A Lethargic Slob

That's what I feel like, ladies and gents. You see, over the summer, I was a pretty active person. I worked two jobs, one being at a day camp with young children (read:running around was not an option) and the other at an ice cream shop where I got to sample ice cream frequently was on my feet all shift.

Counselors are awesome. :)

I lived in a sports bra and shorts. I was tan and my hair was about 4092754 shades lighter than it is now.  And I made money for it. Good deal, right? I LOVE SUNSHINE.

In addition to this, that wonderful person up there and I were gym buddies. We did something most days of the week, in fact. We also kicked our butts and finally started running, jumping on that bandwagon. And I loved every single second of it. Loved it so much that I started toying around the idea of changing my major way too far into the game as a Junior.

I'mma be a busy girl, that's for sure.

Instead, I added one. But that's neither here nor there.

So that's all well and good, but over here in Italy I've stopped. Which makes me oh so sad and oh so MAD at myself. That's not what you're supposed to do. I have a lot of plans for what I want to do to stay in shape in Philadelphia, but I've put up such a mental block as to what to do in Rome. Perhaps it was the homesickness, but I'm dealing with that quite well. 

Whine. I can't dance and I like to dance.

Whine. I don't know where I'm running I can get lost.

Whine. I don't like working out in front of my roommates. It freaks me out.

Whine. I don't have any normal equipment.

Well, I'm getting over myself. So what? I'll be in Philadelphia sooner than I can fathom and then I'll do whatever I do there. But right now, I'm in Rome and I gotta deal. So I've changed my ways, for the better.

• Walk more. I didn't buy myself a monthly metro/bus pass. And not only to save money. This will force me to walk more. Plus I don't like ripping Italy off by riding the bus for free. Guilty conscience, I guess.
• Try not to eat insanely. I'm eating better breakfasts, which makes me feel a lot better. Worth the investment? I say YES. Also, maybe eating smaller portions of pasta might help. 
• Dance any way you can. Here it is in print: I'm going to stretch every day. I'm having an awful time with how I'm going to fit back into my dance group because I'm a spaz. But stretching calms me down. So it shall be done. Also, I'm dancing in the Jam Show. I used to be so against that. Then I slapped myself and all was well.
• Run. No brainer. I should have just sucked it up and ran anyway. Getting back on that bandwagon.
• Be creative. There honestly might be a million ways out there that I could work out without a gym. Yes, I miss classes. Yes, I miss equipment. BUT YOU HAVE TO MAKE DUE, YOU HEAR? I've been scouring blogs and twitter like an insane person. What can you do?
• JUST SHUT UP AND DO ANYTHING.

Oh, self. I did. :)

My awesome band-aid for my running blister. (Note: This fell off somewhere. I truly apologize.)

Action shot. FINALLY BIKING.

Daddy, don't yell. They didn't have helmets to rent.

Biking to see this? I can get used to it.

GUYS, I LOVE BIKE RIDING. I was all afraid that I would be the exception to the "never forgetting how" rule, but I totally wasn't. It was so great and I want to do it again. Every second of every day. Even though my butt kinda hurts.

And I'm eating better toooo. This had no cheese AND no pasta. WHAM.

Delicious stuffed peppers that aren't so bad for you!

Endorphins really do make you feel better. 

So uh, yeah. Sorry if you don't like hearing about this stuff. It's what you're going to get. :)

Also, New York City Marathon is this weekend and I think it's SO COOL. Perhaps one day I'll be that good. One day.

A Lesson in Studying Abroad: Part II

So. I need to stop writing things in parts. I'll get to that, I swear. If you care about Part I in the least, it's here.


So about two months in, I'd think it was safe to say that I've had my share of homesickness. But recently, I've given myself a kick in the pants and realized that I need to stop whining. I'm going to go home on December eleventh. Not before then. Not after then. There is no sense in wishing it would come faster, because it will be here before any of us realizes it.

SO. Things that should probably be done in order to keep you sane.

Eat a lot of food. Yeah, don't go crazy here. But I started the semester thinking that I had to eat close to nothing and spend not a lot of money on food. Now, my friends. I've got some news for you. That made me extremely cranky and bitter. IT IS FUN TO GO OUT TO EAT! There are student menus and cheaper options everywhere and it's nice to treat yourself every once and a while. Same goes with cooking too. Make it an adventure. DO NOT eat pasta every night or you'll rebel. Trust me.

He's so happy we went out, you see?

Take some me-time. It's really hard being in a room with two other people. I know I used to live with seven others. But it was easier for some reason to get an hour to yourself. Please, for the love of God, take your me-time.

Actually see the stuff you're supposed to see in the city. My friends, there is a lot of it, especially in a place like Rome. Have I been inside the Colosseum yet? Nope. Vatican? Uh. Next week! Are those two huge things that people would probably smack me for not seeing? Yes. Uh. I'll get on that. I'm such a tool.

I don't think this counts. At all. I'm a bad study abroad student.

Get involved. Well don't I sound lame? I know it's really hard, especially if you're like me and super involved with a group at home. But you can still do stuff in this program, I promise! It will make you not sit around and wish you were somewhere else.

GET OUTSIDE. Take advantage of any and all beautiful days. I am once and for all starting to get back on my running thing tomorrow. HELLO, NOVEMBER. I'm typing it right here. Shoot me if I don't. Okay?

Send mail! I'm not trying to forget about everybody back home. Just calm down and cut the hyperventilating every time I think about going home. MAIL IS FUN. Find me a person that doesn't like a letter or a postcard. Invest in your friends, my friends.

When all else fails, listen to this guy.

Enough said. It's been happening.

So, as you can see, I've had quite the turnaround. It's nice. I love my friends to death. But I've got exciting stuff here that I should focus on. I've got quite a long plane ride to think about all the fun stuff I'm going to do when I get back. QUITE THE LONG FLIGHT.

In other news...

This is NOT where I'll be living.

I HAVE AN APARTMENT. I HAVE AN APARTMENT. I HAVE AN APARTMENT.

My life is great. :D

50 Little Things (Part I)

Okay. So the deal here is to write down a little thing that you are thankful for/that makes you happy. It started on October sixth and the goal is to get to fifty. This conveniently lands on Thanksgiving, so that by the time you get there, you'll have fifty things ready at the go to be thankful for. Today marks the halfway point, and I'd like to share it with you, because these are all things that really make me happy. I got the idea for this here, and I think it's great. :)

BULLETS, GO!

• The Penis Game: I am happy it made me shout inappropriately outside of a gelato place in Rome and giggle about it like a little two year old. I'm also glad that I was able to win. Because I'm competitive like that.

These guys revolutionized it.

• Dippy Eggs: I like that they take two seconds to make and that they taste so good. Bonus points if there's hot sauce. I also like that I call them dippy eggs.
• Nutella Mouth: Or nose. I love it when you can tell somebody just ate Nutella. Also, Nutella fingers make me smile too.

So good.

• Naps: Not an original "little thing," but honestly, they can never receive too much love.
• Water: Water is a most brilliant thing. It makes me really happy when I drink eight glasses of water a day. It makes me feel healthy and aquatic.
• Kicking Mid-Terms in the Balls: 'Nuff said.

This is still a large victory for me, even though you've seen it.

• When the questions you know appear on tests and you can officially stop worrying.
• Google: Specifically Googling adventures.
• Actually feeling cultured and appreciating art. As a type of artist myself, I always feel like I should love all art. I am not able to look at it for a long time and I certainly don't like all of it. But when I do, it's nice.

The Lovers of Teruel.

• My Family: The day I wrote this was my cousin's birthday. And even though I was in Madrid, I still thought of her and how I get to see her at the holidays. And I can't wait.
• Fruity Drinks: This is not an allusion to alcoholic drinks. I love my Pink Flamingos.

I can't let go of it.

• Laughing: I love being goofy and I love when other people laugh. Or make me laugh. It's wonderful.
• Making it through a metal detector without being stopped. Apparently that has become a very difficult thing for me to do.
• Little kids dressed in/talking about/playing with/anything related to Disney. This is technically a very large corporation. But it happens so often, I'm counting it as a little thing.

I love Disney around Halloween. :)

• Sleeping In: Sorry, kids, I love my lazy days.
• Coming Back from Vacation: Okay so this didn't technically happen because of the Rome thing. But I like the feeling when you get to come back to your house. Specifically when you get to take your shoes off and feel the carpet. I love it.

• Being A Three Year Old.

We Chubby Bunnied this one hardcore.

• When you're sick and waking up, but feel like your nose is going to explode. But then you stand up and you cough and snot, but there's no more exploding! Gross, but true. See also: I miss my Neti-Pot. 
• Sending Mail: Technically I didn't send it on this day because the ATM wasn't working. But I still loved imagining seeing everybody's faces when they get the mail.
• Cooking Something New: Especially when it succeeds. Stuffed peppers, check?
• Planning Adventures: I've got many tricks and plans up my sleeve. When they follow through? It makes it even better.
• When friends make you feel better about your life, yourself, and everything else.
• Halloween: It's not in Rome, but I'm long distancing this one hardcore. Scary movies, costumes, pumpkins...I want it all.

Most legendary Halloween ever.

• Birthdays: I love giving special treatment to people on their special days.

BIRTHDAY HUGS. 

• Taking care of somebody when they're sick. The fact that they're sick is no good. But helping them is nice! Note: I'm not yet sure if this extends to vomit.

So that's it! Nobody can say I'm forgetting about Thanksgiving, even though I'm listening to Christmas music in Rome. I'm celebrating for two months. :)

A Lesson in Studying Abroad: Part I

Don't yell at me for venting. If you don't want to read it, then don't.

So this is a lot for myself, and I promise that I'll get back to updating you on my life with lots of pretty pictures and witty comments soon. But because I'm an emotional slob, I need to share this to. Or rather, I want to share this. It's been about a month in to my study abroad experience, so I think it's about time I introduce you to Part I of my feeeeelings. I'll do it every month, maybe if I feel like it.

Studying abroad so far has been awesome, as I'm sure you know by my blog. I'm having a great time, but I am wrestling so badly with homesickness. Now, I'm a pretty good wrestler, but I seem to be losing this one hardcore. So I'mma make this list. It's not organized at all. This is stream of consciousness, baby. James Joyce. (AP English, holla.) Maybe it'll make me feel better. Maybe not. But at least you'll know where I'm at and that Rome is NOT all pasta and gelato.

Even though a lot of it is.

You Will Eat and Cook A Lot: Now, this has been really exciting for me, because I love love love cooking. And I definitely have learned to shop the markets and shop with the seasons (I mean. It's only been hot but whatever.) more than I have at home. Which is really cool, because that's one thing I wanted to improve about my life. I don't really eat out a lot because I don't want to go broke. But I love cooking, and it's made my days so far coming back and cooking dinner. Because I'm a nerd. And a sap for that. BUT I MISS FALL BAKING. I keep seeing pumpkin flavored things on the internet and I literally ache for it. But. I'll be back for Christmas! Otherwise I would lose it.

This pizza we made doesn't make me feel so bad.

Italian is Beautiful: I love the language, I really do. I have wanted to learn Italian for forever and a day. And I'm learning it! But I HATE when I can't say what I mean. I HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT. It gets me so frustrated and I just wish I wasn't the equivalent of a five year old. I'm getting there. I have to be patient. But I'm not. Maybe that's my fault. Okay. That is my fault.

There is No Kinesiology or Theater Here for Me: Big shocker, right? English, Anthropology, Art History, and Italian. That's totally not what I am. Not what I DO. And I have all these huge plans and dreams with what I want to do with my life (saaaappy) and now I just feel stuck here. I want to do what I want. Not this anymore. They aren't awful. But like. BAH. I did this on purpose and I thought I could handle it. I can't as well as I thought, apparently. 

Money Stresses Me Out: This conversion thing makes me feel like I am flushing my money down the toilet. I'm going to have loans out my butt when I get back and graduate.

I'm Stuck in Pseudo-Vacation-School-Land: I'm in Rome. Like. Is this real? At all? I'm going to different countries and I'm headed to Florence tomorrow. I'm one of the luckiest people in the whole wide world. But school just freaks me out. I do my reading for the most part, but it's weird. Not bad. Just weird. And toying with my emotions. Tease.

JDSDubs teaching away. Me being sidetracked.

Communication is HARD: Not only from Italy to the United States, oh no. While that's nearly impossible, over here is tough too. Yes I have a cell phone, but it costs me money and I just miss my unlimited text Verizon plan and my purple phone. I'm shallow and materialistic. Sure. But I'm a social being. Sorry. I keep getting left out of the loop and it just drives me nuts. Because I'm needy and self-centered. SO SUE ME.

I Miss Philadelphia Sports: I miss them all. Temple, the Eagles, the PHILS. Jesus. This is a lot harder than I thought. If I were missing Super Bowl Sunday, I'd be strangling somebody. The playoffs/World Series are enough.

Unbelievable pride in my sports teams.

I Just Want to Run: I don't want to worry about getting lost. Or getting my stuff stolen. I just want to run. I just want to go to the gym. I want a yoga mat at the very least so my apartment floor doesn't bruise up my back. 

Making Friends is Hard: To all of my friends back home, YOU. SUCK. You are all so amazing I have set my standards WAY beyond what they should be. If they don't laugh at the same things or accept my antics straight off the bat, I just don't care. How awful is that?? I am an awful human being. And that's just the way I am. But I love my friends. And I have great ones here, don't get me wrong. BUT WHY CAN'T WE BE ALL TOGETHER!? I have separation anxiety.

My life does, indeed, suck without you.

Travel Buddies Save Your Life: It's really nice when you have somebody that's along on your trip that wants the same thing out of a study abroad experience as you do. And it can be anybody, I'm not just saying the boyfriend title is a special help. Even though it is. That's not what I'm focusing on. There seems to be a million people milling about and going in different directions and it's just nice when you want to do something else and somebody else wants to do that something else. It's nice. Fine. Hate me.

Dancing Isn't the Same: Whine. I'm rooted in Philly. Complain. I miss it. Angst. End of that story.

SO PRECIOUS. SO MUCH LOVE.

Rest Days Can Save Your Life: Anybody that's met me for more than twenty minutes probably knows that I get cranky when I am (a) tired, (b) hungry or (c) sick. Today I was all three of those things at once. RIGHT? I bet you would have run in the opposite direction. Please, ladies and gentlemen, take your rest days. As with running, they will cause you less pain and suffering.  

Christmas is a TEASE: I want it. I want it now. I guess this isn't only studying abroad. But the weather here hasn't changed at all. And I don't even have Halloween or Thanksgiving to hold me over this year. OOF. This is a LONG HAUL, people. I kind of can't wait for all things winter. And ice skating. And snow. And warmth. And hot chocolate. And music. And Christmas with my sister. And the princesses. And my friends. And my family. And my family. And my family. (I think that's all the families?) 

There's Christmas music playing.

Prancer misses her reindeer.

Princesses always keep it classy at Christmas.

So. I think I might have whined enough, yes? I'm sure you all want to slap me in the face, and maybe it's justified. It probably is justified.

BUT IT'S THE WAY I FEEL AND MY I FEEL STATEMENTS MEAN IT IS VALIDATED.

So, Philly, I miss ya. And everybody there. Even that one padiddle I called that one time which was not the classiest thing I've ever done in my life.

Maybe I feel better. We'll see.

My face looks like this a lot. This was our goodbye party.

I'm such a whiner. Shut up.

Tomorrow I leave for Florence. Then when I get back, we should return to normal blogging as usual. 

Oh. Trivia question. How do you know when you've watched too much How I Met Your Mother?

This is probably disrespectful.

How about when your Art History professor describes the ancient She-Wolf statue of Rome as the Roman "Liberty Bell," and so you decide to take a picture pretending to lick it. Just like Ted and Barney.

Come on guys. I have a life.

And no pictures? Did you actually believe me?