Home Sweet Home

I have now been home a week!!!!!! I am writing this post so you all know I am home and safe. Last Thursday was such a long day and the day before that was pretty long too. That Wednesday there was the school trip to the Vatican. The four exchange students were grouped on a bus with no one else from our linguistic school, which caused us to be separated from the group when we arrived at the Vatican. Everyone from Caserta were give bright yellow baseball hats which we needed to wear so we could be identified. The four of us were waiting to get through security and we kept following a group with the yellow hats, turns out they were another school! We arrived in the audience hall safely and waited with the kids from our bus until our school came in. Four different teachers came up to us and yelled at us saying they were looking for us and we need to stay with them.

In the audience hall the Pope came and read some passages in about seven different languages. It was a wonderful experience to be there and have the Pope in the same room, listening to him. (One thing checked off my list) After the Pope we went into Saint Peter's Basilica and we listened to a little service inside the Vatican. I could not understand everything, but I was able to follow along. Just sitting there looking at everything, realizing where I was, The Vatican! I thought about what this place means to so many people in the world. Religion, God, faith, something to believe in, everything and sitting there a few rows back from the front of the Vatican, feeling small in this world, I just wanted to cry. The experience was very moving and rather overwhelming. I was sitting and listening to a service in the Vatican! To many people this is their life, their goal before they die. The Vatican is just one symbol to represent this religion and thinking of what it all means and the beauty of the Vatican....truly breath taking. (Yet another thing off my list)

After the service we had some free time to stay in St. Peter's Square. I stayed with the two girls from Australia and we went to this fountain and ate lunch. We stood there with St. Peter's Basilica to the left, on top of the hill, with the sun moving towards it, and we were there eating our sandwiches trying to take everything in, staring at the Swiss guards. Time flew by that day and later I remembered that it was my last full day in Italy. The entire day was perfect. From the bus ride there, talking and making friends, listening to the Pope, sitting in the Vatican, eating lunch in St. Peter's Square, everything....made me realized that this experience did not make me hate Italy at all, nor the people. I had my ups and downs and being able to walk around and see things they way I wanted to made me realized thats how I wanted to see Italy. Staying home all the time not being able to get out and see the culture and explore and study the history is why I could not stay until June.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011 will be a day I will never forget and the feelings I felt that day I hope to keep with me forever. Like all good things they must come to an end. The bus ride back seemed to go by too quick, waiting for my host mom to pick me up at the school seemed to fast, saying goodbye to Lani and some of my Italian friends dragged on and I felt that I was losing someone very close to me. When I got back to the house to finish packing I realized I left my camera on the bus. All the pictures from that amazing day were gone. I was more sad about losing the pictures of the Vatican, the Pope, my friends rather than the camera itself. On top of feeling disappointed, I was leaving in like 8 hours for the airport. I had so many emotions and so many thoughts going through my head. That night I slept pretty well and when I awoke for a split second I forgot I was leaving.

Flying by myself was not to bad. The flight to Milan from Naples was not to long, but in the Milan airport I had a four hour layover. I waited with one of the reps from BEC and then she helped me to check my luggage in. The flight left Milan a little later than expected so when I arrived in Frankfurt I had to run from one gate to the next. There was about twenty minutes left for boarding so I didn't have much time to look around. When I got to my gate and gave the woman my ticket there was a man there who told me, "You know its dry onboard." I did not understand what he was talking about so he repeated himself and then said, "We have a roof on the plane." Then I realized he was referring to the rain boots I was wearing. He was very nice and laughing helped me to relax a little. I found my seat and luckily there was only one other person in my row so we were not squished. She was coming back from Israel where he son is going to college and I told her about my trip and she asked questions and talking with her was nice and she was impressed by the way I was explaining things and talking about how much I learned.

About 8 hours later, I was landing in New York City. When the clock on the T.V. screen showed 30 minutes, I was ready to jump out of the plane and go home. Waiting for my luggage took a little longer then I hoped, then I had to have my passport stamped and hand in the paper they gave us where we wrote down everything we were bringing into the country and then I walked through the doors to see my family. My Aunt, brother, his girlfriend, my mom and dad were all there waiting for me and had a little welcome home sign for me. Not even five minutes seeing them my aunt made me call my Grammie and Poppie so they knew I was home safe with them. I called a few more people and they were all glad to hear my voice and hear I was home safely. As we were pulling up to my house my Grandparents were pulling down the drive way. Once we parked I got out and i saw my Grammie running up to hug me. Once we were inside I hugged everyone again.

Once everyone left and I was talking to my mom I gave her another hug and I just cried. I was waiting to hug her for four months. All though it was a learning experience with some unforgettable times, it was the four longest months of my life. I would not trade them for anything, but just being home and hugging my mom, I never wanted to let go.

The next few days I was pretty tired, but still up and doing things, seeing my best friends, my aunt, and on Monday I went to my friends house and it turns out there were a few more people there then she told me there would be. I was so happy to see most of my friends. hugging them all and talking with them. I shared stories with them, we watched a movie and just hung out. It is now exactly one week since I left and I am happy to be home. I start classes in a week or so and I will have to start learning to drive and going back to work and I can't wait. I will never forget Italy. Some details will become fuzzy, but for the most part I will take what I have been through and what I have learned in Italy with me where ever I go and do whatever I do.

A Holiday Speed Through

Just made another video for youtube. Nothing too exciting, just a bunch of pictures and me talking about them. There is more information about my holidays in my blog posts. Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrGQlTDrm0w

One Week

Another blog post today, you are all in luck!!!! This post is to tell everyone who does not know already, I am coming home early. I will be coming home in one week, next Thursday. I have decided that I do not want to stay in Italy until June. I followed my dream and took a huge chance by coming here. I was excited to come and after a few months of trying my hardest I realized that this is not the right thing for me, not in high school, not for this long, and not going to an Italian high school. There have been hard times, fun times, sad times, all types of times and I have learned a lot. I am glad my mom and dad said yes and let me follow my dream. I am glad I came and didn't just say, "No it will never happen." I am a little sad things didn't work out like I hoped, not for lack of trying, but I am content with my decision to come home. I will finish my senior year at home with my friends and family. I will start classes again on Feb. 1st, continue with Masque and Mime, I will be home for senior prom and graduation. I will start learning how to drive, go back to work and start saving money for college. I don't know what my next big thing is, but I want to enjoy what I have more because you never know what you have until it is gone. My little town might be boring with nothing to do, but I have my family and friends and they are the reason I love living there so much. Thank you for all of your support! All of you! Everyone talking with me, keeping my spirits up, helping me out, listening, understanding, everything. I could not have come this far without you. I still have dreams of traveling the world and doing things with my life, still unclear, but still plans and dreams the same.

I am enjoying my last few days in Italy and getting excited for coming home. I miss so much from America and home, things I never thought I would miss. I am going to have a little Christmas style party with my family, an Aly Christmas when I come home. I have come so far and grown so much as a person and realized some things are more important than others. Family would be number one. Some of my friends falling into that category and friends in general number two. Having these people in my life have made me who I am and helped me to get where I am. This trip has not changed me into someone else, but I have changed some, I am sure. I fear that I changed in some ways that my friends will not like and don't understand why, but I have a feeling it won't be that big of a change. Things could have gone better and far worse, but what happened, happened and all I can do is learn from it and move forward. I may not know why until later in my life, but staying as long as I have is better then not coming at all. I know some people will judge me for coming home early and I know some people are sad things didn't work out, but I am happy for the most part. I am 100% happy to come home and cannot wait. I know I will miss Italy some, but I will be back to see Italy my own way. Doing what I would like, going where I want and not having to worry about school and this program.

If I have learned anything, it is that you need to be happy with you and surround yourself with people who love you, doing what you love to do. You are the most important and no matter how crazy your dream may sound, do it! You will never know unless you take a chance and try. Somethings will not work and you might be heartbroken, but with time things get better and you move on. You learn and strive for something better while enjoying the most of what you have. Never give up because reaching your goal, your dream is one of the greatest feelings in the world and make you so much stronger.

New Year

Month three is down and almost month four. The last few days my host sisters boyfriend and his cousin have been staying with us. Her boyfriend has his car so he has been able to drive us places and do some things. Tuesday the fourth we went to Naples and when to some of the markets there and bought some things. I only bought a few things because I don't have room in my suitcase and I am mainly shopping for other people. I have about 5 people left and luckily I can get all their gifts from the same place and they are all rather small. I just need to get to this specific store.

For New Year we went to my host Nonna's house and celebrated at midnight with fireworks and lentils. It was pretty fun, although they didn't have anything like the ball drop in Times Square. In fact, the people on the t.v were a little faster then the clock on the t.v. for the count down. Welcome 2011, I am ready to have an amazing year, so lets get started!!!!!!

I know not a real exciting post, but I don't know what to write about....

Christmas!!!!

Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate Christmas!!! If you don't no worries, I hope your day was a good one. Christmas for me was really different and new. As I have mentioned before it didn't feel like Christmas, not even on Christmas Day, or opening presents or anything. Well it didn't feel like Christmas normally does for me, but for everyone else here it felt like Christmas. As you know we finally came back from Milan Christmas Eve morning, about 2am, from then we slept and got up around 11. I ate a small breakfast and later was lunch, pesto, one of my favorites. After lunch I was able to talk with my mom and then I took a nap. I woke up around 7 and then it was time to get ready and go to Nonna's house for Christmas Eve Dinner.

Before the first main dish there was this broccoli salad, then there was about 5 different types of seafood. There were two other types of broccoli salads, artichokes, shrimp (two kinds) fried, breaded meat, and something else to help digest all the food. And of yes there was bread and wine, I stuck to Coca Cola. After everyone finished eating we just sat around the table and watched a movie, Benvenuti al Sud. (I had seen this in the theatre when it first came out and talked more about it in another post) After dinner and the movie it was time for dessert. We had the classic Christmas cakes and there was another type of wine to go along with it.

Around 11:50pm, Christmas Eve we went back to the house to open presents. The tradition is to wait until midnight to open them. While we were waiting for midnight to come I went online and Skyped with my mom at my Aunts house so I got to see some of my family then. We talked for a few minutes, but then it was time to open presents. My host mom and dad were tired so they went to bed earlier so it was my host brother and sister, and my host sister's boyfriend. They had already opened their gifts because I was talking online with my parents. I passed out the presents I bought for them and opened the gifts from them. From my host family I received two purses, an Italia soccer jersey, an Italia hat, a box of my favorite pens :D and then from my host sisters boyfriend he gave me this little Vespa which had a snow globe on it of the Colosseum. From my host Nonna she gave all the grandkids a Chocolate Santa. From one host aunt and uncle perfume, and from another a mug with a cute little guy on it. My host sister's friend's family came over and gave us each presents too, mine was a pink backpack.

Once we were done with presents I taught my host siblings to play a card game I play with my cousins back in New York. When we had enough of that and they were eating I called back home to show everyone my gifts and just to talk some more. I finally got to bed around 3am and then we woke up around 9am to go to mass. When we got up we ate breakfast and just hung around the house, didn't get to mass. I then gave my host parents the gifts I bought for them and I am glad they liked them. We went out to see my other host nonna. From there we drove around for a little while and returned around 12 to go to my host nonna's for Christmas lunch. We ate with the family and I played cards with my host cousins. Around 5pm I went back to the house to Skype with my Aunt and Uncle for about two hours. When I was finishing up talking with them, my other Aunt came on skype. I called her and talked to the rest of my family; cousins, aunt, uncle, Grammie, Poppie, Grandma, brother, mom, dad, brother's girlfriend, I even got to see my cousin's cat Lucy. It was nice talking to them all and seeing everyone.

After this Skype session with my family I went back over to my host nonna's house where everyone was playing cards. The game was called In Morto and it used Napoletano cards, which are different then your average cards. They have different symbols and different values. I point of the game was to not have the lowest card so you didn't have to pay into the pot. If you made it to the end of all the rounds and still had money, you one the pot. After playing we went back home and I called home to talk for a few more minutes and then it was off to bed.

Now I have a stomach ache, not sure why, maybe because of all the different foods, and being run down nothing really agreeing with me. Tonight we might be going to the movies and tomorrow hopefully I can go the post office to see if my package is there. The packages from my aunts have been over a month, almost two, what the heck man!!!!!!!! I just hope I will get them before I leave.

Talk to you all and see you soon!!!!!!!!!!!

Milano a Napoli

On Tuesday, December 21st I left with my host sister to go to Milan and visit her boyfriend. We woke up around 5am and left shortly after. Our flight went well and we arrived in Milan with no troubles, and our luggage was all there. I had a window seat and the view was wonderful; however, my camera was in my bag in to over head compartment. Next time I will remember to take it out so I can take some pictures to show you all.

My host sister's boyfriend picked us up and took us to this caffe` bar for breakfast. I had hot chocolate and a giant cookie :D From there we went back to his house and stayed there for a little while. After lunch time he drove us and his sisters to Switzerland!!! It was snowing the farther north in Italy we went and in Switzerland too. We went to this shopping center called FoxTown. You couldn't tell it was Switzerland because it was the Italian-Swiss part of Switzerland. They did have another currency, but luckily they accepted the Euro too. We spent a few hours there and then we headed back to Italy. Before we crossed the border we stopped at a gas station and I bought some chocolate. I also managed to break a container with chocolate in it too, so there for I had to buy it. The worst part was that the container was filled with American chocolates, Snickers, Twix, Milky Way. My host sister's boyfriend was nice enough to buy it and shared with his sisters.

The next day we woke up rather late, 12:30pm. After breakfast we were off to Milan. My host sister's boyfriend's cousin came with us to Milan. We parked outside the city center and took the subway to the Duomo. From there we walked around and looked at some of the shops. For lunch we ate at McDonalds. (Random fact: I have had more McDonalds in Italy in three months, then I would have had back at home in New York) After the Duomo we took the subway to another street for more shopping. Here I finished my host family Christmas shopping which made me rather happy. We took another subway trip to the castel in Milan and from there we walked back to the Duomo to take another subway ride back to parking. For all of the rides on the subway, it was only 2.50 Euro.

In the piazza Duomo there was a Christmas tree with lights and decorations. When we first arrived it was sunny and the lights were off, but by the time we came back it was dark and cloudy and the tree looked wonderful with all the lights and the Duomo behind it. The Duomo's stained glass windows had lights on them and the surrounding buildings had Christmas lights too. And the best part of being there later, around 8pm, there was very few people in the piazza. Near the Duomo was a presepe (Christmas village) with moving parts, running water, and just really well put together.

The next day we woke up at 4:30 am and headed down to San Nicola. When we got around Florence there as a lot of traffic, about three hours for Florence alone. Then we arrived in Rome around 5:30pm. We went to the Spanish steps, Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum. At the Spanish steps they were doing a reading of "A Christmas Carol", then we ate gelato by the Trevi fountain, and then rain to the Colosseum in the rain! Over all it was a fun time and a nice break from riding in the car.

Normally the trip to Rome to Naples is two hours, but it took us eight hours!!!!! It was a rather long trip and we finally got home around 2am. From then I got ready for bed, Skyped with my mom and dad for about ten minutes and then enjoyed my sleep.

Hello Everyone!!!

Not much going over here in Italy. I might be going shopping tonight which will be fun. I have to do some Christmas shopping for my host family and buy some more presents or my family back in New York and my friends. It is getting pretty cold where I am, not normal weather. There is snow in Milan and seeing as I will be there in 6 days I am pretty excited!!!! I have four more days of school before I leave for Milan on the 21st!!!!!!!!!!!

Today was a pretty normal school day, not doing much, listening, reading, day dreaming.... The German teacher passed back our tests today!! I received a 9.5 out of 10!!!!!!!!!! I am rather thrilled about this because this is only month two of German classes in Italy lol.

I have started looking into college again...when i mean looking into, I mean looking at one main college. I really want to go to University of Liverpool. I don't know my major yet, but I think something with history. I am not going to worry about college until I get home so I can relax and enjoy my time here.

I hope everyone is doing well and getting ready for Christmas vacation/Winter break, which ever you prefer. Love you all!!!!