And here I am today...

Falafel with Yogurt Dip!

And here I am today and it's taken me all of 3 days to get you up to date on my Spring Break adventures and to upload all my pics to Facebook but I have completed it just in time to take off to Greece which I am sooooo excited for. My roommates went to Greece (well, Cofru Island) for spring break and they said it was absolutely amazing and the are so jealous that we are going this weekend. We have Friday and Monday off and are skipping classes on Thursday (And yes, I am skipping but oh, well it's the only day I plan on missing and that's pretty good considering I'm studying Italy and there's many fun things I could be doing instead of sitting in a classroom.) So I leave for Greece tomorrow morning although it feels like I just got back in Florence although I did manage to upload all my pics, update this blog, grocery shop, do all my laundry, attend three classes, and a wine tasting so I'll say I was pretty successful. In my Mediterranean Diet Class, we made Falafel with Yogurt Dip which I definitely plan on making again so you all can try it too! In my wine class, we went on a Wine Tour of Florence and saw different wine places throughout the city (one including the LARGEST wine cellar in Florence, it's pretty amazing) which was pretty cool and discovered a new sandwich place with sandwiches for only 2.50 euro! I'm looking forward to Greece though with sunny weather and high in the 60's.. I hope to get some color! And even an ATV safari! I'll be sure to update you all with pics included sometime next week. I miss you all though and I can't believe I'll be home in just about 6 weeks!

SPRING BREAK 4 of 4: PARIS

Arc de Triomphe

The Eiffel Tower!

Sacre Couer... my favorite so far!

Entrance to Musee du Lourve.

PARIS! PARIS! PARIS! It would be suspected that this would probably be my favorite city because of The Eiffel Tower, the crepes, and all of the shopping. And yes, these were my 3 favorite things in Paris but Paris was really not my favorite city. I'll admit that Paris had some cool things but it was so touristy and I didn't really like that about it. Anyways, we had departed Amsterdam at 9am and arrived in Paris at 5pm. A few of the girls and I decided what better way to start off our time in Paris than to head up to Sacre Couer to watch the sunset with wine, a French baguette, and Brie cheese! It was a great idea and there were even street performers up there, one guy climbed a light post with a basketball on his head, it was quite entertaining. Kristen and I then decided to do the Paris Pub Crawl to see what the night life was like, of course stopping for crepes with Nutella along the way! The pub crawl was lame so that pretty much ended our night.

The next morning began with the Walking Tour of Paris (the longest walking tour ever)... Paris is a huge city! Of all the cities, this was the only city in which public transportation was completely necessary. On the tour we saw of course The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Sacre Couer, Champes-Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe, Musee du Louvre, Musee d'Orsay as well as many other places throughout the city. After the tour was all said and one, we went to get a close up look at the Eiffel Tower and it really is amazing! If you saw my Facebook, you can see there's sooo many pictures, I just couldn't help myself. We finally made our way over to the Arc de Triomphe and were going to climb to the top but by the time we got there, they were closing because of some ceremony, it was a huge disappointment. Oh, I almost forgot, there was a quick rain storm so of course that meant a necessary stop for crepes although this time I spiced it up a bit by adding banana too! We then went shopping for awhile, spent a couple hours in the Louvre (it is the biggest museum ever and if you saw my Faceboook, I was obsessed with the Egyptian exhibition). After the Louvre... began our French Onion Soup catastrophe. Emily's sister had told us of a place with French Onion Soup but when we got there, it wasn't even on the menu. We then proceeded to go to other small cafes and we would sit down and get all excited because it was on the menu but when the waiter returned to take our order, we were continually told it was all FINISHED! :( We finally asked one cafe before sitting down and sure enough they had it. Although it cost 11.50 euro so that's like 15 DOLLARS for one small bowl of soup. Although by this point, we were starving so it was well worth it. Another thing I didn't like about Paris... it's sooooo EXPENSIVE! We then back to see the Eiffel Tower at night and at night, it's even more spectacular!

Day 8- Our final day! Kristen and I awoke early so as to not waste our last day in Paris. We started the day at Musee d'Orsay which is filled with artwork such as Monet's "Waterlillies" which is so beautiful. I preferred this museum more because of the incredible impressionist masterpieces but also because the museum itself is smaller and thus more manageable and easier to see. Although, I was very disappointed that you were not allowed to take pictures. You used to be able to but stupid tourists don't know how to turn off their flash and overtime, the flash ruins the paint on the artwork. People just need to learn how to follow directions and turn off their flash! We then did some shopping (well, rather window shopping) around Paris. I saw these boots that I loved but quickly put them back down when I realized they were 750 euro! It was fun though and we even went to a Flea Market where I then found boots for 10 euro but opted against buying them because I really don't need another pair of boots nor will I have any room in my suitcase! At the end of the day, we boarded the bus for the 15 hour ride back to Florence and we sprung ahead too, so we actually lost an hour along the way too. The bus ride back was a killer, I doubt if I slept at all. And I didn't eat dinner because I figured we would stop along the way but we didn't stop for 7 hours or until 3am and it was at a rest stop without food. Let's just say... I was gld to be back in Florence. Spring Break was amazing, I traveled through 7 countries (Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland, and then back to Italy) and saw 4 major cities (Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Paris). It was a once and a lifetime opportunity and so much fun. I still can't believe that I saw all that I did. Before coming to Italy, I never thought I would travel to all these countries. The bus rides and exhaustion were so worth it though.

SPRING BREAK 3 of 4: AMSTERDAM

Amsterdam is built on canals.

This is a Coffee Shop.

Egg & Cheese Pancake w/ Maple Syrup.... mmmm!

If you go to Amsterdam, I recommend the Heineken Experience!

So on Day 5 we departed Berlin at 9am to embark on what was supposed to be an 8 hour drive which turned into a 10.5 hour drive. This is one think I disliked about Spring Break was all the travel time, time wasted, traffic, etc. My suggestion for their next Northern Loop trip is to make these bus rides overnight therefore you can just sleep and no day time is wasted. Needless to say though, we arrived in Amsterdam after dark and a lot later than expected so we quickly changed and got ready to explore the night life of Amsterdam. We went out to Coffee shops around the city and these aren't our typical coffee shops. Yes, they sell marijuana and yes, you are allowed to smoke in the coffeeshops. It's actually rare to see people drinking coffee. I didn't smoke but other people had fun. And actually marijuana is illegal in Amsterdam but there's like laws in Amsterdam that things can happen if they are discrete, they generate business, and there's one other stipulation but I don't' remember it. Just like how prostitution takes place in Amsterdam in the Red Light District, we walked through at night and you see all the girls in the windows (most are very unattractive) but it was really weird like how could these girls put themselves out there every night but our tour guide said it's their business and they are actually very particular, make a lot of money, and at times even turn guys away. It's not about what they do, it's more about the business aspect. It was funny though, a group of us American college students walking through the district when most of the other people were groups of men.

Day 6 began with the New Europe Amsterdam walking tour where our tour guide was like all over the place and it felt like we were going round and round in circles on the tour. We saw a lot of stuff but honestly I can't even remember what we saw. After the tour though we went to the Heneiken Experience which is not only a tour of the brewery but its also an actual experience with interaction and beer. It was really interesting actually to see how this famous beer was made and there was a 3D simulation experience and a bar at the end of the tour to have a few glasses of Heineken. We then were determined to try Amsterdam's famous pancakes so we went to the Carousel Pancake place and I had a pancake with egg, cheese, and of course... syrup! It was more like a crepe but definitely worth it. After our pancake pit-stop we went to the Anne Frank House which was so interesting. It was crazy how she and her family were in hiding for so long. I remember reading her diary in elementary school and to finally see where they were hiding in the annex for so long was unbelievable. There was no furniture in the house but you could still feel what she and her family must have gone through. We ended the day with souvenir shopping (I've decided to collect baseball caps, I wear them often and it's a cheap souvenir!) and Wok to Walk (a fast food Chinese Restaurant located all over Amsterdam). We walked sooo much in Amsterdam and I was sooo exhausted. Our hostel was a room of 10 beds and let me tell you.. it's hard to sleep in a room full of ten people when everyone is on their own agenda and Emily was sick so she was snoring and anybody that knows me... knows that if someone snores, I will literally be awake all night. Regardless of the no sleep, Amsterdam was such a fun city and very, very different than all other cities I've visited thus far.

SPRING BREAK 2 of 4: BERLIN

Finally got a Java Chip Frappucino!

HUGE German Pretzels!

Brandenburg Gate (The only remaining gate of the Berlin Wall)

The hotel where Michael Jackson hung the baby out the window.

So, on day 3, we departed Prague for our next city on the Northern Loop which was Berlin, Germany. We were supposed to leave at 9am but some people have no respect for others so we didn't actually ended up leaving till 10. People just assume that if they are late then the bus will automatically wait for them and that's usually the case, but still so disrespectful. We finally arrived late into Berlin around 4 pm, we saw some really neat architecture on the drive into Berlin. If you ever travel to Berlin, do not stay at City Hostel Berlin. The staff at the front desk was very rude and not very helpful at all. And there was only one bathroom for a whole hallway full of rooms. (It was worse than college, I've never actually lived in a traditional dorm but I know that's it's worse). So, because much of the day was already over, we decided to check out the Jewish Museum (I was expecting more about the Holocaust) but it was more about the history of Jews although it still was all very interesting. We were on our own to find dinner so we found this typical German restaurant down the street from our hostel (after the front desk told us that nothing was open, liars!) I decided I must try typical German food so I had the class Berlin meatballs and honestly they tasted like any other meatloaf I had other had. Oh, well at least I can say I tried them!

The next morning started off with Sanderman's New Berlin Walking Tour. These walking tours are led by a guide from the company New Europe which provides free walking tours (they operate on tips) of all major cities in Europe. The Berlin Tour was the first walking tour ever created so it is well known and supposed to be the best. Berlin is a really cool city I just wasn't a big fan of our tour guide. On the tour we saw the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Wall (very unimpressive), Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie, Potsdamer Platz, Deutscher Dom and Franzosischer Dom, and Museum Island. Oh, and we saw a site not listed on the itinerary (the hotel where Michael Jackson hung the baby out the window and yes, I have a picture of the exact window). The tour guide was blabbering on and on and as soon as he mentioned this fun fact, the group was suddenly alive and turning to take pictures of the hotel, it was quite comical. I never really thought of Germany as a touristy area but it is full of visitors and the city actually has a lot of offer. It is an ever changing city and really up to date because most of it was destroyed in WWII so it is all very new looking. For lunch, we also had to try another typical German food, Currywurst Sausages which is mouth watering sausages with ketchup and curry. It may not sound great but probably one of my favorite meals on all of spring break. And as the tour guide says "You are what you eat, only eat once a year" so really it's not all that healthy which is probably why I liked it the best! I spent the remainder of the day walking around the city because it was absolutely beautiful weather (we actually all got a little sunburned that day!) And I finally got my Starbucks fix (every other country in Europe has Starbucks BUT Italy.. it's insane). We ended our time in Berlin with a group dinner at another typical German restaurant (the servers actually dress up in "German like" costumes) which included some cheese thing, HUGE PRETZELS, beer, and apple strudel and it was all worth it. Although I have decided that I am officially not wearing a bathing suit in Greece, ha ha ha!

SPRING BREAK 1 of 4: PRAGUE

Prague is such a beautiful city.

The Lennon Wall.

Goulash & Bread Dumplings... sooo good!

The Astronomical Clock Tower in Old Town Square.

So, this is post #1 of 4 and I am going to attempt to fill you in on my Spring Break as much as I possibly can. I'll warn you though it may be brief and undetailed and not as informative as I would have liked but you have to understand that I traveled for 10 days and I did manage to write some things down but there's no way that I can remember everything from the trip but I will try. Also, I arrived back in Florence 36 hours ago and I'm actually leaving in 60 hours for my Easter long weekend in Greece. So, in this short amount of time, I have to manage to write postcards, do laundry, grocery shop, re-pack, go to class, start working on my research papers, upload all my pics (and yes, there are about 1000 pictures from the 10 days) and still find time to write this blog so here it goes...

Thursday night was departure day and we boarded the bus at 10 pm. The itinerary said travel time was supposed to be 10 hours but somehow that 10 hours magically turned into 14 hours so we didn't arrive in Prague until 12 noon on Friday morning. I have been on plenty of buses but never for that long and while trying to get a full night's sleep. I took sleeping pills around midnight and was manage to able to sleep for about 6 hours straight which was good but woke up very stiff and uncomfortable. It's nearly impossible to get comfortable on a completely packed bus. Anyways so we arrived at our hostel/ hotel/ APARTMENT? at the Czech Inn which was so nice. It sucked we were on the 5th floor but it was so worth it because we had like a whole apartment with an amazing shower and comfortable beds, it was nicer than our apartment in Florence. We didn't even un-pack we just rushed down to breakfast which luckily they kept open for us and it was amazing buffet. After stuffing our faces, we departed for Sanderman's New Prague Walking Tour where we saw the Old Town Square and the the famous Astronomical Clock (which sadly I did not get to see go off) but according to our tour guide, tourists wait around a half an hour before the clock goes off and then are sadly disappointed when it's over just one minute later. We also saw the Jewish Quarter, the New Town, and the Charles Bridge. We stopped for lunch at Bohemia Bagel which supposedly has the best bagels in Europe (it was a pretty good chocolate chip bagel) and definitely reminded me of home. We were exhausted but we had to go on the famous Clock Tower Pub Crawl in Prague and it was pretty awesome and we even got V.I.P. treatment because we were with Bus2Alps. The Bohemia Bagel actually turned into a bar at night and then we went to two other bars/ clubs.

Day 2 in Prague was pretty rough because I had rolled my ankle on the cobblestone the day before so it was swollen up like a baseball (it was very difficult to walk) but I wasn't going to let that stop me, there was still so much more of Prague we wanted to see. Our tour guides took us across the river to Mala Strana to see Petrin Hill (beautiful views of the city), the Prague Castle, and the John Lennon Wall (which is such a piece of art). We then spent the afternoon looking for souvenirs and wondering about the city. We ended up taking a two hour nap before dinner though because we were so exhausted. For dinner we had to tr the classic Czech food which is Goulash soup which I honestly couldn't tell you what exactly it is but it was delicious with bread dumplings. Sadly enough, we filled our stomachs and went right back to the hostel to go to sleep.

I fell in love with Prague ("Praha" is how they spell it in Czech), it is such an amazing city. It is filled with old buildings and new buildings which gives it such a unique look. Okay, so I have to mention the money in Czech because it is different than the Euro which is used mostly throughout Europe. The Czech Republic is one of the most stable in Central and Easter Europe and things are really cheap. The exchange rate is 25 Czech= 1 euro= $1.45. So, like you would see prices on things and kind of freak out for a minute and then do the conversion rate in your head. For example, we got a gyro for 65 euro which in reality is only like 2.50 euro which is reasonable. It was really fun though to do all the covers ions and to figure out how much things actually cost. I love Prague though, the city has such a great feeling to it and definitely a city I would love to visit again.

Halfway Point

I really cannot believe that I have been here for 7 weeks! It's the halfway point! Some days I cannot wait to be home and I am definitely looking forward to the summer even though I will have to be working all the time to re-pay for this trip! Other days... I never want to leave. People often ask me what my favorite experience has been so far or what is my favorite thing, etc, etc. And to be honest I often find myself struggling to answer them.... I can't say what my favorite thing is or my least favorite thing is. Study abroad is a whole experience in itself. Today, while walking to class... I thought to myself.. How weird is that I have been living in a foreign country for 7 weeks. I literally have not been home for more than 36 hours since January 3rd. It blows my mind sometimes. Before I graduate high school, the longest I had been away from home was when I went to England and Scotland for 2 weeks. Since then, I think the longest I ever stayed at school without going home was 2 months. So by far... this has been the longest that I have been away from home in 20 years of my life. I tend to think I am a strong, independent young woman and able to do a lot for myself and if I want something I strive for it until I get it. Although, sometimes, I really just depend on my mother.

To my mother: Thank you so much for letting me call you today and rave and rant for 20 minutes while it was costing me a fortune and in the middle of your workday. I really do appreciate it and do not know where I would be without you today. I'll admit that sometimes you drive me absolutely crazy and we do often disagree on a lot of things but whenever something gets me down, you're always there. You always agree with me and stick by my side. You have seen me at my highest of highs and my lowest of lows but you have been there for me none the less. Whenever I'm feeling sad or have had a bad day, I know that I can always call you and you'll listen. When I'm sick, you're the only person who knows how to take care of me and listen to me whine and whine for hours about how horrible I feel. But above all, you love me unconditionally. When others have come into and out of my life, YOU are the only one who has always been there for me. I know that you have continually loved me since the moment I was born till this day. I know there were times when you were disappointed in me, or upset at me, or very very angry in my decisions but that didn't make you love me any less. I don't know why this is coming to me but after talking to you today, it made me realize how much I really do appreciate what you do for me and how you constantly believe in me even when I don't believe in myself. I miss you so much!

Country vs. City- I always thought living in the city would be cool and exciting and fun and don't get me wrong it is but it is also noisy, dirty, full of traffic and people. I have decided that I would much rather live in the suburbs and be able to go into and out of the city as I wish to. I have found this awesome park though, about a 10 minute walk from my apartment, it is a huge park. Filled with tons of grass, trees, and walkways and it is full of people walking, sitting, running, skateboarding, and biking. I went for a walk today in the park for about an hour and it was so enjoyable, I just had my headphones in and it gave me a lot of time to think and clear my head. It is a great escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. I'll give you an idea of some of the things I saw though:
- A young couple making out on a bench.
- A son pushing his mother in a wheelchair.
- These three little dogs were acting all macho towards this other dog and then the big dog just barked and all the other little dogs scattered, it was amusing to watch.
- A man doing squats and lunges.
- A woman doing yoga.
- A little girl rollerblading with her dad.
- A man and wife jogging.
- Old men walking slower than tortoises.
- Speed bike racers.
- An older man sprinting faster than I could ever.
- Then this creepy guy comes up to me and "pretends" to not know any English and asks me for a smoke, I said "No" and put my head phones back in and he proceeds to introduce himself as Matthew, I quickly say No thank you, I'm busy and I moved along on my way.
Its so nice to get away from the city streets and just be able to walk without sidewalks, bicycles, cars, and exhaust fumes. Fresh air is good for you!

On another note, I made it through my marketing mid-term. Tomorrow I have my chocolate mid-term and cultural mid-term which we'll have to wait and see how those go. Then I'm running to the laundry mat to do all my laundry and then we're off on spring break! We got the confirmation e-mails today of the final itinerary and I am so excited! In 10 days, I will have travelled 4,000 km of Europe, crossed 7 countries, and visited 4 major cities! I will probably be broke upon return and have to live off rice but I know it'll be worth it. I hope to be able to blog once more before I leave but if not, then there will definitely be lots to update you on and lots of NEW pictures for when I return. Buona Sera!

You don't study in Italy.

So, it's MIDTERMS week! For the past 7 weeks, I have done absolutely no studying and I think two homework assignments. The classes here are awesome and I am learning a lot but the method of teaching is very different. The grades are based on a midterm, a paper, and then the final. The point of studying abroad is to go to classes but it's much more than that... it's about the experience of studying abroad and living in foreign country and traveling and having fun! So, midterms week just kind of creeped up on me so when forced to study this past weekend, I really think I forgot how to study. I was very nervous this morning but there was nothing else I could do, I would not be able to memorize 7 weeks worth of information in day.

My first midterm was The Mediterranean Diet which I think I did well on because this class is not only cooking but it also has a nutritional aspect to it too and I took nutrition last semester so some of the information is repetitive and so I applied a lot of what I learned last semester to this exam so I think I did alright.

On the other hand... my second midterm of the day was Tuscany & Its Wines which I am pretty sure I failed completely. It was about 15 short answer questions and I knew a couple but most of them I guessed and made up answers. You have to understand that she lectures for two hours every class with a power point (each power point is about 60 slides with lots of information) so there was no way I was going to be able to learn 360 slides! We then had to try a wine and evaluate it which I think I managed to do but all I am doing now is hoping for a miracle or that she grades very lightly.

We'll have to wait and see... but I am getting really anxious for SPRING BREAK which is in 3 days... originally, I was supposed to go to Greece but at the last minute, Emily and I decided to switch to the Northern Loop trip (Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Paris) which I am very excited for. The weather here this week is going to be in the 60's and sunny and absolutely beautiful! but I just checked the weather for Prague for this weekend and it's supposed to be in the 40's and rainy. I really hope that weatherchannel.com is wrong.

30's one day & 60's the next.

The Easter Market... just a huge long road full of vendors, selling everything from clothes, shoes, purses, socks & underwear, bath accessories, to food.

I really wanted to buy one!

Me & Brittany just soaking up the sun! :)

Saturday- Emily and I woke up early to meet her parents at the Uffizi at 7:45 even though the museum does not open until 8:15 because there is always a huge line and they only allow a certain number of people into the museum at one time. So, we got there just in time to wait in line for a half hour and made it into the first group allowed into the museum. The Uffizi is an art gallery which houses collections of Gothic, Early Renaissance, High Renaissance and Mannerist art, and other Florentine work. I do not know a lot about art but it was really cool to see all the artwork and building itself is amazing too, it actually used to be offices for the Medici family.

After we left the Uffizi, we still had about another hour and half until brunch at Ganzo, so we walked around the city with her parents, mind you the temperature was only in the 30s so it was quite cold. We then treated her mom, dad, and sister to brunch at Ganzo and I am pretty sure everyone enjoyed it. We then made our way over the Mercato Centrale (the freshest market) where we bought some ingredients for dinner. (Her sister made us Risotto with Asparagus which was delicious). Our friend (Chris) was now due to arrive in Florence around 2pm but we got a call around 1:30 that they had lost his luggage and while he was trying to look for it, he missed his connecting flight to Frankfurt. They offered him another flight to Munich but really that did him no good because he was still in Germany and the next flight to Florence was not for another 4 hours or so which meant that he would not arrive in Florence until 9pm. Regardless, he was coming with his other friend (Casey) but she was on another flight that arrived on time in Florence at 12 noon. However, she had no phone, nor our phone numbers, or our address. So, she sat in the airport for 6 hours... waiting and waiting for Christ to arrive but every plane landed and he was nowhere to be found on any of the flights. LESSON LEARNED: When traveling, make sure you have ALL IMPORTANT INFORMATION with you so as to not be sitting in an airport for 6 hours. She finally checked into a hotel and was able to get on the computer to talk to her sister. In the meantime, we had white paged her mother and were able to contact her and tell her that we had yet to see her daughter and finally... 8 hours after she landed, she finally arrived via taxi to our apartment. Chris, on the other hand was savvy and took a bus from the airport to the train station (we live near the train station) so I went and met him at 9 when he finally arrived. It was a very long and stressful day but they finally made it. They were supposed to come out with us but had not slept in over 40 hours, so they decided to sleep while Emily and I ventured out for some night life. We ended up at Amadeus (our favorite bar) and then also went to Twenty One (a club that we had been to the first few nights we were here but never went back to because it was so crowded, but it was really fun this time and a lot less crowded!)

Sunday- (The pictures from above). I woke up and met Brittany for a city walk (The school organizes walks to new parts of the city about once a week). This week the walk was to the Easter Market which was located west of my apartment in this awesome park that I never knew existed. The market was only there for a few days I believe but basically what it is, is a long street just full of vendors selling everything from clothes, socks & underwear, bathroom accessories, shoes, belts, and food. There was also like a mini carnival too with some rides. The market was awesome though, but I am glad that I only brought 30 euro with me because if I had brought more, I definitely would have spent more. Regardless, it was a successful day, I bought two new cute tank tops, two belts, and even a hot dog for lunch. (I know I should not be eating hot dogs in Italy but it was the best hot dog ever). The hot dog is cut in half and grilled and placed on a bulky roll with lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, onions, mayo, and ketchup. I was not going to get it but the vendor man who was making them, called me over and I had seen some other people with them, so I just had to have one. The market was amazing, but the walk to the market was the best part. You walk along the river and then it leads you to this huge park and running trails which run along the river. It was a gorgeous day and there were people everywhere biking, walking, running, rollerblading, and just sitting in the grass soaking up the sun. I definitely know I will be going there again to run along the river. Brittany and I made a stop for gelato before I headed back to my apartment for a much needed nap! I napped for a couple hours and then forced myself to study because midterms are this week.... eeeeeek! I seriously think I forgot how to study. I am hoping for the best though, I will let you know how I do. Study abroad used to be pass/ fail but Endicott now requires for our grades to transfer so I am really hoping that I can keep my grades up while still experiencing and enjoying my time abroad.

I have never seen so much cheese!

Sooooo many wheels of cheese! Yes, we had to wear this in the cheese factory. Our full outfit included hats/ hair nets, a cape, booties for our shoes, and an optional mask.

PARMIGIANO REGGIANO: 4 AM comes way too quickly... We had to be on the bus at 5:15 AM so we set our alarms for 4:15am but of course I snoozed it three times until Emily finally turned on the light at 4:30! We quickly got ready and made the 20 minute hike to the bus! I wondered why they made us get up so early when we were only going to Parma & Modena which is only about 2 hours away but we realized when we made it to Parma that the reason they had us get up so early is so that we could see the entire process of cheese making. The cheese making process actually starts at 5 AM though when they go around to all the different farms and collect the cow's milk. (The cows are milked twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening). There are over 270,000 cows that produce the milk that go into making the Parmigiano Reggiano and it takes about 158.5 gallons of milk to make one wheel of cheese. The cheese making process then begins in these in huge copper cauldrons where a natural whey starter is added, then a natural enzyme from the stomach of the suckling calves is added which causes the milk to curdle, it is then cooked and lifted into a huge mass and then divided into two parts and then placed into a special mold "fascera" where it rests for 2 to 3 days. It is then salted, or placed in a brine (a solution of water and salt) for about 20 days. The cheese is then aged for 2 years or more. We saw cheese in the factory that dated 2007. The minimum period of aging is 1 year where it is then inspected. Only if it passes does it then receive the application of the Certification Mark, it is an oval mark which reads "Parmigiano-Reggiano Consorzio Tutela" and includes the year of production. At the end of the tour, we got to try some cheese and were given goodie bags with a free cheese knife!
Sooooo much pig!

Our Lunch: A plate full of Prosciutto.

PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA: After the cheese factory, we then transferred to the Salumificio La Perla to learn all the stages of the production of the worldwide famous "Prosciutto di Parma". Our tasting lunch was based on typical delicacies from the farm. The Prosciutto factory was very small and up in the hills/ mountains. Some of my pictures on Facebook show how much snow there was. The factory is only run by 4 guys (2 of which are brothers). They must go home smelling horrible at the end of the day because at one point, the smell of the meat became unbearable. All the girls had their scarves wrapped up around their faces. The meat is held on these cart type things which are connected the ceiling system and run through like a metal track on the ceiling from room to room. There are different stages of the prosciutto process which involve different room temperatures and levels of salting. It is actually a very long process and it takes almost a year from beginning to end (when we are able to eat it). My attention span was running low at this point and I could not stand the smell and our tour guide at the factory spoke no English so he would talk and then our school tour leader would have to translate after everything he said. Following the tour, we had a lunch tasting which was basically more cheese, bread, and a plate full of meat! I like meat but I can only handle so much. It was especially not appetizing after seeing the process.

These are the barrels in which the vinegar is kept. They are not completely closed but rather covered with cloth to keep out dust and bugs but still allows the vinegar to breathe.

BALSAMIC VINEGAR: We then transferred to Acetaia Malpighi in Modena where we learned how the real, unique balsamic vinegar is made. Above are the barrels in which the vinegar is kept for a minimum of one year up to 25 years. YES, it's really that long. We were able to try all the different vinegars. We first tried a fruit vinegar which you put on fruit and chicken and other light meats and it was really good. We also tried a white vinegar and then another vinegar which had been aged for 6 years and then we also tried the 12 year old vinegar and then the 25 year old vinegar. They were all very good and not anything like the commercially produced balsamic vinegar that you buy in the grocery stores. The 25 year old bottle of balsamic vinegar (100mL) cost 47 euro which sounds like a lot but it is the traditional balsamic vinegar and is only made and found in Modena and if bought online or in other places where it is exported to, it is a lot more expensive than 47 euro.

Towards the end of the day we were all exhausted because we had been up since 4 am and on and off the bus six times, we were ready to head back to Florence!

Chocolate & Family & Snow?

Tuesday: It snowed in Florence. The snow didn't stick but it was definitely snowing and then later turned to a cold, wet rain. It was also freezing outside, I would say it was the coldest its been since we have been here. They say that March in Florence can be like this though, 60's one day and 30's the next. So after meeting Emily for lunch at Ganzo (I had pork ribs and they were good but nothing like at home. BBQ ribs with extra BBQ sauce will definitely be my first meal upon arrival back in the U.S.) We decided to hibernate in our beds for the rest of the day because it was so cold, I watched a movie and ended up falling asleep for a few hours. Emily's mom's cousins were in town (Ronnie and Ernie) for their early honeymoon and offered to take us out to dinner. The dinner was so nice, it was at a trattoria (typical Italian restaurant) that we had never been too. Actually.. we haven't really been to many restaurants because we're college students and of course we are on a tight budget. I had pasta, tripe, beans, and homemade tiramisu! It was a nice long dinner and we were very thankful that they took the time to take us out.

Wednesday: I woke up early for an optional field trip to the Four Seasons Hotel in Florence. The Four Seasons Hotel is one of the nicest hotels in Florence and rooms run over 500 euro a night. My marketing teacher is friends with the owner of the hotel. He has owned the hotel for 33 years and he lectured us about how the market is changing. It was actually quite interesting because 33 years ago when he first starting, things were obviously very different. Guests who wanted to stay at the hotel sent letters a year in advance and they would include extra postage. He could then pick and choose which guests he wanted and mail them back confirming their reservation for the following year. Then came the introduction of the telefax and phone operating system used to make reservations still which the reservations were made 6 months to a year in advance and the hotel owner was still setting the prices as he wished, the highest rack rate. The use of computers and Internet has changed this though where the consumer now sets the price of the hotel room, is able to shop around, and can compare competitor's prices. This man has been in the business for many years and is very knowledgeable but times change things and so he must change with the times. Hospitality is a growing and thriving business but the economy is slightly dampening that right now. The hotel originally was just a few rooms, like a bed and breakfast but he began expanding and buying the surrounding buildings and building and attaching to create a bigger and bigger hotel which now has 82 guest rooms. We were able to tour a few of the rooms, all of which are completely different from the shape of the room, to the bed, to the bathroom, to the furnishings, and decor because they were are all additions. The hotel is very unique and boutique like. Their target market is upscale 40-60 year old. We were even able to view the roof top terrace. Check it out: http://www.fourseasons.com/florence/

My day continued with the dreaded marketing class. I did manage to stay focused though which was a plus hence midterms are coming up this week. After class, I began thinking about midterms and attempted to study but completely failed. I realized that I really have done no school work since December, it's very different here. The course load overall is a lot lighter but our grades are based completely on one midterm, one paper and presentation, and one final so it's really important to do well on all three things. I'm going to attempt to study again this weekend. Please wish me all luck because I really will need it!

Later Wednesday night, I met Emily at this bar (The Joshua Tree) which actually has a sister bar in Boston. Emily is in a Conversation Exchange program where she meets her Italian match once a week for an hour and half the time is spent talking in Italian and the other half of the time is spent talking in English because they each want to learn the other language. I, on the other hand did not become involved in this program because I know very little Italian. Well, anyways... I met them there and talked with them for a bit and was very lost but I was able to understand some things. We were also just watching the soccer game on TV when suddenly we hear a loud BANG! and we thought somebody fell but what actually was happening was girls fighting (yes, GIRLS) well, they were probably in their twenties. It was two girls and then another one jumped in and then two guys jumped in to try and break it up, and one was strangling the other and there was screaming and it was very scary! For a few minutes, I was terrified of what was going to happen because they were really going at it. The bouncer was finally able to jump in and drag two of the girls outside the bar but the screaming continued through the glass and the girls had to be restrained. I have never seen a fight in Italy but yes, the first one was between girls. I have no idea what it was about but it must have been about something more than just the soccer game on TV.

Thursday: Chocolate class was a disappointment. Not only was our favorite teacher not there but we also didn't get to eat any chocolate. We had a two and half hour lecture by a guest speaker about the chemical composition and properties of chocolate. We learned about the nutritional aspects of chocolate and how it actually is good for you. Except if you eat 4 kg of chocolate in one sitting, you would probably die of chocolate poisoning! The class is called from Therapy to Pleasure and we learned that chocolate is both a stimulant and an anti-depressant. Chocolate can truly turn your mood around and make you happy! and I strongly believe in this as I am addicted to chocolate and it can make everything better!

We got so used to having chocolate every Thursday morning that we just had to have our chocolate so we stopped at a cafe and enjoyed hot chocolate and a chocolate croissant. Also, all Italians drink their coffee/ eat their pastry while standing up at the bar which is very different than America. You know you are a tourist when you are sitting down drinking your coffee. Emily wanted to sit at a table but I told her that we were standing because they charge you more if you sit, it's actually like an 1 extra euro for sitting at a table for a few minutes! I'll stand, thank you!

We then went to Cultural class where we met at an old school which is now used as exhibition center. We were visiting a 20th Century Florence photo exhibition and we also had the opportunity to meet with Italian seniors and discuss the photos. Each Italian senior told their life story and history although they only spoke Italian so our teacher had to translate all of what they are saying. They then all sang a serenade to us and they wanted us to sing them a song and we could think of to sing was "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" so we sang that to them and it made them so happy! I love old people, they always seem so happy and content with life!

After class, Emily's FAMILY arrived! Her mom, dad, and sister arrived in Florence! It's soooo great to see people we know from home! We proceeded to walk around the city with them for the afternoon even though it was freeeeeezing! It was early to bed because we had to be up at 4 AM on Friday morning for a field trip!

Pizza & Focaccia Flat Bread!

Focaccia Flat Bread before:

Foccacia Bread after cooking. It is soft bread with olive oil, rosemary, and salt.

We loaded up the pizza with peppers, onions, olives, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. We cooked it for a few minutes. Then took it out and then added the mozzerella cheese and cooked it again.
This is the finished product. It was delicious!

Napoli, Sorrento, Capri, & Pompeii

The pizza in Napoli.

Friday (Napoli/ Sorrento): We awoke before the sun rose and made the twenty minute hike to the bus stop where we supposed to meet at 6:45am but as I have learned (They tell you to be there at least a half an hour before the bus actually leaves because there are always those slow pokes). Needless to say, we finally departed at 7:15am. The bus ride was not too bad and I tried to sleep because I do not know if I have mentioned or not but I do not sleep anymore. I am sleep deprived, I have even tried natural sleeping pills and those still do not work. :( I can usually fall asleep but only sleep for a four or five hours and then I am wide awake and then often toss and turn until it's time to wake up. Oh, well... I had the aisle seat on the bus and I forgot my neck pillow hence, I did not sleep at all on the bus. The weather on the ride to Naples was beautiful but as soon as we got there, it started to rain and a really nasty, cold rain too! We were suggested a restaurant on the water for lunch, 15 euro for fried food appetizer, pizza, and a drink. Sounds like a deal, right? NOT. The pizza is supposed to be the best in Naples but I really didn't think the pizza was all that special. I mean... anything that is mass produced for a crowd is really not going to be that good. The whole group didn't go to the restaurant but a majority did, those who didn't go.. walked in the rain and found delicious 8 euro pizza. I have learned my lesson. We then proceeded to get a walking tour of Naples which had the potential to be good because the rain stopped but our tour guide was horrible. She talked as soft as a mouse so you had to be practically on top of her to hear what she was saying but really she didn't say much at all and she hates kids, hence the fact she was very brief on our tour. It was a nice, short visit to Naples but now I can say that I went. We got back on the bus and drove a couple hours to Sorrento. Since there were so many people signed up for the trip, there were 2 buses and also 2 hotels so after we checked into our hotel (it used to be a hotel, now it's just an upscale hostel!) We met up with the other bus for dinner at a restaurant in town. The bread was amazing, the gnocchi was delicious, but I am not a fan of veal. Thus far, I have liked everything I have tried but I am definitely not a fan of VEAL and especially Veal with lemon sauce. Sorrento is known for their lemons so proceeding the second course, we also had a lemon dessert which was not too bad. We contemplated going out that night but decided we were wayyy too tired and wanted to be rested for Capri the next day so we decided to go straight to bed. I got the best sleep ever in Sorrento. I am starting to think it's just my bed in Florence that I can't sleep in!
Don't you love my new Sailor sweatshirt?Saturday (Sorrento/ Capri):We awoke the next morning for a little breakfast in the lobby which consisted of bread, rolls, muffins, and more rolls, bread, and muffins. Italians really do not know the meaning of breakfast. We walked to Piazza Tasso which is the town center and gather point for tourists and visorts. On one side of the piazza, there are stairs which lead down to Marina Piccola, the port from which ferries depart to Capri and Naples. From the port, we got on a ferry (a big ferry that even holds cars) and took the 30 minute boat ride to the beautiful island of Capri. Now, in Italy it is still not tourist season (the island was pretty empty, not many shops were open, and the weather was quite chilly) but in the summer, 50,000 visitors a day flock to Capri not only to spend money in the designer shops, souvenir stores, and cafes but also to visit the island's famous Blue Grotto. The initial plan was to take a boat tour to the Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra) but if the sea is rough and/or there is a high tide, it is not possible to enter the grotto. Unfortunately, it was high tide when we arrived so we were not able to go. We decided to take a a bus up to the city center where we then decided to roam around and ended up take an hour hike up to the top to Villa Jovis where there are ancient villa ruins. I got some great pictures and the hike was awesome. We were starving by this time so we decided to stop at this little cafe near the top. The place was empty but the sign said there was paninos for 5 euro so we decided to give it a try and it was well worth it. The panino was amazing and we sat outside to enjoy the view even though it was freezing, but we ended the meal with a nice frothy cappuccino! We were the only ones at this little cafe (owned by a mother and son, she said they had been there for 23 years). They were so kind to as we were probably going to be there only business for the day, although I am sure they are packed in the summertime. We roamed around for the rest of the day and even took another bus to Anacapri which is the village furthest from the port (in the past, there was not even a road until 1872 that connected the two villages), it is thought of as more rugged, rural, and down to earth. But Anacapri now has as many visitors as its rival (Capri) and many shops and pricey restaurants. At the end of the day, we headed back to Sorrento with time to freshen up before dinner. The restaurant from the night before was overbooked so some of us (including myself) had to go to another restaurant where the bread was even more amazing, and the pasta with spinach was also very tasty but I did not eat the second course as you guessed it... VEAL again! :( The dessert was disgusting too as it was soaked in butterscotch or alcohol or something. Nobody ate it, it was that disgusting. After dinner, lots from the group went to this little Irish Pub owned by a Mom & Pop who were having a great time with all of us American Students. They were playing old school music and everybody was a having a great time. The picture below (the bartender) by the end of the night was very drunk, in Italy.. it's not illegal for the bartenders to drink so everybody just has a great time all the time.
The old pop bartender at the Irish Pub in Sorrento!
Brittany, Me, & Emily at the Irish Pub.
Sunday (Pompeii): We had our Italian breakfast in the hotel lobby and then quickly boarded the bus to Pompeii which is only about an hour from Sorrento. We had a fully-guided 2 hour tour of the ruins. Pompeii was really cool and we could see Mount Vesuvius which was 9 miles away from the re-covered city which is the touristy part that everyone goes to see today. After the tour, we grabbed a sandwich for lunch and boarded the bus for the 6 hour drive back to Florence, luckily this time I was able to sleep for part of it. Traveling is so much fun and I am always so much happier to return to Florence after traveling. The Amalfi Coast is beautiful and I wish that everyone could see it and I definitely hope to make it back there sometime in my life. A picture from Pompeii

Chocolate Ravioli?

Ravioli Ripieno Di Mousse Di Olio Extra Vergine, Fonduta Di Grana, Radiccho Di Chioggia is what we made in Chocolate Class today. We made like ordinary pasta except for 10g were cocoa powder instead of flour, hence the chocolate flavoring. The inside of the ravioli was olive oil which we made into a gelatin mold with gelatin leaflets. We stuffed the ravioli with the olive oil gelatin and closed them. We then proceeded to make a Parmesan sauce to pair with the ravioli which was just a pinch of nutmeg, milk that had been boiled, and Parmesan cheese all blended together. I initially thought that chocolate ravioli would be delicious but the taste was not all that great and the texture was weird so I was sadly disappointed. :( Although, we are going to attempt to make chocolate ravioli again, although Emily suggested that we fill them with butternut squash and add some cinnamon.

For lunch we went to Ganzo and I had squid stuffed with pureed peas which was pretty good but again I was sadly disappointed by my salmon because it was barely even cooked. :( I understand that they were busy but they could have at least cooked my salmon all the way. It was not a good day in the food department.

My other roommate and I decided that after 5 weeks of being here, it was time to hit the gym. After running yesterday, and gym session today I have realized that I am so out of shape. I actually have officially not worked out in 2 months, which is an ultimate record for me for those of you who know me and know that I am obsessed with working out and it kills me to even skip a day. I was just so busy with working, internship, and now traveling that I have not had a moment to spare to work-out. The pasta, bread, and gelato is finally catching up with me. As long as my knees will support me, I plan on running a few times a week. Not only is running great exercise but I will also get to see more of the beautiful city of Florence and may even stumble upon something new.

I'm thinking that I should probably go to bed soon because we are off on one of our cultural trips tomorrow to Napoli, Sorrento, Capri, and Pompeii for the weekend and the bus leaves at 6:45 and it's about a 20 minute walk to the bus pick-up so it's going to be an early morning for us all. I'll update you all with pics and news upon return. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend as well! :)

I need to marry a rich husband...

Okay, so I have been meaning to put this in my blog for a few weeks... My marketing teacher talks about this hotel every week because he created/ open/ began this hotel. He showed us it online and it is absolutely amazing and I hope to get there at one point in my life but basically I need to follow the advice from my teacher... "Marry a very, very, very rich husband so that he can take you there because it is so expensive" So, I have come to the conclusion that I must marry a rich husband.
Check it out, Rooms start at about 900 Euro a night and it is located in the French Polynesia.
http://www.relaischateaux.com/en/search-book/hotel-restaurant/letahaa/

Marketing was boring as always. I like to think of marketing class as my "thinking" time.. I get a lot of thinking done during that time. I know that I should pay attention and actually learn something but it is so hard to listen to him and he goes off on to too many tangents and diversions, so it is rather difficult to stay focused for 2 and half hours.

Emily and I decided to go for a run this afternoon. Definitely not the greatest idea because it was rather cloudy and cold and looked as if it was going to rain. We made it about 2 miles and it lightly started drizzling, so we were 2 miles from home with no rain gear, no money, and no umbrellas... it was a very fast run back to the apartment. It felt so great to run again but I will definitely feel the pain tomorrow and probably have shin splints. I really need to find some running trails that will be a little easier on my knees. I have horrible knees but I love running. Oh well. It was quite cold today too, I thought I was done using my gloves but unfortunately I was wrong. :(

Apertivo! An Apertivo is like a mini buffet, they offer them at a lot of the bars/ cafes around town. Basically what it is, is like a pre-dinner but often there is enough food to eat that you could count it as your dinner. You pay a fixed price and get any drink of your choosing and that an endless amount of food. Jackie and I went tonight at Ganzo and it was delicious. At each apertivo, one of the wine classes takes turn and presents three wines so we went to show support for some of our classmates as they were presenting tonight and Jackie and I will have to present in a few weeks. The wines being presented were the wines that we tried this past Monday in class so we learn about the wines in class and then present them to the public/ students at the apertivo to encourage them to learn/ try a new wine and as my wine teacher says, "To have them appreciate wine and stop ordering jack and cokes or vodka tonics." I plan on trying some of the other apertivos in the city in the near future. I heard of one that has sushi in their apertivos on Wednesday, I am definitely trying that one next week!

Peace & Love.

Just a list:

1. I got so excited today when I saw magazines in English, I swore I took a double take before I actually went over to check out the price. 9.50 Euro! Which is like $13.00 U.S. Dollars... I guess I will not be reading any magazines for the next few months.

2. I met a boy today named Kevin, from Portland, Oregon at Ganzo. Sometimes when I meet people, they just amaze me and he is one of those people. He goes to school in California but on the weekends, he travels to Mexico for volunteer work. I volunteer when I can and when opportunities are presented to me but he inspired me that there is really so much more you can do. I would love to spend the summer doing mission work or Haiti Relief work. I have so much to give, I might as well give back to good causes and people in need.

3. I really need to stop jay-walking or I am going to get run-over!

4. I really need to learn how to cook more interesting/ healthy food besides omelets.

5. Italy is very expensive!

6. I have a new found love of Blood Oranges! Do they sell these at home?

7. I miss my sisters! :(

8. I thoroughly enjoyed the sun and near 60 degree weather today although I am not looking forward to the next few days of rain.

9. I really do love to read and Jodi Picoult is one of my new favorite authors.

10. I really want to start running again, if the rain holds out... I am going to start running along the river tomorrow!

11. Kitchens (especially, ours) are disgusting! Ew!

12. Yogurt & Granola... My new favorite breakfast!

13. I feel safe walking by myself 90% of the time but whenever I see the cops nearby, I always feel soooo much safer. The cops always walk in pairs and are always walking around the piazzas and more touristy areas.

14. Heels are not safe to walk in on the cobblestone. I do not wear heels but I saw this lady fall flat on her face, luckily her husband was there to somewhat brace her fall but she fell pretty hard on her face. At first, I thought she was having a heart attack.

15. I will never take the use of a dryer for granted again. I continually have to plan when I do laundry because you have to allow 2 to 3 days for it to dry.

16. Emily's parents & sister are coming to visit next week, we are very excited! Although, I wish my family was able to see Italy too.

17. I am going to need a few jobs when I get home to pay for this trip. Anybody have any suggestions?! I am willing to travel/ re-locate for work! :)

18. I love walking through the city and accidentally running into my favorite bartenders!

19. We walk so much everyday that we are here, I am starting to wonder what it will be like to return home. Endicott is a very small campus and to think I used to complain about having to walk from my dorm to the library. Never again will I complain about having to walk the short distance across campus.

20. I really dread Wednesdays because I have to sit through 2 and half hours of boring lecture.

21. I am starting to get nervous about midterms coming up in 2 weeks! But on the other hand, I am soooo excited to go to Greece!

22. I hate PIGEONS and PEOPLE BLOWING CIGARETTE SMOKE DIRECTLY INTO MY FACE more than anything else in Florence.

23. Peace & Love is all you need.

March 1st... whatttt?!?!

I cannot believe that it is March 1st already!

The Mediterranean Diet: Carbohydrates are the body's most efficient source of energy. Our body needs carbohydrates in order to keep it running. In America everyone is concerned about carbs and often limiting or cutting them from their diet as a means to lose weight. Whereas, at the bottom (the biggest part) of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid is bread, pasta, rice, couscous, polenta, other whole grains, and potatoes. As I have mentioned before pizza, pasta, and bread is a huge part of their diet here and very rarely do you ever see an overweight Italian. Although carbs are the main portion of their diet, it is important to eliminate white and refined grains from your diet. I feel that my diet has changed a bit since being here because I eat so much pasta and bread which I would never do at home for fear of gaining weight but it's the culture here and I am very much enjoying it. Today in class, we made rich in carbohydrate recipes. We first made Risotto Al Radicchio Rosso (Red Chicory Risotto) although any type of vegetable can be used but it is important to use short-grained rice, Arborio rice is preferred but you can also use Carnaroli and Vialone nano. I have had Risotto at restaurants a few times already while being here and it was delicious but when we made it today, I did not like it as much. The dish is really creamy so you would think that it was made with cream but I discovered today that it is actually mantecatura (fat/ butter, cheese, and air) which provides the dish with its creamy consistency. We then made Orecchiette al Pomodoro which is just a type of homemade pasta of homemade tomato sauce. This was really easy to make and definitely my favorite of the two dishes.

Tuscany & Its Wines: The lecture focused on Montepulciano a region in South-East Tuscany that produces noble wines such as Nobile di Montepulciano and Rosso di Montepulciano. We tried three different (all red) wines in class today from Montepulciano. I know that there are thousands and thousands of different types of wines but you would expect them to taste somewhat similar but from week to week, the wines are continually different. It amazes me how different each of the wines taste. I can't imagine being a wine taster though and tasting all of the wines and being able to differentiate between them all. Some wines have some of the same qualities that I am starting to pick up on but they definitely all have their own unique characteristics. We tried two Nobile di Montepulciano but one was from the Bindella farm and the other from La Braccesca. Now, they were the same type of wine but each one was a little different because they were harvested on different farms. My favorite though was actually the Rosso di Montepulicano La Braccesca because it was not as dry as the other two Nobiles.

I CAN COOK (Eggs, that is): So for dinner I made myself an egg, broccoli, and cheese omelet. So, Mom.. I can cook for myself and am not starving!

Photo Shoot? Picture Day: So, it was like picture night tonight but to the extreme. We all had to go and try and look pretty. They took a group shot (like a class photo) but there are about 40 of us here from Endicott so they had to split us into two groups and then I guess they will photo shop them together or something? Then they took individual shots of all us and they are going to create the first ever yearbook of Endicott College. It's like senior year of high school all over again because we have to fill out a questionnaire with a quote and everything. It is kind of neat though because we get to submit pictures, etc and they are are going to create a yearbook/ scrapbook that we will receive at the end of the trip and a few copies will be displayed in the International Office at school too to encourage other students to study abroad. It was just to the extreme because usually they take one photo for school pictures but these photographers were intense and were taking photos of us sitting and then standing and then they would come really close to your face and take close up photo shots, it was scary and definitely not what everyone was expecting because every time someone came out of the photo room, they looked as if they were traumatized, nobody is used to posing for a camera or having a camera 4 inches from your face. I'm just glad it's over with!