a photo tribute to my experiences abroad

First night out in Florence and the birth of the catchphrase "so euro." Drinking wine while walking home at 6am? So euro. Meeting American pop culture obsessive boys dressed in skinny jeans and leather jackets? So euro.

When in Rome, throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain and make a wish. Legend has it that those who do will one day return to the Eternal City. I threw in a few extra coins, just in case. :)

Chasing pigeons in Barcelona... a favorite European pasttime for me. Also my first trip outside of Italy, equipped with a lovely new pair of Italian leather boots.

Sara and I venture to Germany to visit Michael, her foreign exchange student from our junior year of high school. We clearly adore each other.

While in Germany, Michael and his friends treat us to a delightful night at a heavy metal club, and Sara and I learn how to headbang. Number of times I got smacked in the face by a headbanger: 4. Number of times Sara got smacked in the face by a headbanger: 0. Explanation: Gomoll luck.

Weekend at the Ritz Carlton in the Irish countryside. Just the view from our hotel room, no big deal. In front of the Louvre in Paris. Just an ordinary afternoon of seeing the Mona Lisa, skipping down the Champ Elysee and snapping a few pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower. My roommates and I on the Amalfi Coast of southern Italy. Our last trip together and undeniably our best trip together. This is my favorite picture of the four of us.

I am four exams, one paper, one presentation and six days away from the good ol' U S of A. I may be ready to go home, but the transition is not going to be easy. In the meantime, I am fully committed to making my last week in Florence as epic as it can possibly be.

Until next time,

Jen

the end is near

Like Megan, I am ready to go home.

Last semester, when I told people I was going to be studying abroad in Italy, a common reaction was, "Oh no, you're never going to want to come home!" I admit that I occassionally (ok, frequently) thought the same thing.

Growing up, I was always so fascinated by Italian culture-- the history, the fashion, the laidback lifestyle. I wanted nothing more than to buy a villa in the Tuscan countryside and spend the rest of my life swimming in red wine and pasta. I never imagined that, after living here for nearly 4 months, I would find myself missing American culture.

I miss the familiarity. When I think about returning to the US and the 30530 things I have to do, my brain automatically goes into Italian-speaking mode. How am I going to tell my hairdresser that I just want a trim? How am I going to make an appointment to get my teeth cleaned? But then I remember, both the hairdresser and the hygenist speak English. Yes, English! I never thought I would miss my native language so much.

I also miss my to-do lists. And the consumer culture that is the United States. I miss my pre-pasta body. I miss my queen-sized bed and down comforter. I miss dancing around Melissa's dining room table with my best friends. I miss my daily, grande Pike Place coffee. I miss seeing Kevin blow me kisses from the window when I drive away from my brother's house. I miss going to Sendik's with my mother on Sunday mornings and wandering around aimlessly for at least two hours. I miss the Madison farmer's market on Saturday mornings. I miss, I miss, I miss.

I am unbelievably grateful to have Sara here with me and to have shared in this experience with her. To have grown in this experience together and to always have someone here who knows exactly what I'm thinking. It's comforting to know that, whenever I miss Italy, I can call or text her immediately, and she'll know exactly what I'm feeling.

I suppose that's the "Catch 22" of the studying abroad experience. Live in a foreign country for a few months, grow as an individual, learn about a new culture, etc... but also realize how much you appreciate where you come from and the people you love most.

Admittedly proud to be an American,
Jen

just because i'm losing doesn't mean i'm lost

I have 22 days left in Florence.

My reaction to the above statement changes on a day to day basis. Hell, even a moment to moment basis. When I am on a crowded city bus, surrounded by Italian men who have no respect for my personal space whatsoever, I want nothing more than to be driving my Corolla with the windows down, blasting Coldplay's "Lost!" on my stereo. But then I come home to a lovely apartment and three wonderful roommates. I feel home again, and I never want to leave.

I made a promise to myself that I would make the most of my last few weeks here. I'm attempting to find a balance between completing our "Things to do before we leave Florence" list and allowing sufficient time to relax. Although I adore exploring both Florence and Europe, it can be exhausting. There is really nothing I love more than coming home after a long day of school, making myself dinner and then "assuming the position" with Sara. And by "assuming the position," I mean pushing our twin beds together and watching recently downloaded TV shows on my laptop. :)

In the past three weeks, I turned 21, took a daytrip to Venice and spent a weekend in the Irish countryside. My 21st birthday was ridiculous. My roommates, Mandy and I made a delicious meal together and went out to a club. Another girl in my program also turned 21 on the 24th, so she reserved part of a club for the two of us. VIP baby! Ha. Venice was surprisingly beautiful. Although I will always have a special fondness for Florence, I think Venice may be my favorite city in Italy so far. And Ireland? Well, thanks to the generoisty of my cousin, I stayed at the Ritz Carlton Powerscourt, just 30 minutes south of Dublin. I felt like a princess. The Irish countryside was absolutely breathtaking, and the lack of a language barrier was a bit of a relief.

I also had several visitors over the past few weeks. My friend Ana visited over her spring break, and I was able to do many of the touristy things with her. We went to the Prada outlet, located about an hour outside of Florence. I purchased my first Prada-- a silver metallic wallet. I don't really go shopping, so I didn't feel too bad about my rather impulsive buy. With the exception of a few retail chains, the boutiques here are just too pricey for me. A past study abroader once told me, "In Florence, you can either shop, or you can travel." I chose the latter of the two. And honestly, despite my unnatural affinity for shopping, I do not regret my decision one bit.

My parents, godparents and my cousin and his girlfriend have also visited. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be nearly 8000 miles from home and still be able to see some of the people I love most. Highlights of these visits include: finding the best tomato sauce in Italy at a tiny Florentine restaurant (seriously), watching my dear ol' dad step outside his comfort zone and embrace European culture (he drank wine and actually enjoyed it!) and the minute-long hug (at least) from my wonderful godmother. I feel very grateful. And very loved.

Tomorrow I am jetting off to Paris for the weekend. I cannot even begin to express how excited I am. Let's hope my Prada purchase will prevent me from engaging in some severe retail therapy. Paris is the fashion capital of the world though... this could be dangerous.

Bonjour!
-Jen

count that day lost

I've been skimming through various blogs for the past hour or so, and I came across the following poem. I've never been one to read poetry, but I immediately fell in love with this one. It describes my outlook on life perfectly, so I thought I'd share. Enjoy!

"Count That Day Lost" by George Eliot
If you sit down at set of sun
And count the acts that you have done,
And, counting, find
One self-denying deed, one word
That eased the heart of him who heard,
One glance most kind
That fell like sunshine where it went --
Then you may count that day well spent.
But if, through all the livelong day,
You've cheered no heart, by yea or nay --
If, through it all
You've nothing done that you can trace
That brought the sunshine to one face--
No act most small
That helped some soul and nothing cost --
Then count that day as worse than lost.


Thanks to Little Bow Prep for the tip. :)

the US economy is bursting my bubble

Sara and I often talk about how we live in "bubble" here. We really have no idea what is going on in the United States or that the unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in 40 years.

At the beginning of this trip, I vowed to check the New York Times Web site at least once a day. After all, I am a journalism major, and not a day went by last semester without checking it.

However, when I do go on the Internet, I rarely frequent nytimes.com. I spend the majority of my Internet time planning weekend trips to various European cities, not reading about my native country. Woops.

I spoke with my mother yesterday, and she asked me if the Italians often discussed the current state of the US economy. My answer? Not at all. The only conversations I've had about US politics usually sound like this: "You're from America?!" "Yes." "Who did you vote for?" "Obama." "YES! OBAMA! YES WE CAN!"

Before I left for Florence, I applied for the Liz Claiborne Inc. summer internship program. It is one of the only paid, 40 hr/wk summer internships in New York City that I know of, and after spending the semester abroad, an unpaid internship in the city isn't really an option.

Earlier this week, I received an email with "Liz Claiborne Inc. Internship Update" in the subject line, and my hopes immediately soared. Unfortunately, it was not an acceptance letter. But it wasn't a rejection letter either. Instead, it informed all of the applicants that the company decided to "suspend" its summer internship program because of the economy and overall state of the retail industry.

I was shocked. Shocked that a company of that magnitude (Liz Claiborne Inc. includes Juicy Couture, kate spade, Lucky, etc.) could no longer afford to pay its interns. There goes my dream of frolicking around New York City this summer.

So today I decided to venture onto the NYT Web site for a yet another dose of reality. I began to see headlines of how the recession has led to rushed surgeries and a tiny problem referred to as Foreclosureville.

Rushed surgeries and a pet name for the housing crisis?! Needless to say it wasn't long before I closed the browser and decided to move onto other things... like planning my next meal.

Please don't think that I'm dismissing this recession as anything less than horrible. But for now, let's just say I am very grateful to be living inside my Italian bubble. The bubble where I wave to Alessandro on my way to school each morning and where the kind man at my favorite sandwich shoppe remembers my order. I am so happy here.

Until next time,

Jen

mi dispiace, mi dispiace, mi dispiace

Translation: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry for not updating my blog, and I'm sorry for the delayed/lack of email responses. In my defense, the past 3 (4?) weeks have been packed full of both breakdowns and travels throughout Europe. I'm going to attempt to condense three weeks worth of experiences/adventures into one blog entry, so here it goes...

First off, I'm not going to elaborate on said breakdowns. The past three weeks have been a passage of self-discovery for me, and this journey is far too personal and private for a public blog. Therefore, I have been taking full advantage of the adorable, travel-friendly journal my Aunt Dianne gave me just before I left. Thank you, Aunt Dianne!

The last two weeks of February were spent in Florence, preparing for/taking midterms and exploring the city. Following midterms, my roommates and I jetted off to Ibiza, Spain for what we hoped would be five blissful days of sunshine and relaxation. Unfortunately, as Sara mentioned, we didn't do enough research. Or any research for that matter. At least 75 percent of restaurants/clubs/bars on the island were closed. Ibiza is known for being the party capital of the world, so this came as quite the disappointment for my roommates and I.

However, instead of wallowing in disappointment (after all, I was in SPAIN!), I decided to embrace the peaceful silence of the island. We rented an apartment located right on a beach, and I woke up each morning to a beautiful view of the Mediterranean Sea. Our apartment didn't have cable TV or Internet access, so we were forced to engage in the more "primitive" forms of relaxation... writing, reading, cooking and playing cards. I even read a 600-page book in a day! (If you haven't read Jodi Picoult's Change of Heart, I suggest you do immediately.) We joked that we resembled the Golden Girls-- four women sitting around a table, playing cards, eating entirely too much chocolate and genuinely enjoying each other's company.

On Thursday, we flew into Milan, and Sara and I decided to take the train to Zurich, Switzerland to visit Michael. As mentioned in my previous post, we were supposed to go to Switzerland and Germany the last weekend in February, but overpriced train tickets deterred us. And believe me, the tickets weren't any less expensive the second time around, but we both knew it was imperative that we see him. I also wanted to see the country where my mother was born and where the majority of her family still lives.

We arrived at the Zurich train station late Thursday night, which was easily the most intense train station I have ever been to. Seriously. There were over 20 tracks, and two floors of shops, restaurants and even a fitness center built undernearth the station itself. Leave it to the Swiss to be so impressively practical.

We spent all day Friday being lazy, recovering from a long day of traveling (taxi to Ibiza airport, plane to Milan airport, bus to Milan train station, train to Zurich train station, 2 hour car ride to southern Germany... whoever said European travel is efficient was wrong). It was so wonderful to be in a home and to be surrounded by an incredibly kind family. Michael's sister cooked us dinner, and then we drove to Micheal's friend's home, where we met his entire group of friends. We all went out to a club together, and it was probably the best night I've had in Europe so far. His friends were so hospitable and eager to make us feel welcome, and it was a very humbling experience.

On Saturday, two of Michael's friends took us on a walking tour of their hometown. We saw where they went to high school and the parks they played in together as children. At night, we went to a dance festival in Michael's village, which was definitely not the Pewaukee Pom-esque kind of dancing I originally expected. Ha.

We woke up on Sunday morning to an authentic, German lunch prepared by Michael's mother. Michael then drove us back to Zurich, and we spent the remainder of the afternoon wandering around the city and the train station. Sara and I took the overnight train back to Florence, which may have been my worst European experience so far. I was forced to lay on a rockhard "bed," my face just inches from the ceiling, for ten long hours. Not to mention the woman below me illegally smoked a cigarette inside our cabin. Needless to say, it took me about a week to adjust to a normal sleep pattern again. I felt like I had been rejetlagged.

So that was my spring break. Not exactly the crazy kind of spring break typical of most college students, but a great one nonetheless.

What else is new in Florence? Well...

• My roommates and I are on a diet. No pasta or risotto until Easter. Now, I'm sure you're wondering, "You're in Italy, and you're giving up pasta?! What the hell is wrong with you?" Well, after two months of stuffing my face with pasta and pastries, my body decided to retaliate. Imagine that! I suppose I was stupid to assume that my relatively high metabolism would allow me to eat two helpings of pistacchio gelato per day without gaining any weight. Woops. Don't get me wrong-- I still eat gelato. Just more moderately.
• The weather is finally warm and sunny here, and the city is absolutely beautiful.
• My friend Ana from school is coming to visit me on Saturday, and I cannot wait to see her. We're going to do all of the touristy things that I have yet to do (i.e. climb the Duomo, go to the Uffizi, see Michelangelo's David), and I couldn't be more excited.
• I went on a run on Tuesday, and it was the most humiliating experience of my life. Apparently the Florentines have never seen a girl in Nike running shorts and a UW hat before? I do not even want to try to count the number of whistles and perverted looks I received. As a tribute to my friends from home, two words immediately came to mind: never again.
• On my way to school Tuesday morning, two native Italians asked me for directions on the bus ride to school. And I understood each question and answered each question... in Italian! Usually people see my blond hair and immediately assume I am American. Maybe it was the fact that my unshowered hair was pulled back into a bun or that I was wearing my oversized Marc by Marc sunglasses and my beautiful Italian leather boots. But whatever is was, two people thought I was a native Italian that morning! To say I was excited would be an understatement.

Tonight is Movie Night at 39 Via Lulli, so I have to go. I promise that I'll update more frequently though. Ciao!

holiday in spain: 48 hours in barcelona

Ahhh, where to begin? Our 48 hours in Barcelona were incredible. Originally, I had little desire to go to Spain but am so thankful that I did.

After three hours of flight delays and about an hour of turbulence, we arrived in Barcelona. We flew RyanAir, which is a European airline known for its cheap airfare. However, it is also known for the fact that people typically applaud upon landing, thankful to have touched down safely. You get what you pay for, I guess!

We spent about an hour walking around the city, trying to find an inexpensive hostel. We found one in a very central location, dropped off our luggage and then did what we do best: eat. After studying abroad in a country that claims to have some of the best food in the world (and believe me, it does!), my expectations for Spanish cuisine weren't very high. The food was beyond amazing, though. And so cheap! We each ordered multiple courses, along with 2 liters of sangria, for just 10-15 euro/person. A similar meal in Florence would cost at least 30 euro/person.

On Friday, we left our hostel around 10am to explore the city. We walked down Las Ramblas, which is a beautiful, tree-lined street filled with flower shops and street performers. We stopped at a local market, which was probably the highlight of the trip for me. There were fruits and vegetables and nuts and candy everywhere, and all of the food was displayed so beautifully (see photo). I ate a fresh mango that literally melted in my mouth and shared a dish of vegetable paella with Mandy.

After the market, we continued walking down Las Ramblas, stopping at various stores to shop and buy souvenirs. We walked to and along the waterfront, took a few pictures and then hopped on the metro to Parc Guell. The park was like CandyLand came to life, and it offered spectacular views of the city and sea. After roaming around the park for an hour, we took the metro to La Sagrada Familia. When completed, it will be the largest - and undoubtedly the most beautiful - cathedral in the world. It isn't scheduled to be completed until 2026, but the current architecture and design are still remarkably impressive. AND all of the construction work is on a strict, volunteer-only basis.

After a long day of exploration, we returned to our hostel to recoup and get ready for a night out in one of Europe's most notorious clubbing cities. We ate yet another delicious meal of seafood and meat paella and sangria and then made our way to Opium, which is a famous club located right on the beach. It fulfilled every European club stereotype and so much more... a huge patio on the sand filled with white couches, dancers dressed in euroslutty costumes, American music blaring from every speaker, etc.

We danced and sang until about 6am and then took a taxi to our hostel. After a few hours of sleep, we started our 8-hour journey back to Florence, just in time for Pastry Sunday. (For future reference, our landlord brings us pastries every Sunday morning, hence the term "Pastry Sunday.")

Other weekend highlights:

• STARBUCK'S! I squealed when I saw the first one. I have been craving iced chai for weeks, and Starbuck's has never tasted so good.
• My first visit to TopShop. A favorite of Kate Moss (who also designs for the brand), I have wanted to go to this store for months.
• The seafood. From the grilled salmon on Thursday night to trying my first mussel in the paella (SO good!), I realized how much I miss great seafood. Florence is known for its biftec alla griglia (grilled beef), so seafood is fairly rare.
• Booking our flights to Ibiza for spring break this morning. Ibiza is a small island off the eastern coast of Spain, known for its white, sandy beaches and insane club scene. While I do love being touristy and trying to visit 93058 landmarks in one day, I am seriously looking forward to laying on a beach for a week.

Next stop: Germany and Switzerland this weekend! We're taking the overnight train to Zurich, where Micheal (Sara's German foreign exchange student from high school) is picking us up. I can't wait to see him!