| | Next week is already the start of Winter Break! The city does a wonderful job decorating the streets with twinkling stars and Christmas trees - there is some kind of lit decoration on every street. The radio is playing Christmas songs, the weather is chilly, and the poeple are out in great forces shopping up a storm. Around the Smith SEDE (our school), everyone is all abuzz about where to go and what to do over the 3 week winter break. Most of the girls this year are returning to the States for at least part of the vacation, while I think only three of us, myself included, will be galavanting around Europe. I am still putting the final touches on my flights, trains, and hostels for all of the places I want to go. This is another great perk to studying abroad - you can take advantage of the surrounding countries to visit during breaks and long weekends. And I'm lucky that Europe is relatively small.
Last weekend, my friend Jen and I spontaneously decided to take a trip up north and went to Sanremo, Italy and Nice, France. It was quite a long haul for a weekend (7 hours both ways) but it was such a blast! We savored great wine, jammed on the guitar, went to a party where everyone was pretty exclusively French-speaking, and ran around in the pouring rain.
From here until the break, life is pretty easy-going. I know that all the Smithies on campus right now are stressing out big time over final exams. Our finals here aren't until after the break so I can relax for now. One thing I am busy doing is volunteer work. I have recently started volunteering with a wonderful organization called ANT (Associazione Nazionale Tumori), which is very similar to Hospice in the United States. So far I have helped sell Poinsettias to the community as a fundraiser and next semester, I will be working more person to person with patients and their families. I think volunteering is absolutely necessary for everyone to do no matter what field or kind of work you are interested in. It's a win-win situation.
Tonight, while we wait for the pasta to cook, I am helping my little sister, Matilde, with her English homework. She has to memorize 2 minutes of an English composition for next week. I understand how scary and nerve-wracking this can be given those Italian poems and presentations I have made over the years, so I am trying to help her out as best I can. I think she is getting a little distracted by Facebook, though... :)
In other news, I recently decided, with the help of Margaret Anderson, Smith�s incredible pre-health advisor, that it is going to be best that I live life for two years before medical school. I am a go-getter and a little obsessive about getting things done and living fast and planning ahead. Well, what is two years going to mean in the long run? I just wanted to get the last pre-med requirement, MCATs, applications all out of the way in one summer, do something amazing for a year, and then enter med school in fall 2010. Now, I am just extending it for a year to enjoy life more! I am going to be the world�s happiest girl when I get that medical school acceptance letter in the mail in 2011, but I am going to enjoy whatever comes by way until I get it.
Other than that, just trying to make Italian friends, searching for great sales, and hoping everyone is excited for the holidays!!!
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