People Like Us, We Don't Need That Much

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

*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.

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

Bye Bye USA

Ciao a tutti!

I have arrived in Galatina, Italy! It is bella, and everybody is so kind to me! So much has happened in the past week and a half, so let me start from the beginning...

After a heart-wrenching goodbye to my mother and sister, I left to go through security alone. I wandered around the airport for two hours, lugging all my bags with me, until the flight to New York was called to board. My flight was maybe only half full, so I had a window seat with no one sitting next to me. Perfetto! Two hours later, and my plane landed at LGA Airport in NYC. Being that this was the first time I had ever been to New York, I was so excited. However, the most I saw of the city was the bus ride to the Hilton Hotel that us AFSers stayed in near JFK Airport. At the Hilton Hotel, there were kids going to the countries of Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, Portugal, Ghana, and a few other countries. All in all, there were about 200 kids at the hotel! And boy were we full of energy. I was so nervous when entering the hotel, because I knew no one and was not sure how many people would be there. By the time we entered our rooms for the night, I had probably met about half the kids there and become friends with a good fourth of them. I had nothing to worry about. So after completing boring orientation icebreakers, eating terrible hotel food, and playing an intense game of spoons, we set off for the airport, ready to begin our great adventure.

On our flight to Zurich, Switzerland, there were approximately 130 kids, 44 of those being Italy students and the rest consisting of Spain and France students. 8 hours after takeoff, we arrived in Zurich, where everybody crashed in the (very nice) airport, trying to fight off jet lag and failing desperately to do so. From Zurich, the three countries split up, each waiting in our terminal until it was time to go. And so all the kids headed to Italy sat around the airport for 4 incredibly boring hours, only entertained by the fact that we could legally drink alcohol. ;)

Finally, the flight to Rome was called, and we all gathered in a giant clump, trying to board at once. Luckily, the flight was only an hour long, so after just reaching cruising speed, we were already landing. My first impression of Rome was not what I thought it would be. I figured, being such a beautiful city, that the airport would be acceptable. Boy was I wrong. That airport smelled like a pet's cage that had not been cleaned in 3 years. It was disgusting. And of course our baggage took forever to arrive, so we sat around breathing the contaminated air for a solid hour and a half. Awesome. Once we all claimed our luggage, we left the airport and boarded buses that took us to where we would be staying. After about an hour long bus ride, we arrived at a beautiful ex-nun convent villa place in the country. The buildings were gorgeous, the rooms clean, and the food absolutely delicious! We stayed at this 'hotel' for two nights and departed on Sunday for our host families. While in Rome, we did typical orientation activities, and learned a little bit more about the region of Italy that we would be going to live in. Sunday morning, I had to wake up bright and early, as my bus was leaving at 6:30 a.m. for the train station. So myself, along with about 20 other AFSers, got our things together, rode the bus back into the heart of Rome, and boarded the train that we would stay on for the next 5 hours. Yeah. That was a very boring ride. I slept, listened to music, read a few magazines, and stared out the window at the beautiful Italian countryside. Finally, FINALLY, we arrived at our station, and the nerves started to hit me. I was incredibly nervous to meet my host family, but I have no idea why! I suppose a small part of me thought they might have forgotten about me and so nobody would be at the station to pick me up, but anther part of me knew that I was being stupid. So I got off the train, legs shaking uncontrollably, and wheeled my luggage down the station until I spotted my host sister, Alessia, who was furiously looking through the crowd for me. I gave her a big hug, then gave my host mom and dad a big hug and kiss on each cheek, and then we got in the car and drove away! About 15 minutes later, we arrived at our house. I am surprised to this day that I haven't died in a car accident. I could go on for probably 5 hours about how terrible the driving is in Italy. It's terrifying. So anyway, we arrived at our house, and my family was kind enough to know my needs and let me shower as soon as we arrived. Afterwards, I ate my first home-cooked Italian meal, pasta (of course), and it was delicious.

So from last Sunday until today, I have been doing typical exchange student things. I've gotten settled into my house quickly, skyped with my family and friends back home, taken a bus to Lecce and managed to get off at the right stop each time, met new people, gone out with new friends, eaten pizza and gelato, gone shopping, drunken wine with almost every meal, and been showered with love from my new family. So far, my life in Italy has been great. I couldn't have asked for a better host family, and everybody I have met has been so eager to talk with me and get to know me. I've only been gone from home for two weeks, so I can't wait to see what will happen in the next nine and a half months. So as of right now, that is all I will be writing. I have to get ready to go out for gelato with some friends I met today. I will post again soon, and I love you all <3

Ciao, Ali :**

Putting the finishing touches on my old life...

Ciao! My blog is desperate for an update, so here is the current status on my adventure...

On July 27th, my mom and I traveled to Chicago in order to obtain my student visa. After wandering around downtown for two days, we entered the consulate on the morning of the 29th and found that the wait was long and papers were missing. However, we got everything submitted, and my visa came in the mail about a week later!

Fundraising letters were written and stamped, finally mailed out, and quite successful if I do say so myself. I would like to give a big THANK YOU to everyone who donated, whether by way of check, or a lovely note that I plan on taking with me. So once again, thanks for helping to make my dreams come true!

Italian, which I must complete the first level of on Rosetta Stone, is proving to be easier than I expected. The hard part is remembering everything I have learned when it comes to actually using the language. I find myself breezing through the lessons on my computer, but struggling to remember the word for 'hungry' when attempting to sound knowledgeable.

What else, what else....OH. My host sister, Paola, left for Rome this morning with the family in tow. Orientations start tomorrow, and from there she is off to Finland! What a shame that I will not be able to meet her until January. However, Facebook has been a wonderful tool for getting to know my host family.

On another note, my journey begins in 21 days....if I were to be exact, at the moment that I am writing this, my flight leaves for New York in 20 days, 9 hours and 48 minutes. I leave the morning of September 4th, to fly to New York. September 5th is when everybody from the USA going to Italy leaves New York, with our flight departing in the evening. After a layover in Zurich early in the morning on the 6th, we will arrive in Rome about noon, only then meeting up with all of the students from the entire world who are studying in Italy for the year. Woohoo! I am so excited that it is hard to contain myself sometimes. However, the thought of leaving my friends and family is quite difficult to think about, so I do not. Rather, I dream about the possibilities and wonders of living in a foreign country, learning a new language, and becoming someone who belongs in two different worlds...

For now, that is all.
Arrivederci!
~Ali

Donate please! :)

Hello! I have started an account on Smartpig.com and I would be very pleased if people contributed to the fundraising for my tuition! It is very expensive and I need all the donations I can get...! Here is my profile on Smartypig - https://www.smartypig.com/loves/ali . Please go here to donate! The website is AFS-approved, so it is secure and no scams are involved. I would very much appreciate your help in making my dreams come true:)

-Ali

Something new happened...

Hello to anybody reading this! I wanted to just briefly update my blog on all the changes since I last posted... because quite a bit has happened:)
I GOT MY HOST FAMILY! Woo yeah I found out who my host family will be when my host sister emailed me on the morning of April 23! AFS has not informed me of them yet, however I have been emailing my 16 year old host sister since then, and have become friends with my 19 year old host sister and my host mum on Facebook. I guess it's kind of funny that I have been talking to them and finding out about my future year, and yet AFS hasn't even officially told me yet! Okay, so news about my family...
I have two sisters, one who is 16 and one who is 19, nearly 20! My mum and dad seem like lovely people, and they all live in the little town of Galatina, in the heel of the boot. Funny story, actually. My host sister emailed me today with a few pictures of her and friends and family at the beach yesterday. Where I live, in Minnesota, we got snow yesterday. ON MAY 1-2, it snowed. So I am very excited to know that I will not have snow on May 1-2 next year, because it is very warm in Galatina.
As far as other news goes, tomorrow I will be scheduling my appointment in Chicago for my student visa, but that won't take place until the end of July. AFS is giving me information soon (as in tomorrow, I think) about the Rosetta Stone course that I am required to take, so I will start learning Italian in the near future.
That is about it for interesting news. I won't be posting much in these next few months because there isn't really anything of interest to post about. However, once September comes along, I PROMISE I will update often!
Bye for now!!
~ALI


P.S. I have yet to put a widget on my blog for donations, but I will do that very soon, and then you all can donate towards my tuition costs:)
GRAZIE<3