and Allison. I was in need for some endorphins and a nice hot ridiculous workout (though carrying a black bpack in the heat was a bit much, I dealt). Chilled in the forth village waiting around for other people to catch up, got an Italian slush which was EPIC. That limone slush drink was exactly what I needed after that portion of the hike, almost went back for a second one. Then we went to a small beach/rock/i dont know what by the Sea and swam in the MedSea! It was so refreshing and perfect temperature. Granted there were a few mishaps of people slipping on rocks getting in and bitter old Italian women nearby that would not mind their own business (imma do me, you do you). Regardless, so nice. Then we hiked the last an hour and half path in 45ish. Katie, Kat and I do not mess around with hiking. It was beyond nice to just see these Italian mountains and houses of them with vineyards and crazy, spectacular views of the Mediterranean. Oh yeah I forgot to mention the fact that we ran into Lauren Melaugh and Briana Burke twice in Cinque Terre. Casually running into Stonehill friends halfway around the world? CHECK. How ironic is it that they happened to be on the exact train we were on and then ran into them on the mountain path (which by the ways was extremely narrow and challenging to hike on).

The next day I woke up early and Courtney, Ali, Lengel and I went down to a Monterosso beach and enjoyed the sunrise in the morning with an empty beach. I went around getting a bunch of seaglass to bring back home. The beach was a tad harsh when it came to the rocks on it though, but hey I'll take it anyday over Cape Cod, Lake Winnipesaukee, lakes in Maine, or any beach in Rhode Island. Hands down Mediterranean is the best body of water I've been in. Though it does rival the Bahamas a bit. So after getting lunch for the second day in a row at this small Focaccia place (I AM IN LOVE WITH FOCACCIA, it was so damn good and so damn cheap) we were supposed to go kayaking in the Sea, but Italy decided for once to rain. Now I love rain and thunderstorms so I have no problem with it, let me kayak in the rain I couldn't care less, but unfortunately we had to wait until it got nicer out but we did get to kayak. Yet another nice relaxing workout activity where I get to enjoy ridiculous unreal life views.

2 trains back to Florence, last one being 2 and a half hours, put on iPod, listened to Maroon 5 and boom conked out asleep the whole ride. So nice.