Venice...the city of love...love for Christmas shopping :)

Well, this past weekend we had a group trip to Venice!  We left at 5am on Friday morning and returned around midnight on Sunday night.  It was a very fun and eventful weekend.  Venice is a beautiful city with absolutely beautiful churches and buildings at every corner.  We had to hop on a boat to get from one place to the next, so my vestibular equilibrium was definitely off throughout the entire weekend (not sure if that's the correct way to word that, melissa?).  But this was a very successful weekend in the Christmas gift shopping area for Alyson and I...we have decided to do most of our shopping here (since we aren't returning to Ohio till Dec. 10th AKA we are missing out on black Friday shopping!!) Anyways, we are mostly going in with each other and buying the family presents from the both of us, we can only fit so much luggage :/ I wish we could get presents for everyone! But I definitely don't have the money OR the luggage space to have that luxury!

So Venice...two things I will NEVER take for granted anymore: 1) Free meals from my parents and grandparents and 2) Free water at restaurants ....I now realize the life of luxury I live back home in America, a life when you can order a glass of water and not get a bill and see that it cost me 2.50 euros! (which is about $3..for WATER). Also, I came to the realization that I have the ability to have some major attitude with rude people...who woulda thought?  I went to the grocery store that was down the road from our hotel and bought 2 apples and some pistacchios for a snack for the plane ride back for Alyson and I, and I go to the check out line to pay...the lady scanned the pistacchios, then picked up the bag of apples:
Her : bunch of Italian jibberish
Me: umm...sorry, excuse me?
Her: groans huffs puffs eye roll...grab the bag and storm off...come back with a tag on the bag (bc apparently I was supposed to weigh and tag my own produce) tells me the price in Italian and continues with the biatchhh attitude toward me
Me:  Give her the money, look her stright in the eyes ...."THANK YOUUUU"....stare stare stare (dirty look, like the one Mom gives us and it scares us more than anything....what can I say, I learn from the best)
I think I got her a little uncomfortable, but that woman deserved to get fired with her horrendous customer service skills, I would have been fired in a second with that type of attitude.  Oh well.

But the hotel we stayed in was fantastic, we got to go tour a bunch of different churches, and attend mass on Sunday at San Marco Cathedral (SO beautiful).  We got to take a tour of the oldest Murano glass blowing business right on Murano Island, such a cool experience too.

Both nights we went out with some of our friends to local bars and just hung out...it was a lot of fun and we got to meet some really cool people from everywhere like Amsterdam and England, lots of fun.

Overall it was a wonderful weekend, I have to say, Castel Gandolfo is still my favorite place thus far in Europe...it's so layed back and pretty, such an amazing atmosphere in my opinion :)

GREECE!

     Well this past weekend Alyson, Catie, and I flew to Greece and spent three days in Greece!! And it was quite the adventure...to say the least.  We woke up and had to have a driver come pick us up from campus and drive us 25 minutes to the airport because the public transportation people were on strike, so we couldnt take the free train.  We got to the airport and managed to figure out where to go and who to see to get all the logistics of the flight figured out.  We then had about two and a half hours to spare before our flight took off.  So we took pictures, had some coffee, shopped around...anything to occupy our time.  When we finally got in line to board the plane we stood behind a group of students who were also studying abroad in Rome and were going to the same city in Greece as we were.  They had been here for about 2 months already so they gave us some advice about boarding the plane.  We were flying ryannair, which is a relatively cheap flight airline, and they told us that the seating was all first come first serve (so people literally sprinted to board the plane), they play "classical" music as you board (since it's super classy and all), throughout the flight the flight attendants would walk up and down the aisle selling anything from water and peanuts to lottery tickets...seemed pretty strange to me.  As we landed, they would play a cheerful song and everyone on the flight preceded to applaud (were we not expected to land safely?  I was confused)...my fear of flying has only increased thus far on my travels here in Europe, that's for sure!

     So we finally landed and managed to figure out how to buy a bus ticket that would take us into the center of the city, where we were told we could walk to our hotel.  So we got on the bus and start the drive into Thesolonika.  We are standing in between to Italian men who are talking above our heads with each other, as we were looking at the directions to our hotel we started getting a little nervous because we didn't know how to get to any of the streets listed.  So we approach one of the Italian men (Paolo) and ask if he happens to know where this particular hotel is.  Our guardian angels were definitely there with us because Paolo was heading to the SAME hotel as we were!  So we were able to follow him right to the place, which was about 40329480 turns every which way...aka we would have taken hours to find it.  So we get all settled in and then go to the front desk and ask for a map and suggestions as to what places to go see.  He gave us a list of many different cool places to go site see for the weekend, and we were off to explore Greece!  The first day, Friday, we went out and went to tons and tons of shops...our conclusion with Greek fashion, they have GREAT shoes, but Italian clothes blow theirs out of the water.  However, the accessories were amazing! We decided to do all of the site seeing things the following day (Saturday).  We got some dinner at a cute little place and got some Greek tomato/cucumber salads (YUM!) and delicious grapeleaves.  They were fantastic! The next day we managed to roam around the entire city and found EVERY site seeing spot the deskman told us to check out, by just a map...I learned that Alyson and Catie are muchhhh better at directions and street smartness than I am, I will admit it.  But nonetheless, we got around perfectly and we were all very proud of ourselves.
            On Sunday, we got up early and found our way back to the airport bright and early, we wanted to be there extra early because we were a little nervous about being late to our flight or something going wrong.  We got to the airport and were directed where to go and wait, we ended up having 5 hours to spare before our flight was ready to board (we were being extra extra cautious).  When our flight was ready to board and we were next in line the lady checking our boarding passes said to us (in very broken english) that we were supposed to get our boarding pass stamped before we were able to get on the plane.  Panic mode started and we sprinted to every desk we could find asking where we can get our boarding pass stamped, everyone was pointing us into every which direction until we finally found the right spot.  We sprinted back and were stopped by a HUGE line for the security, which we REFUSED to wait in.  Security stopped us and we tried to explain we had already gone through security (about 5 hours prior) and just needed to get stamped and our flight was about to leave! We cut the huge line, however still had to go through the security again.  They threw away our waters which we had JUST purchased from the airport minutes before and patted us down like we were hiding something in any crevice of our clothes.  We finally got through and made it just in time to board the plane.
      We finally took off and were on our way back to Italy!  Woohoo! Oh...but if that were the end of our day I would have been a happy happy girl.  When we landed back in Italy, we tried to find the bus that would take us to the right train station that would take us to our town.  We were walking around and asking people where to go, and everyone was giving us a different answer.  So we thought it was safest to go ask the security right outside the airport, who proceded to tell us the bus stop was down the highway...we were a little confused, and began walking down the highway...we turned back to the police and gestured asking them if we kerpt going, and they waved us to continue to head down this highway.  So we did.  We walked down an Italian highway for about a mile and a half...my common sense struck me after a mile and a half of straight highway and cars beeping at us every minute that something was a bit fishy.  We asked a parked car about a bus stop that was down this road, and they looked at us as if we had a monkey playing checkers on our heads.  He told us there was no bus station, the one we needed was allllll the way back at the airport.  We look at each other, our legs tired, our stomachs empty, our arms killing us from the weight of our bags, and we turn around and start the mile and a half walk back to the airport, right where we had started.
        When we returned to our starting point, we walked around aimlessly, trying to find the sign for a bus stop. We then ran into an older Italian couple, who must have seen through our happy, energetic faces and saw that we were lost and helpless in this foreign country.  They spoke not a word of English, but still approached us, and through gestures and noises managed to communicate to us that the bus station that we needed to be was right there on the corner.  They continued to create small talk, in which neither us nor them knew what the other was really saying, but through the smiles and (what we believed) were jokes, we became relaxed and more comfortable with the atmosphere.  Grandma must have seen the hunger in our eyes and dug through her purse and pulled out a bag of little wafers and gave us each two, emptying her bag, to help our hunger a little bit.  Finally our pseudo-grandparents bus arrived and they spoke rapid Italian to the bus driver asking when the bus that would take us to Castel Gondolfo would arrive, the bus driver must have said the next bus would be going to our desired spot, and through more gestures and the little Italian we knew from class, we understood that we had to wait there for the next bus in order to get back home to Castel Gondolfo.  The bus driver said the next bus would be in about 20 minutes.
        About 45 minutes later we FINALLY see the bus apporach us, we leap for joy and have smiles from one side of our face to the next.  The bus stops, and the doors open, and what we see tore our smiles to shreds.  The bus was packed with people litereally falling our of the doors as they opened.  Faces were smashed against the windows, people were sitting ontop of people.  It was a site that will forever be implanted in my heads.  That was when my last straw was pulled.  I tried pushing our way into this insanely packed bus and yelled in my very American way that "WE WERE GETTING ON THIS BUS!!!" ....we didn't get on the bus.  The bus left, and we stood there...silence took over...we were heartbroken, tired, hungry, and alone.  No grandparents to guide us where to go.
          We head back to the airport, back to square one, and find a bus that will take us to a train station in a town next to our own.  We get on this bus and wait about 20 minutes for it to leave the airport.  It leaves and we drive to the train station, when we get to the station we get out and see that the train we need would leave in about an hour and 15 minutes.  So we sit...and wait...and wait...and wait.  Finally...the train arrives...we get on...and we sit in complete exhaustion, and finally, after another 30 min train ride, we get to our town.  We step out of the train in the darkness of the evening and walk to our campus.  The day finally came to an end...it was absolutely miserable at the time...but the dinner table that night had not a second of silence, we had so many sotries to tell...the good adventurous stories from Friday/Saturday to the awful/tiring/heartbreaking stories of Sunday.  It definitely made for a memorable first trip, and we learned A LOT.  So next time, when we leave on our own again in two weeks for Paris, we will be even more prepared :)

Fa$hion

        So I am having a hard time NOT shopping here in this part of the world.  Everything is just ridiculously cute and never seen in stores back home.  I haven't gone crazy and blown all of my money, however, I have done some shopping here in Roma.  The locals here are said to be able to spot foreigners a mile a way, and I am proud to say that Alyson and I have been mistaken for Italians a few times now :) woohoo! I would hate to look like a tourist...when in Rome, do as the Romans...at least that's what I've always been told.
        For all of my family, just to let you know, Alyson and I have been getting along and loving every minute of this experience with each other! So don't worry about any of that.  It has been amazing and although I get homesick most nights, I am still thankful and happy that I am able to be here in this historical and breathtaking country.

         Classes have been good so far, I LOVE our teacher that is here with us.  He is so much fun and wants to be in the real classroom, out in this beautiful country, as much as possible and not stuck in an actual classroom.  I have learned so much by simply exploring and going off with Alyson and finding our way around town (although Alyson might be slightly better with her street smarts, I think I am getting there too!!)  The subway and train system is kind of confusing, but I am catching on sure enough-which is a big step seeing as I am known to be the one to use my GPS to get around Canton, Ohio.
        On a side not, today I was walking through our pitch black hallway because I didn't feel like feeling around for the light switch and I thought I knew the hallway well enough to get through without complications. Well...that wasn't the smartest idea. I ran face first into a complete wall...yes, full out white wall-just walking through it as if I could pull a Harry Potter move or something.  Embarrassing.  Thank goodness no one was there to see.
        OH!  I am getting quite good at my bargaining skills, I got a guy to bump a bracelet down for one of my friends from 15 euro alllll the way to 5 euro.  I also got another venddor to drop the price of a purce from 45 euro to 30 euro.  I was impressed with myself.
       One thing that makes me sad is the amount of homeless around here, there are beggars just sitting on the stairways in the train station begging for food.  The other day there was a woman with her baby (probably 2 or 3 months old!) just sitting there with a cup in front of them.  Then I saw an old man who was wrapped in plastic bags going around to all of the trash cans trying to find food.  It broke my heart seeing that, but it is all over the place!
      Well that's all for today, start leaving comments!! I miss you allll xoxoxo... Arrivederci!

-Sarah

Day 2-3: The Roman Life

Hello all!

These past two days we have had class in the morning and then we get to go into Rome for the late morning/afternoons.  Yesterday we went and saw the Colosseum, WOW...absolutely amazing. We walk out of the train station and right in front of me was this breath taking historical monument right next to a busy street being driven on by normal people on there way too and from work like there was nothing right in front of them. It was all surreeal to me, I had a hard time really believing I was standing in the Colosseum, if that makes sense.  I kept thinking it was a dream and I would wake up back in Canton, Ohio.
       Today we had Italian and Italian Art this morning then we headed into Rome once again and took a stroll over to the Spanish Steps (NBD) (no big deal).  We went into a Church that had the original paintings of the crucifixion of St. Peter and The Conversion of Saul.  They were amazing, to say the least. We proceeded to the take a walk around town going into all of the shops around.  Alyson was accused of stealing from a street vendor, and then stalked because of her criminal facade for the remaining period (bahahah...hilarious...she wasn't stealing, just showing a pair of shoes to me a table over from the vendor).  Then we headed back to campus in Castel Gondolfo and had dinner and now we are sitting in the lounge just hanging out.  I miss you all so very much, but I am having such a great time with everyone here.  It's great and I wish you were all here to experience this with me!

My Adventurous Flight into Day #1

Well...they say you learn something new every day...today, my something new is I do NOT like flying in air planes!!!  We got to Walsh Saturday morning (I guess that was yesterday, however I havent slept yet so my days are slightly confused) at 7:30am.  We said our goodbyes, and headed over to the Akron/Canton airport for our flight to Atlanta that left at 10:30am.  This first flight was pretty short, only a little over an hour, so you'd think-easy flight! Right? WRONG.  I was first surprised with the fact that I was not going to be sitting next to my little sister, in fact, I wasn't sitting by anyone from our group.  Not very happy since this was basically my first time flying.  I step into the plane, and instead of seeing a nice and comfortable spacious plane that I see all the time in the movies, I see what I thought was very similar to a school bus I would ride to a 2nd grade field trip to the apple orchard.  I was beginning to feel even more uneasy about this ride.  Next, things began to look up, the seat next to me was empty and everyone was boarded the plane.  Right when those words crossed my head, I look up, and there she is.  The woman, carrying large bags (one being a kentucky fried chicken cooler bag), wearing a full blown orange track suit, coming my way.  I knew right then, this was not going to be my day.
         A little bit into the flight I began talking to a couple of guys sitting in the seats next on the other side of the aisle.  The plane takes off, and one of the guy begins to freak out a little bit.  He proceeds to tell me horror story after horror story of plane rides...not okay.  I politely said, "these are things you should tell me once we have safely landed, not when we take off."  I begin my hail mary's and then the nice flight attendant woman takes a stroll down the aisle with her cart of goodies.  My partner (of courseeee!) was in the mood for a drink and cookies!! In which she chomped on as loud as possible and made sure I heard every slurp of that drink.  I was on the verge of a breakdown.
      The first flight ended and we got out and then had a 5 hour layover at the Atlanta airport.  I immediately went to the caribou coffee to get me my grande black coffee...I take it back to our seats and am reading my book and take a sip of my delicious coffee, only to find that it has spilled all over the front of me because of a faulty cup...of course, only me!  We finally board the plane and take off from Atlanta to Rome ( I made sure Alyson and I got our seats changed so we could sit next to each other on this 10 hour flight ).  Take off was a bit smoother this time, and everything was going well.  The seats barely went back so finding a comfortable position to lay was close to impossible.  I was  half asleep in the middle of the night when all of a sudden the plane starts shaking and the captain gets on the speaker and tells us to fasten our seatbelts.  I wake up in a panic and grab Alyson's arm, my heart is pounding out of my chest, I look over at Alyson and she barely opens her eyes and tells me it's "not a big deal"...I reached in my bag, got out my rosary, and got those hail mary's outta me so fast.
      I am now safe and sound in our home for the next two months in Castel Gondolfo, absolutely beautiful.  I attached a picture of the view we get from the building.  It is now 2:08 pm and I am going on 5 hours of sleep in the past 48 hours, not ideal.  We have orientation and then proceed to go into town and take a stroll and then have church at 6.  Long day, tonight will be one heck of a sleep.

Miss you all xoxo

5 Days until my Journey begins

I can't believe the time is almost here where Alyson and I will be boarding the plane to fly across the ocean into the beautiful country of Italy for two months.  A lot of mixed emotions going through my head, mostly that of excitement to venture away from home and experience something that not everyone gets the opportunity to do.  I feel extremely lucky and blessed to be able to go on this trip with my little sister and (hopefully) make our bond stronger as we both go outside of our comfort zone into a whole new country and journey to places we've only seen pictures of and read about in our history books.  I have never truly been away from home and away from my family, however, I think this journey will allow me to really discover who I am and put me outside of my "safe zone" in Canton, Ohio and really realize life outside of Canton...outside of Ohio...and outside of the United States.  I wanted to keep a blog of this trip to share my experiences to my friends and family throughout these next two months.  I am excited and nervous and anxious to pack up and leave a place I have never truly been away from, to go away from my mother who I have never been separated from for more than a week (at most!) to be away from my father, my 4 siblings, my 2 nieces, my grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and of course my friends. I am going to dive into this experience and soak it in because before I know it, it will be December 10th and I will be boarding the plane yet again to return home.