SNOW DAY?!?!?

Today is our third snow day in a row!! Normally we don't have three, maybe two snow days like this. It has been snowing where I live in New York for the past two days non stop and the snow has been adding up and up to a whole bunch of snow!!! Last night I shoveled my back deck, then the front, then I went up to my grandparent's house to shovel them out, and the snow was really wet (yes I know its snow and it should be) but it was one for those wet and heavy snows. It was snowing faster than I could shovel it!!! It was so annoying, you couldn't tell I shoveled at all!! It was nice having a snow day, the second one was nice as well cause it was really bad, but I kind of wanted to go to school and not use a snow day, but we needed to stay home. Even though today was bad and many people had no power, I was kind of sad we had another snow day. Yesterday was our last given snow day so today's will come from spring break which is not fun!!! It was quite a relaxing week and I enjoyed it but I am starting to get bored because I don't have anything to do or anywheres to go.

On another note, graduation?!?!?!?! At the end of this year I will have 22 1/2 credits and you only need 22 to graduate, so I was thinking I might graduate this year. I called ASSE if I could still go on the exchange to Italy next year if I already graduated and I can!!! The only thing that concerns me is college. Most likely I will be going to the community college then transferring to somewhere else (possibly University of Liverpool :P) so thats no big deal. The top 10% of my grade has the option of going to Dutchess for free and I am almost positive I am in that 10%, up if I graduate and go to Italy for a year, will I still be able to go for free? I kinda want to go through the whole process, but I still want to graduate with my class and go to the community college. I emailed my guidance counselor but seeing as we had a snow day today, I won't know till maybe Monday/Tuesday. I'll make an appointment to see her maybe and talk to her in person.

A huge negative to these snow days, we have lost at lost of rehearsal time and time for working on sets and lights and everything!! We might not have rehearsal tomorrow and push it till Sunday because of people without power and not having people clear the school. As of today we have TWO WEEKS!! till Bye Bye Birdie!! Thats crazy!!!! I am really excited to do this play and I enjoy the music and the play in general, but I am so ready for it to be over!! I am a little sick with some of the people in Masque and Mime, although I love almost everyone, I'm just ready for it to be over. My emotions are also being pulled in another direction, this will be my last musical with Masque and Mime!! This is like my senior year of high school (in America) when ever I talk people about it some say, "What are you talking about there's next year.....ohhhh that's right, your going to Italy" and yeah I know I am going hello I'm counting down the days!!! (158 btw) I am still going to miss it so much and I think I am even going to miss my high school, maybe not the people in it or some of the teachers, but the school system and a five day school week. All I know is, next year (really this year, but next school year) is going to be so strange and weird, yet unbelievable!!!

The picture is not from the most recent snow storm, but the one a few weeks ago, but it looks the same after I shoveled. If you are reading my other blog on vox.com, sorry but its the same as this one. Thanks for reading- Aly

February

This short little month is almost over!! Just a few days left and we start the longest month of the entire year! MARCH!! Although my mom's birthday and my host sister, Kristin's birthday are in this month, as well as many of my friends, this month is soooo long. There are five full weeks of school and my school's play is this month as well. We are doing Bye Bye Birdie and we have about three weeks left! If you didn't know I am stage manager and honestly, I am kind of ready for this play to be over. I don't really want it to be over because I like Masque and Mime (the drama club) and this is going to be my last spring musical with Masque and Mime in high school. FOREVER!! Which is really scary and sad when you think about it. :( But hey I'm moving on with my life in a good way and although I have made so many friends, I know we will stay in contact via email, facebook, skype and letters.

I have also been starting to look at colleges!! Fun and kind of scary. I know my family does not have a whole bunch of money to go to an extremely expensive college for four years so I am trying to look at some local or New York colleges. I also hope I can get scholarships due to my brains and the wonderful person I am :). On school which I am in love with (although it is not local lol) would be the University of Liverpool. Yes in Liverpool, England. I know your thinking, "Wow she's going to Italy and then she wants to go the college in England?" Yeah I know it will cost a lot of money but I will work hard and try for as many scholarships as I can. I think I am going to a community college for a year or two when I come back from Italy and then just transfer somewhere else. You see tuition and board at Liverpool is around $30,000 which is $10,000 less then most of the schools I was looking at. At Liverpool I would double major in History and Italian and Liverpool is one of the better schools in England and the city itself has lower living costs than most Britain cities. Another college that sparked my interest was the American University of Rome! There I would either do Italian studies or International Relations. Another one is Western New England College where I might major in either history or international studies. As you can tell, I really have no idea where I want to go or what I want to do. I want to do something with the Italian I will gain with my year abroad, just what is the problem.

School itself is going pretty well. My classes are getting really boring and I am tired of doing the work. I can not wait for spring to come and then summer!!!! I have around 162 days till September and I will be leaving some time in September. I have not received any thing from ASSE yet about my acceptance or host family. I did talk to my Friend about passing the word onto her family in Northern Italy about hosting me. It doesn't really matter where I get placed because I know I will love anywhere, but I think if I had to choose I would like to be placed in Northern Italy, ideally Milan. I am really excited about my exchange and I have been reading people's blogs, but they are going with another group, AFS and I have also been watching their video blogs. I have been trying to do the same thing with people who went with ASSE, but I can't really find anything because they are not as big as AFS I think and all my attempts have failed. On Facebook, however, I have been talking to this boy who is in Italy now and he has been a big help with my questions.

If anything really exciting happens in my life I will try to make a post and fill you in, but for now, life is going and I'm taking it one day at a time. Ciao ciao- Aly-Oh!