First off, I've been speaking Italian everyday and it still baffles me that I can have a conversation with someone in another language. I love learning everything about the culture and seeing the differences, but I think the thing that makes me smile the most is to see how similar we all really are. Last night, I talked with Alberto and his sister about the "American Dream," and in reality, it seems that everyone dreams of having the same thing. I started to explore other Italian cities, including Ferrara, Verona, and Spoleto.
[Recalculating...]
I had visitors! Mom, Dad, Charlie and Kathleen came to Italy on Feb. 16, and I met them in Rome for the weekend. We visited Siena, Chiusi, and Cetona, and I got to show them around my new home, Perugia. They even had my friends over for dinner one night at the villa- the boys loved Uncle Charlie's cooking. So, Cristina, where will we be next February so that they can have another vacation?
 |
| Dad, Mom, Charlie and Kathleen in St. Peter's Square |
 |
| My Italian and American Family |
As the fam prepared to drive through Southern Italy, I was getting my backpack ready for Spring Break! Lindsay and I traveled to Belgium, Germany, Ireland and England. I had the best pot of mussels in Brussels, and the dorky Laura in me definitely came out as we saw all of the historical things in Berlin. I loved listening to all of the live bands in the pubs of Dublin (a cheeseburger has never tasted so good!), and words cannot even begin to describe how beautiful Big Ben looks in person.
 |
| Belgian Waffles could be found on every corner in Brussels! |
 |
| Me and Lindsay in Berlin |
 |
| London! |
 |
| Lindsay, Jake, Mike and I on the London Eye |
As you may have already noticed, I am basically traveling through my stomach.
The week after Spring Break, my History of Italian Food class had a field trip to Florence, where we ate a traditional Renaissance feast. We stayed in Florence for the weekend (and got two awesome views of the city- one from Piazza Michelangelo on the other side of the river, and the other at the top of the bell tower of the Duomo).
This weekend I stayed in Umbria- it seems that everyone does lots of traveling while they're abroad, but I'm glad that I'm starting to get to know Perugia better. Umbria is known as "il cuore verde dell'Italia," or the Green Heart of Italy. I thought it was green when we first arrived in January- I never realized how green it would actually become! Everyday just keeps getting better and better (which simultaneously will make it harder and harder to leave). So what's still to come? Next weekend, I'm off to Sardegna, and in two weeks, I'll be meeting Attila and the family in Hungary!
