Loving the Journey..

Formal Dinner

Last night was our first of three formal dinners arranged by Cimba. This dinner was at a really nice restaurant in Castlefranco, about 40 minutes away. It was fun to see everyone dressed up, even our teachers. We were trying our best to use our new European etiquette techniques that we learned at our etiquette seminar Tuesday night. It was such a good meal, 7 courses total. I could not read the menu very well but I think some of the courses included artichoke with cheese on it and a piece of fish, this small pizza thing with veggies, red cabbage risotto, pasta with duck sauce/meat, some sort of steak and roasted potatoes (so good!), and the most amazing desert. Below is a picture of it because I liked it so much. I think it was peanut butter ice cream, with whip cream, inside a pastry type thing, with powdered sugar and chocolate syrup. YUM!

Carnevale in Venice

Last weekend, I visited Venice for the start of the celebration of Carnevale. People were dressed in extravagant costumes and my group purchased some masks they were selling everywhere. I have only been to Venice at night so seeing the city during the day was absolutely beautiful. Every corner and every canal looked straight out of a painting. I don’t think any two buildings were the same or the same color. St. Mark’s Basilica was especially amazing to see in person. The atmosphere of Carnevale was so fun. We wandered around Venice for about 12 hours on Saturday. It is the best place to get lost, and also the easiest. Getting lost seems to be a natural occurence among my group. Also, the “street” signs in Venice often point both directions and are basically left up to your interpretation, or a coin toss deciding which way you should go.

I have been told though that you learn the most while getting lost and I think studying abroad will incredibly increase my problem solving skills. We had a lot of fun in Venice, though. Many Cimbas went for the weekend and we all seemed to reunite in St. Mark’s Square on accident Saturday night so it was fun seeing everyone in their Carnevale masks. We also went to a club Saturday night which turned out to be hosting someone’s wedding reception. Me and my friend Mal even got a picture with the bridal party. It was totally by accident that we “crashed” a wedding in Venice but it was definitely one of the funniest moments I’ve had yet. All in all, Carnevale and Venice was an awesome experience. Below are just a few of the beautiful pictures taken.

Keeping Busy

This week has really been tough but I like having a lot to do. We are all starting to have assignments pile on, particularly two presentations, three quizzes, and an exam this week for me. Nevertheless, Mondays are the only day that the Cimbas have the gym and not the Italian students so we arranged a coed intramural soccer and volleyball game. It was intense, but my team was exceptionally good at volleyball. I’m hoping this will be a new tradition for us on Mondays until the weather is warmer and we can use the outside courts.

Travel Week Approaching. . .

Well, Friday begins our first travel week. I cannot believe how long we have been here already but I can barely contain my excitement for our upcoming week. I know that our weeks are tough and school is intense but it is worth it to have so much travel time. Well, I have to get back to studying and packing. Next time I talk to you, I will have stories from Rome, Paris, and Barcelona.

Ciao, Au revoir, Hasta Luego!