Tuesday, July 30, 2013

E quando il tuo anno italiano è finito...

HEYYY. I'm back and it's strange. Well I've been back now for three weeks..., but I've been busy doing a bunch of things like seeing my friends and family and going back to the same old places and driving and watching Netflix (YES) and listening to Pandora..

I wrote a letter to myself July 27, 2012 (here's the link: click here) before I left for my AFS year in Italy. It was a whole entire year before I left and I asked myself these questions that I would answer when I returned:

1) Are you fluent in this beautiful language?
I think I can respond yes to this or at least I can consider myself at a "Professional working proficiency". I looked that up online, and the other exchange students and I fit into the criteria.

2) Do you think in Italian?
Not anymore, but like all the other exchange students for the last couple months... yes we were thinking in Italian!

3) How many intriguing people have you met?
I can't count. Everyone I met was diverse and interesting.


So my last days were surprisingly normal... Well, besides the last Sunday I was there, I got confirmed in the pretty painted church in the town where I lived, Mamoiada. Here are some photos...



The most awesome host father, host sister who is my madrina (godmother) and me!

The kindest host mother, Giosa on the left! :)

My host sister and a beautiful baby!

DELICIOUS pasta al forno! lasagna!

Grandma and host dad!

Zio Ciccio ed io! :)

The huge lunch after my confirmation (cresima)...


So the last few days, I had one last pizza night with my class, hung out with some other exchange students, and went to the beach. Then came the time when we had to say goodbye to our families and other friends. After ten months of getting to know each other extremely well, I saluted everyone with tears. It was too sad, but I know we'll be seeing each other.

I found this list of life tips on my Italian classmate's wall... I learned a lot of these while I was there. 1. Hang out only with those who make you feel good about yourself. 
More amazing life tips from my Italian dad... B says everything we resist, we trasform into enemy.

THE BEST PIZZA IN THE ENTIRE WORLD
order "Bella" at Su Conottu in Nuoro, Sardegna, Italia



Caffé, grazie Totoi!

So wow. My exchange year in Italy is over. It was so difficult to believe that it would ever end. My departure date had always seemed so far away. This year gave me and all the other exchange students so many new ideas and new knowledge though, and we learned how to look upon our own cultures from an international perspective. We met people from all over the world and we had so much fun together. We lived with a family. We met the real people of these countries that we see on the news or that we only ever imagined. We changed for the better. I really believe that everyone should do one year abroad. I would recommend studying abroad in high school to everyone. Before I left I felt so locked into my hometown and life in the US. Now, però, I know I can be strong through the difficulties and have so much beautiful fun when I travel. I'm ready to pack my bags again and get on a plane to the next destination.

Thank you everyone for reading a little bit about my year in Italia these past ten months. I hope that this blog can provide some reference and help to future AFS students, but I won't write here anymore. Bye blog italiano... Ciao Italy for now.



Wednesday, June 26, 2013

L'estate.

Well ciao belli there. School finished three weeks ago. It's all about to be over too fast. One minute I feel like I have all the time I want here, but then the next I check my countdown and mancano pochissimi giorni (there are only a few days left).

When school got out, my class got together and threw a really fun spuntino (party type thing) in the countryside.


Chiara!


Maria ed Io

Classe mia/My class

Costa and Pessei and me

Looking back at this year, my friend Sara and I have done tantissima roba (so much stuff) together. We've experienced and helped each other through the extremely difficult and beautiful Italian life.


 

We jumped into a fountain in a piazza in Nuoro.

We went to the beach.

Sardegna, qualche volta isola delle pecore (island of the sheep)

We hung out together! Siamo uscite insieme..

We have eaten 100s of pizze together.


We had our last AFS-Intercultura camp and I had to say goodbye to the other AFS exchange students. At this point, we have known each other since September and been with each other all along the way. It's difficult to believe that when I come back to visit Italy in a few years, it won't all be the same. We won't all be living in different parts of Sardegna and be able to host each other, but we'll be back in our own countries, already stuck in the new daily grind.


2012-2013 AFS-INTERCULTURA SARDEGNA i migliori...


Calagonone is a little turisty town on the sea in Sardegna. We took a boat out on the sea and saw the beautiful caves and hidden beaches only accessible by boat or a really long hike...








Karitas!









Cala Mariolu...

The bus. I've gotten used to these.
The fruit and vegetable bus that comes yelling about its selection around my town almost every morning.



Time never seems to be graceful. Sighs of ending adventures...

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Cosa faccio a scuola?

Hey world!
My time at an Italian high school is almost over. I've spent nearly nine months going to school and we're all super tired of all this studying. Right now, my class is stressed out studying for the exams and making sure they pass there fifth year of high school. I'll post something with more information in the next couple days, but here's a couple funny pictures from school to enjoy (I know, where are the girls? My class is 90% boys. There seemed to be less arguing :)




Me and il mio compagno di banco (desk partner), Francesco Costa!


They stole my camera!


Valentina!





Fun times.







L'interrogazione-the oral test! Che stress!
Giulia e Maria! Bette brave! :)

The bathrooms. I know I'm gross, but it's kind of interesting!














My math teacher gave me a rose!