With, For, In Love

I realize the irony in this blog title. If it wasn't for school I would not be traveling like I am. But just keep reading.  There are 168 hours in a week. I spend 12.5 hours in a classroom. That is 7% of my week. 93% of my week is spent doing other things.And yet I am labeled as a student. That seems odd to be a student when my life is so much more. But if I must be a student, I've found that the student I want to be is not one of the classroom but one of the world. Just being casual in front of the Eiffel This weekend I was in Paris, a place I never realistically thought I would ever be. Yet there I was, walking under the Eiffel Tower, eating macaroons, and praying in Notre Dame. My favorite part of the trip besides the crepes was The Louvre. I didn't really know what it was before planning Paris but it is one of the largest and most extensive art museums in the world. It contains the Mona Lisa, Michelangelo statues and paintings, and other ridiculously famous w...

I was walking my parents to Piazza de Santa Maria and of course I got lost on the tiny Roman streets. I popped into a store and asked which way to go. When I walked out my mom said, "I'm so proud of you! You would never have done that before." And she was right. I'm very different now. But I blame it on Italy. I came to Italy for one main reason: I didn't want to go on living life afraid. I was ready to get over my fears and not hold back in life because I was scared. What I soon realized upon my arrival was that I would HAVE to get over my fears if I wanted to live here. There weren't many options. Below are some of my top fears I have conquered. Sims made for the best week ever 1. Public Transportation My biggest fear when coming here was the bus. I knew I would have to ride it to school but I had never ridden a bus before besides the one in the airport. How does it work? Where do I get off? Do I buy a ticket? The first day I slept, ate, and my ...

I remember sitting at my high school lunch table with my best friend Clarissa. I looked around at all of our classmates and everyone seemed to have a friend group. Clarissa and I had each other. That seems to have always been how I did friendship: never in a group, always with individuals. First friend My first friends here were these two girls who I asked to sit with in the cafeteria. From that moment on, we hung out and traveled together. I then met one of my closest friends here on the bus back from Ostia Antica where we laughed the whole time and bonded instantly. That same day I had the best lunch due to fantastic company. My two friends and I sat at a table of all guys. By the end of lunch we were crying laughing and having the greatest time. I knew I wouldn't be lonely here. Florence from the Bell Tower I live with a host family about 3 miles from my university. Although that isn't far, public transportation makes it about 30 minutes away. Unfortun...

Everyday on the way to school I pass a pyramid. At first I thought it was some replica just stuck in the middle of the street. Upon further research, I discovered it was actually a gift to Rome from Egypt. The pyramid became much cooler to me after learning that! 2004 Olympics were held in this stadium This weekend I went to Athens, Greece and I absolutely loved it. There's a whole host of reasons why I would move there tomorrow but one of the most amazing things about it are the ruins. Rome has fantastic ruins as well but the ones in Greece are mostly pagan and therefore have another layer of history I barely know about but am fascinated with. The ruins were gorgeous and I could have looked and walked around them for hours. As I was walking on the Acropolis where the Parthenon is, I began to wonder... View from the top If this is what they left behind, what would we leave behind? Athens at one point was one of the most important places in the world. Arguably, Amer...

I'm not one to brag, BUT I've gotten pretty good at packing in a book bag. It's kind of a weekend hobby really. Usually I would only use my backpack for books but in Italy it is also my suitcase. I lay out my clothes the night before and then in the morning I grab my toiletries, chargers and begin rolling and stuffing. I may knock a few people over in the bus with the size of my bag but hey I fit it in one bag so I think they can get over it. Civita di Bagnoregio Traveling these last few weekends out of a backpack has made me realize how little I truly need. I've known how little people can survive on for a long time. Whether I saw people in New Orleans living on the street or an entire family in Mexico under a metal scrap and wood beams, it was always clear people did not need much to survive. Wine store in Orvieto The thought of living with less was never very appealing (have you seen my closet or my boxes of shoes?) I knew I could live without many t...