Decembrrrrr

A Hydro-field cuts through my neighborhood
Somehow that always just made me feel good
I can put a spare bulb in my hand
And light up my yard

Late at night when the wires in the walls
Sing in tune with the din of the falls
I'm conducting it all while I sleep
To light this whole town

The Good & the Bad

 "That's one of my 'new me' resolutions. Nasty people don't count."

-Cassie (British Skins)
 

:-)

Tunes

This is my obsession

Ellie Goulding & thrift shopping. I love the remixes of her songs. Today I got a ton of thrift store goods for only $14. I can cover my walls and decorate with barely any money.

Also keep listening to this -

"Are you mine? Cause I stay here all the time Watching telly drinking wine Who'd have known?"

Starry Eyed

it's gettin late but I don't mind.

I'm in a reflective mood. Memories, good and bad.





I'm still not a big fan of cooking, but I'm getting into making super simple recipes with my current favorite things: fish, shellfish, and veggies. Excited to cook for the fam at home!

MUSSELS AND TOMATOES

2lb local (black) mussels

1 onion sliced

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ bunch parsley, chopped

1 can Italian tomatoes

salt and pepper

½ cup white wine

·      gently fry onion in olive oil until translucent

·      add garlic, tomatoes salt pepper and white wine

·      cook 5 mins, add scrubbed and debearded mussels and parsley

·      cook until mussels open

l

I'm reading Dance, Dance, Dance by Haruki Murakami. It's weird but interesting and I'm told it's the worst of his books. If that's true can't wait to read the rest! 

It isn't very difficult to see why You are the way you are

 "The less you give, the more I want so foolishly."

 

"Travel often; getting lost will help you find yourself."

"A Stanford professor revealed that all babies below the age of four are tested at near genius levels. But something starts to happen after this. Children slow down because they are given limitations: “Don’t say silly things!”, “Stop playing with your imaginary friend!" 

Lesson: Don't let the limits people place on you cause you to doubt yourself!

The unattainable and bountiful: love.

"You know what's so good about the truth? Everyone knows what it is

however long they've lived without it. No one forgets the truth, they just get better at lying."

"Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow.
Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.
Just walk beside me and be my friend."

 

------

"I'm afraid of those who are afraid of me"

------

 

"Many people need desperately to receive this message: I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone."

 

 

“We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same.”

 

(but a little Effy-esque misery feels good)

"If I'm free, its because I'm always running."

"If you aren't living on the edge you are taking up too much space."

"I dare you to move like today never happened."

Ramblings

The Netherlands was AWESOME, now after one night in Firenze I'm in Panicale. It's beautiful.

Someone posed this question to me (talking about the book - and movie, who knew? - The Secret): What do you REALLY want?

I want to fall in love and then travel before settling in one place. I want to go to South Africa, but not family-trip or solo style. I want a houseboat in Amsterdam!

What don't I want? Some things you think you want, you actually don't. Will I ever truly want a tattoo? Or to skydive? Or to live in the U.S. for the rest/most of my life because my family is there?

What I'm doing when I get home in July:

• cooking the occasional dinner aka MAKING THE BEST HOMEMADE PIZZA with crazy toppings
• learning how to hair wrap and using cool beads & colors
• dying a pink streak in my hair again
• reading
• watching documentaries
• downloading music (full albums of my fave artists)
• Not being flaky and calling out people who are!
• Being spontaneous
• sleeping on the back porch or outside
• having Em drive me everywhere for once!

I love Italy so much being in someone's home, although they're an awesome family and so welcoming, made me realize how ready I'll be to go home to my own!!!

update - I will also learn to make sushi and where I can buy the fish/all ingredienttts

People have balls

On to the next.

I leave Florence on Saturday, it's been 3 of the best months of my life. So many great friends and memories. Luckily, I have the Netherlands to look forward to with Kai and Christine, then back to Italy until July 13! It will be CRAZY returning to the states after all of this, but I CANNOT wait to see everyone. I'll keep the blog going, because wanderlust is my favorite word and favorite song (shout out to Thompson Brothers Band). I love to travel; Florence was the best start I could have had.  So much to see it's completely overwhelming. But the people at each place are what matter.

Mhmmm.

Wanderlust Firenze.

I'm so comfortable here. I don't want to leave.  I'm thinking about this because I just looked at the picture of Florence at the top of this blog. Usually I ignore it because I've seen it so many times, but I just looked again - it's AMAZING how different it appears after living here. I know the streets, buildings and river bank so well. Three months ago it was just a picture in the top Google image results.

Materialism & Dance

Boredom. I have so much homework to do (including a 10 page, 1.5 spaced terrorism research paper) before my family gets here in the morning.
And so I will make a visual Free People wish list of things I will never buy.

favorite:

:) !

El Mare

The beach I went to the other day in Italy, Castiglioncello, was gorgeous. It wasn't too crowded because it's still only April but it was HOT. I went all the way in the Mediterranean for the first time - freezing but so refreshing and amazing. There were cliffs and steep stairs leading down to the water, the town itself was really cute also. Mom and Emily (if you read this, which I doubt) I cannot wait to see you on SatURDAyyy! wooooo. Also currently planning Capri for my last Italian excursion, SOOO excited.

Castiglioncello -

Lovelyyyy.

Lunch @ Ghostbusters.. the menu had nothing to do with ghosts or American food.....

Whoaaa Nelly

i love dilemma, my #1 childhood song along with "follow me" (uncle kracker)
here's part 2! gotta say the old-school nellyville is way sicker than yet another rap video in paradise

So sad...

......to be leaving in a month or so. I love Italy. I'm looking into Workaway and already found a woman who needs help in her garden until the end of May. Basically, you help the host out in exchange for food and a place to stay. Pretty awesome. Two of my roommates just did it for a week in Portugal working on the land and loved the family they stayed with.


My conversation exchange with the mythical Patrizia never happened, I'm starting to question if she even exists. I got a new partner, a college Freshman named Cristina. I'm excited to meet her!

Here's a picture from my spring break in Spain :) Me gusta la playaaaa

Someone buy me a PostSecret book, pleaseee.

Honest and Raw.

:-)

Bagni di Lucca

I loved this little town, a twenty minute train ride from Lucca. We went horseback riding and met the nicest couple who brought us to their home for coffee. They were Dutch but have traveled and lived all over the world and had the most interesting stories.
They rent out apartments on the second and third floor of their home: www.villatalenti.com
I would love to see the town when it's warmer, but it was still beautiful in the dreary cold. There are 23 little villages with their own names but they all make up the town of Bagni di Lucca.
I WANT TO LIVE THERE.

Catz

So many stray cats. One ADORABLE one has been on our roof for the past week making the most heart-wrenching noises. I think it's starving but I don't understand why it won't leap onto someone's balcony and get down already!!! We call it but it just stares at us. It screeches every couple hours. I could not believe a cat could even make that noise until I saw it coming from its wide mouth.

hiding from the rain -

view from our porch:)

On another note, I did NOT get the Family Club pairing, nor did anyone I know. What a joke. I did, however, get paired with "Patrizia" for conversation exchange. All I know about her is that she is "much older than me" (in her words - whatever that means), rides a bike, and lives outside the city center. I'm excited to meet her and also to start community service Tuesday at an elementary school.


update: listening to the poor little cat at the moment and it is seriously awful sounding.

i miss my best friends.

Winter 2010

New York I Love You - LCD Soundsystem

Once again, in love with a Skins song. I like the youtube video also - it's an undergrad's final video project at Manhattan College.

Chocolate, Paints & Family

I've never really been a chocolate person. I'd choose a burrito over chocolate cake any day, and that's still true. But I had the best chocolate of my life at the Chocolate Festival in Piazza Santa Croce by my school. The chocolate fountain with whipped cream on top was the best thing I've EVER tasted (until the chocolate hardens five minutes later). The festival is gone, but I still find myself wanting to sample the chocolates in every store.

I wanted to take a painting class while I was here but did not. I pass the coolest art/home supply store on my way to school every day. I'm going to buy some paints, a palette and 2 or 3 brushes. Along with some paper. Problem is, I don't know anything about painting supplies - hopefully a few employees can speak English. Acrylic or oil? I have no idea.

I'm extremely nervous that I'm not going to be paired with a family through the Family Club. 40 students interviewed and there are only 20 families!! I find out Sunday and I hope hope hope hope hope I get it.

Fotografie

cool ring I got from a street vendor: