Paradise in Italia?!

Ciao!

When you think of the country of Italy I am sure you picture the rolling hills in Tuscany, the Colosseum in Rome, and maybe even the art in Florence.  I am sure a beautiful paradise doesn't even enter your mind.  If you are like me you would never ever picture a tropical paradise in Italy.  But this past weekend I was able to experience 3 days in paradise.

On Friday a group of Umbra students and I set off at 6 am for the Amalfi Coast!  After about 4 1/2 hours on the bus we finally arrived at our first stop: Pompei!  As soon as we got off the bus we entered the ruins of an old Roman town.  The ruins were pretty intact considering all they have been through over the years including more than one eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.  We had a tour guide take us through the ruins for almost two hours showing us everything from an old Roman amphitheater to an ancient Roman spa.  It was all so interesting to me considering I don't remember learning about Pompei in high school.

After the tour we had some free time in Pompei then we traveled to our hotel in our second stop: Sorrento.  We stayed at a four star hotel in Sorrento and it was so awesome.  We all enjoyed the showers in our rooms which were about three times the size of my shower in Perugia.  And our hotel was right in downtown Sorrento which is an absolutely beautiful town.  It reminded me of Florida or Hawaii with all of the palm trees and colorful buildings.  We didn't stay up too long after dinner because we had to be up early to leave for Capri!

We left our hotel at 9 am on Saturday to take the ferry to our third stop of the trip: the island of Capri!  When we got on the ferry it had started to rain and we were all very worried that we wouldn't be able to see the crystal blue water and amazing views Capri has to offer.  By the time we arrived in Capri (after a very rough ferry ride) the rain had slowed and we got in a cable car to the very top of the island.  When we got to the top the view was incredible despite the fog and mist.  In a way I was thankful for the fog because it made for some great pictures like this one....

 
Right after we took our pictures the rain had started up again and it down poured!  So a group of us took cover in a cafe and enjoyed some paninos and cappuccino.  Luckily, after we finished our meal the rain had stopped and the sun started to come out!  We took advantage of this and went to find these gardens some girls in our trip had told us about.  We found the Augusta Gardens and my breath was taken away!  In these gardens there is a lookout point that has some incredible views.  I almost started crying because this is the view I had yearned for.  We spent about an hour here just taking as many pictures as possible and my favorite picture was taken at this lookout.  I did edit this picture slightly but it takes my breath away every time I look at it and it is now the wallpaper on my laptop.  And as my friend says it looks like it should be an inspirational picture..thanks Sam!  I have entered this picture into Umbra's photo of the month contest so wish me luck!  So here is my favorite picture I have ever taken....

After our visit to the Augusta Gardens my friends and I went down this crazy looking path.  I didn't want to go down because I am very afraid of heights it but my friends convinced me and I am so glad they did.  Here's why I was afraid....

 This crazy path did make for some more great views!  And as we started down the path the sun came out even more.  It was a sight I will never forget for as long as I live :)

 After a lot of picture taking we made our way back into the cable car and went to the bottom of the island.  We wanted to take a tour of the famous "Grotta Azzurra" (blue grotto) but the waves were too dangerous to take a tiny boat into the grotto.  We were all a little disappointed but I guess we will have to come back someday to experience the blue grotto.  I bought some postcards of what it looks like inside the grotto so those will have to do I guess.  After being bummed about the grotto we went to put our feet in the Mediterranean Sea!  It was surprisingly very warm but it was so breezy outside we didn't go swimming.  But I still can say I have stepped in the Mediterranean!

Around 4 pm we had to take a ferry back to Sorrento.  Our original plan was to take a ferry at 5:15 but the ferry company informed us the waves were too dangerous to stay any later than 4 pm.  So now I must tell you all about our ferry ride from you know where.  It started off ok with our whole group on the top deck of the ferry boat.  But as we got farther into the sea we could see the waves were about 5-6 feet tall and our boat started rocking.  At one point the side I was on was much higher than the other side and the people on the lower side said they could have put their hands in the water if they wanted to..very scary!  It was the longest half hour of my life.  After we got back on land we heard it is not uncommon for the sea to be so wild.  Hence the reason our leaders loved our laughter and screaming as the boat was rocking so violently.  We all slept well Saturday night.

On Sunday morning we said goodbye to our wonderful hotel and took a bus tour of Sorrento and Naples.  Our tour guide was hilarious giving us so many interesting facts including "cows cannot be let out to graze in Sorrento because they would roll down the hills".  She even sang opera to us and played a popular song in Italy right now (I will find the name I promise). 

After the tour we had about five hours of free time in the city of Naples.  But before letting us roam around our tour guide told us where to eat for lunch.  We were about a five minute walk from the oldest pizzeria in all of Italy.  It is called Brandi's pizzeria and it is supposedly the place where the Queen Margherita came and she loved the pizza so much they decided to name the pizza after her.  Hence the margherita pizza we have today!  So a group of us went right when they opened at 12:30 and enjoyed the margherita pizza.  It was the best pizza I have ever eaten! 

 
After we stuffed ourselves with pizza we walked around exploring the city of Naples.  I'm sure you have heard negative things about the city but we were in a very safe portion of the city so no worries.  But we heard the mafia is still alive on the outskirts of Naples.  While exploring we came upon an old palace and we decided to visit.  We went inside and found out it was not only free entry but we could take as many pictures as we wanted as long as we didn't use a flash..what a deal!  So we took about an hour and walked around this beautiful palace snapping pictures left and right.  Here are some pictures of the inside and the view the palace deck had to offer of the Queen Mary 2 which happened to be docked in Naples for the day!

 After our free walk around the palace we got gelato (because no trip is complete without it) and prepared for our five hour bus ride back to Perugia.  We had a smooth ride and arrived back to our apartments around 8:30 pm.  It was such a wonderful weekend and I would go back to the coast in a heartbeat!  We had weather in the 80s all weekend and as I write this it is in the 60s and very windy here in Perugia. 

I am back to reality right now preparing myself for my appointment with the Italian police tomorrow morning to finish my permit of stay requirements to live in Perugia.  I am going to be finger printed by the police which should be a cultural experience to say the very least.  I will let you all know how it goes :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful week and if you have nice weather I hope you enjoy it!  Here is the link to my Facebook page with all of my pictures from this past weekend so check them out!

 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=235573&id=604955888&l=8267f74537

Italian word of the post:
    isola - island

Have a great week and if you ever find yourself in Italy please please go to the Amalfi Coast!!  You won't regret it!!

Molto amore (lots of love)
Morgan :)

Class Schedule and the Best Pizza in Perugia (and maybe the world)!

Ciao!

I must start this blog entry off by explaining our roommate dinner we had last night. My seven roommates and I went out to eat for my roommate Sarah's birthday. We went to (supposedly) the best pizza place in Perugia. And now that we went I must agree it is the best pizza I have ever had! It is a tiny restaurant and you can see them making your pizza in the oven. And the oven is a real hearth flame oven (so cool!). The pizza was absolutely delicious! We all agree we will be returning to "Pizzeria Meditteranea" again soon!

While looking over some of my previous posts I have realized that I never listed the courses I am taking while I am studying at the Umbra Institute. And since my studies are what brought me to beautiful Perugia in the first place I feel as though should explain the courses I am taking this semester. Below I have listed my courses by day and time....

Monday
11:00-11:50 - Elementary Italian 101
12:00-1:30 - Human Development in Culture
1:45-3:15 - Contemporary Italy: Culture and Society
3:30-5:00 - History and Politics of Modern Italy
Tuesday
11:00-11:50 - Elementary Italian 101
1:45-3:15 - Survey of Italian Renaissance Art
3:30-5:00 - History and Politics of Modern Italy
Wednesday
11:00-11:50 - Elementary Italian 101
12:00-1:30 - Human Development in Culture
1:45-3:15 - Contemporary Italy: Culture and Society
Thursday
11:00-11:50 - Elementary Italian 101
1:45-3:15 - Survey of Italian Renaissance Art
Friday
NO CLASSES!!

My first course everyday is Italian 101. This is a demanding course because it is everyday and our professor only speaks to us in Italian. She tries to use as little English as possible with us which is a great way to learn a language but it's also frustrating at times for us as students. But I think that with the combination of living, listening, and studying Italian everyday I might be close to fluent when I come home. Don't be surprised if I speak Italian for awhile when I return to the states :)

My Human Development in Culture class is fulfilling a requirement for my psychology major at Lebanon Valley College. We are going to be learning about different cultures and what it means to be from a certain culture. Certain topics we will be covering is humor, abnormal psychology across culture, and schooling across culture. We will also be visiting different schools around Perugia to see what the school system is like here in Italy. I also love this class because my professor is Irish and I could listen to her accent all day!

Contemporary Italy: Culture and Society takes a look at specific events, trends, and phenomena that have shaped Italy and the lives of Italians. Some specific topics include religion, gender relations/roles, organized crime, mafia, and mass media. In this class we also have a field trip to Siena, a small town in the Tuscany region.

For my History and Politics of Modern Italy course we will be discussing modern aspects of Italian government and history. There is only 7 people in this course so our professor asked each one of us which topic in particular we would like to talk about over the semester. Our professor restructured the course so we have enough time to talk about exactly what we want to talk about. I said I want to talk about Futbol (soccer) and its role on government. I have heard this can be a very hot topic so I am excited to learn about it! Some other topics we will be focusing on are the mafia (of course!), Italy's role in World War II, and the current government system.

My final course, Survey of Italian Renaissance Art, was the course I was most nervous about before arriving in Italy. The reason I was so nervous is because I do not like art history at all. But since I am in Italy I figured I should take some sort of art history course. I can now say I am no longer nervous about this class! My professor is an American now living in Florence, Italy and she is very relaxed about art. She just wants us to enjoy the art and not stress too much about it. She also has a lot of passion about art history and it makes us all love it when she is so excited about it. I already completed one field trip for this course which was my trip to Assisi (discussed in my last blog entry) and I have another trip in mid November. We will be spending two days in Florence visiting various churches and museums. We will be seeing Santa Croce which is a very famous church and also Michelangelo's sculpture David! I am sure this will be an unforgettable field trip for myself and my entire class.

Now that my week is almost over I am preparing for my weekend trip. The Umbra Institute has organized a trip for us to Capri, Naples, Sorrento, and Pompeii. I am so excited for this trip! We are leaving Peugia at 6 am Friday morning and returning around 9 pm Sunday night. I have been told by numerous people that I have to visit Capri while I am in Italy. It is a beautiful place with crystal blue water and cliffs all around. I am sure there will be many beautiful pictures up on this blog sometime next week so stay tuned!

I hope everyone has a great weekend planned and I will post again once I return from the Amalfi Coast :)

Italian word of the post:
mercato - market

Also, if you enjoy my blog the school I attend here in Perugia has its own blog! So check it out if you have a chance! Just copy and paste the link below into your internet browser....

www.umbra-institute.blogspot.com

Molto Amore (lots of love)

Morgan :)

Under the Tuscan Sun

Ciao!

I would like to start this post off by saying that I am so excited to share this blog with everyone.  I skyped my family last night and my dad told me how many people are loving my blog posts and I am so glad.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to share my stories with you all and I promise to update as often as I can.

This past Friday I had my very first class field trip.  During my time here at the Umbra Institute I have 3 or 4 field trips for different classes.  For my art class we are doing 2 trips, one to Assisi which I will discuss in a moment, and another to Florence in November.  For the trip to Florence we are staying overnight and we are going to be able to see Michelangelo's David!  I cannot express my excitement enough!  But for right now we visited Assisi for this first trip.  As I posted last time we visited Assisi last Sunday with Umbra but this time we specifically went to visit the basilica of St. Francis.  We spent about an hour and a half looking at the art on the walls of the basilica while our teacher gave us some historical information on the paintings.  Unfortunately, no photographs are allowed inside any church or museum in Italy so that is why I have a lack of pictures from Assisi.  I thought I would be bored seeing the basilica again but I felt the exact opposite.  It was so beautiful to see the fresco paintings again and to have them explained by an expert.  Our teacher also gave us some historical information about the basilica that I would have otherwise missed out on.  I have put some of these facts below....

                    Facts about St. Francis Basilica:
                         1. This basilica is governed by the Vatican City.  That means they have to follow the rules set
                          by the Pope.  It is also how the basilica is primarily funded.
                         2. St. Francis never saw his basilica.  It was built after his death in 1216.  Many people said
                          he would not like the huge basilica because he was in poverty for most of his life. 
                         3. Before the basilica was built on the site it stands now it was used to execute criminals.

 On Saturday my roommate Erin and I decided to make a daytrip to Cortona.  We wanted to get out of Perugia for a little while and use the train for the very first time!  Cortona is the site of the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun".  Although I have never seen the movie I was recommended by a fellow LVC student to visit this place because of the gorgeous views.  And it is an easy 45 minute train ride from our school in Perugia.  So Erin and I set out to go Under the Tuscan Sun.

Before we got to Cortona however I have an interesting story to tell about our journey.  When buying a train ticket in Italy (and some other European countries as well) the ticket you purchase can be used anytime unless it is for a reserved train.  The ticket can be used for up to 60 days from the date of purchase.  We were told many times by the staff at Umbra that you must validate your ticket when riding the train or you can be fined at least 50 euro!  To validate the ticket you simply stick your ticket in a machine and it stamps it.  I thought you had to validate the ticket after you arrived at your destination but when we arrived in Cortona Erin explained to me you must validate before!  Luckily, a conductor never reached our seats and I was not caught.  It's safe to say I validated my ticket for the ride home and I learned my lesson the easy way!  But now I have a one way ticket to Cortona to be used in the next 60 days. 

Once we arrived in Cortona we took a bus to the very top of the town.  Like Perugia, Cortona is situated on top of a hill and is known as another hilltop town (Perugia is referred to as the queen of the Italian hilltop towns).  Unfortunately when we visited it was a cloudy, rainy day but we didn't let the weather get us down.  We walked around the town for awhile then went to eat at this cute outdoor restaurant.  Some of our roommates had visited Cortona a week ago and they highly recommended this restaurant!  And they were right, the food was the best meal I have had so far in Italy.  I enjoyed lasagna with Tuscan bolognaise sauce..so yummy!

After our meal we walked around enjoying the beautiful views Cortona had to offer.  And when we got tired of walking all of the hills we stopped for gelato.  The number one rule of traveling in Italy is that no trip is complete without a stop for gelato!  That's my travel rule anyway :)  And I took my first picture of gelato..here it is....

I enjoyed a cup of nutella and creme caramel flavored gelato and it was the best I have had so far.This gelateria also offered some interesting flavors including Nesquik gelato with Nesquik cereal in it!  Here's a picture....

 I think it's safe to say our first daytrip was a success, minus our train ticket validation fiasco.  But luckily I learned my lesson the easy way :)  Now this week we have 4 days of classes and I have my very first quiz in Italian 101 this Thursday.  But all of my roommates and I are so excited because this coming weekend we are traveling to the Amalfi Coast!  We are visiting Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento, and Capri with the Umbra Institute this Friday through Sunday!  I hope this week goes by quickly and I will be sure to update before the weekend gets here.

I hope everyone has a fantastic week!  I leave you with some pictures of the beautiful views from under the Tuscan sun and the first pictures of me since my arrival in Italia....

I have also figured out how everyone who does not have access to Facebook can view all of my pictures.  Click on this link below and you will be able to see my entire album of pictures I have taken so far on my study abroad adventure :)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=209064&id=604955888&l=cb8d70051e

Italian word of the post (for you grandpa Jerry):
    gatto - cat 

Have a wonderful week!

Molto amore (lots of love)

Morgan :) 

P.S. If anyone has any questions they would like answered about anything in Italy or concerning Italy you can leave me a comment below and I will try to answer them for you as best I can. 

First Weekend, Classes, and Italian Food!

Ciao!

I am going to apologize in advance for this long blog post but in order to do these last few days justice I must.  First, I will fill you all in on my very first weekend here in Perugia.  We have no classes on Fridays here at the Umbra Institute to allow us more time to travel and just enjoy living in Italy.  So on Friday my roommate Erin and I had to go to the post office to get our permit of stay.  In Italy, when you stay more than 90 days you must register yourself with the local authorities.  So after about 2 hours of waiting and a mountain of paperwork we received our permit of stays to live here in Perugia.  In addition to our permits we have an appointment with the local police to be fingerprinted (kind of scary).  But those appointments will not take place for another 2 weeks.  So to reward ourselves for successfully surviving our permit of stay experience Erin and I took a journey on the minimetro with no real plan in mind.  The minimetro is the best way to get around Perugia.  It is fairly new (began in 2008) and it was designed to resemble a cable car on a ski lift.  It's my new favorite form of travel here in Italy.  While on our journey we discovered a big grocery store and a McDonald's!  Having not eaten any meat since our arrival in Italy we both got a cheeseburger off the Euro Menu (no dollars here!).  And let me say it was the best cheeseburger I have ever had, so far anyway.

Our Saturday was basically the same as Friday.  All of my roommates and I took the minimetro again to the local Saturday Market.  The market takes place every Saturday and it is filled with many vendors selling fruits, vegetables, clothing, and even animals.  We are planning to go again very soon!

Sunday morning we all slept in for the first time!  Then we met some fellow Umbra students and headed out to Assisi.  But before we went to Assisi Umbra treated us to a full Italian lunch.  It was the best meal I have had so far!  But I must explain to everyone what a full Italian meal consists of.  The first course is a plate of pasts (a full serving), second course is salad, third course is meat and in our case we had 3 different kinds of meats to choose from, the final course is dessert!  It was so yummy and oh so filling.

After we were all too stuffed to move we traveled to Assisi by bus.  Assisi is about a half hour bus ride away from Perugia and it is situated atop a hill, very similar to Perugia.  When we arrived we met one of Umbra's Italian professors and she took us on a guided tour through the town. 

Our first stop was at St. Chiara's church.  Because we visited Assisi on a Sunday it was quite full.  And in Assisi you are not allowed to speak in any church.  So it was difficult to know what everything was because our tour guide could not talk to us until we were outside of the church.  Our second stop was St. Francis' church.  This church is probably what most people think of when they think of the town of Assisi.  The church was beautiful!  There is no photography allowed in any churches or museums in Italy so instead we all bought postcards of the inside.  We also got to see the tomb of St. Francis and a mass that was taking place while we were walking around the church.  It was such an amazing experience to be able to see such a famous church.  As one of my roommates described it is almost like going back in time when you enter these churches.  It's very surreal!

On Monday we started classes here at Umbra.  It's still hard for me to comprehend that we have homework to do here in beautiful Perugia.  But my classes were amazing!  I am taking 5 classes this semester.  Human development in culture, contemporary Italy: culture and society, Italian 101, history and politics of modern Italy, and survey of Italian renaissance art.

Before starting classes I figured all of my professors would be Italians but I was surprised Monday.  I only have 2 Italian professors.  I have a British professor for my history course, an Irish professor for my psychology course, an American (from Pennsylvania) for my art course, and Italian professors for the rest of my classes.  I have a feeling it's going to be a great semester with some amazing professors!  I couldn't be happier about the classes I have chosen.  I hope I am still saying this once my exams start coming :)

Before I go I have some pictures to share with all of you!  Here are some of the many photos I have taken over the past few days.  And right now I am working on getting an account on shutterfly.com so you can view all of my pictures instead of a select few.  But for now here are a select few..enjoy!!

the minimetro

 another view of Perugia from the other end of the city

 the 5 LVC students studying here in Perugia for the Fall semester

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!!  I will update again soon :)

Italian word of the post:
    grazie - thank you

Morgan :)

P.S. If anyone would like to skype with me my username is Morgalittle.  I am working on getting a video up here on my blog as well so stay tuned!

My heart is in PA

Ciao!

I cannot believe I have been in Italy for a week already.  It has been a tough week in more ways than one.  Today we finished our intensive Italian studies and my brain is so tired of comprehending Italian.  I am catching on pretty quickly (thank you 3 years of Spanish) but its still difficult at times.  On Monday we start our elective classes here at Umbra and I am so ready.  I need a set schedule in my life right now..more than anything.

It has also been a tough transition to living in Italy.  I was told this first few weeks would be difficult and those people were right!  I have been experiencing so many emotions within this first week and my body is just ready for a 3 day weekend already.

But I know tomorrow will be a tough day for me.  My dad is having a kidney transplant tomorrow and it is extremely difficult for me to not be home with my family right now.  I know everything will be fine but my heart will be in PA tomorrow.  If everyone could say a prayer tomorrow it will be greatly appreciated by all!  I love you dad and just know I will be thinking about you tomorrow :)

And if you haven't already, please sign an organ donor card today!!

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend.  As for me I will be walking around Perugia exploring and eating gelato!  Many more pictures to come next week!

Italian word of the post:
    amore - love
    
Morgan :)

A Little Faster Than Expected

So, it seems I only had one orientation meeting today so therefore here are a few pictures of Perugia...enjoy!

The region surrounding Perugia....

The fountain in the center of town....

I wasn't kidding when I said this city is all uphill....

Happy Labor Day tomorrow everyone!

Morgan :)

My First Few Days in Perugia

Ciao Everyone!

I am finally getting over the jet lag and am ready to start classes!  This coming week we have an entire week devoted to intensive Italian.  One professor told us yesterday it is like Rosetta Stone in 4 days.  I can't wait to finally learn this language that I have been hearing for over 2 days now, and maybe have a conversation with the locals.On September 13th we will start our regular classes. 

Yesterday, I moved into my apartment here in Perugia.  I am living with 7 other girls so needless to say we were all a little bit worried about how much space (and how many bathrooms) we were going to have.  But we hit the jackpot!  Our apartment has 3 floors, 2 girls living in the basement, 3 on the first floor, and 3 of us (including me) on the top floor.  Each floor has a bathroom complete with shower, sink, and all of that good stuff.  There are only 2 double rooms, the rest of us have singles.  I have a small single room with a view and I love it!  And because we have all of this space I believe we're going to have to host Thanksgiving dinner for our American friends.  The only bad thing is we have no internet, none of the apartments do, luckily I am sitting in my school computer lab right now typing this so posts may be about once a week. 

After moving in, we had time to experience Perugia herself.  I love this small city, it's filled with many cute shops, supermarkets, and restaurants.  Then we got to see the view of the entire area!  But first you must know Perugia is situated on a mountain and the streets are made of cobblestone and go up and down the entire way.  It makes for some incredible views!  I will try and post pictures as soon as I can, possible sometime later in the week.  But just know that Italy is more beautiful than I could have ever imagined!  I cannot believe I will be able to experience this country until December!

Right now, my roommates and I are trying to figure out where we want to travel during our semester here.  Some of us have already signed up with the school trip to Capri, Naples, and Sorrento at the end of September!  I have been told by many people to visit Capri, and I am so glad my 3 day weekend trip there is already planned out!  So September 24th...Capri here we come :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful Labor Day and to my LVC friends I will be going to class tomorrow just like you!  Also, instead of quotes maybe I can try to teach you all some Italian.  Here is my Italian word of the post..enjoy!

Prego - you're welcome

Morgan :)



 

Hello from Perugia, Italy!!

Hi Everyone!!

I have made it safe and sound to Perugia, Italy.  I can't talk too long write now as it is midnight here already!  I am moving into my apartment tomorrow morning with my 7 roommates.  They all seem very nice and are from all over the USA.  I will write more when I have the chance!  Love and miss you all very much :) 

P.S. I had my first skype session with my dad, Missy, and of course our 2 cats Callaway and Ripken!

Morgan :)

5 Things

Hello Everyone!

So tomorrow is the big day!  At this time tomorrow I will be on my way to the airport then I will take a flight to Chicago.  After a 4 hour layover in Chicago I will board my 10 hour flight to Rome!  I am so excited, nervous, anxious, and a lot of other emotions too.  I still cannot believe that the day has finally come for me to leave.  I know it won't feel real until I see that sign for my flight to Rome. 

So before I leave the USA for almost 4 months I would like to share some things that I am going to miss about my home country.  And also some things I'm looking forward to seeing/doing in Italy.

5 things I will miss....

1. My family - I have never been away from my family for this long and I know I am going to miss you all so much!  I wish everyone could accompany me on this adventure.

2. My LVC family - This past Monday I went to my school to say goodbye to my roomies and friends.  It was so hard knowing that they will no longer be just down the hall from me.  I won't be able to run in their rooms and share important news or get texts asking what time we're going to dinner.  I love you girls!

3. Driving - I realized the other day that I will not drive for almost 4 months!  No more jamming out to the radio or going on rides with my friends for a Sonic run.  I just hope I don't drive on the other side of the road when I come home in December.

4. American TV - I have to admit that I will miss my American television shows.  I am going to miss the America's Got Talent finale, The Office, and the show that NBC can't stop previewing..The Event.  Someone will have to keep me posted what's going on with all of these shows.

5. American food - Although I cannot wait to taste real Italian food I will miss my American food. 

5 things I can't wait to see/do in Italy....

1. Gelato - I am so excited to have my very first real Italian gelato!  I will let you all know how amazing it is!

2. Travel Europe - Traveling around Europe is so cheap!  You can take the train to almost anywhere and there's an airline that has very inexpensive tickets.  I want to go to Paris and Austria so badly, so we will see!

3. The Colosseum - I can't even begin to imagine how large this structure is so it will be a once in a lifetime experience to see the Colosseum!

4. Perugia - The town where I will be studying and living!  I have seen pictures and it looks so beautiful!  I'm sure its even more amazing in person.

5. Towns in Italy - I plan to travel around Italy!  I want to experience as much of the country as possible.  I hope to go to Capri and Florence for starters.

So now I must go finish packing everything into 2 suitcases!  I hope everything goes smoothly tomorrow and that I can sleep on my long flight to Rome.  I will update as soon as I can!  As promised, here is another quote to end this post

"Be the change you want to see in the world."

         -Mahatma Ghandi
Morgan :)