Mid November - Mid December

So it’s time for my monthly blog. This month marked some major transitions in my experience. Some are triumphs, and some are setbacks.

I last wrote on my trip back from Venice and since then I have no new traveling stories because I simply have not traveled. My life has been purely home life where I have had my ups and downs.

The day after I returned from Venice, I returned to school and that day was incredibly significant in my year. School that day was incredible. We had what was called a “Class Assembly,” which is basically two hours where we don’t have class and talk about whatever we want. The class decided that the topic would be New Mexican life. So I found a bunch of little videos about NM and it’s culture. We watched them but then the class wanted to see EVERYTHING in my computer. They wanted to see all my pictures and everything. Needless to say, I said no. But still, we had fun. That day was so much fun and we took tons of pictures and had a grand time. The last class of the day was Physics. I didn’t pay a lot of attention because I don’t study Physics and I was using my computer. When we got home my mom asked me why the physics teacher was so mad. Well I had trouble understanding the question and then since I hadn’t paid attention, I simply didn’t know the answer. This frustrated my mom and something just snapped between us that has yet to be repaired. She decided that I wasn’t good enough in Italian and needed to study a lot more and use less than one hour of the Internet per day because when I use the Internet, I use it in English. I can respect just fine her wanting me to do better and maybe I do use the Internet too much, but it hurt me deeply when she said that I wasn’t good in Italian yet. I had only been here for TWO months and I was a great deal ahead of the other exchange students. We have been fighting this battle now for almost a month. We smile and are pleasant with each other, but in the end, we still are having trouble. I am actually doing better than some of the students in my class who are ITALIAN, in grades. It’s true they have more classes to study for, but I have to do it in a different language. And in classes such as math, I have a real disadvantage being a year in high school behind them and this being a math and science school. So I have worked hard this past month in school to be the best I can. I got a six (one of the highest scores given) on my history test. I always seem to get a five on the math tests. I do incredibly well on the English tests. And I’m keeping up pretty well in Chemistry. I have also started learning the Latin language, had debates about religion and my standpoint, and done many more things.

However, I must say, my mom’s insistence that my Italian needs work has motivated me in a very different way. I now speak almost, if not completely, in Italian. But I do so with my friends at school. This is the first major triumph. Before I would speak in Italian if I had to, but didn’t practice very much. Now I always speak in Italian. And I’m starting to talk more and more. I have held conversations for over an hour with people. And I talk about a lot of things. Usually it has to do with America and New Mexico and aspects of my life there or aspects of my life here. But I really can do it. Though when I get going, I can’t conjugate AT all. I’m always saying things in the equivalent of “He are gone to there.” The verbs are horrible! Usually people understand alright but look at me odd and sometimes I just have to repeat it. When I don’t know the conjugation but I know the verb I will say the person and then leave the verb unconjugated. Or sometimes I know the conjugation but not the actual verb so it will come out something like, “I must I study,” Instead of the goal of, “I must study.” But I’m getting there.

And I’m really starting to BE one of the class. Like, they joke around with me just as much, if not more than everyone else and everyday is happy. In fact, I’m ALWAYS happy at school. One day, I was depressed because I hadn’t done too good on a math interrogation I had done that day and was actually more upset about taking it home to show my mom than anything. Well the lovely Adriana was like, “Ok, come with me.” She got permission for us to leave the class and we went and got hot chocolate! How cool is that? I swear, I CANNOT have a completely bad day there. I just can’t hold a straight face. It’s just not possible. MY Italians, as I now call them, are some of the world’s coolest people. If I could just bring my class to America and New Mexico forever, I would never leave because everything would be so perfect. Italian boys have developed personalities that are completely impossible in America. The girls are different too, but they would be just fine in America. I honestly don’t think most of my Italian boys could survive in America. Which is just fine because they have declared war on America. They say that Italy is better!?!?! They are also always talking about this Columbus guy who just HAD to be born in Italy. He WASN’T the first to find America and most American’s don’t think that highly of him but they won’t listen and keep saying if not for him, us American’s would still be hoeing the ground. The other day I was fighting it while wearing a pair of sweats my mom bought me for my birthday. I didn’t realize it until it was too late but I was saying America was better while wearing a pair of clothes the equivalent of an Italian version of a big bold “American Eagle” T-shirt. Learned that lesson. But they are so great. On the last Italian test, I had an easier test, but I did better than Salvatore. Well the other day Antonino said to me, “Brianna, on the next English test, you help me. And on the next Italian test, you help Salvatore.” And even though they are always teasing me, they are looking out for me too. One of the teachers really doesn’t like me because I choose not to study him subject because I simply didn’t have time and it’s really detail specific. Well he is always yelling at me for absolutely nothing. One time I was using my computer, with his permission, and Salvatore, who sits to my left, showed me the work he had just finished and I nodded and the teacher yelled at me to close my computer because I was disturbing the class. Well the whole class was like, don’t worry about it, he’s crazy, ect. And I wasn’t too worried but they decided to take it into their hands and worked on talking with other teachers about it. Not just one person, but like half the class went to talk with the teachers.

Thanksgiving was far from traditional, but still spectacular. The night before I made a few short notes about the first Thanksgiving and then when the English teacher walked in, I asked if instead of doing the regular lesson, I could please talk about Thanksgiving. So he let me and helped me with translating the parts that not everyone understood. I then talked about how it is celebrated today and what it means and what not. Then during the final hour I was supposed to have an interrogation in Latin, but my English teacher got permission to take me out and have me present to the other year four class. So I presented to the other year four class. They understood more than my class but they were shy to talk to me in English so they always asked the teacher in Italian not knowing I understood. (Actually the next day I was with some friends and there was some guys from my class and from the other class together and one from my class called me over and asked me something and when I responded accurately the ones from the other class turned to the ones from my class and were like, YOU MEAN SHE UNDERSTANDS???) But after I presented to the other class I told them they could ask me questions about American life and what not since I hadn’t talked to them before. The first guy to ask me a question caught me totally off guard. “What about Louisiana?” I had no idea how to even start to respond so I gave a brief response about it and moved to the next question. I found out later that he is really into New Orleans and Jazz, so I get it now. But I had no idea then. Then I came home and watched the Macy’s Day Parade through the Internet.

Today, in fact, marked another significant event. Yesterday I bought last weeks Saturday Night Live Episode because I heard it was especially funny and because the host was Taylor Lautner. Well it was pretty dang funny and I was telling on of my friends here who also loves him about it and she wanted to see it. So on the bus ride home we watched it. Only it was in English so she didn’t get it. After each phrase, I would pause it, and then I translated it. That is pretty hard stuff because I have to explain the meaning behind the jokes and whatnot, in ITALIAN. That’s pretty significant.

The funniest event of the month had to be at a party I went to. The eighteenth birthday is a hugely significant birthday in Europe and there is usually a big party. Well I went with Adriana and Rossi. It took a while, but eventually, people started dancing. My last dance of the night was by far, the most interesting. I was dancing with Tania and some other girls with Luigi nearby when two guys come up, one kinda pushing the other. A few minutes later I figured out that I was now dancing with an Italian boy. Another few minutes later, my friends all walked off and I was the only girl left on the dance floor, and I was dancing with a boy I didn’t know and have never met before. Then another two minutes later I notice people talking and looking at me. When the song ended I just walked off because I had no idea what the heck to do. Within five minutes, Luigi and Antonino were talking to me about my new Italian boyfriend. It wasn’t until then that I knew officially that I had been dancing with him, because he never asked me to dance or anything and it’s not like I knew. A little later I was talking with Adriana when Luigi comes up and tells her about my new “boyfriend,” not only did she knew, but also it turns out he’s a friend of her boyfriend. But I know nothing else. And I have had numerous people ask me about him. I can’t even tell you his name. Hehe.

The final thing I want to talk about is my Italian maybe coming to NM. I want to organize a two-week program where they come to NM and possibly go to Cleveland. It won’t be easy to organize, but if I have help, the school said it’s possible. I would love to share my world with them, but it won’t be easy and I will need some help.

I’m pretty sure that’s all for this month. This is completely unedited because I don’t have time so I hope it’s not too horrible. My English has certainly lost quite a bit of quality in these recent months.

Mid October-Mid November

So I have decided to write about once a month from now on. I want to write more but it is hard to do that. Where to start? This month had definitely been an emotional roller coaster. I Have down SO much and been through so much.

It all begins with my AFS orientation. For four days I went to Taranto, a city in Puglia, with about a hundred or so exchange students. Probably closer to 80. It was SO much fun. I made some amazing friends from every corner of the planet. I once heard someone say that when they agreed to host they expected their student to have an experience of their host country, and what they really end up with is an International experience, and that is so true. I’ve come to the conclusion that if I were ever to do an exchange program, in college or something, it will be to either Scandinavia or Latin America. Who knows, maybe I will go to both… I loved every minute of that camp, and spoke so much English my English was almost worn out at the end. But I also picked up a lot of Italian. Believe it or not, every time I do some exchange student activities for a few days, I always lose my voice afterwards because I’ve talked so much! I talk non-stop in America but since I can’t talk all that much here, when I do get to talk, I lose my voice. What will happen when I return to America?

But going home was very hard. I love the people in my town, but the thing is, I feel SO isolated. There are NO exchange students close to me. Like the group in Lecce have Italian lessons together, and a bunch of parties, and see each other all the time. This was literally the first time I had seen exchange students or even heard from anybody with AFS. I just really feel very alone in my town. Especially since Sybilla, the girl from Austria who the closest to me (an hour away), hated it so much that she moved to Tornio. I love the people my town a little too much to switch now, but still wish I could have been with Maddie. So as I returned from my English Paradise, I was pretty depressed.

When I arrived home I was welcomed back and very happyt. The happiness was extended when I was told that for Halloween, the next weekend, I would go to Potenza to see Sybilla, Andrea from Mexico, and Joyce from Paraguay. Minus Sybilla now, we make up all the exchange students in the Basilica. Well Sybilla got very sick and couldn’t come with us, so I had to navigate the buses al alone. AHH! But I did all right. Halloween night we went to an old castle and it was exactly like the type of place you would find in an old horror movie. We had a lot of fun there but that was only the beginning. On the way back we saw some little kids all dressed up for Halloween and made then take a picture with us, then we went to a Halloween party of one of Andrea’s friends. That was fun. The next day we went to Matera, and I definitely recommend you go there someday. It was such a pretty city. I loved it so much. There really isn’t another word. That night we just walked around Potenza.

When I returned, that began my extreme depression. I got to the point where I was thinking how I was supposed to be in Venice with Maddie and instead I was in this tiny little town where no one understood me and there was nothing to do and it was just not worth it at all. I had friends back home that loved me and whom I could talk to, and who didn’t have forever with and I was wasting my time here. I was so depressed all of that week. (This is week three of this month.) The worst was Saturday night and Sunday. I really almost actually cried for the first time, I was really close. Sunday was hard because I share my birthday with my host mom and it was “our” birthday party that was a bunch of our “closest relatives.” I was depressed before and it didn’t help.

But Monday of last week marks my switch to being happy again. I was sitting with some friends and one of my friends had told me that when another friend says something I don’t understand, I should say a certain phrase to him and when I used it for the first time on Monday, they all said that now I was one of them. J It was such good news. I remember thinking that day how I only had a little bit of time with these people and how I wish I had more.

Wednesday was my birthday and spectacular. When I got on the bus, everyone sang Happy birthday in English. During first period, we were interrupted by the entry of a large bouquet of a dozen roses for me. My class had all chipped in to buy flowers! In second period, we were interrupted by the entry on pizza for the whole class. Then in third period we got our test scores for the chemistry test we taken last week. I got a 7!!!! That is a really good grade and I did better than most of the people in that class. Then when I got on the bus again everyone sang Happy Birthday to me again. That afternoon I got a call from Emily singing Happy Birthday and then we talked a while. Then I got to talk with Daddy while IMing with Pong for the first time since before I left. I got tons of massages on facebook saying Happy Birthday. I got to IM with a friend from New Zealand. I got a call from Maddie. Then while I was on the phone with Sybilla, who had arrived in Tornio a few days before, my mom walked in with another bouquet of flowers from my Italian grandmother. Then I got to talk with Emma for the first time since we said goodbye from the Roman orientation. My mom and aunt bought me a great pair of sweats that I actually needed for P.E. And finally I got to reconnect with an old friend who moved away four years ago to Arizona. I swear, I almost cried like ten times that day it was so wonderful and amazing and perfect, but my birthday fun was from over.

Friday night, my sister walks in and asked me if I was ready. I hadn’t understood right and as it turned out I was leaving in less than half an hour for Parma for the weekend with my mom. I knew we were going but I thought it was the next morning. Eleven hours on a bus and after a short train ride, we were in Parma. But I didn’t stay there for very long. Using the money I had gotten for my birthday, I went to Venice to visit Maddie and Tania who was visiting from France for a really quick night. For those of you actually read this, Maddie says hi. Jessica will love this: the first time I drank I Italy, it was with Maddie! Haha. But I didn’t drink much, less than one forth of a glass that only had 0.05% alcohol content. There was one time when one of Maddie’s guy friends was sent over to talk to me and Tania, the Americans, and he came to me first. I was prepped for the normal, ‘Hello, I am so an so, do you like Italy, ect.” What I got was, ‘Wassup girlz?” I fell over laughing it was so great.

The next morning we actually went into the city. As we got near I said, I’m getting excited and Maddie teased me that every time she went to the city, at least once a week, someone said in English as they got near, “I’m getting excited.” Hehe. Every little corner is beautiful and filled with small surprises. Life is everywhere and at every angle. The soft subtleness of each beauty adds up to the amazingness that has drawn tourists for years. It is a wonderful place that will make your heart weep with love. The buildings are close together in a tight weaving of mazes that create a magical sense within one. The store windows glow with small presents waiting to be bought, or Italian fashions waiting to be worn. The Vencian masks are as exotic and colorful as flowers of a distant and tropic land. One could stare at each one for hours, but they are far to busy moving on to the next wonderful place. To cross the next bridge and once again be reminded that they are standing on a floating city or perhaps to see the famous Vencian glass that glitters in the lights and in the eyes of the eager viewers. Tourists line every corner and are usually taking pictures to let the entire world know that they have walked the thousand year old streets that meld perfectly into the modern age. Each and every item is created with care and love by dedicated artists that will work for hours and lower their prices to compete with the other stores. There is no place in this famed city that isn’t a place I wouldn’t want to be or see, no matter how tired I am.

That evening I rode back to Parma and was on the train next to several Americans who are studying in Paris this year and took a quick trip to Italy. I told them how I really HAD to learn Italian in the south and that I was somewhat fluent now but when I tried to speak, everyone knew I was a foreigner right away and usually switched to English if they could, which in the north, they often could. Later, when we got near my stop, I turned to a guy nearby who I knew was Italian and asked if that stop was mine. He responded in English. He hadn’t heard me say that they always switch to the other Americans but had heard me speaking with them and he had studied a year in Britain so he was really fluent. That was why, but it was still funny.

Right now, I am very happy where I am. Yes, I wish I was with Maddie, but I will see her again someday. I might never see my friends from my town again. And they are good and wonderful to me. Sometimes you just have to role with the punches life throws.

I am slowly getting Italian down. I can’t conjugate worth a damn, but they understand and just figure out what verb I am aiming for and go from there. They are so wonderful. And they are just glad that I am trying and they are happy to help. They correct me it I need it, but only if I really do and they always do it in a nice fun way. Soon I will be fluent! Maybe…. Hehe.

My advice to anyone who wants to study abroad, do it. It is such an amazing experience. I have learned so much about America that you will never understand until you leave and I have learned so much about English. People will be talking to me, and be like, “This does this adverb work with this irregular verb?” And I’ll be like, “Ummm… I’m not even sure what a adverb is.” Hehe. But we just don’t learn English in the same way they learn Italian. So it’s hard. For me, the secret is, SMILE. ALWAYS! You have to. Even if you are tired, SMILE. They want to include you, but if you don’t seem like you want to be included, they wont try because they aren’t really sure how. Italians especially are wonderful to you. They are patient with me and are always trying to help me. They know I am horrible, but they are so supportive and wonderful. There really are no other words.

First post in Italy

Hey guys! Sorry this took me SO long to post, but I’ve just been SO busy with school and life and just everything. Unfortunately this is rather short as well. (Compared to my diary that holds 30-some typed pages for 21 days) But I will give you a brief look into My Great Italian Adventure.

So lets start with the beginning. After a long and tiring flight we arrived in Rome on the 12^th of September and went with AFS Italy to the hotel where all the exchange students were. 450 exchange students going to Italy this year! The doors there are kind of tricky so I immediately locked my self out of the room and had to go ask for help. If you have been an American in a foreign country, you probably understand the look I got from the hotel people and the AFS people who unlocked my door: dumb Americans. But really those doors are different. There is an old regular key so would think that after you unlock them they stay unlocked. They do from the inside but not the outside and how was I supposed to know? Anyways, after taking a quick shower and drying my hair I one of my roommates and I went out to mingle. At first there were only people there from Finland but as other groups were released we met more and more people and I distanced myself further and further from the American. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the Americans but I made and effort to always go up to random groups of people and talk to them since almost everyone spoke English. Only a few people from South America didn’t that I know of. It was so much fun. That night however was horrible as my buddy roommate switched with another girl because the other wanted to be with my third roommate and the brought out a bunch of hard vodka and invited another girl and some guys into our room. All of them were so loud and drunk, and puking and smelly and it was horrible.

The next morning we slowly said goodbye to everyone as they departed on their way across the country. I left at 12:30 in the smallest group with no Americans. We were taken to the bus depot where were sat on the sidewalk for about an hour before four of us were removed from the group and put on a bus. It was Sylvia from Austria, a boy from Turkey, a girl from South America and I. Sylvia and I really hit it off and because quick friends.

Meeting my host family was so awkward but easier than I thought. They were very friendly. We drove to my apartment and after dropping off my stuff went downstairs for dinner. I cannot begin to tell you how traumatizing the first few days were. I had no clue what I was doing or if I was doing it right. And I could remember nothing! They must have told me things a thousand times that I still didn’t understand. Everyone was so nice (there cannot possibly be more instantly friendly people on the planet than the Italian people) and I was really happy to be there, I just didn’t understand a thing! At all.

I think the hardest day was my first day of school. My host mom is not only one of my teachers but she was my very first teacher. She had me make some presentations to show the class about America and me. First she talked about me and then she called me up to the front. Normally I am a very good public speaker. I’m always a little nervous but I get by. I have no clue how I came off that morning. It was so horribly scary. I had no idea what to say or what they thought. After the presentation they instantly gave me such a warm welcome I felt worlds better. They asked me questions and I showed them my yearbook and I moved seats to sit next to Filomena and Illeana. Our second class was Latin and we started right away. Their Latin is so crazy hard! You wouldn’t believe it and they have been studying it for three years already. Even the Latin teacher at the end of the day asked if I spoke Latina and when I said no he said I hope you can find someone to help you. Then we had math class. My teacher and the students kept putting equations on the board and asking if I knew them. Well I wasn’t sure because they looked familiar but with different variables so I kept saying I don’t know. I was right, I did know them. But I didn’t know then. My last class of that day was Physics. I sat through the entire class without the slightest clue what class I was in. The teacher spent the whole lesson talking about me and AFS and its importance. I knew she was talking about me but that was it. It was someone else who told me more about it but even still I have no clue what she said at all. Not the slightest really. When she was reading off the attendance she got to my name, tried, swore, than in a frustrated voice and tone said, “Whose name is this and what kind of name is this?” Of course it was in Italian so I didn’t know. They explained it to her but even still NO ONE here can pronounce my name correctly. Ireland too. The entire class went to Ireland on a school trip and they still cant do it. Mamma Mia! I love the way they pronounce my name; they always roll their Rs and all but its just SO funny that they can’t say my name to save their life. The school day ended after four classes and then I went with some of my new friends to the little café nearby.

By the second day I had figured out who the smartest girl in class was, or at least the best in English and went to sit with her. This amazing girl is called Elettra and is the smartest girl in the class. She is so much fun and I just love her so much. She reminds me SO much of Pongey! Everyone in my class is amazing though. They are so funny and filled with life and just amazing. Everyday the boy who sits across the aisle from me shares his sandwich with me.

Going to school on Saturday was so hard; it IS so hard. It’s not right! They just go without thinking about it, but it kills me. Everyone studies so hard all the time here. Everyday they study like crazy. Just imagine studying for finals everyday. And that’s it. But on the weekends (Saturday night and Sunday) they party and enjoy life.

So the food here is SO amazing. I can think of only one meal that there was a portion I swallowed with serious effort. My mom is SUCH an amazing chef! I think it would be really interesting her against my natural mom, they are both so good. Although my natural mom is mom eclectic while my host mom is specialized to American food. But everything is amazing. And the gelato, is, well words can’t describe it. If you like Tiramisu just wait until you try it as the perfect ice cream. I really am getting so crazy fat. Fast. I try and work out but I always have to study and do this and that. It seems the less I try to eat, the more I do! I just love it too much.

Even though everyone studies like there is no tomorrow they have such an innocence like I have never seen before for students in their fourth year of high school. I really love it. Today in class during break there was a boy and a girl dancing the tango in the back and in front of me there was another boy pulling a girls hair because she stole something of his. They act like middle schoolers! I love it. It is really the funniest thing. And it’s so odd to me. I have been to two big parties since I arrived that had DJs and dance floors and where people do dance and have yet to one really physical dance. It’s just wonderful! Who would have ever thought that parties that have drinking and smoking outside are so G-rated? Also, you know that point we all reach when we realize what all our music is really about, well Italian music isn’t about those things and they don’t really know most of the words to the American music but the sounds so no one has any idea what they are singing means. And on several occasions people have asked me the meaning of what they are singing and I’m like ummm….. yeah I can’t say.

Italians ask very direct questions directly too you. Normally, this is very easy for me; we tend to do the same, except on our opinions on people. Elettra introduced me to her boyfriend and then son after, in his presence asked what I thought about his body. I had no idea how to answer. I knew my thoughts but such a direct question was just so odd to me. Another time was when I was sitting with some friends waiting for the bus and one boy asked me, “Do you enjoy being with me?” I do, because he acts like an American boy far more than anyone else here and so I’m more comfortable with him but once again it was just so direct. I played the lost in translation card. =) I could give you so many examples of how they are just so direct. I just can’t answer those questions. At least not straightforward and directly. If we want to know what someone feels about us in America we might ask them but in a more subtle or private way.

So I had to address it sooner or later because I know it’s really the only reason most of you are reading this: Italian boys. While I think their average is higher than in America, they don’t exactly live up to the reputation the world has set. At least not in my small little town. There are a few, but not really. But the big thing is they act SO different. I’m not kidding. If they came to America I’m sure everyone would assume they are gay from the first day, but they are not, they are totally straight. And if they are, well Italians are very accepting of them anyways. They are so nice and helpful. I think a major difference between Americans and Italians is that in high school we date to love and be loved whereas they are dating to find a life match. Most of the girls in my class who are dating and dating men in their twenties, it’s no big deal here, and the boys are very open about how much they love their girlfriends. I don’t know (I don’t think) of any couples where both are the same age or in the same class. It’s definitely very different for me.

My school: talk about culture shock. Cleveland has smart boards in every classroom, microphones and laptops for every teacher, and four brand new computers in every classroom. My school here has transportable chalkboards and 10 computers older than I have ever seem before in my life in the entire school. My classroom has two large wholes in the walls about a square foot or so big. Around the desks the walls are covered in graffiti, as well as the chairs and tables too. When people want to explain something to me they just write on the desks without a second thought. If they want to throw something away they aim for the trashcan and if they miss o well. While I do love the people in my school very much, I miss both the Cleveland campus and the American way of teaching.

Last week on two occasions I went with people from my school on a “school field trip.” It was not sponsored or approved by the school but my parents said it was ok. I rode the regular bus to school and then got on a chartered school bus to the two different locations. Both were “cities” no bigger than in area than a small town. Theirs population was about the same as Rio but we walked across the entire town in less than an hour. They were SO beautiful I couldn’t believe it. All I did was stare at the buildings. It turns out that that was a good thing because in one of the towns the student group I was with got lost and it was me who was able to recognize when we chanced along the right path.

For now, thats all there is to it. Actually there is tons but there is not enough hours in the day to write them all.

ONE WEEK!!!!!!!

Its all so unbelievable! Today is Monday, August 31, 2009, and I leave next Tuesday!

I have finally made contact with my host family! I have two sisters, one who is 15 now and who I will be sharing my room, named Alessia, and the second is several years older than me and will be off at college named Consuelo. I got the host family information actually about a week and a half ago and made contact with Alessia right after. I cant even begin to tell you how worried Dad was about me! Because before all we knew about the family was the Dad and Mom's information and Dad was REALLY worried I wouldn't have siblings and would be in like a "servant" situation or he didn't know, he was just SO worried. He was so relieved when we got the information, and not only do I have a host sister but it seems like she was the big push behind hosting.

Alessia and I have been talking a lot. Her English is INCREDIBLE! Its as fluent as Pong I do believe. Its just SO great! She and I have a lot in common. I think we are going to get along just great. And she is SO pretty. She has been very helpful in answering all of my questions. She and my new family visited New York and Washington last summer. Alessia just loves it so much =) Me too! Those are my two favorite US cities! (And I've visited both at least twice)

I'm getting SO crazy excited! I know I keep using SO but it just seems like the only appropriate way of describing everything. REALLY! Its all so surreal! I got new luggage yesterday and so now I shall begin packing as its coming up fast!

This is my last full week in America! What a crazy concept, isn't it? My world has changed so much in the past year its incredible.

Last Friday night was my going away party with my friends. I will see Cleveland people again, but for everyone else this was my last chance. It was a great night with some incredible memories. Actually Friday in general was amazing! Most of my classes were pretty relaxed and were shorter because we had a pep rally at the end of the day, which was so much fun! (check the video). Then I went home and got ready for the party, which was incredible!

Well I was seriously worried about getting my visa for going abroad. We got all the docs in and then the consulate called Dad and said one of the doc's was wrong. It turns out that that doc had a AFS letterhead instead of my host school's. We really scrambled and ended up just crossing our fingers hoping it would all be ok. It arrived today! All done perfectly! WHAT a relief. That was the final hurdle! The last thing that could hold me up, and less than a week until, it all worked out and I can go! And so now I am off.

I don't think I will post again until I am there, but its possible that I might =)

I have a host family!

I actually found out last week but am just now writing. All I know is that they exist, nothing else except where they live. They live in an extremely small town in southern Italy. Address is :

Via Provinciale, 56

85043 Latronico PZ, Italy

Its all so exciting! I'm super excited again! I'm spending more time than I have in a long time studying Italian! Today I took some time to watch several videos on YouTube that say they take place in Latronico. They are super exciting =). Most are recent, within just a few years old at the most, one being from just earlier this summer and of teens. They were all dressed up for Carnevale (the closest American thing is Halloween but its really not close) at a party. They looked so much like us, only speaking Italian =). I'm just so excited I dont know what to do with myself. How on Earth am I to sit in class for 3 weeks when the trip of my life is just right around the corner?????

I'm working on getting my Visa in order but its being incredibly difficult! The Italian Government requires I go to the Consulate to get it, but the closest one is in LA and not really a option so we are working on getting special permission to not appear in person, but I have to wait for AFS's contact to contact me, but she hasn't and we are running out of time and AFS's visa coordinator just keeps saying wait one more day...day after day after day. We are down to three weeks and if I were to appear in person it would take a minimum of two weeks but we have to use the mail both ways! AHHHH!

So I wish I knew more about my family. All i know is their address and the dad and moms name. I dont know what they look like, if they speak ANY English, or even if I have siblings. Nothing! I mean I'm stoked they choose me, at least someone did, but I'd like to know who they are por favor!

Almost There!

So i just got home from camp where I had a ton of fun. But one night I was lying on my bunk when I realized that everything was down hill until i leave. Camp was the last big exciting hurdle I had to cross and now its over. I made some great new friends and will only have a small window to spend time with them.

I have kinda started making a list of everything I will need abroad but its a lot and I still am not sure what i am going to bring. Everything is so wild. I only have a few weeks till I leave. Just over a month. I got the final date for when I leave. I have to be in New York at 4 on September 9th. I will flying on September 11th and will leave New york just 6 hours before September 11th. Thats gonna be so crazy.

So much has changed in my life in the last almost 8 months now. I often think everything is going wrong and I just don't know what to do. Its all so fast and I am constantly have small waves of panic attacks thinking HOW ON EARTH AM I SUPPOSED TO DO ALL OF THIS AT ONCE??? But they pass and I step forward.

I've been studying Italian with Rosetta Stone a lot and when I'm using it I can keep up really well but then when people ask me to say something in Italian, I always freeze up. Besides hello (Buon Giorno) and goodbye (Arrivederci) I know like 4 phrases:

Io sto bene : I'm good

Io ho fame : I'm hungry

Ti amo : I love you (serious)

and

Mi dispiaci : I'm sorry

I can do some other stuff but still...Its all so wild. Even still, I'm super excited even though I still dont know where I'm going yet. lol

=)

Goodbye to the exchange students here this year

The AFS students who were hosted here this year left yesterday for the final time.  Saying goodbye was infinitely hard.  Everyone but Pong wasn't too bad, sad but not too bad, but Pong was torture.  Knowing that she wont be in the room across the hall anymore is torture, knowing that she won't randomly come into my room when she is having trouble concentrating on her homework, or she wont steal my computer because she already broke the one we gave her for her room, or go on long afternoon walks around the bosque because she wants to lose weight, or hold Bubba in her arms so much that he almost forgot how to walk.

She truly became my sister, and I think the hardest part is not knowing when i will see her again and knowing it will at least be several years, after she has been in my life like every second for the past year, its just so weird.  And I'm just not really sure what I'm going to do without my sister.  We never fought, yeah, there were times we were mad at each other and were frustrated, but we were sisters in the end.

Yesterday was the second worst day of my life, and even though i know my year was worth it, it still sucked.  And though saying good bye to Pong (and the other students) was the worst, I also got some bad news.

Maddie told me right before she left that her parents got some news about hosting me; they won't be.  They were given some different American girl.  This news affected all of us.  And we are not so sure of wether or not I still want to go.  I mean I do, it will be an amazing year, but some of the security I had before is gone.  Like knowing I that I would have a house for one, knowing I would get my own room, knowing i would be in Venice, near where my mom was born, and that i would have Maddie there too.  Thats all gone and I'm kinda scared now.  What do I do?  And my dad sent in the final check last week.  I really wanna go, but I'm also scared now.

Getting Closer!

Well several months have passed and I'm getting closer to my departure.  I have been accepted to AFS-Italy and Maddie's Family is working super hard at hosting me but AFS-Italy is being difficult.  I really hope that they do because that would mean that I would get to stay in her Italian VILLA right outside of Venice, near where my mommy was born, and have someone who speaks so English to help me out but I would be going to a different high school so I wouldn't be totally dependent on her.  Thats prolly good.

This weekend was my AFS-NM orientation for going abroad.  I basically knew all of the rules and stuff so it was pretty boring.  But we got to hang out with all the students who are here this year and i love them all to death so that was fun and i got to meet all the kids also going abroad next year. They are super cool.  I really got along with them really well and felt really at ease with them.  During free time i even hung out with them instead of going off on my own or hanging out with Pongey or Maddie like i normally would have.  I really felt like I was part of the group.  ;)

I'm not going to lie, this weekend got me really excited....and a little scared.  I'm worried about learning the language, will i even be able to communicate at all?  But I'm also SO excited for MY year, as Maddie put it.  The students who are hosted here this year gave us some advice and the biggest thing was to try everything even if it doesn't sound fun cause the experience might be and if we don't we WILL miss out and that would be terrible.  One student said, "Say YES to EVERYTHING." lol, but i know what he meant.

I'll prolly be writing more that summer is here so I have more time and also because I'm getting to closer to leaving.  Here I go!