Ciao tutti!
I am on a high right now. Life has been so good lately..I'm HAPPY. Genuinely happy. There are a few different reasons for my sudden shift in moods, and I am grateful for all of them. It was becoming a bit depressing, what with the constant homesickness, so this period of my exchange has been greatly needed.
To sum up the last week in one word, it would be 'family'. I attended a camp for Intercultura on October 22-25, with all the other AFSers from Puglia and Basilicata. I met most of the people on Tuesday, and when it came time to leave on Friday, I kind of felt like my heart was being ripped out. It's amazing how close I became with some of those people in only 72 hours. We stayed up all night, ate too much food, laughed until our stomachs ached, and made friends for life. It was the most perfect time ever, and I cannot wait until I see all of them again. So while at this camp, I was very surprised by the limited amount of group activities that they had for us. I was expecting to be bored all day, sitting in a conference room, wanting to go home. Instead, they only had about 2 hours of activities each day, and the rest was free time. That was easily the best thing they could have done for us. While sitting in the conference room for 2 hours each day, I was extremely bored. I did nothing, and I learned nothing. The most memorable parts of the camp were when a group of us would be sitting out on the balcony, trading jokes and talking about literally everything. Some things I wish would have gone unsaid and others made me realize that we are all in the exact same situation, dealing with the exact same problems and missing the exact same things. I now have this great family that I can talk to whenever I need something. They understand everything and always give the best advice out of anyone.
Allora...camp was absolutely fantastic. Then I came home, slept in Saturday instead of going to school, and then went out with some of my best friends on Saturday and Sunday. It was such a relaxing weekend, even though it was loads of fun. I've come to find that hanging out with guys is always the best option, because no matter what we do, I always have a good time. They know how to fill the awkward moments even with a language barrier, and I never feel uncomfortable or left out. So as of lately, I have been hanging out with one girl and all of her friends. We always do something different, and I don't think I could be any happier right now. At the moment, I am getting ready to go out with a friend...I mentioned that I was bored, and he offered to go out with me. My friends are great <3
That's all for now, it's time for me to go...
Ciao everybody, I love you guys <3
Ali
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Sunday, October 20, 2013
*Insert Deep Song Lyrics Here*
Ciao ragazzi!
What's new in my Italian life? Not much..it's been pretty uneventful recently. Besides feeling very homesick lately, everything has been great. I have started to appreciate the graffiti-filled classrooms, wine with lunch and dinner, long afternoons of laziness, and wearing shoes in the house. I have been with my family for exactly six weeks today and it has really begun to feel like home. Awkward things that just 40 days ago would have made my face turn beet red, now have me laughing and joking around. I've started to fall into a daily routine that consists of daydreaming throughout school, becoming fat off of delicious food, sleeping more than I thought possible, and enjoying my time with a wonderful family and fantastic friends.
Things that I miss:
-Milk in a jar
-East Ridge (I never would have guessed this one...)
-Driving
-My large collection of sweaters and sweatshirts
-American sirens
There are some other things that I miss, but those are the main ones. They may seem silly, but to me, they are home. I've come to realize while on this exchange that I don't miss home - America - but rather the familiarity of it all. I miss the feeling of belonging, of always knowing what I am supposed to be doing. I'll always remember the first time I heard about AFS and when I decided I wanted to go abroad. From the first conversation I had about it with my parents, all the way to the last time I saw my friends and family, I never truly understood what an exchange would be like. People always told me it would be an incredibly opportunity, but I never thought that it would be like this. It definitely has been an incredible opportunity so far, and I never will regret hitting that submit button on my application. However, this experience has been completely different from anything I ever imagined. It has been the hardest thing I have ever done, and it has also been the most fun thing I have ever done. I've been here for six weeks, I've made some really great friends, and I love my family. I know that things are going to start looking up soon and that the rest of this exchange year will be amazing. I cannot wait to see what the future holds.
It's always a pleasure.
Ciao.
Alison.
What's new in my Italian life? Not much..it's been pretty uneventful recently. Besides feeling very homesick lately, everything has been great. I have started to appreciate the graffiti-filled classrooms, wine with lunch and dinner, long afternoons of laziness, and wearing shoes in the house. I have been with my family for exactly six weeks today and it has really begun to feel like home. Awkward things that just 40 days ago would have made my face turn beet red, now have me laughing and joking around. I've started to fall into a daily routine that consists of daydreaming throughout school, becoming fat off of delicious food, sleeping more than I thought possible, and enjoying my time with a wonderful family and fantastic friends.
Things that I miss:
-Milk in a jar
-East Ridge (I never would have guessed this one...)
-Driving
-My large collection of sweaters and sweatshirts
-American sirens
There are some other things that I miss, but those are the main ones. They may seem silly, but to me, they are home. I've come to realize while on this exchange that I don't miss home - America - but rather the familiarity of it all. I miss the feeling of belonging, of always knowing what I am supposed to be doing. I'll always remember the first time I heard about AFS and when I decided I wanted to go abroad. From the first conversation I had about it with my parents, all the way to the last time I saw my friends and family, I never truly understood what an exchange would be like. People always told me it would be an incredibly opportunity, but I never thought that it would be like this. It definitely has been an incredible opportunity so far, and I never will regret hitting that submit button on my application. However, this experience has been completely different from anything I ever imagined. It has been the hardest thing I have ever done, and it has also been the most fun thing I have ever done. I've been here for six weeks, I've made some really great friends, and I love my family. I know that things are going to start looking up soon and that the rest of this exchange year will be amazing. I cannot wait to see what the future holds.
It's always a pleasure.
Ciao.
Alison.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
It's Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday...
Ciao tutti!
Guess what day it is?! Not Friday...it's Saturday. Sadly, Friday isn't a big deal here in Italy, because we go to school on Saturday. So the big night here is Saturday, and boy do the Italians go all out! It is currently 7 p.m. as I write this, and I am not meeting up with my friends for another two hours. I had a little spare time, and my mom has been on my back constantly, so I figured I would update my blog :)
DISCLAIMER: I'm just going to briefly interrupt this and tell you how sorry I am about my English, grammar, and sentence structure. As I learn Italian, my English quickly becomes, well, s**t. (Hey Mom, sorry about the bad word, but I also know how to say that in Italian ;) ) So let me apologize in advance for my random thoughts that are strewn about in this post, as well as the awkward sentences and lack of correlation in my ideas.
Today's topic is.......SATURDAY! Well, in general, going out. I have been in Italy for five weeks now, and things are definitely different here, but going out with friends doesn't change much from country to country. The first weekend here, my friends took me out for pizza. While that sounds normal, let me tell you that it was actually completely different! For one, we arrived at the restaurant at 8:30 p.m. And that was considered early. Also, when going out for pizza, one does not simply eat a few pieces of pizza. Oh no. You eat the whole pizza, and then you go out for gelato afterwards. I am pretty sure by the time my exchange is over, I will have gained 35 pounds. It's crazy how much I eat! Okay, so going to restaurants is a typical teenage activity. Also, 'la piazza' aka the place, which is the center of the town, is the place to be on a Saturday night. It's always incredibly crowded, with music, lots of people, and fun activities. While being in Italy, I have also attended a birthday party. Oh yeah. Those things are insane. So it was for my friend, and she was turning 16. There was a fancy birthday cake, a hired DJ, a bartender, and tons of people. Her house was basically like a club for the night. But oh was it fun! I met lots of people, and they are always so excited to meet 'the American'. The people I meet always try to speak in English to me, and it's quite hilarious listening to them. But I suppose that's exactly what I sound like when I speak Italian... :) Anyway, so Saturday night is the big night to go out, and it's always a blast no matter what we do. On Sunday, I oftentimes hang out with friends in the late afternoon, and sometimes it extends into the late evening. Per esempio (for example), last Sunday, I met up with a few friends at 5 p.m., and we hung out until about 12:30! We walked around town, went to a bar (restaurant), ate some 'fast food' (that was truly delicious and not at all like American fast food), and then went to a friend's house to watch a film. Teenagers are actually very similar in all countries. We like to do the same things, wear the same things, and talk about the same things. So thank goodness for that, because I can always use a little normality in the absolutely crazy life that I now call my own!
So as of right now, I must go and get ready for the night! My friends and I are heading to a Mexican restaurant, and afterwards, la piazza.. who knows if Italian Mexican food will be any good! I will try to update this blog more often, I think writing shorter posts more frequently will be a good way to go about it. I hope you all are having a lovely time in the US, or wherever you are...keep it classy ;)
CIAO :**
~Alison~
P.S. I am extremely awkward in this post. Sorry. Please just try to remember I am a teenager. And, well, there's not much more to say about that. <3
Guess what day it is?! Not Friday...it's Saturday. Sadly, Friday isn't a big deal here in Italy, because we go to school on Saturday. So the big night here is Saturday, and boy do the Italians go all out! It is currently 7 p.m. as I write this, and I am not meeting up with my friends for another two hours. I had a little spare time, and my mom has been on my back constantly, so I figured I would update my blog :)
DISCLAIMER: I'm just going to briefly interrupt this and tell you how sorry I am about my English, grammar, and sentence structure. As I learn Italian, my English quickly becomes, well, s**t. (Hey Mom, sorry about the bad word, but I also know how to say that in Italian ;) ) So let me apologize in advance for my random thoughts that are strewn about in this post, as well as the awkward sentences and lack of correlation in my ideas.
Today's topic is.......SATURDAY! Well, in general, going out. I have been in Italy for five weeks now, and things are definitely different here, but going out with friends doesn't change much from country to country. The first weekend here, my friends took me out for pizza. While that sounds normal, let me tell you that it was actually completely different! For one, we arrived at the restaurant at 8:30 p.m. And that was considered early. Also, when going out for pizza, one does not simply eat a few pieces of pizza. Oh no. You eat the whole pizza, and then you go out for gelato afterwards. I am pretty sure by the time my exchange is over, I will have gained 35 pounds. It's crazy how much I eat! Okay, so going to restaurants is a typical teenage activity. Also, 'la piazza' aka the place, which is the center of the town, is the place to be on a Saturday night. It's always incredibly crowded, with music, lots of people, and fun activities. While being in Italy, I have also attended a birthday party. Oh yeah. Those things are insane. So it was for my friend, and she was turning 16. There was a fancy birthday cake, a hired DJ, a bartender, and tons of people. Her house was basically like a club for the night. But oh was it fun! I met lots of people, and they are always so excited to meet 'the American'. The people I meet always try to speak in English to me, and it's quite hilarious listening to them. But I suppose that's exactly what I sound like when I speak Italian... :) Anyway, so Saturday night is the big night to go out, and it's always a blast no matter what we do. On Sunday, I oftentimes hang out with friends in the late afternoon, and sometimes it extends into the late evening. Per esempio (for example), last Sunday, I met up with a few friends at 5 p.m., and we hung out until about 12:30! We walked around town, went to a bar (restaurant), ate some 'fast food' (that was truly delicious and not at all like American fast food), and then went to a friend's house to watch a film. Teenagers are actually very similar in all countries. We like to do the same things, wear the same things, and talk about the same things. So thank goodness for that, because I can always use a little normality in the absolutely crazy life that I now call my own!
So as of right now, I must go and get ready for the night! My friends and I are heading to a Mexican restaurant, and afterwards, la piazza.. who knows if Italian Mexican food will be any good! I will try to update this blog more often, I think writing shorter posts more frequently will be a good way to go about it. I hope you all are having a lovely time in the US, or wherever you are...keep it classy ;)
CIAO :**
~Alison~
P.S. I am extremely awkward in this post. Sorry. Please just try to remember I am a teenager. And, well, there's not much more to say about that. <3
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