Posterous theme by Cory Watilo

I am a fan!

Now to compliment the list of things that aren't so good in Italy, here is a list of things that make me happy! I might have more than one of these lists if I can't think of everything I want to say right now.

1. The historical buildings. I love walking to class and seeing the massive Duomo looming over the city streets, looking so out of place in the crowded city but at the same time making the city so special. The cathedral in Piazza Santa Croce is also beautiful, and walking by it when the sun is rising or setting is lovely.

2. The sunsets. Speaking of the sun, it is so beautiful to see that Tuscan sun sink down in the distance, making the sky above the Arno River filled with color. In Orbetello on our cruise weekend, we also watched the sunset on a beach, which was gorgeous as well. It gives a peacefulness to an otherwise bustling city. My favorite sunset so far, though, was the one I saw from the top of the tower at Santa Cristina Castle. That was amazing!

3. Running along the Arno River. I love the river, and my favorite part of my run is when a reach a certain bridge and as I cross it, I look to the left and see all the other bridges connecting "our" side of the river to the rest of the city, and it always makes me smile.

4. The museums. I am so glad that my classes take us to the many museums in Florence, because there are truly so many famous works of art here. Just this past Tuesday I saw the David statue by Michelangelo and it was amazing to see the size and presence of the statue. The week before that, we went to the Uffizi Gallery, and there I saw the famous Botticelli paintings The Birth of Venus and Primavera. Seeing those giant paintings upclose was something I never thought I would do, and it was very inspiring to be around works of art that were so old and yet so well preserved.

5. Gelato. And I mean real gelato! I only get varieties of chocolate of course, but hey at least there are different kinds! My favorite gelato place is called La Carraia, which isn't that far from our apartment. I either get cioccolato (chocolate that tastes like Kiltie ice cream!), fondente (the richest and darkest chocolate you can imagine), bisccotino (a chocolate cookie flavor that has pieces of cookies in it), or a mixture of all of them! And since I actually like eating the cones now, it is a whole new and wonderful world for me.

6. The dogs. Italy has such a variety of dog breeds that people own, and I get so excited when I see a Greyhound, a Dalmatian, a Bernese Mountain Dog, or even a Basset Hound trotting down the street with their owner. And that is just a sample of all the ones I see- I love it! My midterm and final project for my photography class is to take pictures of the dogs I see, so it's great that I get to remember them in the pictures I take.

7. Helping tourists with directions. It is a good feeling to know how to direct someone to a place and feel confident that you are right! A lot of Italians, though, think I am actually Italian and come up to me to ask me something, to which I must reply "Mi dispiace, non parlo bene l'Italiano" (I'm sorry, I don't speak Italian well). But to the English speaking people, I love to help! I met a couple from Chicago the other day, and successfully told them where an ATM was, and how to get to the Uffizi Gallery. Having the sense of "being a local" is awesome, even if it's just for little things.

8. First-time experiences. Yes, I know this is a shocker coming from me, but it is nice to say to myself that I have achieved something new, sometimes. Achievement unlocked for: being in Europe, swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, taking a cruise, riding on a train, taking a city bus, going to a wine tasting, going to a spa, riding a fancy Ireland horse, trying a bunch of new foods, making pasta from scratch, and many others! Sure I may be nervous about new stuff a lot, but I am indeed on the way to getting over my anxiety and trying things more often! 

9. Doing nothing. Sometimes, it just feels good to snuggle up on the couch, eating corn flakes and watching the Indian in the Cupboard movie, just because I can. Being relaxed is not the easiest for me, and when my homework is done, it is great to just have time for myself, doing essentially nothing but making everything better!

10. Being genuinely interested in my classes. I actually like learning about most of the stuff we talk about in class, and what better place to learn about art history, fashion, and Pompeii? I have to write a paper about gladiators for my Pompeii class, and I can easily say it will be one of my most interesting papers from my point of view. My fashion class is also awesome, since you can't really learn about that stuff in any other class. I'm not as into the fashion scene as other girls in my class, but I certainly appreciate it and find it to be fascinating!

I think that is all that I can think of right now, but if I think of more, I will definitely post them! Ciao!