But ya...That's My Life

My time here in Italy and Europe is now over and what an incredible host they both have been. I cannot fathom how amazing this experience has been to live in a different country, learn a new language, and become a local for a few months. Besides being able to travel to so many amazing places, I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting amazing people who will go and do great things. (Yes, everything has been amazing if you can’t tell) I was unsure what these last couple of months would be like or how it would turn out. Although, I would say it was one of the best things that could have ever happened!

Many people dream of having the ability to travel and see the world, I’m partially one of them. There still is so much left to see and do that I’m not sure if a lifetime would be sufficient enough to do it all! Most people, I know, keep telling me they want to go out and see the world. Some do but for an entirely different reason in a different light. They learn, grow, and discover about themselves; which for any traveler will always be the same. I have seen the miniscule changes that have taken place over the course of the few months I’ve been abroad and it will be interesting to see how they affect my everyday life back in Utah.

Dreams are like traveling because once you’re there, you’re there. However, the hardest part is getting there (Sound familiar??) With any dream, there is always a way to get there same with traveling. There is always a way to get to your destination just matters on the path and what obstacles you may run in. I came here not knowing a lot about the country I would be staying in: Italy, but also about myself. Before coming here, I was hoping to provide new opportunities for my future and career. In one sense, I didn’t fulfill that hope however, in a whole different perspective, I exceeded that! This experience has provided so many opportunities and memories that will last a lifetime.

All those early mornings I’ve ran to flights, all the different hostels I’ve stayed at, all the buses, trains, metros, planes I’ve taken, all the people I’ve met, all the food I’ve eaten, all the cities I’ve seen, all the countries I’ve visited, all the countless hours of traveling I’ve done have been completely, without a doubt worth it! Time here in Europe has been non-existent as if we have only been living a dream (which we have), we’ll all wake up in our beds like nothing happened. After having said good bye to a few people, it does put into perspective what we’ve really and that this actually happened. Something that cannot be taken away and only be seen through the pictures we’ve taken but there is so much more depth to that.

Time flies when you’re having fun and for this one time, this cannot be any truer!

 PC: Perla

One final time…

Imagine you were all packed and got up early in time to make your 7 am flight to Istanbul, Turkey just to be told that your flight wasn’t until next weekend. Unfortunately, this imagining that you did was a reality for me this past weekend. A minor speed bump in my travel plans for my final weekend in Florence so I quickly had to deviate from what was originally planned. Florence or Istanbul?? Clearly, Istanbul is the obvious choice but a weekend in Florence was much needed and at last I got one.

The weekend started out like any other getting up ready to go jet set and then everything changed when I went back to my apartment and wallowed in my sorrow (not really), more like slept. I had no idea what I would do for an entire weekend, because I literally had nothing planned; which in a way that was a godsend because the best kind of weekends are sometimes the unplanned, which for this weekend it couldn’t be truer.  Even though the hours felt like years, it was a good weekend regardless.

Being the last weekend in Florence, it was about time to knock some of the touristy things out of the way now that I’ve lived in Italy for the past four months. Touristy things like visiting the Uffizi, the biggest museum in Florence and the Boboli Gardens at the Palazzo Pitti, kind of similar to the Gardens of Versailles except for in Italy. As well as a trip to the local Christmas market in Piazza Santa Croce. The biggest worry that I had was who would I hang out with for the weekend however this crisis was solved quickly as I met people here and there and we went on planning. My Friday night consisted of me buying 5 euro worth of Haribo candies and watching America’s Next Top Model the entire night. Not the ideal Italian night but sometimes marathons of one of your favorite shows is necessary in a foreign country.

Finals were also upon us which meant that it was time to get down to business and start studying. In retrospect, it meant procrastinate even more and wait until the last minute as I’m sure most students did the exact same thing as me. Thankfully, my finals were a breeze so I had nothing to stress about except for my upcoming days to squeeze everything in and pack accordingly for my long excursion home; which seems like an impossible task.  

Staying in Florence for the weekend gave me the opportunity to be with people that I haven’t hung out with or see Florence at its finest: the nightlife and during the day for the matter. Walking the streets listening to the street performers or people watching is one the best pastimes when there is nothing to do for the day. I feel overwhelmed for all I’ve missed; I am a believer of things happening for a reason so not having the chance to go to Turkey was probably one of the best things simply because I knew I needed a weekend in Florence (or Flo as Alissa says) but didn’t know if I would. So unfortunately, I have no cool stories or any cool pictures to post, which could potentially make it cool!

A semester has flown by, not just any semester but my first semester of my last year abroad, in Florence, Italy! When I realized I was required to have an international experience for my degree, I was quickly stressed out but overly excited. I knew attending a foreign school would be like no other experience I’ve ever had. In more ways than one, it was but at the same time it was a little disappointing at the same time. Like I said previously, you never realized how much you are abroad versus studying. In my case, it was abroad and in other cases it was “in-broad” in Italy. The school that I attended while abroad in Italy was Florence University of the Arts (FUA). It may seem extremely cool that I attend an arts school in a way it is actually pretty cool because there have been a ton of things that I’ve done here that I wouldn’t normally do back at the University of Utah (the U).

Here I would be taking Intro to Mass Communications, Public Relation Strategies, Fashion Retail Management, and Beginning Italian. Before starting this semester, I was pumped to be going to this university everything changed when I got there and realized it was all American students. Granted, I’m still abroad in Italy and getting credit for my classes (which is what we all want) but I was kind of hoping to be intertwined with other Italian students. I pictured my nights walking through the streets with my new Italian friends speaking my perfect Italian sporting the latest fashion from Armani. Clearly, this was not the case but still I’ve enjoyed it.

The classes here aren’t difficult whatsoever which was a nice step back from what I’m used to at the U. My classes are only once a week, except the downfall is having it for two and a half hours. The time either went by really fast, depending on what we did, or it went insanely slow. However, the type of work we did was a lot more hands on as well. The good thing about FUA was that a lot of it was hands on experience to gain real world experience. For example, FUA has a boutique within the city that has emerging designers and vintage collections called FLY, where my Fashion Retail Management class was responsible for organizing the first selling event of the semester. I mean all I did was managing the refreshment table, so if my intended career doesn’t work out, I have a great future in the food industry.

Though the main highlights of what I’ve experienced at FUA has been through my Public Relation class and Mass Communication class. We had the chance to attend the opening press conference for a new Picasso Art Exhibit at the Palazzo Strozzi, one of the biggest art museums in Florence. We listened, in Italian, to the curator and the director of the exhibit and were asked to write an article for Blending, a student based magazine that FUA has. The greatest experience I’ve had while here (school wise) would be the chance to work with Festival dei Popoli, one of the largest film festivals for documentaries. As a class, we were asked to watch three documentaries done by Jos de Putter, a Dutch director and then we were thrown into the festival to interview him. It was such an amazing experience to meet and interview with an internationally acclaimed director. Alongside meeting with Jos de Putter, we received a press badge so we could go to the other screenings for free. Overall, these two things have been what stood out the most while going to school in Italy. The schoolwork isn’t demanding, the exams are super straightforward, but still very hands on which made it a great learning experience.

I have learned so much and not just in school but outside about myself and how I have grown as a person. Studying abroad has been such a great learning experience and has provided me with so many opportunities that I may never have back at home, although I will miss this life, it will be great to having a full schedule of school for the week. Seeing as I went to school Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday which meant I had Thursday to Sunday completely free to travel; clearly I never complained.

So my last unofficial weekend of traveling was upon, even though I didn’t know it. Florence was beginning to set up the streets to be decked out in Christmas lights. My friends were talking about their plans for Thanksgiving whether or not they would be at the Thanksgiving dinner our program, ISA, planned at the local American restaurant, Hard Rock Café. (These Europeans love their Hard Rock) However, I would spend my Thanksgiving a little differently this year as I was abroad and away from my family. Instead of a huge feast to eat, I had slices of bread and Nutella as my meal; and instead of being on the couch watching the Macy’s Day Parade or the National Dog Show, I was on a 12 hour bus ride to Budapest, Hungary. Three cities, three days may seem over adventurous but how else am I supposed to travel my heart out??

One of the local student travel agencies had a trip that would visit the beautiful cities of Budapest, Vienna, and Salzburg. Now it wasn’t ideal to be stuck with a thousand, or it seemed, American students but I tried to make the most of it the best I could (actually it wasn’t ideal at all). We departed Florence Santa Maria Novella train station and we were off through the night to be woken up in the “Paris of Eastern Europe.” After arriving, we were whisked off to our hotel in the cold, brisk morning air and had about an hour to freshen up in the hotel. Following that hour, we walked to the city, to be greeted by the Central Market where we indulged on Hungarian delicacies like goulash, mulled wine, and sausage. The only thing that we struggled with was the use of currency, Forints, because I no idea how much it was worth in respect to the Euro.

The daylight hours quickly flew by in Budapest, as we walked through the local Christmas Markets in high anticipation for the Thermal baths we would visit and the all you can eat buffet that followed. Regardless of being outside in the freezing cold, Budapest is well known for their thermal baths that are natural hot springs from under the ground in which people come and enjoy the hot water even in the winter and that is what he did. I put on my European swimsuit (trunks) and scurried into the hot water that was waiting for me outside. Following the thermal baths, we went to a local buffet, in which, for 6000 forints=20 euros, we could have all you can eat and all you can drink everything. Naturally, being away from home stuck in Italy with Italian food, all day-every day, this was heaven because they had sushi, Hungarian dishes, a grill station which was graced by BBQ chicken, shark, African catfish for those who felt adventurous. From here our night either concluded early or got the full Hungarian experience by going to the local bars and pubs.

 The Thermal Bath we went to

We had an early departure to Vienna in the morning, feeling the drowsy take over but managed to be in a somewhat orderly fashion. Again, we were greeted by the cold, brisk Austrian morning and rushed to the warm of our hostel for the day. We started out with a walking tour of the city center. Vienna has been on the most beautiful cities that I’ve visited so far which made me fall in love with it. Then we were off to the Christmas markets settled underneath the shadow of the Parliament Building.

These Christmas markets had absolutely everything from traditional German foods like giant pretzels, hot cider to bratwurst and also had random trinkets for great stocking stuffers. My intentions for this trip was to buy all my Christmas gifts for my family and friends here; but once I saw how crowded the markets were and how cold it was, I quickly changed my mind and kept telling myself that Italian gifts are just as nice (just don’t except any Gucci from me).  The remaining of the evening was open to whatever we wanted so a nice Austrian dinner, so naturally Wiener schnitzel was a good choice. Apparently a Wiener schnitzel was a type of meat breaded and fried and not a hot dog! I learn something new every day it seems like.

Our night ended early and we were off to an early start to Salzburg, Austria; the last stop on our Central European expedition. Salzburg is known for the location for where Sound of Music was filmed. Seeing as I’ve never seen the movie ever, I still thought it would be a good chance to see a place where famous people stood. Although, we did watch the entire movie on the bus ride to Salzburg; in which I tried my absolute hardest to stay awake through but seeing as it was 8 am I had every right to fall back asleep. Though the parts I did see, I absolutely loved the movie and was even more excited to go on the tour.

 The steps "Do Re Mi" was filmed on

Our tour guide was probably one of the best guides that I’ve had while being abroad. I’ve been on a lot of tours and all have their pros and cons. However, this was still was the best seeing as we took a bus to everywhere we went since Sound of Music was recorded in and around Salzburg. Throughout the tour, I also had the chance to nibble and inhale the apple strudel, chocolate-dipped pretzel previous plus sing along with the songs from the movie. So in all, I got a tour with treats and karaoke. Overall, it was a great tour.

These have been the busiest and most exhausting three days that I’ve had in a while. It may be equivalent to my days back at home when I have school, work, and dance. However, you never really know how tired you are until you are done traveling. So it’ll be interesting to see how tired I’ll be when I’m back home. This weekend was also one of the best, I met a lot of people and got annoyed by a lot of people at the same time and saw so many amazing and extravagant cities all in one weekend. What more could I ask for?

The effect would be better if I was actually good at ballet

The first thing that I asked was if Brussel sprouts came from Brussels, Belgium. It still is unknown seeing as I don’t like Brussel sprouts so I had no intention of researching further. Nor what Belgium had to offer. My friend, Travis and I, were in search of a place to go the weekend not knowing what places were still left untouched or other hotspots that people recommended. As we scoured the internet for good deals on plane tickets, Brussels, Belgium seemed to be fate. We discussed a little about this potential trip and booked it…it loosely translated to “Do you want to go to Brussels with me?” “Sure, what’s in Brussels?” “I’m not sure…let’s go!” 

After a frantic morning of forgetting passports and barely making it to the airport 2 minutes before the gate closed, we were off to discover what Brussels had to offer. It is kind of off the path for most students seeing as no one really had any idea what Belgium was famous for…but we were going to find out! As we stepped into the cold, brisk Belgian day, we were swarmed with shuttle drivers who needed people to fill their van to take to the city center. Upon arriving, in the center, I did the very best to try and get us to our hostel but unfortunately, we were nowhere near and ended up taking a taxi to where we needed to be. (Navigation is still a developing skill) Like always, I was famished so we sought out the nearest café and were off to start our Belgian weekend full of who know whats!

Surprisingly, even after walking for half the day I immediately fell in love with Brussels. I’m not sure how Travis felt but I knew the Belgians had my heart. In short, it literally was a mixing pot of different people, food, and everything! Definitely, felt like home so maybe that’s why I loved it so much. Although a stop at Starbucks (ordering in French) in the Grand Place, made it feel even more at home. We really didn’t search for things to do but let things search for us. As we were drawn in by a “wanna be” Oktberfest celebrated by all the freshmen in the local schools, though I was pretty sure it was more of a protest than a celebration. After an afternoon of people watching in a nearby square and freezing our faces off, we were greeted by a ‘light show’ in the Grand Place where the buildings lit up different colors, absolutely gorgeous!

The next day was another day full of walking around and learning about what Brussels had to offer from the café, Delirium, with its 3000+ flavors of beer to the Mannekin Pis, the tiny soldier who was a national hero. Who could forget, Belgian delicacies: Belgian waffles, mussels in Brussels, and fries! The great thing about staying in hostels is that it gives you an opportunity to meet a ton of different people like you, who are traveling around the world and gives it a sense of community. We met quite a few people within our hostel and made plans to go out with them both days we were there, something that I have never really done before so that was a great experience to meet new people and form a common bond  through traveling to get to know them.

The Atomium, which was built in 1957 for the World Science Fair (Thanks Travis for that fun fact…) can be seen as the “Eiffel Tower” of Belgium. I saw it on TV once and did not really expect much from it. However, once we exited the train station and saw the Atomium from the distance all my expectations were gone. It was massive, something that I did not expect Belgium to have. After about an hour wallowing in the Atomium’s impressive structure, we walked through a park nearby. That was kissed by the autumn air with all the falling leaves and changing of colors. Something that I have missed about this year, not being able to see fall in Florence or most of Italy.

A dinner of Tex-Mex food filled our bellies concluding with a night out on the town at the local pub: Celtica where we, mostly I and our new found friend, Ellie, danced the night away. The one downfall of traveling any inexpensive airlines like Ryanair are the inconvenient flight times like our 7:00 am returning flight back to Pisa; which practically meant we got an hour of sleep (not in the best mood, sorry Travis) and took an hour drive from the city center to the airport. Thankfully this time, our arrival at the airport was smooth, no one missing passports or anything important!

Like I said previously, I’m not much one for being spontaneous without having a plan or somewhat of a schedule. However, this trip was the complete opposite to what I am use to which made it one of the best trips that I’ve been on thus far. I’m not sure if it’s the city, my travel companion, or all the people we met; but this experience made me realize why I came abroad in the first place; to meet new people, to get out of my comfort zone, and see where things take me with no set schedule. So it was a nice change from what I’m used to that another trip to Belgium is in order in the near the future! And for the record, I still don’t like Brussel sprouts.

Another week has gone by the tourists are slowly dwindling down, the days are slowly blending into weeks, and my time left in Florence is becoming limited. I have no idea where the past three months went; as if I’ll wake up in my bed in Provo, Utah and all of it was the best dream I’ve ever had.  Trying to make the most of the time I have left is becoming difficult because I have been gone for practically every weekend and there is still some tourist-y stuff that I still have to do, but when??

This weekend was the last excursions my study abroad program, ISA, planned for us; which meant that our time abroad was coming to a close. These excursions have been such a great way to get to know more people within the program because you literally see no one throughout the day, that’s it’s nice to be able to see everyone again once last time before we head home! These last two day excursions were the great cities of Modena and Assisi.

Clearly, the only reason we went to Modena was for the Balsamic Vinegar tasting and the Ferrari Museum. The thing about the museum was I know nothing about cars, except how to drive automatic ones, so I pretty much was looked at them and called it day; nothing much to it. Still very cool to look at but I didn’t really have no clue what I was doing there or looking at. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to invest in buying one either so it was kind of a waste of a trip (not really). However, the vinegar tasting was probably the best part. I had no idea how it was made or that it practically could be used on everything and different tastes to it as well. It’s pretty much just wine, very fine and aged. Who would have thought?!

Assisi was another city in the Umbria region of Italy that we went to. It sat on top of a hill overlooking the valley; so of course it provided a breathtaking view of the Umbria valley. It was a cute little city that had picturesque Italian looking houses (Obviously, since we were in Italy) and a couple of gorgeous cathedrals. One thing that was interesting was that there are saints for practically everything, so if you think of something, there is a saint for it. I guarantee you! Although, it was cold and rainy, Assisi still was one of the most beautiful cities that we’ve visited. Not as good as the vinegar tasting but still up there!

This weekend was a time to take it slow and get a break even though we were traveling to this nearby cities, it was still slower than my other weekends that I’ve had.

This weekend was the time to showcase what four years of high school French would pay off for…or I should say Rosetta Stone. From what I heard from my host mother, Parisians are seen as snobbish people who don’t like Americans or to speak English. So, of course, I had to take a crash course of whatever French I could remember so I would fit in. I have high hopes for my language skills when they don’t really exist (I dream big) and somehow we managed for the weekend. The City of Lights is a must see while in Europe and this would be the first trip that I would plan everything myself and hope I would survive (Spoiler: It was a success, well with the help of my friend, Nina!) The main reason for going to Paris, not only to see the Eiffel Tower but also mainly to see the Saphir Cup 2014, an international ballroom competition (I’m a dancer, if you didn’t know and as you can see by my very first post).

The moment we kissed French soil and settled into our Oops Hostel in the Latin Quarter, we set off to see the Eiffel Tower. Besides all the couples kissing under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, it was a complete dream! The thing about Paris was that everything was so much bigger than you would have imagined. So you can believe that I was blown away the size of the tower and at the top of the hour on the dot for five minutes, the tower lights up and as one of my friends recently said “What a sight!” This perfect evening was followed by dinner at a really great restaurant known for this eclectic dishes served in cast iron pots. How could I not ask for a better way to start out my weekend then the Eiffel Tower and some French food?!

The Champs E’Lysees was another site to see with a plentitude of shops lining the avenue; we had to resist spending the money that we didn’t have although it was hard! Near the end of the avenue, they were beginning to set up the Christmas Markets; which made me want Christmas to come now regardless of being in the beginning of November.  This was followed by a trip to the Palace of Versailles after trying to decipher the metro and RER maps; we successfully made it and were once again blown away by the elegance of the gardens of Versailles as well as the Palace. Luckily for us being students in the European Union gave us the perks of getting into the Louvre and the Palace for free. How could we not miss out on that opportunity? I was just surprised by how big the entire palace was! What in the world did King Louis XIV use all that extra space for?!

 The main reason for visiting Paris was to go watch incredible ballroom dancers at the Saphir Cup in Pontault Combaut one of the many suburbs of Paris. “Is this the taxi station?” I asked as I flagged down a woman sitting in her car in the very first taxi stall. “Oui.” “How do I get a taxi??” Twenty minutes later after me awkwardly standing there and many phone calls made by this unknown woman, I was in the stranger’s car with her and her son being driven to where I needed to be. Only about 30 minute walk from the train station but just a short drive. I could not even say how much I appreciated her generosity and kindness to an American like me. Even when I tried to show my appreciation towards her with some money, she refused saying that she wouldn’t dare take my money. It really was a whole new experience simply explaining my life to a complete stranger and whom I know literally nothing about. I didn’t know what to expect or say but I knew everything would turn out fine. Although, I had no intentions of having her drive me to my destination, it just happened.

This eventful weekend ended with a visit to the Louvre in which it was massive! Seeing another masterpiece like the Mona Lisa put everything into perspective that we were actually there in one of the grandest cities in the world and that someone great like Da Vinci actually painted this, it was a little small than I thought. (Kind of like I thought the tower of Pisa was in Rome not Pisa)

Paris was definitely a great experience simply because it was one of the first independent trips I’ve ever done to the extent that we did it at. I had no idea what to expect when going to Paris except that I wanted to see the Eiffel Tower and the ballroom competition and my time in Europe would be content. My encounter with the mysterious taxi driver in Poutault Combant was one of the best things I’ve experienced, just to know that there are still good people out there that are willing to help little tourists like me out to get where I needed to be. Paris did not disappoint in any aspect other than the fact that my French wasn’t up to par but then again, I would have another option to work on it.

Before I rant on about how amazing my entire semester has been or mention anything of it. I feel that prior to coming abroad was one of the most stressful things I have ever experienced. Not so much of having a lot of things to do but getting everything done. As usually, I normally save everything for the last minute so this wasn’t any different. I barely submitted my application a day before the submission date and the entire VISA process was one of the most taxing things I’ve done. Making sure everything was in order for the Consulate and the correct documents were copied, quite the process. Although, in the end all this hard work would pay off with a semester of new experiences and memories that would last a lifetime!

It was recommended that prior to going abroad, it was best to research the country you would be living in the next few months just to grasp knowledge of the culture you will be submersed into. Like other people, I hate researching so I let the future take its course and I would go into it blind; which is what I did. The moment I landed in Amsterdam waiting at the gate for Florence, I had no idea what to expect when I arrived or what would happen over the course of the semester. I didn’t have any trips planned or any ideas of where I wanted to go especially that I didn’t have any clue on how I would travel all over Europe. I’m one of those kinds of people that like to have everything planned but upon landing in Florence, I had nothing planned. Without the help of ISA, I’m pretty sure I would have no clue how to get to the historic center. I like to use the term that I was “Gone with the wind” because I would have literally been gone with the wind if I didn’t have ISA there to guide us through the first week.

I felt like the best way to experience my time abroad would to have no expectations. Simply because if I had high expectations and they were not met than I wouldn’t enjoy my time in Italy. If I had no expectations, then I would allow the Italian culture to begin to shape a new me. One that will experience different cultures, that will see new things, that will learn a new lifestyle, and one who will continue to learn and grow from what I already know.

Though, I made sure the only thing that I had ready before I left was my gift for my host family: custom coasters with pictures of Utah. Now, I’m not one for being crafty but that also was one of the hardest things to plan. Any gift giving can be an up or a down simply because you have no idea what the receiver will respond to. Regardless, I sat down and I made these!

Just the stress of making sure everything was booked and all the needed documents were printed and everything was packed and all my goodbyes were said before departing. Now the question is what it’ll be like going back home.

So clearly I had no idea what I was doing. A tad bit embarrassed so bare with me on this. So...there's that.

Three years ago…

I said goodbye to the three best guys I have ever met. Exchange students from the Copenhagen Business School, which by fate (coincidentally??) studied in Salt Lake City, UT at the University of Utah as well and “coincidentally” (fate??) were my roommates. “When are you coming to Denmark to visit?” One of them asked as I poorly fought back tears at the SLC airport on their last morning in Utah. Not knowing the answer, I simply mumbled “I don’t know.” And bid them farewell thinking I would never see them again,

Three years later…

After multiple conversations of getting the details down to the ‘T’ to come visit and after an hour connection in Zurich, Switzerland; I landed in Copenhagen, Denmark to two of my favorite guys waiting for me at the arrival area. I never knew if the day would ever come if I would see them again but I made sure I would see them while I was in Europe. The trip started out like any other night at the apartment back in Salt Lake City making pizza and watching sports. My friend, Kasper, kindly made me an extra bed in his apartment for the night to be woken up by a traditional Danish breakfast of pastries and cheese spread. Something only eaten when guests were there (I was honored).

Copenhagen is split into different areas similar to London; I was currently staying in Fredericksburg.  The morning consisted of a small tour of the city area through of the most beautiful parks that actually looked like autumn. (I will take any fall weather, fall colors, and fall everything I can get, Italy seems to lack that fall aspect.) A tour of Copenhagen Business School (CBS) and lunch at Halifax (also I’m not sure if you know how much I long for a burger) and Joe & The Juice (the same goes for a green smoothie). Another tour of the center of Copenhagen, where I changed sleeping location to Mikael’s apartment; which had to most incredible view of the church from his private rooftop terrace. I couldn’t even fathom how amazing it was. After a tour around the city a bit, dinner came around and a traditional Danish feast was in order: roast pork, beans, and potatoes.

  The next day was another day of being a tourist where we walked around the city and I was shown everything that I had to see like The Little Mermaid, Nyhaven, the Fortress, and of course a bike tour of the entire city (I’m sure had a permanent bruise on my caboose for about a week). In Europe, especially the northern countries, biking is a major form of transportation so it was definitely an experience to ride around like a local trying to keep up with all the bikers and not get run over by a car or crash into another biker. I almost hit a person and got killed a few times but somehow I survived to tell the tale. Needless to say, my biking skills need to be worked on before the next time round. The night ended with dinner at a restaurant in Tivoli; one of the oldest amusement parks in the world, and of course a night on the town.

Dinner…what can I say?? Six pounds of beef, three saucers of gravy, and unlimited fries; three hungry guys. I think that pretty much sums it up. Well it was more like 2 ½ guys hungry; seeing as I am half the size of both my friends and their friends in regards to body size and hunger size. “Let me know if you want anything else: fries, salad, and beef”, “Beef?!?” I’m actually surprised they kept bringing us more beef because I am pretty sure we ate their entire stock. Naturally, being smaller than my counterparts I had to keep up with them but after the fourth serving, I was out. I let them finish my portions and could officially say we all were in a food coma after that.

Copenhagen has such a wonderful atmosphere that I honestly wouldn’t mind living there. Clearly, the food being one of the highlights of the country, I now associate all things Danish with unlimited slabs of beef. The thing that impressed me the most about any European country, not just Denmark, is the ability to switch between languages easily – from Danish to German to English without even thinking! This was one of the best weekends that I’ve had because I had no idea what I was in for. Especially staying with my friends who are locals and being able to see what they do made it even better because I ‘lived’ the local life to some extent. I don’t mind at all!

Midterms have come and past and the trip of a century have finally come around. Fall Break, a week full of shenanigans and frolicking through country after country. The whole concept of “break” is unfamiliar territory as I usually am working myself to death so I have been looking forward to this much needed break. The question was where should we go, who to go with, what to do, how to get there, and how/what am I supposed to pack for an entire week?  My friends and I started researching almost an entire month prior to Fall Break in order to find good deals on flights and hostels in which I think we succeeded or at least I attempted to do my best and go with the flow. The decision came and we would spend half the week in London, England and then the remaining in Greece on the island of Mykonos and then Athens. Never have I thought I would be on two opposite parts of a continent in one week, but don’t deny the impossible.

However, our kick off for fall break started on Friday to a day trip to Perugia, Italy for Eurochocolate – the biggest chocolate festival in the world. This took “Chocolate Wasted” to a whole new level. Chocolate everywhere you looked with free samples galore! Clearly, my friends and I were in heaven and a good way to start our break.

Upon landing in London Stansted, we took a good solid two hours trying to find our hostel more so the entrance to the Tube (London’s Metro System) keeping in mind this was around midnight when we were walking around aimlessly (shout out to my roommate for getting us to where we need to be). Our morning started early with a short walk to the nearest Starbucks after a month and a half it was about time to have some American-styled coffee. I wouldn’t say the best but my caramel macchiato was a taste of home, if home tasted like caramel and coffee beans. We soon worked the Tube system and what would benefit us for the time spent in London for transportation and then we were off to discover London! First, stop was Buckingham Palace, of course, I was set on meeting the Queen and Prince Harry but unfortunately they were busy with other important matters; as well as seeing the changing of the guards.

Unfortunately, no royal wedding is in my future anytime soon

 From Camden Market to Swan, a Shakespearean-inspired restaurants where the waiters burst out into sonnets every hour, to Platform 9 ¾, to Oxford and Regent Street; London had everything including English speaking which was a nice change from Italian although I always threw in a ‘Si’ in there now and then. I also can say I attended my first and only Oxford University lecture, but more so slept through my first and most likely last lecture. As well as spotted my first celebrity casually walking down the street right next to us and fangirling. It’s all very casual.

London was a complete dream and I very well could pick up everything right now and move there. It was a huge diverse culture, nothing that I ever expected; very similar to New York City.

Greece was on the second part of our fall break. Leaving early morning from London at 4am to reaching our destination of the Island of Mykonos around 11pm; it was an entire day of traveling. From our bus ride to the port of Athens to a 5 hour ferry ride to the island, I had no clue if we ever would get there or not. By some miracle, at least, we reached Mykonos and were pleasantly surprised by our picturesque villa we rented for our time in Mykonos. It was a late night and a plate of nachos cured the midnight munchies and we would wake up to the best surprise of them all!

The view from our villa was absolutely breathtaking and located near the center and the new port, that I’m not sure if it could be any more perfect. Greece was definitely a time to sit back and relax and that’s what we all did. How could I not complain for a couple of days buried in my mountains of pillows on the couch wrapped up in blankets watching TV as the Aegean Sea was right outside our window. Nothing could beat the view, although I’m sure the Greek sunset is another thing. It was down season on the island so naturally everything was closed or closed early so we really couldn’t do that much although our attempt for the beach was quickly cut short when a ‘hurricane’ was about to blow in from the other side of the island. It was just a nice place to take a break from real life in which was a must for all of us

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Our time ended in Mykonos but we still had a full day of traveling and another 5 hour ferry ride to the main land of Athens and our attempt to find our hostel. We ended our journey in Athens for a night and morning visiting the historic Acropolis that overlooked the city on top. Then we were on our way back to Florence after a week of new experiences, new discoveries, new places, and the best of friends.

This post may seem a little lack luster simply because the week was full of so much things that there is not one thing that could be focused on. How am I supposed to talk about London and Mykonos in entirety? I can’t, because they both offered two completely different lifestyles and perspectives that I was so glad that I had the opportunity to experience both of them.

The time has come to finally set foot on foreign soil…well soil that isn’t Italian. For those who don’t know me, I long for a life of class and sophistication; full of glamour. What could be better than a weekend in the French Riviera?! Living the lifestyle (the closest I could get to it…not even close). Regardless, it was a must to visit the French Riviera and Monte Carlo, Monaco was one of the places I absolutely had to visit while I was abroad. Around Florence, there are student trip agencies that make trips so convenient because they do everything for you, which make it nice so I don’t have to worry about finding flights and hostels. All I had to do was pay the agency and call it a day. Super convenient, no?

The first ‘must’ item I should have added onto my bucket list was eating Petit Dejeuner (French Breakfast) at a cute little café outside in France (YES, France!). I would have never imagined I would have done that but now I can say I have. Plus it literally was the best breakfast I had while abroad, seeing as Italian breakfast consists of bread and marmalade and tea/coffee.  This heavenly breakfast was followed by an extravagant day in Monaco; which included a trip to the fabulous and famous casino: Monte Carlo.

Naturally, on a day that we were going to my future honeymoon spot so I could scope out good hotels and the like, there would be a train strike and I was worried a train would never come so I couldn’t scout anything out. Fortunately, an hour later came a train and we were off to a life only for the rich and famous. As we walked around the small country, I was in awe how amazing and beautiful it was! It completely lived up to the hype; fancy cars here, beautiful yachts there, and expensive things everywhere. I was in paradise! Material things can’t buy you happiness but for the time being I’m sure I would be quite happy living in Monaco.

For a 10 euro fee, we had the chance to go into the Casino Monte Carlo. “Ya, I feel lucky. I’m in Monte Carlo, I’m sure I’ll have some good luck…Well 20 more euros doesn’t hurt…last 20 I promise…I want to but I shouldn’t, I’m out of cash…I’m tapping out.” This was pretty much what I said while my time at the Casino. I honestly have the worst luck at any type of gambling so clearly the 80 euros (roughly around 100$) lost was never won back. Still the experience of being surrounding by people who could actually afford a bottle of water in the casino was the best part!

Monaco

The remaining of the weekend was spent in France in the cities of Cannes (another beach day) and Eze (medieval town perched onto of a mountain) with a tour of a perfume factory; while our hostel was centrally located in Nice. After experiencing the nightlife of Nice, twice and living the French lifestyle for a weekend, I wished I studied in France instead of Italy but it was a nice getaway for sure; which allowed me to kind of practice and brush up on my French (there would still be more opportunities for that).

Nice, France

It’s high time to finally sit down and write about my Italian adventures thus far! One thing that I can check off my bucket list is that I have lived on an airplane and out of a suitcase for the past month that it’s more of a special skill now. Strategically planning what outfits I can re-wear and mix and match without it being so noticeable, though I feel like I have not mastered this art quite yet. I digress, but traveling out of the country every weekend has been a lot to take in. One thing that most people don’t know before studying abroad is how much you will actually be ‘abroad’ versus ‘studying’.  In hindsight, I do not regret the cramped flights, the early mornings, the confusion of a new city, checking in and out of a hostel, and everything else that comes with traveling.

After my last post about Cinque Terre in September, which literally feels like yesterday have I begun the real traveling. I saved all my international traveling for the last two months of my semester and squeezed in as much of Italy in September as I could just to get adjusted to a new country. Once I was fully adjusted, it was time to get the ball rolling!

Needless to say, I have been jet-setting here and there just for a casual weekend trip, I have been nothing but exhausted and I hope that I can justly blog about each trip in depth! I just had no idea how much travel I would be doing or what affect it would have on me but I don’t regret it whatsoever. One thing that most people don’t know is that the hardest part about getting to Europe is actually getting to Europe (which I will discuss in an upcoming vlog) but once you’re in, you’re in! The opportunities are endless and I am and have been trying to make the most of it by traveling as much as I can.

There is little less than a month now of my time abroad and I cannot fathom on how fast time goes. October went by in a flash and now we’re half way through November and I am scared on how fast the rest of the month will go. I have so much to do and yet I have a limited amount of days left. Although, I have the 'Yes-No' disorder where I’m ready to go home and counting down the days but at the same time, I am not ready to go home. (Prepare yourself)

Traveling to Italy and visiting all the sights that there are to see is one thing; you stand in amazement of everything you see from the people and the buildings to the numerous places you visit like Rome, Milan, and Venice. Your day, as a tourist, consists of touring and doing whatever you want without a care in the world. However, what most people don’t know is that living in Italy is the complete opposite! When I told people I was studying in Italy, their eyes grew with excitement with thoughts of glitz and glam, I’m only assuming. I guess if you call re-wearing your clothes numerous times in the week and being sweaty most of the summer months: glamorous and glitzy, then yes, my life was just that…

When I got to Italy, I had no expectations for what was in store, because if I had any expectations and they were not met than I would not enjoy my time spent abroad. So for this sole purpose, I did not expect anything at all. In a way, that was a good thing because I kept an open perspective about Italy upon arriving. Clearly, I should have opened my perspective a bit further as I quickly adjusted to the culture. I knew it was not Utah or America but I did not know how different things would be. Now with the awestruck feeling of Florence gone, the delicious Italian cuisine turning redundant, and the want for more clothes turning into a necessity, it begins the time that I need to continue to open that perspective I mentioned.

One thing that I really want to point out and still getting used to is the fact that I have been the most tired I have ever been most days. I don’t do a lot most days but somehow these Italian days wear me out quickly. It may be from all the walking I have to do or from the two and a half lessons that I attend, and I feel exhaustion hit heavy mid-afternoon.  The only way to combat this issue is take a much needed coffee break at one of my favorite cafes or “rest” my head for a few minutes that turn quickly into an hour or so. I did not realize how tired I would constantly be; the only time that I truly notice is when I try to talk in Italian to my host mom and roommate. Trying to converse in Italian is the hardest thing when you’re tired, at least for me it is. Our host mom does not take no for an answer or any mumbling, so I give a below average Italian phrase so I can eat in peace. Somehow locals manage to stay alert or push through the exhaustion and still look good doing it and talk in Italian at the same time.

Going abroad for me was to try something different and to experience more of life. My roommate mentioned a good point that when will we ever be living in a different country again? After this point we only will be tourists when we visit countries like Florence. So no matter what the culture shock you face from the culture you’re going into or coming from, immersing yourself is truly the best way to understand the country you’re in. Too many of us get comfortable in American habits while abroad that it is off putting to the locals and most importantly, growing as a person.

Morales of the story: 1) Take advantage of ‘Siesta time’ if you’re in Italy; 2) Immerse yourself

But ya….that’s my life.

I can now check ‘Living in Italy for One Month’ off my bucket list, granted it was not really on my bucket list but for everything I have done and will be doing; I, most definitely, should be making my list longer. I cannot believe it has been one month from when I arrived to Florence to start my Italian adventure. Time literally has sped up double time since I got here and I am afraid that it won’t slow down.  I constantly struggle trying to write about my experiences abroad but I just can’t seem to do Italy any justice, though I will do my best. This is definitely the appropriate time to insert #thestruggleisreal because it really been one of the hardest thing I’ve done.

View from Piazzale Michaelangelo at night

 St. Mark's Basilica in Venice

Please enlighten me on how you would describe Italy (Nearly impossible)

Two weeks have past, so clearly this post is overdo and a lot needs to be covered so I will try my best to manage everything. School has been about the same to the point where I have no idea what to do or what’s going on. Fortunately, for me (not for the school), everyone else has the same problem so I fit right in. Like I said, Florence University of the Arts is such 180 from the University of Utah, that I have no idea what to expect.

Studying abroad, obviously, gives you the best opportunity to travel especially in Europe at decent prices. However, discovering everything that Italy has to offer is difficult but I am trying to find everything I can before I embark all over Europe. Milan was the sixth stop on my Italian adventure and I just to say how much it felt like home. Literally, it was like the Salt Lake of Italy! I found so many resemblances that I felt like I was back home, clearly, I wasn’t but it was a nice thought. Milan Fashion Week was in full swing so clearly I had to look good and werk it! Unfortunately, I was not able to sneak a peek into a Versace or Gucci show.

Personally, my favorite Duomo yet!

                                                 ^Who are you wearing?!? Sisley and Zara

Cinque Terre was next; which translates into Five Lands, which is literal because all five villages are nestled in the cliffs kissing the seas of the Italian Riviera all separated by water and could only be reached by ferry or train. Our program, ISA, had this weekend trip planned and we stayed on the unofficial sixth village ‘Levento’ which was a dream beach side town. Something you would see in the movies.  I was in love with the water and how beautiful it was. I’m pretty sure I said “I cannot get enough of this water” and “I am in love with this water”, legitimately a million times.

Can you even blame me?! Gorgeous!

I mean most of my weekend consisted of lying on the beach and swimming and doing absolutely nothing. So obviously I was having the worst time of my life. ;) Although, I did get stung by a sea urchin but I survived to tell the tale, so it wasn't too bad.

Lastly was Venice: The city on water. This city is unreal and absolutely breathtaking. How is it even possible that a city existed like this one (Unfortunately, I did not get to see George Clooney nor was I not able to crash his wedding. Google lied to me when I googled his wedding date) Venice started out like any other day. Taking a private boat taxi to a glass blowing factory, Murano, to see how they blew glass and then had a normal, exquisite dish of seafood for lunch. After that normal start, the highlight was the gondola ride. The best and most terrifying thing that I have done because I was unsure whether or not I would end up in the Grand Canal or not.  Ever since seeing the film, “The Tourist” starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie; I have wanted to go to Venice and here I am! Another thing we can check off my bucket list, if it was on my bucket list.

Someone, please pinch, because this seriously cannot be happening right now! Italy has treated me well so far and I can’t complain [Well maybe there has been a little bit, but that’s normal for me]. I would not and could not trade this experience for anything and I cannot wait to see what the rest of my time in Italy and Europe has to offer because the opportunities are plentiful; it’s just a matter of grabbing them and going.

But ya...that's my life.