less than 48 hours

i never felt like i would reach this point.
the time that marked that i have just one more day left in Europe and a full day of flying until I am back on US soil.

i am sitting quite comfortably on my friend Ian's grandmother's couch-- in the Hackney burrough of London-- right in the very very veeeeeerrry orthodox jew neighborhood. Ians family has lived on this street for nearly 60 years and his sweet grandmother lives in a BEAUTIFUL old townhome.  She is 86 and with a group of her friends in Malta right now.  So its just me, Ian and his girlfriend Carrie.  I am so so so unbelievably happy to be here and so fortunate that they let me stay here with them. Having one place to stay for more than 30 hours where I can actually move and do things freely without locking them in a locker first-- is a godsend-- also -- not having to sleep in any more airports-- is just beyond amazing.

so it has been a while since i have been able to update-- but here's whats been going on in my crazy and last few days in Europe.

The last time I posted, I was leaving Spain and sitting at the Stansted airport this time instead of Gatwick. Wahoo. Switchin it up. This time, I was able to get a nice little space on a sofa in a coffee shop. It was loud and not really that comfortable-- but it wasnt the floor of the airport-- so it was luxurious.  My flight was at 8:55am and I flew into Shannon Airport-- I did some research before I left-- but not as much as I had liked to-- thank God there was a very nice Irish couple on the plane with me who gave me lots of helpful information (although it was through much difficulty that I was able to determine what they were actually saying-- those Irish accents are NOT easy) they told me the best thing to do when I arrived-- was leave Shannon as there is nothing there but the airport-- which is the closest airport to America (interesting) .. so I did as they suggested and boarded a bus in the direction of Cork.  Unfortunately a pitstop in Galway to see the Cliffs of Mohr was just out of the question as it was not within a day's journey to appreciate it fully.
All of the extremely nice Irish folks suggested that I head to Cork but pitstop at the Bunratty Castle-- a Medieval Castle and town built in the 1400s and thriving today as a tourist site and homage to the wayward times of the Irish culture.  I stopped there - paid 10euros and the lady let me leave my giant backpack while i walked around the grounds.  It was a beautiful beautiful day and i really enjoyed walking around by myself-- reading all the history and laughing at all the little Irish kids who were there visitng on a fieldtrip.

I didnt stay long but jumped on the next train towards Cork-- decided to hop off in Limerick-- again, knowing nothing really of the town-- just had heard the name-- i also had to mail a 2 kilo package of clothes home due to the fact that my back was breaking and RyanAir was trying really hard to get me to pay 40euros to check the bag. NO WAY JOSE. so i wanted to see a little of Limerick but hunger took precedence and I stopped into an Irish pub for a Guinness and some chips, of course! I sat there and relished in the atmosphere while watching Queen Elizabeth herself wander around the English Market down in Cork.  Pretty boring considering all she did was walk around the food stalls while everyone gushed at her.. what a life that would be ..

After finishing up-- I didnt want to carry my backpack all the way through town and so I jumped back on the bus for Cork.  I had arranged to stay with friends of friends there-- and when I got there-- Eoin (pronounced owen) picked me up and took me to his house he shares with 2 friends.  They were Irish as they come and just the most hospitable, welcoming and funny guys I have ever met.  They saved me their couch, and another girl was visiting too and so we immediately all hit it off- swapping stories and tellin jokes and such. 

One thing that has been hitting me pretty hard lately-- is that the types of conversations I am able to participate in.  Most Europeans my age, have been and done some incredible things (glacier surfing in Iceland and snorkeling in Thailand) but to be able to participate and say things like -- where the best place in Milan is for pizza-- how to get to the best beaches in the south of France or what country has the best nightlife-- is incredible to me.  At first I was jealous of all the Europeans I met, and other nationalities as well, who have done and seen so much of the world-- not realizing how quickly I have been able to join this special club. 

Speaking of clubs... French is the language of sophistication.. royalty .. finance.. and it is also spoken by fewer and fewer portions of the world.  It is still the official language of the Olympics, UN and EU, France and her colonies-- both present and former-- and is still widely acknowledged as a language of affinity. Hence, there is not a large number of Americans who speak it-- or so I am told by every French person I encounter- no matter how brief.  No matter where I am-- especially since May 15th when I left France-- If i overhear people speaking French and they look nice enough and like they wont be offended/creeped out by my friendliness-- then I start a conversation with them-- Parlez- vous français? .. i do this because 1) i miss France so so so so much and hearing it when im traveling in Spain, Ireland, etc.. makes me feel closer to it 2) I am incapable of not being friendly 3) i want to keep my french going-- and speaking it is the best way to do it 4)why not do it? .... so on the metro in London, on the river bridge in Sevilla, in my hostel.. on the steps of Trafalgar Square and dozens of other places .. I have commenced conversations with fellow francophones.  they dont last very long usually-- just oh where are you from? im American, just finished my studies, I love France, I miss France, I study International Business, yes of course I will return to France, etc... -- but every time they always are so complimentary and friendly (disproving all stereotypes of rude Frenchies) and they always tell me how impressed they are because so few Americans speak French-- and thus, I feel so honored to be in this special little club-- worthy of French praise-- :)

i am incapable of staying awake past like 11-- sleep cycles are going to be so off when I go home--- but I willhave lots of time to write tomorrow!! Well maybe-- its my last day in Europe-- we'll see!

check points. check marks

I love flying. I really do. I think airports are romantic. but i have spent FAAAARR too much time in them lately.   Security checkpoints are so much fun. Not. Well, actually I lied, yes they are. I love getting stamped, smiling giddishly at the border patrol officers and watching people who dont know what theyre doing get escorted away for questioning because they cannot produce sufficient answers to the questions like "what are you doing in the UK?" .. so so so fun.

I just left Spain-- and the 85 degree weather of the beautiful city of Sevilla. Oh man was it incredible. Sangria, tapas and flamenco dancing for days.  I had such a great time with my friends Kory and Kevin and I met all their friends in their program. I just went through the nasty buisnes  of saying goodbye to the city and the people that i fell in love with for the last 5 months and I had to be there and watch them do the same.  It is really powerful--studying abroad-- you know its going to be awesome and change your life-- but you can never imagine to what extent until you are giving the final hugs and walking the streets for the last time.  I cry thinking about how much i miss france.

well-- need to go hop on over to my boarding gate. There is a group of travelers next to me dressed as a banana-pirate-- dracula and a gypsy -- interesting. the English are so weird

Off to Ireland!! Gonna kiss the Blarney Stone and hopefully see the Cliffs of Mohr!
BON VOYAGE A MOI

backpackin like a champ.

So, I have been in 3 countries in less than 48 hours.

I said my final goodbyes to my family at the airport. Quite teary eyed, obviously. The whole time during take off I just reflected on the amazing experiences the south of France gave me-- and ever since I left- I have missed it so much.  I already miss the bakeries on every corner.. being able to speak French .. the beautiful sunny weather.  Needless to say the weather in London was a tad bit more cloudy than Aix was .. but it was really neat-- the 8 hours of it that I saw!

I met up with my friends Ian and Carrie and could finally rest and put my suitcase down after lugging it all around.  Turned out to be about 55 pounds .. and they let me through, thank God. It was nice to be with friends and I got to meet Ian's grandmother who is so sweet and elderly but she has been all over the world and shared some wonderful stories with us and made us macaroni and cheese for dinner! We grabbed a pint of beer at a London pub and caught up and swapped travel stories!

They had an early flight to Lagos, Portugal and I had an early one to Sevilla, Spain.  So in the spirit of true backpackin and livin like a college student in Europe should -- I spent the night in the Gatwick airport.  What a sight-- because there are so so many people- you wouldnt believe- curled up in all corners, benches and hallways. Families with small children and lone travelers-- i found a nice nook and started a new book and updated my journal. I really prefer traveling alone I have decided. It may sound a little daunting because of all the media attention and terrible stories of abductions and such-- but if youre smart, as I think I am, then it can be quite a valuable and rewarding experience.  I love meeting and talking to new people but I know which ones to avoid and when to be cautious. I was raised right and I am no dummy. Also, it is SO nice to be in total control of my adventures-- doing as I please and not accommodating a group--I feel like it is a wonderful chance for me to grow as an individual and its only been 2 days really and I am just so excited!

I arrived in Sevilla this afternoon. 6am flight. Ouch.  But I made a nice friend with an Indian woman who was coming from visitng her investment banker son who went to the London School of Economics.. aka the BEST business school in the world .. and she and I had some great conversation on the plane about the world and traveling and I really cannot express enough how much I love listening to and learning from other people and their travels.  There are so many places I want to go and see and hearing other people's experiences makes it all the more exciting.  I also love learning about their opinions of Americans especially and I have got to say, I have had 100% positive feedback and have learned interesting things.  This woman for example told me how she admired the tenacity of American youth and their willingness to open their minds.  Another gentleman told me that he thought Americans were so friendly and outgoing and that they carry themselves well.  Obviously there are people who give Americans a poor reputation but it makes me very proud to hear things like that-- especially when I know that I have kept in mind throughout my studies-- that I am a representative of my country and how I act and behave reflects on that.

Well, I am waiting for my room to be ready at my hostel in Sevilla! Going to power nap and shower before hitting the sights with kory!

A bientôt

well this is it

today -- is my last day in france. and as tender and heartbreaking as that sounds -- i find so much comfort in knowing that its definitely not going to be my last last  day. i have absolutely fallen in love with this country, these people and this way of life -- i am going to continue working on my french and come back to work/live/play. i have learned so much about myself since being here-- and also about what it means to be from a diferent culture and i am so so appreciative of all the opportunities i have had-- i wouldnt change a single thing.

part of me wishes that i was packing up my suitcase and sending it on to the states-- im also really hoping that its under 50 pounds! needless to say, i added some things to my wardrobe since being here and bought some souvenirs-- so after sending a 6 kilo (80 euro) package home -- i REALLY hope this bad boy is still under 50 pounds. but in fact today is the day i leave france.. but not Europe!

When i made my plans to come here I decided i would want 10 days after my program ends to travel and my parents were gracious enough to agree. So-- here's my last big adventure for Europe 2011

I leave Marseille- to fly to London--where I am meeting up with my pals Ian and Carrie from USC. Ians grandparents live in London and they are gracious enough to let me leave me suitcase there so I dont have to take it with me!
I am in London for one night before i fly out to Sevilla, Spain-- one of the best cities so Ive heard-- where my friends Kory and Kevin and a lot of other USC students are studying.  Spanish heat- bring it on!!
I fly back to london- for a few hours before I fly to Ireland! I am flying into Shannon- hanging out all day there-- and then taking a bus to Cork! Why you ask? Because the flights were 10 euros and 8 euros respectively and Ireland is supposed to be beautiful. My mom went when she was around my age and i am SO excited to go too!
I fly back to london-- yeah, Im going to be very familiar with Gatwick and Stanstead airports! Where Im going to spend my final 3 days with Ian and Carrie - hanging out around London before flying back on the 25th of May !!

phewf.  i am so excited/exhausted thinking about it. but this will be so good for me and im taking advantages of opportunities i elsewhere wouldnt have had.

I could write another sappy sappy post about how i feel right now-- but currently-- i am starving, need to put the final touches on my suitcase and there is a pain au chocolat calling my name!

Ill update when I can!

surreal.

well, my "studies" are officially finished which means that after my last "final" today .. i am done with "school" for the semester .. the time i spent "studying" which translates to .. i spent every day this week laying in the park! but for not having grades that transfer back .. i put a lot of effort into my classes so I am confident I did well!

however, today during my french written and oral exam, tears literally fell from my eyes. the first tears i've shed in preparation for leaving this dream like world ive been living.  one of the questions on my test and the perpetrator for my tears was quel était le meilleur souvenir de sa semestre? what is your best memory of the semester? besides the fact that i had to choose an answer amongst the millions of amazing times i have had here-- i had to choose one i could effectively write about in french. and as i quickly sorted through the millions of amazing times and experiences i have had here-- there was one overwhelming part of my semester that has really made my time here beyond amazing. ma famille.

Robert et Mireille circa 1957?

as i sat there trying to put into words-- french words-- how amazingly lucky i am to have had such a great host family-- i was overwhelmed with emotion. it finally felt real. the fact that i am leaving in 2 days, the fact that i had the absolute best family in aix and how my semester would have been completely different without them. in so many ways, they remind me of my real family-- in the way that we tell jokes, use sarcasm--also in the way that my parents bicker and tinker back and forth and how they take an interest in my life, especially my love life (when there is one). from the amazing meals my host mom cooks-- to the deep discussions we have about cross cultural differences, generation gaps and which American actors are the best. From laughing and playing scrabble to tonight where we looked at their old photo albums and wedding pictures .. they took an interest in my daily life, in my travels, learned the names of my friends and even which foods i do and dont like. they can tell when i was upset and generally cared about me. my host dad packed my lunch before i went to the beach or went hiking. my host mom and odile helped me pick out outfits before going out and my host dad called me his princess of the south. being away from my real family was really tough but having another family here who cared about me like i was their own, meant so much to me. i have lots of friends here who's families could care less what they did and hardly ever spoke to them which made it nice when they wanted to go out at night and not come back til 7am .. but thats not what i wanted my study abroad experience to be about.  my french is 100 times better thanks to my family and  they really defined my experience here and as excited as i am to return and see my real family, i know its going to be so tough to leave them.

the delicious smell of homemade couscous

i am SO excited right now. as i sit here, watching the final moments of the movie Young Victoria about the early life and reign of England's Queen Victoria and the Mother of Europe while simultaneously playing the highly addictive Words with Friends App on my Itouch .. I am dying from the smell of dinner cooking in the kitchen making its way into my room.  both my host parents are from Morocco, Casablanca to be exact and she has been dying to make us couscous all semester. tonights the night! Alex and I have been looking forward to it since last week!

Cousous  is a grain from the wheat plant called -semolina- made from crushed durum wheat. It is a staple of many North African countries, it tastes a bit like nutty pasta. It's about the size of a large grain of sand. Its served with spices, meats, vegetables and it is AMAZING.  Ive only had it once when a friend I made here took me out to dinner. Their son and his daughter Carla, whom they absolutely adore and fawn over, will be joining us and I am just so sad to think this is one of our last meals. Bonjour reality, thank you for hitting.

The last few days have been quite spectacular. Trying to enjoy it all, soak it all in and not have any worries.  I feel like I have done a pretty good job! I specifically did not make any travel plans for the last weekends in May that I have here-- because I will be traveling for 10 days after finals before leaving from London and that was such a good decision as I have really enjoyed the quiet days here in Aix.  On Friday my economics professor made us all come in at 1 so that we could have our last class-- as she would be in Canada and unable to attend our official last day on Monday. You can imagine ALL of our excitement.  Especially given that the weather on Friday was absolutely to die for and even more so given that we all had a wonderfully adventurous and quite unforgettable (by some definitions) Thursday evening.  It was possibly one of the most painful and annoyingly long afternoons I have ever spent. There is nothing worse than being cooped up inside  when all you really want to do is frolick in the sunshine. but alas, c'est la vie.

We stayed in Friday night as a bunch of friends and I decided to catch the early, and I mean EARLY bus to the beach. 7:50 to be exact.  We decided to go back to our favorite little port town of Cassis.  It is just north of Marseille but MUCH more beautiful.  It is dotted with calanques, which I hiked back in March. This time, we were feeling less adventurous and more in the mood to soak up the sunshine and final days with our pal the Med Sea. Unable to break tradition, we each bought a bottle of rosé, a baguette, some salami and of course -- our favorite cheeses-- brie and this garlic/herb cream cheese.  I dont think you can spell perfection in any other way.  We got there around 11. There was actually quite a large group of us-- but half decided to hike up the calanques before grabbing some beach time-- so it was just the girls- my friends Morgan, Libby and Sarah and Sarah's friend Leslie who is visiting from Madrid.  When we first got there it was quite chilly and windy and a little cloudy. Nonetheless, we were determined to spend the day in the sand, sleeping, chatting and continuing the dream life. Libby brought her Tales of Beedle the Bard book (a small collection of stories JK Rowling released after the HP series ended) and she read aloud while we all listened intently.  before I knew it, I was sound asleep to the precious story and the sound of the waves crashing on shore.  the only that that disturbed me was the occasional sandstorm (quick reference to the USC football season theme song) whipping across the beach.  Content and blissful yet stupidly .. none of us paused a moment during our day of relaxation to put on sunscreen-- mainly because the cloud cover and wind were so strong we didnt think we needed to. WRONG. whatever, im tan and Im happy ( reference to the Family Guy episode where Stewie gets super tan) .. exhausted, crispy and a little tipsy from all the wine and sun - we made our way back to Aix.  I had a delicious dinner with the fam and we watched this variety-esque show where they had overly dramatic French magicians, amazing acrobats and people with all crazy talents (unicycle riding girls?) it was great fun, but I had an early night (which means I went to bed before 2)

Sunday was equally as French and delightful.  Every weekend there is a market of various items that they sell in the street.  Markets are such a popular concept here in Europe and Ive been to around about 230 in all countries.  They are great fun!! They have such interesting, fun, homemade, things and Ive acquired some gems along the way (can't mention them here as they will turn into souvenirs for the folks back home) the Aix market has to be my favorite though.  Every day there is a fresh produce market and honestly -- I dont know how I am going to go home and shop at Publix and BiLo when I have been spoiled with non genitically modified or pesticide overdosed produce.. Anyways, the shopping market is so fun and I ventured down with my friend Kat and soon we ran into practically every one from school-- all doing the same thing-- snagging up some last minute souvies! Its always so nice to walk in and around the stalls, smelling the fresh soaps and chatting with the locals.  A lot of the merchants speak English- or atleast try to when they hear us-- disproving the notion that the French are uppity and disproving of all cultures/languages besides their own.

My friend Sarah and I in front of our work

i feel like my whole experience here has been one contradiction to everything that I had heard previously. the french DO shower, and quite frequently.. the LOVE foreigners, especially Americans. Yes they respect/prefer for you to speak French.. but do we as Americans not get equally as frustrated when we have to deal with someone who only speaks Spanish in our country.. they do enjoy their berets and there are bakeries on every corner.  cheese is smelly, but there are SO many types and theyre delicious (well the ones ive been brave enough to try).. every French person walks around with a baguette under their arm and they are HUGE wineos! infact, the French are not the largest exporter of wine, but they are the largest consumer and producer. The reason they are not the largest exporter (second to Spain and Italy) is because they keep a certain percentage for themselves. Thats why French wine is so elusive, expensive and the best. i could probably and should actually write an entire blog about wine and what Ive learned.  Cause it is so interesting.

I painted the big blue tree and the littler tree on the right

Last night was quite special.  I have been taking an art class all semester that has certainly given me some grief (daily sketches I was supposed to do .. the45 minute walk to school .. the bogus artsy fartsy commentary they spoonfed us and the fact that i really dont know how to paint) .. but it was one of the coolest and culturally interesting things I have done and I am so glad I chose to take this course.. how many times can one say .. I took a painting class in the South of France.. well I can say it exactly one time.  To celebrate the end of the semester, Marchutz, the art school, hosted an exposition of all our work this semester. Besides my one class of 24 students, there is a full time group of students who take art everyday-- theyre exactly the quirky, eclectic and talented students you would expect and their work is AMAZING. one of the students paintings was actually bought by a member of the community.  everyone was invited to hike all the way to the literal outskirts of town and come to the open bar for snacks and culture and walk around and admire the students work. Much like the picnic we had the other niight, a lot of students families did not come. mine did and they absolutely loved

we stayed for a while, mingling with familes and friends who had come all the way out for this really cool evening! after the majority of people left, my friends and I stayed and they had pizza, music and a dance party in the moonlight.  it was so much fun and I got to hang out with a lot of people I had never really talked to before for various reasons but some of them I just did not have the greatest impressions of

I love it when that happens.  Meeting new people is obviously a favorite pasttime of mine, but lately I have really enjoyed getting to know other people in my program who I really had not interacted with much.  To be honest, two girls just really gave me a bad vibe and we never really interacted.  One of them, Amelia, is from Brooklyn and is very self assured and while she is super nice, we just had never talked before.  But at the market on Sunday we ran into her and ended up going together to the park to soak up some more sunshine (not that I needed any) it was just the two of us after a while and we had such a great time swapping stories and just watching people in the park.  Turns out we have a lot in common and though we are VERY different we got along great.  She had some really nice things to say about me-- things that she just got based off impressions and the conversation we had that day and its experiences like that that just make me smile... getting to know someone with real conversation, especially when they turn out to be different than you originally thought. on the opposite hand, I HATE realizing that someone you thought you knew really well starts to show personality traits that make you want to bang your head against the wall .. such as getting caught up in petty girl drama, talking SOLELY about themselves, telling you every boy that whistled, hollered or hit on them, interrupting your stories .. etc... we all know people like this .. and with one week left, I am choosing the high road and learning that there are some people who you do not need to be around all the time.  Those types of friends are great for acting as demonstrations as exactly the friend that you do not want to be .. so really you have to thank them ..

well .. dinner is finally ready! 

bisous!

picnic'ing, picnic'ing YEAH

Closing activities of the semester have officially commenced. how terribly sad.

The first of the end of the year festivities was a picnic in our favorite park with our host families. The families all brought their own snacks and dinners and we sat on the top of the hill in the park in the beautiful Wednesday afternoon/evening sunshine. Apparently, it has rained every semester for the past 2 years.  We had beautiful weather!!! None of knew what to expect, but since my family has had 30 students, they are seasoned pros! Unfortunately, some students families either were unable to make it (understandable) or just didnt come (completely ridiculous).  I felt so bad for my friends who got to see everyone interacting with and eating with their families.  My host mom's cousin, Josettte is the host mom to my friend Molly and their neighbor Colette is my friend Clare's host mom. So theyre all friends and we all sat together and dined on homemade pizza, quiche, tomatoes and mozarella, eggs, bread, cheese and sausage of course! It was so cute to see all the host families hanging out--gossiping no doubt.  We all swap stories about our host families, naturally, and all of my friends are jealous of my wonderful situation and my beyond hilarious host dad.

lookin' like a G in the hat I almost convinced him to buy

They were all really excited to meet him-- which made me nervous cause I needed him to live up to their expectations. and boy did he.  He was in rare form.. giving me wet willies (a trick i mistakenly taught him) and cracking jokes about me, la princesse de le sud, and he made jokes about me being a monkey, a member of the KKK and a little slow because I am from the south. HAHAHA. I really just love this guy so much. One of the host dads brought his drums, amplifier and his 2 young English friends and they had a nice jam sesh while games of frisbee and rugby were started with students and host siblings alike.  Some professors even came and brought their children.  It really was such a wonderful evening.  I had so much fun laughing with the host families of my friends even and a few of the host mothers and I gawked over a TIME magazine I stole from the school library of the Royal Wedding. We talked about their hats, her dress, his hair loss, oh it was great fun!!

Sarah (Boston), moi, Lindsay (Colorado), Molly (New York), Clare (New York)

Tonight is the closing, awards ceremony at the Hotel de Ville (our pregame spot before soirée activities) and we get to get dressed up and meet the mayor!! I am looking forward to it... but it also means that the end of the semester is really upon us and the dream of an extended, cultural vacation that we have been living is coming to an end ... :(

Oh well.. like Scarlett O'Hara said "Oh well, I cant worry about that now.. Ill worry about that tomorrow"

Im just looking forward to the weekend! ... and if you have been living under a rock in the past weeks and haven't heard this song that has gone viral for its horrifically composed lyrics yet surprisingly catchy tune.. then here it is for your TGIF blues

Never have I ever

Wished that I was in the United States more than at this moment right now. Still, IM PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN just as much despite that Im currently in Europe.

Tears, goosebumps and overwhleming sense of patriotism has rendered me in the most delightful of moods to start my day.  Dont think I could have woken up to  better news.

if there is one thing that being abroad has taught me.  it is appreciation of other cultures and a better understanding of the world we live in and my role as an individual, as a female, as an American.  Especially the last part. Seeing the world from a different viewpoint has really opened my eyes a lot and given me a deeper understanding of what culture is.  Theres no doubt America is a superpower- but living and traveling in Europe has really made me seen just how deep our impact is-- from movies to pop culture and music-- history and politics.  We certainly have more of a global impact than I ever could have imagined.  One of my favorite parts about traveling and meeting people and getting into a good conversation is to ask them what they think of Americans.  100% of the time they have responded with something positive. It has thus become my unofficial mission to make it stay that way.  I dont want to be the story someone refers to someday when they are asked by a young American traveler like myself what opinions they hold of Americans.  I am always proud of who I am and where I come from, but I am even prouder when I have positive experiences that rebuild my sense of Patriotism.  I cannot wait to return to the States and share these kind of moments with future study abroad students.  Sure there will be great tales of wild nights in Europe's nightlife.. but I think Id rather share stories of personal growth and offer advice.

I also decided that at some point in my life, I want to do some service work.  There are lots of countries/cities/villages that obviously need help all over the world and Id really like to continue with my French skills-- so Ive been thinking about looking into volunteering in Martinique or French Guiana.  Im not sure in what capacity I could be of service.  But anything would be worthwhile.  I just want to pay it forward in someway.

updatesss

1. Squatter daughter literally licked the bowl of cool whip clean tonight.  she didnt eat any of the strawberries and cool whip we had for dinner tonight. i jokingly looked at alex and asked if she thought Odile would eat the leftover cool whip in the bowl. 10 minutes later. we literally couldnt move we were in such shock as we watched her lick it clean. reflect to my previous post about her being diabetic and unable to walk a few paces without pause. yeah.

2. i updated pictures to my photo project.. check them out :) .. i even reversed the order so the newer ones are first in my 123 album . I cant believe there's only 25 more days to go.

la vie en rose cont'd

Following a wonderful weekend exploring and enjoying the Provençal life-- our host family decided to take us on a family outing today! Alex and I were so excited! we didnt really even know where we were going until we were halfway there!

me and Odile

the whole family went! me, Alex, Robert, Mireille and my favorite squatter daughter, Odile. I feel like I havent talked about her much. If I have and am just mistaken, forgive me for this brief background information.  Odile is our host family's eldest daughter.. I forget, but I think they said she was 40.  She was here when we arrived and has henceforth spent the semester sleeping on the sofa in the living room. Reason being that her husband divorced her.  We havent asked a lot of questions. One time they tried to explain what happened.. and Alex and I werent sure if her husband "lost all of his limbs" or "broke all his limbs" -- quite a difference. but really, we didnt understand. all semester she has been living with us. and ive seen her leave the house maybe 10 times. max. she spends ALL day on the sofa. or smoking on the balcony. seriously. 2 packs a day, i swear. she is the sweeeeeeeetest .. when she talks or offers any contribution to the conversation/situation.  she is constantly coughing up her lungs see the bit about the smoking. and always fighting with her mother about it too. oh and she is diabetic. this is key. remember this fact for later stories. she really is precious and i like her a lot. and i feel so bad that we came in at such a hard time in her life. it makes the whole 'living with a real family' seem, well, real. so she hardly talks. coughs and SNORES all the time. she always is in the bathroom when i need to go. and she reeks like a marlboro factory. again, being served divorce papers would definitely not set me up in the right state of mind/feeling .. BUT id like to think I would make something of it.. atleast try. or that my parents would certainly not permit me to sit on my butt ALLLLLLLLLLL day long and waste away into nothingness.

so back to today. first of all, squatter daughter, as we affectionately named her, didnt want to go with us. seriously, the idea of fresh air was not something she wanted to ambition for today. mireille literally made her get off the couch and come with us.  we drove all through the countryside to the little towns in the luberon region of France.  We went to the two towns that our school took us to a few weeks ago.  Unfortunately we had terrible weather that day and Alex didnt get to go-- so thats where they took us.  At Isle Sur la Sorgue we walked around the little markets-- admiring all the trucs and choses . commenting on funny dresses and trying different hats on-- and making Robert do the same. it was great fun but we didnt stay long before heading to Fountain de Vauclouse.. it is the town of the mysterious source of the Sorgue river-- infamous, charming and beautiful. the last time i was here, we spent the rainy, cold afternoon drinking wine in the cafe but today was different. we ate a nice lunch of baguettes, sausage and cheese in the little park and then walked into town.  this walk should have been about 2-3 minutes-- but lasted more like 10 because some members of our group are used to a daily circle of exercise that consists soley of the route between the living room-- kitchen-- bathroom-- and porch. seriously, it was beyond pathetic. we had a most enjoyable time walking around the little stores and weaving in and out of the throngs of tourists.  at one point, we left the fam to make the little hike to the river's mysterious source.  Alex and I had a dandy time, laughing at the people around us and just enjoying the beautiful scenery. we retourned to find Odile, exactly where we left her and Robert sitting on a bench looking out over the water. When we reached them, I asked Robert what he had spent the time doing.. his response? "J'ai regardé les belles filles" .. i watched the beautiful girls. hahahahaha, exactly the response my dad would say too. so adorable.

the rest of the afternoon was beautiful . they bought us ice cream, we exchanged laughs and just had a great time. alex and I passed out in the car ride home and apparently we missed some beautiful sights :( oh well, it was a perfect afternoon!

la vie en rose

friday was obviously an important day.
1. it was my sister's 13th birthday and my dad's (insert number) birthday!!! also my late grandpa, bumpa! special special special! I CANNOT BELIEVE my sister is a teenager. time flies.
2. fridays are always special
3. we got to do a free wine tasting at a chateau vineyard out in the french countryside. emphasis on freeeeee. chateau vineyard and winnnnnnnnnnneeeeee.
4. royal wedding day. DUH.

easily the best photo of the day

so obviously everyone was super duper excited and its all the media was taking about. then of course were the haters who didnt understand all the fuss and buzz over a royal family who has no role really. heres my thoughts: there is SO much bad stuff going on in the world (i.e Syria, Libya, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Bahrain, tornados... there's no shortage of items here) .. that the world neeeeeded something to focus on that wouldnt inspire depression or sadness. and a wedding fit for a king. literally. was exactly what the doctor ordered. obsessing about a dress, the cake, the guest list, all the ins and outs that make celebrity weddings exciting was the perfect distraction from the utter demise of the civilized world. i for one, LOVED all the hype. i can imagine what it was like in the States, we go gaga for stuff like this, but it was so interesting to see the same effect here in France. i knew without a doubt that my mom would be awake to watch the coverage. which was a mere 4 am while here coverage began at a more comfortable 9am. it was hilarious. my host family were the first ones awake. they let alex and i eat breakfast by the tv pour le premiere fois  and i think my host mom bought EVERY. SINGLE. TABLOID. so in many many ways.. my host mom is just like my real mom. unfortunately for me my french oral class started at 10:30 and went til 12 .. precisely 9 minutes after kate was due to leave the hotel. NOT OKAY WITH ME. i impatiently sat through class, battling my way through and counting down the minutes. my professor knew it. she got a good giggle out of my anxiousness as she could care less. c'etait fini finalement. and I RACED down the stairs and burst into the library, threw open my computer and immediately started the live streaming. none of my classmates cared either. but my eagerness was infectious and soon we had 20 students gathered around my laptop oo-ing and ahh-ing at the stunning princess. conclusions? well everyone has their own, but i personally loved it all. and cannot get enough royal family lovin. so far ive rewatched Diana and Charles' ceremony, interviews during her life, her death, funeral, interviews with Charles, Harry and William as well as listened to Elton John's Candle in the Wind and i have read every story Yahoo and BBC newsfeed have provided for me.  my roommate and I are slightly less than obsessed!

on to the next reason why my life is fantastic! friday-admist the excitement of the wedding was a planned winetasting organized through school with the people who organized the wine lesson i went to back in February. we had no idea what to expect for this one. all i knew was that it was free and we needed a bus to get there. 20 minutes outside of the city limits is this beautiful chateau and vineyard called Chateau Val Joanis. (you can change the site to English) family owned and operated - it is EXACTLY what you would expect a french family winery to be. fun facts: the film French Kiss with Meg Ryan was filmed there and a few years ago, Brangelina landed their airplane on the properties when they were in France looking for a place for Angelina to have their twins. They ended up buying a chateau not too far down the road. It is stunning, secluded and equipped with 186 hectacres of vines and beautiful gardens and a landscape panorama that took my breath away. to check out all my pictures, click here . we got to sample their white, red and rosé and they gave us a grand tour of the gardens. i dont think perfection even comes close to describing it. the woman who hosts the winetastings is an American from California who has made her life the study of wine-- she met her husband in Aix and she was actually the first person Chateau Val Joanis permitted to get married on their grounds.  Now weddings are a big part of their business.

it was a most delightful way to spend a friday evening.

Saturday was a gem in and of itself. My roommate Alex and I elected to get up early, have breakfast with the fam and walk into town to check out the weekly market on the Cours Mirabeau. it was a BEAUTIFUL morning/afternoon and all the town was a buzz. sadly we were mistaken in our information and the market was elsewhere. but we enjoyed the afternoon in town and did a little shopping. loving the Aixois lifestyle. afterwards we met up with some friends in our favorite park for an afternoon of.. you guessed it .. wine, baguettes and cheese. la vie en rose. we laughed the afternoon away and soaked up the feel good sunshine before killing the afternoon at our favorite bookstore-- Book in Bar -- its an English book store so most if not all the books are in English. phewf. it was so delightful. relaxing. perfection. came home to a great dinner with the family-- homemade macaroni and cheese. delicious.

true life: i cannot make instant grits

seriously. what is wrong with me? actually. im blaming my lack of ability to properly prepare a bowl of instant grits on the wacky microwaves they use here in France.

yesterday and today might be in the running to be my favorite days since ive been here. Although I say that after every experience-- which really is a testament to the amazing experiences I am having here. these 2 days are in stark contrast to the mess of a day I had on thursday.  but even that turned out to be an eye opening experience.

Apparently April showers bring May flowers in France too.. and although Aix is famous for its 300+ days of sunshine.. but those April storms can come out of nowhere. so there we are .. at art class.. conveniently 45 minutes walk from my house. and it starts to rain. nay downpour. hail. thunder . lightning. the whole works. we start to walk back. completely unprepared for today's meteo so there i  am in my little sandals , cotton skirt getting soaked to the bone. and this very nice woman bade me and my 2 friends, alex and liz to get into her car (not as creepy as it sounds) and she saved us from 10 more miserable minutes in the freezing rain. good Samaritan act #1. so i jumped on the bus going the wrong direction. the bus driver didnt make me pay #2. i had to get out and wait at the end of the bus route for the right bus to come the right direction. 10 miserable minutes in and cold and a 45 minute buss ride to my stop. where i stand up and realize i dont have my keys. tears immediatement. besides a number of obvious incidents .. losing your keys here could quite possibly be the worst thing ever. first of all, it shows irresponsibility. second, it is UNBELIEVABLY expensive to change locks here. so im in a catastrophic mood. unable to control my tears. not sure whether to go home or just go try and find them which meant an hour long bus ride back to where i started. i chose the latter. i am standing there looking like the most pathetic person in the world. and this super nice man came up and asked me why on earth "such a beautiful girl could be so upset" in french bien sûr. and when i told him that i was a hysteric mess because i simply lost my keys. he told me to smile, because atleast i was alive and well. and that all would be okay. best Samaritan #3. he offered to help me, offered his number so i could call if i needed something and even offered to ride the bus with me back to the other bus stop. my heart literally almost broke. i dont know if anyone would be that kind in the US. Id like to think so. but given the reputation the French have of being off-put and unkind .. has COMPLETELY been abolished in my mind. It was a long time prior to this afternoon .. but my belief in the humanity of mankind was absolutely reconfirmed in this young man.  When i assured him that I was okay. he waited for the bus with me and asked me if I had enough to get back on.  I told him i did. Lie. and he could tell how frazzled and a mess I was.. and shoved a 2euro piece into my hand and wished me luck and waved as the bus pulled away. more tears. how can some people be so absolutely kind hearted. my continued wave of tears brought more attention-- as I tried to be discreet but alas, had no idea how i was going to recitfy this situation if my keys were not at the bus stop. the woman next to me asked me if I was alright.. as did the man standing in front of me.  both offered me advice on what to do, assured me that i would probably find them, as the Aixois are very kind and not prone to stealing keys.  The woman even gave me suggestions of where to go if alas I could not find them. #4 &5.  Soon I was the only person left on the bus save the driver and his friend who apparently jumped on for a ride. they asked me where I was going, as we had reached the end and I, still tearfully, retold my story to them.. in quite broken french. as we rounded the corner, i nearly jumped for joy. alors, my keys were still sitting on the bench. i could not have been more relieved. it all seemed so trivial once i had found them.. but had I not .. oh la la. quelle horreur. i spent the 45 minute ride back talking with my new friends #6 and 7.  and was able to return home safe and sound.  i wish someone had taken a picture of me in my patheticness.. would have given me a hearty laugh the next time i had a mishap.

so alas, all was well after thursday. the emotional rollercoaster gave me such a headache and completely drained me of energy so i chose to stay in for the night. everyone is getting antsy because it is the last 3 weeks we have together.. but that also means 3 more weeks left with my host family. and that time is equally as valuable to me. so we spent thursday night playing rummykub together. its the board game version of the card game Rummy. it was so much fun. i won. le sud pour le win.. 

see next post for the less dramatic- jealousy inspiring stories. 

Viva Venezia

there are a lot of place you can go in life.. and people will say .. oh there's nowhere else in the world like it. i absolutely loved Paris .. and Prague .. and Vienna .. all pretty large and in charge cities .. but NOTHING.. and i mean NOTHING compares to how much I loved Venice.

We had quite an entertaining ferry ride back to Italy. The first random friends we made were this old couple who stood on the bow with us as the ship pulled out of port.  The gentleman, who spoke with an unrecognizable accent, later confirmed to be Israeli was kind enough to take some pictures of our group for us.  He was with an attractive young blonde from Las Vegas who was an opera singer and not too many years older than us.  He, was an accomplished software program developer who no doubt sold it for millions and had been traveling with his young "lady friend" for the past 2 months- driving all over Italy and Croatia. An older man with enough personality for every person I know who works and develops software programs, he struck up a friendly conversation with us. He got such a kick out of our stories of our adventures through Europe thus far and how lucky we are to have the chance to "spend daddy's money" .. he went so far as to ask each of us our majors and potential career paths.

i absolutely dread this question.  i am so affirmed in my choice of International Business and Marketing as my majors and french, bien sûr as my minor, but that in no way means I have the least bit idea what I want to do with it.  I know things I dont want to do .. like end up like every other stereotypical college grad.. or the cliché McDonalds worker .. but I am constantly reworking my plans, thoughts, ideas, myself, and frantically trying to piece it all together to form some sort of cohesive and well functioning member of society. Anyways, after a nice chat that concluded with some solid law advice for my friend Libby and suggestions of good restaurants to eat in Venice .. the last thing he said before he walked inside was to me .. and he looked me straight in the face and said "young lady, you are going to go far in life. i can just tell". i dont think words like that have ever meant so much to me. coming from a complete stranger, who i interacted with for a total of 45 minutes on a Italy/Croatia ferry felt like he had a good enough impression of me to confidently pay me such a compliment. it blew my mind.

not long after, we made friends with these 2 Croatian girls. Sisters from Split, they were traveling to Italy to watch their other sisters play volleyball. Why such a committment? Because 2 of their sisters are on the national Croatian beach volleyball team. at nearly 6ft, blondest of hair and prominent features-- despite the fact that they were friendly and nice as could be -- they were beautiful. Ana, 16, and I hit it off immediately, swapping opinions of every  major American pop culture star and evening singing along to her ipod while the boys played poker nearby.  her older sister, Katrina, 23, showed us pictures of her gorgeous Croatian boyfriend and regaled us with her plans to star in the 2016 summer Olympics. no big deal. cant wait to watch and tell everyone "I KNOW HER". Ive said it a million times but i LOVE meeting people. especially those from other cultures and getting to experience how their cultures mix and interact with ours. the amount of similarities astounds me. they knew every justin bieber song/fact/recent news and spoke perfect English .. as well as Croatian and Italian.  If it was not for the accents, i would have thought they were American .. judging by the way they interacted with us, simple nuances and small little things like the way they carried themselves, laughed and spoke about boys!

so we arrived at the train station back to Ancona and almost immediately jumped on a train to Venice. Absolutely packed with Europeans traveling for Easter, we were unable to get any sleep so we passed the time playing rummy.

i will never forget the feeling of stepping out of the train station in Venice and seeing the waterways abuzz with boats, gondolas and vaparettos (water taxis) .. its more beautiful in person than any photos or Madonna videos could ever produce. it nearly took my breath away. we were aware of the limited amount of time we had to spend there so we quickly rushed to our hostel. Ostello di Venezia. the most hostel-y of all hostels i have ever seen. we were in a 16 bed mixed dorm room. . 8 bunkbeds and lockers in the corner-- bathrooms down the hall, separated for the sexes, dinner served from 5-1am and free breakfast. no towels offered and very limited private space. but hey, 22 euros a night, right on the water.. what can ya do. please see previous post about what traveling as a college student does for your standards. we freshened up, showered and hit the streets to jump on a vaparetto to St. Mark's square.

i would like to dedicate the whole next paragraph to the woman we conversed with on the vaparetto to St. Mark's . Per usual, whenever I hear English, particularly American and if I am feeling in the right mood and the situation calls for it-- i enjoy striking up a conversation.  Such is the circumstance where we met this couple from Boca Raton, Florida. First of all, she looked to be pushing 45-50 and he was maaaaaybe 30. ah c'est la vie. and i asked her if they had any advice on what to make sure we saw whilst in venice. first thing she says to me. "honestly, i dont like it that much." i can only imagine what the face i made looked like to her. she continued "its dirty, smelly and the people are rude." .. so far, 3 of the most complete opposite opinions i could ever imagine hearing. "the pizza is terrible and is the thickness of paper. geez, i just want a nice Pizza Hut pizza" ... im sorry. COME AGAIN? youre really comparing PIZZA in ITALY to PIZZA HUT? i could not believe my ears. apparently they have been traveling Italy for 2 weeks .. and she had these opinions of their past ventures.. Florence: "ugh too many students, just bar scenes and nothing to look at or see" .. Rome: "i got bored of all the old things." SERIOUSLY? and this lady was well put together, obviously educated and well off given the outfit she was wearing and her Boca address. I literally cannot stop thinking about this poor and miserable woman.  that must be how she lives her life. i could not imagine EVER entertaining such thoughts. She gave American tourists a terrible name. I felt so bad for all those nearby who could comprehend our English conversation.

Libby, Trey, Ian, Kory, Moi, Kat

Anyways, we spent the evening roaming the streets, getting lost in the labyrinth of canals and gelateries. we treated ourselves to a delicious and authentic Venezian meal and of course, celebrated the evening with a bottle (or two) of wine.  Unfortunately we only had roughly 20 hours to be there and thus our experiences were short lived.

just means i will HAVE to go back sometime in my life.

she finally found a paradise it seems

so i hate when blogs go on and on for pages and paragraphs and ramble. so i decided to break up my epic adventures into a few blogs. :)

we jumped on a train that cost 7.50 euros, c'est tout, and headed to Ancona, Italy. probably one of the most beautiful train rides ever. literally, the train tracks ran the entire way along the Adriatic coast and was just so picturesque. i have absolutely fallen in love with train travel. show up 10 minutes before your train is due to leave. jump on. drop your stuff and pop a squat and enjoy the view.

ancona was really just a pit stop for us and the point of departure for our ferry. or should i say cruiseship. seriously, this bad boy could run with the best of the Carnival ships. Okay, not really. . but it sure was a lot bigger than any of us expected. Capacity of probably 700 .. and there were maybe 98 on board. we decided to just rough it and buy deck seats for the low price of 20euros. we expected to literally be sleeping under the stars. but there were literally so few people on board that we were able to snag seats in the area where there are just rows of airplane-esque seats. tankfully they were inside and warmer than sleeping on the outside deck would have been. we almost immediately made friends with this guy from DC who has been teaching lacrosse in London for the last year to highschool and college students. he was quite a cool guy and meeting people is one of my favorite pasttimes. we also met 2 girls traveling from Madrid. we pretty much just collected all of the Americans on board.  this ferry, Regina, was equiped with a nightclub and bar .. a chapel .. and lots of creepy Italian/Croatian men sleeping in both. Quite the experience. we definitely made the best of it.

We docked in Split at 7am. just in time to see the sun rise over the landscape. Ian's neighbors back home in Maryland invested in Croatia when Yugoslavia split up in the 90s and bought 2 apartments in the quiet little island of Ciovo just 45 minutes outside of Split.   The property managers drove all the way there and picked us up in 2 cars. VIP style. during our trip we got to learn some valuable information about Croatia. (thankfully she spoke English) we learned that the black wine is a specialty . it is not quite tourist season- but when summer comes, the country becomes overrun with tourists. most Croatians prefer the former- Communist days to the republic they have today. she was very helpful and the drive from Split to Trogir was absolutely ASTOUNDING. on onen side is the port and Adriatic sea and on the other side, a mountain range gently slopes up providing for a beautiful panorama that had us all speechless.

so we arrived in our little island of Ciovo .. right off the coast of Split. and almost immediately, i notice the supreme lack of any others like ourselves. There were little bars, obviously meant for tourists, along the beach that were in desperate need of customers but were still charming nonetheless. we had 2 apartments that had a beautiful view of the water and the surrounding neighborhood. to put it in perspective of how small and intimate this area was... there was ONE grocery store a fifth the size of a normal bi-lo, ONE post office that was connected to the what i believe was the police station and a bakery. charming. the best part? we had an entire beach to ourselves. it wasn't the white sandy shores that the Caribbean rocks but it was absolutely serene and peaceful and the ideal vacation.  since it was 80 degrees by 10am .. we brought our lunch every day (bread, cheese, assorted salami and beer) and soaked in the sun all afternoon, playing cards and shootin the breeze. it was absolutely divine.

one afternoon we decided to venture into Trogir, the bustling port town we drove through on the first day. it was a pleasant 30 minute walk and when we arrived we are all stunned with its charm and likability. Croatians bustling about on their mopeds, roaming through the market stalls, enjoying the sun at an outdoor cafe.. it reminded me a lot of Aix .. minus the access to the beautiful Adriatic. After obtaining some snazzy souvenirs, Libby and I wandered around the town snapping pictures. We stopped for a moment in front of a particularly beautiful and massive sailboat docked in the harbor.  I noticed that a very much faded Canadian flag was proudly displayed off the stern and 2 gentlemen were sitting on board sipping wine and enjoying the setting evening.  Always taking an opportunity to make new friends and especially those who speak English, I initiated a friendly conversation referencing their poor faded flag.  Extremely friendly and hospitable, they invited Libby and I aboard.  Being the intelligent and well raised young lady-- i would not have done so unless I had full confidence in the situation and in myself. they were not creepy or intimidating in the least and we actually spent a most enjoyable evening swapping stories, talking about politics, the world and travels.

to new friends

Ian and I in Spli

turns out, Jacques and James are lifelong friends from Montreal who are retired from their work as engineers (no doubt, quite successful ones at that) given that they now spend their time taking 7month sailing trips in their personal 60feet sailboats. no big deal. they have literally been everywhere. and they regaled us with their tales of drinking wine with Slovenians in a port outside of Dubrovnik, getting screwed by the economy days after investing in another sailboat, exploring the towns looking for the bets pizza and beer, pretty much just living the ideal bachelor life. they shared some wine with us, Tunisian wine to be specific and we had great conversation about the toils and troubles of the world.  I supremely enjoy conversations with others, and especially intelligent conversations, ones that focus on more than what type of alcohol is the best for certain evenings and what outfit to wear to the football game on saturday.  though I do enjoy those too. but a break from the norm is nice every once in a while.  Especially since I am on the verge of leaving my perfect little college bubble where I can do as I want and nothing can hurt me and am about to enter the real world where exposure to real life problems take over the conscience and bills, state of the economy and shift work are more prevalent and important than weekly drink specials and frat party locales. though i am in no rush to merge the two worlds-- dabbling in conversation that makes me feel more like a valuable member of society every once in a while is quite enjoyable and entertaining.

all in all, Croatia might be one of the most beautiful places on Earth.  I am counting down the days until I can go back.  everyone was beyond friendly and the scenery was beyond imagination.  I am a little regretful we didnt get to make it to the famous Plitvice Lakes . but something traveling and this whole experience has taught me .. is that I have the rest of my life to continue my travels and see more than the little taste/sampling that traveling as a college student allows.

we spent all day Friday exploring the beautiful port town of Split

You dont exactly live the life of luxury when youre backpacking through Europe in your 20s. we may have stayed in the Carleton hotel that one night in Pescara ... but dinners several nights consisted of my new love, Paprika chips, beer and a Twix bar .. and on more than one occasion .. more beer and gelato for breakfast. livin' the dream.

come sail away

surreal. incroyable. unbelievable.

these are some words i would use to describe the vacation i just had. i thought winter break was the most amazing vacation ever.. but i have to say .. spring break 2011 .. might just take the cake.

if you recall, i posed about my spring break plans here


i guess it is easiest to start from the beginning

Kory flew from Sevilla, Spain to Marseille very early on thursday morning and being the sweetheart that he is, decided to pay 7.50 euros to take the bus from Marseille to Aix! I met him at the bus station. i absolutely loved showing him around my little town. i took him to school, to my favorite bakery and on a lovely stroll up the Cours Mirabeau where we of course had to stop at Crêpes a Go-Go and eat a nutella/banana crêpe! he really appreciated my quaint and delightful provencial town and despite the quick time he was here, i think he got a cute glimpse of the french joie de vivre! after a lovely afternoon we headed back to marseille where literally half of the kids in my program were on the same flight as us to Cagliari, Sardinia. gotta love those cheap RyanAir flights! as soon as we got off the plane, Ian and Trey were there to greet us, as their flight had brought them from London to Cagliari quite early that same morning.  The immensive hug that Ian greeted me with absolutely made my day. We literally embraced for a solid 5 minutes... upholding my thought that airports are possibly the sweetest and most romantic places on earth. despite the dozens trying to push their way through the beyond frustrating maze of procedures-- as if the more impatient they are, the quicker they will make it to their gate. but i find them enchantingly sweet-- love ones leaving other loved ones for Lord knows how long, but does it matter, when you part with someone you love, emotions are sure to overcome. the same level of sentiment are the joyful, tearful and typically loud reunions amongst loved ones, friends, families, even strangers have the chance to fall in love in the ever so delightful airport.

the gang on our giant porch

i did some serious research and found an astounding apartment for us in Cagliari. we got there, tummies grumbling but unfortunately too late to go grocery shopping. so we did some wandering and almost immediately we discovered this absolutely AMAZING pizza place. 4-6 euros for HUGE pizzas. and they were delicious. it was quite the discovery. after stuffing our faces we grabbed some ichnusas. aka the cheapest, best beer of cagliari. we spent the evening getting to know each other, swapping stories, playing games and enjoying the Sardinian weather! the next day was absolutely beautiful! we jumped on the first bus to the beach and immediately started to soak up the sun!

wetsuits: the hottest and most flattering summer fashion

one of my premier goals for my semester here in Europe was to go sailing in the Mediterranean. I had some pretty wonderful experiences sailing during my amazing time at camp during the summer. and i wanted to take my sailing to the next level. now i really dont know that much at all .. i know the basics of how to sail the little Sunfish boats at camp .. so Kat and I decided we'd go with the little Laser sailboat. The weather was perfect but the water was super cold .. so the very nice and friendly Italian gentlemen gave us wet suits. Kory and Ian decided to try their hand at sailing too and Libby ventured to try the S.U.P .. Stand Up Paddle . pretty much just a flat windsurfing board and a kayak paddle.  Each of us had quite an experience.  I am definitely not extremely skilled at sailing, and Kat had some experience too .. so we definitely capsized a few times.. turtled it completely upside down once.. but hey .. its ALLL part of the experience, Right? The best part? the guy only charged us 20 euros .. for 2 sailboats and the SUP. deal of the century? je pense oui!

 as true college students who think only with their wallets and their stomachs .. we decided that we would take advantage of our quaint little kitchen and cook some vrai italian-o diner . the boys did the grocery shopping and came back with 15 euros worth of deliciousness. pasta is laughably cheap in italy, as to be expected. and the biggest ticket item? a 7euro JUG of red Italian wine that tasted, well, i've become accustomed to less than perfect foreign wines, but this bad boy... whewf. thankfully we solved the probem and turned it into absolutely delicious vat of sangria equiped with delicious slices of fruits and yummy 1euro champagne! soon the apartment was filled with the sound of cards being shuffled (more on that in a minute) and the aroma of mushrooms, onions and bread with fresh garlic cooking, roasting and baking in the kitchen. spaghetti with sauce, even some green beans and of course, lots of sangria.  it was perfect. we girls were so lucky to have such dedicated and attentive chefs!

the next day was a little rough as far as weather goes-- so no beach unfortunately. but we took the opportunity to explore the little town of cagliari.  a port town with a rich history of occupation, Cagliari has seen the rule of several civilizations. The city is an important regional cultural, educational, political and artistic center, known for its diverse Art Nouveau architecture and several monuments. It is also Sardinia's economic and industrial hub, having one of the biggest ports in the Mediterranean sea, an international airport, and the 28th highest income rate in Italy, comparable to several Northern cities, such as Turin, Vicenza and Genoa. (thanks again wikipedia)

we had a most enjoyable day roaming around, taking pictures, getting lost in the labryinth of tiny uphill streets and admiring the interesting and intricate grafitti. we met quite some interesting characters that night when we went out to explore the nightlife after again, dining in true style at our favorite pizza place.  

an early RyanAir flight out took us to Pescara, Italy. I wouldnt go as far to say that we landed in Pescara around 1 in the afternoon..but more like crash landed without much damage, though I cant be sure. RyanAir is notorious for providing cheap flights that pretty much just get you from point A to point B and nothing more.  with strict luggage requirements-- they go as far to make you STUFF your 1 alloted carryon into this cage like structure that in no way resembles the dimensions of an overhead compartment .. and if they deem your baggage "too high, heavy or big" they slap you with a lovely 40 euro charge to store it under the plane.  thankfully i am a smart packer, which means I have gotten very good at condensing my overpacked backpack down so that it fits comfortably to their liking.  Also, the seats look like little lego blocks, the flight attendants are not friendly (would you be if you were a flight attendant on the low budget, joke of an airline?) and they try and sell you EVERYTHING from perfume from all the top designers, smokeless cigarettes and 2 day old newspapers.  its an experience to say the least. they also play a cheesy little tune that is what you can imagine comes standard as a ringtone when they land, as if they are even celebrating the fact that they made it without any major mishaps.

SO MUCH PIZZA

so pescara. delightful little town on the Adriatic coast. the Adriatic, i would say, is the Mediterraneans twin with a lighter hue, less salt and shores on the banks of some of the most luxurious and elusive beaches in the world. this was merely a lily pad in our efforts to jump across the Mediterranean and Adriatic sea to where our Croatian getaway was waiting.   5 euro RyanAir flight? you cant beat that.  So I arranged for a nice little bed and breakfast, meant for 4 people, but again, referencing our college-student-ness -- we are quite adaptable and down for anything.  Oddly enough, there was a cute Norwegian couple there when we arrived. Calm and in control of the situation I called the rental company where I was greeted with a nice enough Italian man who spoke ZERO english. fabulous. again, hiccups like this were bound to happen and there was NO need to panic. while I played phonetag with this company for a while, we posted up on the corner of the coastal road where there was a Carleton hotel located on the corner.  Looking for internet, we went in and just in case things didnt work out- i asked the rates for the rooms.  80 euros for a double bed. thinking quickly and trying to navigate the 5 other opinions flooding my way.  we had the brilliant idea that if we were able to get all 6 of us in .. it would only be 13 euros a person. a miraculous steal considering the Carleton is a 4 star hotel. perhaps against my better judgment i decided to go with it. the boys volunteered to sleep on the floor and hey, id love to save like 18euros. well, the desk lady was nice enough but definitely not stupid.  we managed to get the 3 of us girls up and then leave for dinner and some perusing. the weather was a tad chilly-- but the sea and the views were beautiful and the best part? every restaurant along the beach had outdoor seating AND playgrounds.  some of the coolest playgrounds I have ever seen too. so we had a dandy good time, treated ourselves to a rather nice dinner of .. yep you guessed it.. pizza. despite efforts to branch out .. we ended up going the cheapest, easiest and equally as delicious pizza route.  i have such a new found love for prosciutto ! so .. we return to catch a good night sleep .. and alas, our impeccable scheming fails and the desk lady catches on.  despite efforts to just buy another room .. the boys decided 'no big deal' we'll just go sleep in the train station. man did i feel like a total brat. "yeah, you boys go sleep in the dirty, creepy, cold train station-- while we sleep here in this 4 star hotel watching Twilight dubbed in Italian" .. i tried to come up with another solution, but to no avail. the boys were set in their ways. they lasted 2 hours. got way too creeped out by homeless men surrounding them and they caved and booked a hotel. so alas, all was well.