Monday, September 29, 2008
Last Saturday, some of the Italian students at the university planned a trip for us to go to Bracciano. It's the most beautiful lake I've ever been too. For those of you interested in the celebrity life.. It's the lake where Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes got married. We also toured the castle where the wedding took place. It was amazing!! I don't have any pictures of the inside of the castle because we weren't allowed, but I have some of the lake and the castle's exterior. After the hour long tour of the castle, we went a little further to another city so we could go to the actual beach part of the lake. When we got there, they were having a motorcycle show. Mostly street bikes, but there were quite a few harley davidsons. It was fun! Perfect weather for the lake! Miss you guys! (Especially you, Bethany!)
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Hello everyone! I just got back from a very long, but VERY fun weekend in Munich. OKTOBERFEST at it's finest. Hahaha. And that's all I'm going to say about that!
I finally took some pictures of my apartment, so you're all welcome. Things are going pretty well right now. School is school. Nothing too crazy. I'm enjoying it. Things are still great with all my roommates. We're having such a good time together! We're planning on going to Disneyland Paris next weekend!!! I'm so excited! And then sometime in October we're going to a chocolate festival in Perugia. Don't worry, I'm keeping up with my classes!! The only thing I would say that I'm struggling with is culture shock. It's hard to explain, so I don't even think I'll bother trying. It's a strange feeling and hard to adjust to, but I'm getting through it. It's not like being homesick. (I don't get homesick, right Mom?..) It's much different than that. But don't worry, I'm doing fine. I'm thankful, though, to have Jenna here with me. It's helped a lot. Other than that, everything is really great here. I'm so glad I'm doing this. Thanks Dad!!!
Well if you guys have any questions, please ask!! Love you all!! Miss you!
I know my bedroom is a little plain.. We're working on decorating!
Living Room/Dining Room
My Bathroom
Our TINY Washing Machine
Bedroom
My Side of the Bedroom
Jenna's Side
View out our Window
Our Front Door
I finally took some pictures of my apartment, so you're all welcome. Things are going pretty well right now. School is school. Nothing too crazy. I'm enjoying it. Things are still great with all my roommates. We're having such a good time together! We're planning on going to Disneyland Paris next weekend!!! I'm so excited! And then sometime in October we're going to a chocolate festival in Perugia. Don't worry, I'm keeping up with my classes!! The only thing I would say that I'm struggling with is culture shock. It's hard to explain, so I don't even think I'll bother trying. It's a strange feeling and hard to adjust to, but I'm getting through it. It's not like being homesick. (I don't get homesick, right Mom?..) It's much different than that. But don't worry, I'm doing fine. I'm thankful, though, to have Jenna here with me. It's helped a lot. Other than that, everything is really great here. I'm so glad I'm doing this. Thanks Dad!!!
Well if you guys have any questions, please ask!! Love you all!! Miss you!
I know my bedroom is a little plain.. We're working on decorating!
Kitchen
Living Room/Dining Room
My Bathroom
Our TINY Washing Machine
Bedroom
My Side of the Bedroom
Jenna's Side
View out our Window
Our Front Door
Monday, September 15, 2008
Sorry it's taken me so long to update.. I don't have access to the internet all the time :(
This last Saturday my roommates and I, and a few other girls, went to the beach. We took a 50 min bus ride to Tarquinia and then a 10 min bus ride to San Marco. It's a black sand beach and the water is really warm. Lucky us, we went on the day that it decided to rain. But it was our first weekend out of Viterbo so we decided to get in the water anyways. We were having a great time out there, rain and all, until the lifeguards whistled at us and waved us to come inside.. Good thing, because it started to pour down rain and it looked like we were in the middle of a storm. Of course, everyone looks at us with blank stares. We made it quite obvious we weren't locals haha. But who cares. We're all used to that by now. Anyways, we found a restaurant because we were all starving and soaking wet. But it wasn't open til 12. It's 11 at this time.. Thankfully, the guy who owned the place was really sweet and let us sit inside and we only had to wait til 11:30 when he came out with a huge pizza he made for us. After lunch, the sun came out so were able to be outside for a few hours. It was really nice until the wind picked up. It was unbelievable. It was painful. I'm not kidding. Our legs were getting pelted by sand hahaha. What a day! I have a few pictures.. I'm getting more from my roommate later. But here's a few to get you started. Oh, and I promise I'm working on getting pictures of the apartment!! Soon!
This last Saturday my roommates and I, and a few other girls, went to the beach. We took a 50 min bus ride to Tarquinia and then a 10 min bus ride to San Marco. It's a black sand beach and the water is really warm. Lucky us, we went on the day that it decided to rain. But it was our first weekend out of Viterbo so we decided to get in the water anyways. We were having a great time out there, rain and all, until the lifeguards whistled at us and waved us to come inside.. Good thing, because it started to pour down rain and it looked like we were in the middle of a storm. Of course, everyone looks at us with blank stares. We made it quite obvious we weren't locals haha. But who cares. We're all used to that by now. Anyways, we found a restaurant because we were all starving and soaking wet. But it wasn't open til 12. It's 11 at this time.. Thankfully, the guy who owned the place was really sweet and let us sit inside and we only had to wait til 11:30 when he came out with a huge pizza he made for us. After lunch, the sun came out so were able to be outside for a few hours. It was really nice until the wind picked up. It was unbelievable. It was painful. I'm not kidding. Our legs were getting pelted by sand hahaha. What a day! I have a few pictures.. I'm getting more from my roommate later. But here's a few to get you started. Oh, and I promise I'm working on getting pictures of the apartment!! Soon!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Ok, so we went on a little field trip yesterday to a medieval city called Civita di Bagnoregio. I'm pretty sure it's also called "the city that dies." Or something along those lines. You get the idea. But it was really neat to visit. There's only about 10 people or so who still live there because it has been evacuated. The mountain it sits on has basically crumbled to the ground and there isn't much left. It's beautiful, and so amazing that it has survived. There's not much else to say... (it was too hot to even think about listening to our guide talk about it..) It's easier to understand what I'm talking about with the pictures.. So once I stop having problems uploading them, you'll get to see everything . Sorry this one was so short! But I gotta go. Talk to you all soon!
OH! I almost forgot! After consuming a lot of medicine, and doing a lot of praying.. My crazy throat problem is gone :) Haha. So I'm all ready to go now! Sorry Dad, that means I'm feeling well enough to do some shopping.. But I'm sure you were expecting that!
Here are the pictures!...Sorry it took so long. I'll have some of my apartment soon!
OH! I almost forgot! After consuming a lot of medicine, and doing a lot of praying.. My crazy throat problem is gone :) Haha. So I'm all ready to go now! Sorry Dad, that means I'm feeling well enough to do some shopping.. But I'm sure you were expecting that!
Here are the pictures!...Sorry it took so long. I'll have some of my apartment soon!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
September 4, 2008
Buon giorno!
I’ve finally started settling in to my apartment, which, by the way, is wonderful. Ours is one of the better ones by far. I live with three other girls. They didn’t tell us who we would be rooming with until we arrived in Viterbo. There are about 40 of us in the group, and I’m not going to lie… there were definitely a few girls that if I were to get stuck living with them, I would probably want to come home haha. But fortunately, I was blessed with three very sweet, and very normal roommates. One of which is Jenna, my friend from Chico. The other two are Bethany, from San Diego, and Jessica, from Australia. We all get along great, so far at least, and our apartment seems to be the place where everyone likes to hang out. It’s been fun.
Ok, so I know you all want to know about Italy. Well, it sure is different. But it is absolutely beautiful. I live in a small, medieval city that is built within stonewalls. My school, not more than 50 years ago, was used as a prison. Everything is very slow-paced. From 1 to about 4 in the afternoon, everything closes. The people go home to have lunch and spend time with their families. Someone asked how then do they make money… That’s the difference here. The goal isn’t to make money. It’s all very family-oriented. So during the morning and afternoon it seems like the town is deserted. Then in the evening, every single person who lives here comes out and walks around the city. They also dress up a little because they know they’re going to be seen. It’s crazy to see the difference within just a few short hours. I love it. Their way of life is unbelievably different, but I’m so glad I get to experience it first-hand.
I’m still getting adjusted to all of the changes though. It’s going to take a little while before I feel like a local. Right now every time we go out, we get stared at because it is COMPLETELY obvious that we aren’t from here… But oh well, that will change soon. Also, the washing machines here look like little toys haha. Like they should be in a playhouse. And they don’t use dryers. You either hang your clothes outside, or inside on racks. The cars here also look like little toys. But they have to be small because of the size of the streets. Our trucks and SUVs would get stuck. And it’s really, really hot here and they don’t use air-conditioning…so that will take some getting used to. It’s funny how in America we are so reliant on things. Everything is made to be so easy for us. Here, it's another story. Another thing…my calves are ON FIRE! Haha. We walk everywhere, ALL daylong. But I’ll be thankful for that once my legs aren’t hurting.
This past week has been a huge celebration in Viterbo for Santa Rosa. Parades every night. One of the nights, a huge statue is carried around the city by 100 children. They train beforehand, but still, it’s very impressive. Another parade, they carried the actually body of Santa Rosa. It is still preserved after 800 years. Last night, 100 men carried the largest statue, and I could be wrong about this, but it weighed almost 5 tons. It’s massive. I’ll have pictures of all this soon. Then you’ll have a better idea as to what I’m talking about. I missed most of the festivities because I’ve been sick ever since I got here. No, it’s not what you’re thinking. I am not homesick haha. I might have either strep throat or tonsillitis. Go figure, huh? And since it's such a huge holiday here, doctors’ offices aren’t open until Friday. So if you don’t mind…mention my name when you’re saying your prayers at night. I’ll let you all know the diagnosis once I see someone about it. I’ve already been to the “farmacia” three times now. But you know, with the language barrier, I could only do so much. I had two friends go with me who speak Italian pretty well, and they helped as much as they could. My third visit, there was some sort of doctor there who actually was able to look at my throat. She said it is really red and swollen. (Uh, thanks doc, cause I couldn’t figure that out on my own?) I also showed the medicine the other two told me to take, and she said those were pretty much worthless for what I have. So she gave me this spray to use until I can see a doctor on Friday. Doesn’t seem like that’s helped either. So I’ve given up on medicine and have just been praying for a miracle. What a week! But I figure, if I get this out my system now, I’ll be able to enjoy the rest of my time here without any strange illnesses. At least, that’s what I’m hoping for.
Even though there’s a slight chance I might have to get my tonsils removed…just kidding!.. I’m still loving it here. It’s incredible. I wish all of you could be here to see what I see everyday. There are a few of you whom I miss a lot, and some whom I don’t… Haha, just kidding again! I miss ALL of you!! Just not enough yet to come home! I hope this has helped you get a better idea of what my life is like here. I’ll try to update this as much as possible, but the internet is not easy to come across. I’ll do my best!
Love you all! Miss you!
-Holly
Buon giorno!
I’ve finally started settling in to my apartment, which, by the way, is wonderful. Ours is one of the better ones by far. I live with three other girls. They didn’t tell us who we would be rooming with until we arrived in Viterbo. There are about 40 of us in the group, and I’m not going to lie… there were definitely a few girls that if I were to get stuck living with them, I would probably want to come home haha. But fortunately, I was blessed with three very sweet, and very normal roommates. One of which is Jenna, my friend from Chico. The other two are Bethany, from San Diego, and Jessica, from Australia. We all get along great, so far at least, and our apartment seems to be the place where everyone likes to hang out. It’s been fun.
Ok, so I know you all want to know about Italy. Well, it sure is different. But it is absolutely beautiful. I live in a small, medieval city that is built within stonewalls. My school, not more than 50 years ago, was used as a prison. Everything is very slow-paced. From 1 to about 4 in the afternoon, everything closes. The people go home to have lunch and spend time with their families. Someone asked how then do they make money… That’s the difference here. The goal isn’t to make money. It’s all very family-oriented. So during the morning and afternoon it seems like the town is deserted. Then in the evening, every single person who lives here comes out and walks around the city. They also dress up a little because they know they’re going to be seen. It’s crazy to see the difference within just a few short hours. I love it. Their way of life is unbelievably different, but I’m so glad I get to experience it first-hand.
I’m still getting adjusted to all of the changes though. It’s going to take a little while before I feel like a local. Right now every time we go out, we get stared at because it is COMPLETELY obvious that we aren’t from here… But oh well, that will change soon. Also, the washing machines here look like little toys haha. Like they should be in a playhouse. And they don’t use dryers. You either hang your clothes outside, or inside on racks. The cars here also look like little toys. But they have to be small because of the size of the streets. Our trucks and SUVs would get stuck. And it’s really, really hot here and they don’t use air-conditioning…so that will take some getting used to. It’s funny how in America we are so reliant on things. Everything is made to be so easy for us. Here, it's another story. Another thing…my calves are ON FIRE! Haha. We walk everywhere, ALL daylong. But I’ll be thankful for that once my legs aren’t hurting.
This past week has been a huge celebration in Viterbo for Santa Rosa. Parades every night. One of the nights, a huge statue is carried around the city by 100 children. They train beforehand, but still, it’s very impressive. Another parade, they carried the actually body of Santa Rosa. It is still preserved after 800 years. Last night, 100 men carried the largest statue, and I could be wrong about this, but it weighed almost 5 tons. It’s massive. I’ll have pictures of all this soon. Then you’ll have a better idea as to what I’m talking about. I missed most of the festivities because I’ve been sick ever since I got here. No, it’s not what you’re thinking. I am not homesick haha. I might have either strep throat or tonsillitis. Go figure, huh? And since it's such a huge holiday here, doctors’ offices aren’t open until Friday. So if you don’t mind…mention my name when you’re saying your prayers at night. I’ll let you all know the diagnosis once I see someone about it. I’ve already been to the “farmacia” three times now. But you know, with the language barrier, I could only do so much. I had two friends go with me who speak Italian pretty well, and they helped as much as they could. My third visit, there was some sort of doctor there who actually was able to look at my throat. She said it is really red and swollen. (Uh, thanks doc, cause I couldn’t figure that out on my own?) I also showed the medicine the other two told me to take, and she said those were pretty much worthless for what I have. So she gave me this spray to use until I can see a doctor on Friday. Doesn’t seem like that’s helped either. So I’ve given up on medicine and have just been praying for a miracle. What a week! But I figure, if I get this out my system now, I’ll be able to enjoy the rest of my time here without any strange illnesses. At least, that’s what I’m hoping for.
Even though there’s a slight chance I might have to get my tonsils removed…just kidding!.. I’m still loving it here. It’s incredible. I wish all of you could be here to see what I see everyday. There are a few of you whom I miss a lot, and some whom I don’t… Haha, just kidding again! I miss ALL of you!! Just not enough yet to come home! I hope this has helped you get a better idea of what my life is like here. I’ll try to update this as much as possible, but the internet is not easy to come across. I’ll do my best!
Love you all! Miss you!
-Holly
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