So I'll get to posting about my amazing weekend in Southern France with Melissa soon enough but I just realized that...
I have 20 days left abroad.... TWENTY. WHAT?
That means I turn 21 in 22 days and I will inevitably being doing my last moments in Florence so soon. Last Gusta Pizza, last Tijuana Thursday, last time photobombing hundreds of tourists photos of the Duomo, last time walking up Strozzi's 96 steps to class (though not so sad about that one). etc etc you get the picture I am just not okay with lasts. This weekend was potentially the last time I would be in France... SO not okay with that one.
What can you get done in 20 days?
Without me even thinking for more than 2 minutes within the immediate future I am going to an Italian Opera (wouldn't if it wasn't for free and when else can I say I went to an Italian opera?), a weekend in Rome, an art history presentation IN the Uffizi, and now Elyse is visiting Florence my last weekend here? Life is grand, but this is still not real life. The reality is setting in that fake abroad life is ending and I must accept it's shelf life.
twenty frigging days.... I can't get over it. I remember when I was thinking oh I have 67 days left this is going to be forever. WELP life moves on a lot quicker than expected.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
DAVID MEETS THE REAL DAVID
It finally happened this past weekend, no morose feelings coming from me despite yet another walking tour guide (thank god to the one I don't believe in LAST ONE...well til maybe roma). Woke up ridiculously early for a saturday to go to the Accademia and see Michelangelo's David. The fake Daves don't even remotely compare to the real one, it is massive, pristine, beautiful, stoic, strong, and the museum definitely knows how to bring a person's attention to a statue with this structural white dome accenting it.
Here is where I would showcase a not real life photo of it from my perspective but oh wait NO FOTO in the museo. Italians don't want you average 1,350,000 visitors ruining this masterpiece with your inability to turn your camera on museum mode or oh wait turn the flash off... silly tourists, trix are for kids.
Here is where I would showcase a not real life photo of it from my perspective but oh wait NO FOTO in the museo. Italians don't want you average 1,350,000 visitors ruining this masterpiece with your inability to turn your camera on museum mode or oh wait turn the flash off... silly tourists, trix are for kids.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
THE CLASS ABROAD THAT HAS CHANGED MY PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE
What's one class you have taken in your life that you think changed your life? Can you think of it? Well I didn't really feel like I have had a class that has had such a profound spark of interest and impact on me until my Business Psychology class. It's official title is Workplace Psychology: Building Effective Managers, but it's more than business class and more than a typical psychological approach in a class. First off, my professor I think is more than half the reason I love the class so much. I pegged that Stefano had to be gay, and then 10 minutes after the thought crossed my mind he told our class, but that has nothing to do with it, he has such an interest approach to teaching the class to get all of us involved and appreciative of the lessons we are learning, while he is learning from us too.
The first week we learned some simple breathing technique to manage our stress and center ourselves, yeah I know what you are thinking, that's wicked weird, but this isn't a yoga class, it was actually really helpful. Since then we have exercises in the class to help us better understand ourselves and others in regards to being a leader. The style of his teaching is very give and take. I have had discussion based classes before but his approach is different, I actually care because I respect what he has to say about the material through his ability to make the material directly relate to us through how we shape it.
A lesson that I think has forever changed my perspective on life is a lesson we had about "Emotional Intelligence" which in lamens terms is defined through these 5 points:
-Knowing one's emotions
-Managing emotions
-Motivating oneself
-Recognizing emotions in others (aka empathy)
-Handling relationships
Ignore the fact that I'm being a total nerd excited over a class, but it pretty much explains for emotional intelligence is really important to have to develop skills like these
-Identifying, expressing, and managing feelings
-Impulse control and delay gratification
-Handling stress and anxiety
-Difference between feelings and actions
-Identifying alternate consequences
-Reading social and emotional cues
-Active listening
-Resist negative influences
-Taking other's perspective
-Understanding what behavior is acceptable
I feel like learning about this I have realized how much emotional intelligence I do truly have. I am so self aware, probably too self aware sometimes, but I know my core true self and who I am, I always have. I need to stop trying to deal with other people's lack of emotional intelligence and controlling situations/people that I can't, I can only control how I react to those people and situations.
Emotional intelligence was actually an essay question for my midterm in this class, and he wanted us to use personal examples in answering all of the questions, this was without a doubt the easiest 96 I got an a midterm ever (but I did slave over studying a freaked out a little). My professor actually wrote on my exam in reference to this topic something like it takes two conscious men to develop a productive, comfortable, and worthy relationship. keep growing and surround yourself with people who have a capacity of emotional intelligence (Idk what he said verbatim due to the Italian law that professors have to keep exams for whatever reason who knows).
My main epiphany with this topic is this, I have realized while abroad that the people that want to be in your life make the damn effort to do so. Don't waste your time trying to be friends with or trying to be more than friends with someone who doesn't find the time of effort in their end to get to know you. Allowing yourself to be treated less than your deserve just isn't worth the energy. I think I have enough life experience (though far more to come) to know my true morals and character. Life happens, I'm done wasting any of thoughts on my frustrations with different people. They are the ones lost in the world, not me.
The people who have put in the effort and reached out to me while I have been gone in a foreign country for 3 months are the people I should surround myself with. They matter to me. I am not going to waste any of my time back at Stonehill, I will enjoy every unplanned 4 hour dinners with friends laughing so hard loosing track of time, every inevitably lame weekend night at the courts that turns into something so much more fun without even trying, every moment passing by a friend as I am walking ridiculously fast with ipod in off to class, every time that I stop to think about how much I love and appreciate Stonehill that much more now.
I will miss these ridiculous not real life moments abroad, but I am definitely going to be comparing every moment at Stonehill to it, abroad life is not the real world. You have to enjoy life as is without reservations and besides no one's life is like this, you are delusional if you think otherwise. With a month left I can already see the finish line of abroad, though I don't want this to end I have to come back to reality in America. Knowing how much time is lacking left for me abroad, I am excited to prove to myself and others how much I have grown abroad when I get back home.
The first week we learned some simple breathing technique to manage our stress and center ourselves, yeah I know what you are thinking, that's wicked weird, but this isn't a yoga class, it was actually really helpful. Since then we have exercises in the class to help us better understand ourselves and others in regards to being a leader. The style of his teaching is very give and take. I have had discussion based classes before but his approach is different, I actually care because I respect what he has to say about the material through his ability to make the material directly relate to us through how we shape it.
A lesson that I think has forever changed my perspective on life is a lesson we had about "Emotional Intelligence" which in lamens terms is defined through these 5 points:
-Knowing one's emotions
-Managing emotions
-Motivating oneself
-Recognizing emotions in others (aka empathy)
-Handling relationships
Ignore the fact that I'm being a total nerd excited over a class, but it pretty much explains for emotional intelligence is really important to have to develop skills like these
-Identifying, expressing, and managing feelings
-Impulse control and delay gratification
-Handling stress and anxiety
-Difference between feelings and actions
-Identifying alternate consequences
-Reading social and emotional cues
-Active listening
-Resist negative influences
-Taking other's perspective
-Understanding what behavior is acceptable
I feel like learning about this I have realized how much emotional intelligence I do truly have. I am so self aware, probably too self aware sometimes, but I know my core true self and who I am, I always have. I need to stop trying to deal with other people's lack of emotional intelligence and controlling situations/people that I can't, I can only control how I react to those people and situations.
Emotional intelligence was actually an essay question for my midterm in this class, and he wanted us to use personal examples in answering all of the questions, this was without a doubt the easiest 96 I got an a midterm ever (but I did slave over studying a freaked out a little). My professor actually wrote on my exam in reference to this topic something like it takes two conscious men to develop a productive, comfortable, and worthy relationship. keep growing and surround yourself with people who have a capacity of emotional intelligence (Idk what he said verbatim due to the Italian law that professors have to keep exams for whatever reason who knows).
My main epiphany with this topic is this, I have realized while abroad that the people that want to be in your life make the damn effort to do so. Don't waste your time trying to be friends with or trying to be more than friends with someone who doesn't find the time of effort in their end to get to know you. Allowing yourself to be treated less than your deserve just isn't worth the energy. I think I have enough life experience (though far more to come) to know my true morals and character. Life happens, I'm done wasting any of thoughts on my frustrations with different people. They are the ones lost in the world, not me.
The people who have put in the effort and reached out to me while I have been gone in a foreign country for 3 months are the people I should surround myself with. They matter to me. I am not going to waste any of my time back at Stonehill, I will enjoy every unplanned 4 hour dinners with friends laughing so hard loosing track of time, every inevitably lame weekend night at the courts that turns into something so much more fun without even trying, every moment passing by a friend as I am walking ridiculously fast with ipod in off to class, every time that I stop to think about how much I love and appreciate Stonehill that much more now.
I will miss these ridiculous not real life moments abroad, but I am definitely going to be comparing every moment at Stonehill to it, abroad life is not the real world. You have to enjoy life as is without reservations and besides no one's life is like this, you are delusional if you think otherwise. With a month left I can already see the finish line of abroad, though I don't want this to end I have to come back to reality in America. Knowing how much time is lacking left for me abroad, I am excited to prove to myself and others how much I have grown abroad when I get back home.
WHATS SONGS MAKE YOU HAPPY?
Okay yeah so I post a lot about songs, my mind is constantly on shuffle when it comes to music, deal.
So I have this playlist called Happy on my iTunes, shockingly so its a bunch of songs that no matter what mood I am in it brings my mood up. I'm sitting here avoiding yet another paper, listening to it thinking I wonder what songs my friends listen to in the process of cheering up.
So here's just a sample of the music that get's my serotonin kicking.
Third Eye Blind - Semi-Charmed Life
an extremely rated R type of song, but it ALWAYS gets me in a good mood
Gloriana - Wild At Heart
country can be happy too you know
Jimmy Eat World - The Middle
my old school poser emo phase days, yeah I saw them in concert
Michael Buble - Haven't Met You Yet
you cannot deny the power that is Michael Buble
Little Jackie - The World Should Revolve Around Me
No one really knows this song, but it's damn good
Andy Grammer - Keep Your Head Up
Recent addition to the playlist
So I have this playlist called Happy on my iTunes, shockingly so its a bunch of songs that no matter what mood I am in it brings my mood up. I'm sitting here avoiding yet another paper, listening to it thinking I wonder what songs my friends listen to in the process of cheering up.
So here's just a sample of the music that get's my serotonin kicking.
Third Eye Blind - Semi-Charmed Life
an extremely rated R type of song, but it ALWAYS gets me in a good mood
Gloriana - Wild At Heart
country can be happy too you know
Jimmy Eat World - The Middle
my old school poser emo phase days, yeah I saw them in concert
Michael Buble - Haven't Met You Yet
you cannot deny the power that is Michael Buble
Little Jackie - The World Should Revolve Around Me
No one really knows this song, but it's damn good
Andy Grammer - Keep Your Head Up
Recent addition to the playlist
Saturday, November 19, 2011
THE INEVITABLE AND UNWANTED COUNTDOWN
The dreaded fact that I have less than a month left abroad has happened. I have exactly 4 weeks left in Florence, and in Europe, for a long, long time (if ever again). I know so many people say they'll come back to where they studied abroad and visit all those same places again, but I'm a realist and there is a ZERO possibility of me affording to come back to Europe for a damn long time, that is unless I find my dream Australian lawyer and marry rich early on.
With that mindset I don't have time to do anything but live in the moment, cherish the past I have already garnered abroad, and look forward to what I have left in store for abroad (and yes I know that's contradictory to the purpose of "living in the moment"). I was reading one of my friend's abroad blog (another shout out to one of my 2 PM patnahs Tara) and something she mentioned that we discussed one night we were out to dinner when she visited struck me, we were in the same exact spot our current senior friends were a year ago, but these were our memories now. They had their time, it's ours now and we shape these places around us as they shape us.
I can't help but be nostalgic for the fact that 2 months ago I absolutely despised Florence. I hated Italy, I did not feel comfortable here by any means, I didn't feel like myself. I truly was not homesick, I came abroad not only to get this once in a lifetime experience but to pry myself away from Stonehill, a place that I call home, a place where I found my lifelong friends and came into my own, a place that I knew I needed to get time away from to come back and appreciate it that much more. It took the last straw of my macbook deciding to temporarily die the week Steve Jobs dies (convinced his spirit lived in my laptop) for me to have had a full breakdown. I am beyond self aware and while other's will hide their insecure and less than pleasant moments abroad underneath sparknote versions of their amazing time abroad, I can say yeah, I frigging hated being abroad in Italy for almost a month, but it made me a stronger person and I am grateful for it.
I would have never got that staying at Stonehill in my bubble of constant happiness. I think the culture shock here was just so unnerving (and after visiting other countries I know the culture shock is harsher here in Italy, don't bother debating me) and with the fact Florence wasn't my first, not even my second choice to go abroad to I never really felt extreme excitement to be in Italy, more excitement I was in Europe and able to travel, it was hard for me. My entire life I had my heart set on studying abroad in Australia, it was a dream I had to let die due to a number of reasons, but if everything happens for a reason I got to see far many more different places here in Europe and I have grown to love Florence (though not Italy as a whole, but I'm okay with that).
The main point to my train of thought right now is this thought: I haven't changed while being abroad, I have just matured greatly and become more of the person I intend to be. I have missed friends back in America, but I have seen SO many friends here in Europe, casually of course. I somewhat feel as if life back in America has been put on pause, I know that people are changing and growing back home, but I feel like it does not compare to the whirlwind of life experience I have gained abroad. I am more independent of a person and damn content with my decisions in life.
So with 4 weeks left abroad I can only imagine how much more I will grow, but one thing I do know, I do not plan on going back into any form of a complacent nature back at Stonehill.
There is so much more to life and I don't want to waste any of it putting up with any bullshit I allowed myself to deal with at Stonehill. It is weird to think that I never got the transition from underclassmen to upperclassmen at Stonehill, I will get back and have to figure my life out REAL QUICK, but who damn well gives a shit I had the time of my damn life and I still have 4 weeks left to continue it.
There's Gotta Be More To Life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUOcQnWbk_U&ob=av3n
With that mindset I don't have time to do anything but live in the moment, cherish the past I have already garnered abroad, and look forward to what I have left in store for abroad (and yes I know that's contradictory to the purpose of "living in the moment"). I was reading one of my friend's abroad blog (another shout out to one of my 2 PM patnahs Tara) and something she mentioned that we discussed one night we were out to dinner when she visited struck me, we were in the same exact spot our current senior friends were a year ago, but these were our memories now. They had their time, it's ours now and we shape these places around us as they shape us.
I can't help but be nostalgic for the fact that 2 months ago I absolutely despised Florence. I hated Italy, I did not feel comfortable here by any means, I didn't feel like myself. I truly was not homesick, I came abroad not only to get this once in a lifetime experience but to pry myself away from Stonehill, a place that I call home, a place where I found my lifelong friends and came into my own, a place that I knew I needed to get time away from to come back and appreciate it that much more. It took the last straw of my macbook deciding to temporarily die the week Steve Jobs dies (convinced his spirit lived in my laptop) for me to have had a full breakdown. I am beyond self aware and while other's will hide their insecure and less than pleasant moments abroad underneath sparknote versions of their amazing time abroad, I can say yeah, I frigging hated being abroad in Italy for almost a month, but it made me a stronger person and I am grateful for it.
I would have never got that staying at Stonehill in my bubble of constant happiness. I think the culture shock here was just so unnerving (and after visiting other countries I know the culture shock is harsher here in Italy, don't bother debating me) and with the fact Florence wasn't my first, not even my second choice to go abroad to I never really felt extreme excitement to be in Italy, more excitement I was in Europe and able to travel, it was hard for me. My entire life I had my heart set on studying abroad in Australia, it was a dream I had to let die due to a number of reasons, but if everything happens for a reason I got to see far many more different places here in Europe and I have grown to love Florence (though not Italy as a whole, but I'm okay with that).
The main point to my train of thought right now is this thought: I haven't changed while being abroad, I have just matured greatly and become more of the person I intend to be. I have missed friends back in America, but I have seen SO many friends here in Europe, casually of course. I somewhat feel as if life back in America has been put on pause, I know that people are changing and growing back home, but I feel like it does not compare to the whirlwind of life experience I have gained abroad. I am more independent of a person and damn content with my decisions in life.
So with 4 weeks left abroad I can only imagine how much more I will grow, but one thing I do know, I do not plan on going back into any form of a complacent nature back at Stonehill.
There is so much more to life and I don't want to waste any of it putting up with any bullshit I allowed myself to deal with at Stonehill. It is weird to think that I never got the transition from underclassmen to upperclassmen at Stonehill, I will get back and have to figure my life out REAL QUICK, but who damn well gives a shit I had the time of my damn life and I still have 4 weeks left to continue it.
There's Gotta Be More To Life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUOcQnWbk_U&ob=av3n
WEEKEND IN VENEZIA
My weekend in Venice was so refreshing, Venice is one of those places you see featured in a ton of movies and tv shows, but to actually be there was surreal. The usual nice 2 hour train ride nap and I'm in sunny beautiful Venice (which was a miracle considering the time of year we were there Venice should be constantly raining and flooded, but it has only rained 4 days out of the whole time I have been abroad and that includes a full week in Ireland, score)
Yet again another GSE hotel hookup with the free excursion, queen sized bed and free breakfast? check!
Canals be errwhere
Venetian ambulance, I would not want to get sick if I lived in Venice
I'M ON A BOAT... in Venice on the Grand Canal for 40 minutes seeing the whole massive city
casual Lengel mirror shot, loving the face
Adding to our long list of different forms of transportation taken while abroad, gondola!
Clock in Piazza San Marco
Snuck a photo that I wasn't supposed to take inside a Venice museum, such a bad ass. naht.
Glass blowing demonstration
Those chandeliers equal my tuition money, who needs money for college when you could buy Venetian glass chandeliers?
I ate a sandwich... If you know me you know I don't like sandwiches, yeah I'm weird I don't like most things that go in sandwiches and just not a fan all around, I love bread on it's own it doesn't need useless crap.
Piazza San Marco at night
Smurf gelato? Okay I feel you Venezia.
Penis shaped pasta: HISTORICAL NOT SEXY
Alex and I with our free 3 course dinner, things got weird that night starting during that dinner. We attempted to go out in Venice the night we were there but damn does Venice not have a nightlife, and the one we found was so not worth the walk.
Photo we took during second part of the walking tour which we got sassed at for "not paying attention". calm down lady, we're college students we multitask
If you have ever had the not so pleasure of watching the movie "The Tourist" this building was in the main scene with the huge ball that Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp's characters attended... but seriously don't ever see that movie.
Found pizza for lunch? om nom nom
Postcard worthy gondolas
Then we took an hour boat ride to the island Burano near Venice which was famous for all of it's colored houses, it was very relaxing there was barely any tourists.
Me with my program advisor Chiara. We have this trick for pictures down where when we face the sun we close our eyes and after the count of three open them to have the photo taken, fortunately enough Katie took the photo to early so we get this funny photo instead
And a sunset in Venice and it's Ciao Ciao.
Friday, November 18, 2011
THAT TIME I SAW A MOVIE IN ITALY
Strangest movie experience I have ever had.
For starters it probably didn't help I was going to see Breaking Dawn, despite the fact that I despise the twilight series I have seen every movie in theaters (I can thank Melissa Zambito for 1-3). I find them so incredibly bad that I cannot hold back laughter at the horrible acting of Taylor Lautner and his whining, the complete lack of plot, or Kristen Stewart's constant "I think I might be constipated" look on her face for two hours.
So a few of us get dinner at Gusta Pizza, then we meet up with some more friends and we head to the movies. We run into our program advisor Chiara on her bike headed to a friends house, we're kind of obsessed with her, she's amazing. Then we run into Hazel who was leaving the movie theater having just seen it. We head in and the movie theater is one semi big room, no raised seating and one small white screen attached to the wall. So no previews (disappointing, I love previews and was hoping to see some with Italian subtitles) and the movie starts.
The movie did not disappoint for being completely and utterly horrible. It had a few this is so bad I can't help but chuckle moments, but hands down the best part aside from reading the Italian subtitles for time when Kristen Stewart said ....whatever.. or that's totally cool, was the intermission! Right as Jacob had another I'm a baby boy still going through puberty and here is where I auspiciously storm out of a room moment, BOOM INTERMISSION.... WHAT?? So then we had twenty minutes while some Italians got their gross smoking fix to dissect how ridiculous this movie was and then resume to it's ridiculousness.
So I got to have an abroad movie watching experience, it was worth the 6 euro ticket and 5 euro large popcorn (I cant deny my need for movie popcorn... it's bad).
For starters it probably didn't help I was going to see Breaking Dawn, despite the fact that I despise the twilight series I have seen every movie in theaters (I can thank Melissa Zambito for 1-3). I find them so incredibly bad that I cannot hold back laughter at the horrible acting of Taylor Lautner and his whining, the complete lack of plot, or Kristen Stewart's constant "I think I might be constipated" look on her face for two hours.
So a few of us get dinner at Gusta Pizza, then we meet up with some more friends and we head to the movies. We run into our program advisor Chiara on her bike headed to a friends house, we're kind of obsessed with her, she's amazing. Then we run into Hazel who was leaving the movie theater having just seen it. We head in and the movie theater is one semi big room, no raised seating and one small white screen attached to the wall. So no previews (disappointing, I love previews and was hoping to see some with Italian subtitles) and the movie starts.
The movie did not disappoint for being completely and utterly horrible. It had a few this is so bad I can't help but chuckle moments, but hands down the best part aside from reading the Italian subtitles for time when Kristen Stewart said ....whatever.. or that's totally cool, was the intermission! Right as Jacob had another I'm a baby boy still going through puberty and here is where I auspiciously storm out of a room moment, BOOM INTERMISSION.... WHAT?? So then we had twenty minutes while some Italians got their gross smoking fix to dissect how ridiculous this movie was and then resume to it's ridiculousness.
So I got to have an abroad movie watching experience, it was worth the 6 euro ticket and 5 euro large popcorn (I cant deny my need for movie popcorn... it's bad).
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