| | Welcome to 2009. 2009! My freshman year I remember thinking that college would be such a long haul and I seriously couldn't imagine myself graduating. Now, I am digging my heels into the ground trying to hold it off as long as possible even though I know this semester will just slide away and BAM! I'll be back in the US, at Smith, hurrying to do any last minute things or day trips around Northampton and the Pioneer Valley that I never got to do.
Right now I am in the Berlin Schoenefeld airport. It's 4:00 am and I'm awaiting a flight back to Italy since school starts on Wednesday. It has been such an incredible 3 week trek around Europe. I will definitely post pictures. I think the city I loved the most was Vienna, Austria. It was terribly cold and pouring with rain when we were there, however the energy and city center were so alive and offered so much. We saw the Spanish Riding School perform, got standing room only tickets to the State Opera House Staatsoper showing Puccini's La Boheme, and saw a stunning exhibit at the Leopold Museum of Schiele and Klimt. It was also wonderful to see my family and spend Christmas with them in Rugby, England. The perks of having dual citizenship means family time across the seas during the Holidays. We did A LOT of eating, visited an alpaca farm, and had a delightful afternoon tea and scone near Warwick castle. Next, my friend Mary and I headed for London to ring in the New Year. Sooo much fun! We met up with my friend Chris Fish, a native Londoner, who showed us around the city, shopped at the Camden Town markets, drank wine in an underground tavern, and saw Sunset Boulevard on stage. For New Years Eve, we met up with other Smithies and went to a rock show at a bar. My New Years Resolution of cutting down on the massive amounts of chocolate I eat didn't even make it past 3 am where I found a shop open selling my favorite, Cadbury's Flake. Next we went to Hamburg to meet up with a Smithie studying on that program and a Smith '06 alum who I worked with was also in town. Good laughs, pizza, chocolate, German brioche and YouTube videos sums up that quick stop. The final leg of the journey led us to Berlin - oh Berlin. Such an incredible place with a rough history. We did all the touristy things and tried our fair share of the cuisine, although I never had one of those long sausages in the little round bun. I can't believe that 3 weeks vanished so quickly. Definitely a trip to remember with unexpected turns (thinking I lost my passport and wallet at one point) and breathtaking experiences and encounters.
It will be nice to get home to Florence and settle back in and prepare to finish out the semester. I think like any Smithie, I am stressing a little more than necessary about my grades. One thing that was great about being away - I am so eager to speak Italian again. I think at the end of December my mind was getting a little mushy and overwhelmed but now, I am fully charged and ready to parlare italiano.
Happy New Year to all and don't take those resolutions too seriously!
|
