Author: aucolehadassah

The lovely and great Caits has set up a countdown and it’s a little ridiculous to think that time has flown as quickly as it has.

The reality is that it has been well over 2 months.

In honor of this stark truth, I’ve begun to compile a list of things that I will miss. Albeit, we aren’t leaving for a while. These are just things that are on my mind and will contribute to an even more thankful outlook on the experience as a whole. Here is another ridiculous “list”. I didn’t think that other media/news outlets were providing enough for the general public( ha ha ha ha ha yay for quality writing…. NOT).

I will miss:

1. Going out for cannoli whenever I want

This is a luxury. I am very aware. There is something sultry about ricotta and a hint of cinnamon. It’s silky and has a hint of sweet. Add some chocolate and you’re set. Today, the place I go for cannoli,( Don Nino- actually the best despite its chain standing and believe me, I’ve tried many other places) also had crushed hazelnuts available.

A+++

2. Getting gelato at whatever hour imaginable

Gelato shops open at 8-9 AM. This is because cafes typically double up as a gelato establishment and vice versa. Some are open until 2 AM but the places I enjoy tend to close at midnight. There are a chockfull of options that will charge 1 euro per scoop. Yes, you can  taste the difference between La Carraia( 1 euro scoop with excellent pistachio, almond, and frutti di bosco) and Edoardo( 3 euro for two scoops and a cone made on the spot). Edoardo is a splurge and definitely qualifies as a treat while La Carraia can be your cheapest, most exciting breakfast or snack. I have had it at both 9 AM and 11-12 PM. It’s great at anytime and Italian gelato cannot be compared to what americans might try to call gelato. It’s terrible. I  will never be able to look at the available excuses for gelato the same way.

I’m scarred.

3. Nocciola EVERYTHING

Just in case y’all didn’t know, Nocciola is italian for hazelnut. I love hazelnut. They have hazelnut yogurt here. Chopped hazelnut garnishes next to everything. It’s everywhere and I enjoy this very very very very very much. Also, the color is so plush and warm. I might be mono chroming outfits of similar hue a bit often.

This is not an apology.

4. The idea that there is a bakery open at 3 AM

The thought, itself, is comforting. Remember those nights where you woke up at an inconvenient time and craved a fresh, warm pastry? The issue is, there are no bakeries that offer such a service back homehomehome. This is highly problematic. I might develop some sort of anxiety or rest apprehension( oh wait, too late).

#justsayyes

5. Running through history

I talked about this in one of my earlier posts. Since, I have changed my route to maximize the sights. I’m tremendously blessed to be running through Piazza Michelangelo, multiple bridges, and countless other historical monuments as well as art. I have to say that my favorite thing is to run up the hill right before item number 11 on this list. The view is spectacular and there’s nothing like it. I always wish that I had my camera on me but I’m almost too lazy to get myself off the couch in the first place so nice try.

blasé

6. Traveling on the weekends(?)

The layout of europa is suitable for weekend travel. The travel options, i.e. budget airlines and an amazing rail system, make it all the more efficient. Pair this with bad economies and great deals on Air B&B and you’re set! The question mark exists because of the 90 day Schengen limit. The Schengen do not allow you to stay longer without a visa. These are challenging to apply for and next to impossible to attain.

Let me know how it works out for ya.

7. Going out to shoot without question

I love taking photos whenever I want, wherever I want. This freedom will not go unnoticed and unappreciated. It’s liberating. Cons: camera is heavy and I didn’t bring my tripod but otherwise, europa is photographer paradise and next time, I’m bringing more than one lens and, most definitely, my tripod.

I have no regrets, though.

8. Excess of leather

Ahh, florentine leather. The San Lorenzo Leather Market is world renown for its quality selection. This quality selection only exists if you know what you’re doing. I recommend staying away from any street vendors. If it’s cheap, don’t buy it. Chances are, they are controlled by the mafia or are supporting other illegal activity. Also, more than likely, it’s not real leather. Being a street vendor means the government is not able to regulate the quality and the establishment isn’t paying taxes. On the bright side, there is a leather school by Santa Croce which you can tour, on site. The crafters are trained artisans that have mastered their skills. You can even watch them as they work.

Just stay legal.

9. Livestream( oh, I went there)

I’m going to keep this simple. Sunday morning service is the same time as our dinner: 7PM. That’s right. We’re eating while we’re watching.

And it’s fantastic.

10. Walking everywhere, tout le temps

Because we live in the centre, down the street from the Duomo and within a mile of anything that we need including our school building, we walk. It is my most favorite aspect of the whole program. At home, I have to set aside time to hike which is fine but here, it is a part of the lifestyle rather than something you have to consciously put effort towards.

#USAforOBESITY

11. Golden hour

Words cannot describe the majesty so I won’t even try.

#neverhaditsogood

I might edit this into a longer piece but I figured I should release something since I’ve been so terrible at posting for the past few weeks. I also realize that my spring break collection isn’t completed and you’ve only seen a third of the trip.

Honestly, that might be all you ever see at the rate I’m going.

 

I woke up with 5 bug bites that I did not go to sleep with. Otherwise, my morning has been fantastic. I talked to Jesus for a bit and then Reba and I headed to church. I don’t think I’ve mentioned the church that we’ve been attending here. We aren’t usually in Firenze on Sundays save for 4, in total. There is a filipino church about 30 minutes away, by bus. It’s a welcoming, familial congregation that reminds me of my homehomehome. There is lunch afterwards which absolutely everyone attends and fellowship is had.

It’s literally mi casa @homehomehome minus the three back to back sermons.

Annnyyywaaayyyyyssssss

This is my pathetic attempt at an update:

Yesterday, we hiked at the picturesque coast of Cinque Terre. It was windy and cold when we arrived but that ended up being in our favor. I’m not even a fan of cold weather but I couldn’t picture hiking with the temperature being any warmer than it was. It also started raining at certain points. It was a welcome downpour but it did make the terrain more challenging and slippery.

hi lenger this was supposed to be us

Monterosso

If it were 40 degrees warmer, I’d be swimming

And the water looked so inviting

Regina says hi

blurry because laughing

Yes, that narrow path is the actual path

I wasn’t joking

About two miles from the next city

And this genius was selling freshly made juice for 2 euro

Reba, Sammi, et Gracie

Waterfalls were abundant especially with the rain

You can see the water droplets better in contrast to our hair

Vernazza

This is view of Vernazza, on the way out. We had a nice pit stop and ate PB&J’s 🙂

I really like this photo.

lol @murica

nice flower action going on over here

Gracie ❤

Corniglia in the distance

MAAAAAAAAMMMMAAA I MADE A FRIEND

idk who these people are

flower game so strong

shell on walls? #nauticalvibes

Corniglia has froyo

The trail to Maranola had a land slide due to all the rain going on and the detour was over 2 hours longer than the original trail so we decided to take the train to Riomaggiore where we bumped into quite a few friendly faces. By then, the rain had lessened and we were able to grab some fresh pasta, almond cookies, and chocolate milk before heading back. We locked in well over 10 miles and, according to the great fitbit, over 190 flights of stairs(whatever that means). We recommend the focaccia that was right outside the Monterosso train station. It was fantastic and they have an option with arugula and tomatoes. I love tomatoes.

I’m getting lazier and lazier with these things but I won’t abandon you ❤

This was the phrase that hooked me on french. It was one of the many phrases ma mere would use around the house. More importantly, because I speak romanian already, she would typically rant in french. That enticed me. If you don’t know, I unintentionally minor in a language I once deemed useless. That language is french.

It’s ok. I kind of lost my fluidity and comfort by being in Italy and learning italian. I often catch myself fluctuating between languages, very confused of where my train of thought wants to go. So. Many. Trains.

It’s ok.

Last week, we spent a few days in Paris. It was beautiful, metropolitan enough, and had fewer tourists than any place I’ve been in Italy thus far. Speaking to the people we came across felt welcoming and without judgement( with my jank french).

It was totally chic.

I don’t even like the word ‘chic’.

But Paris was chic.

Here’s the truth: I am very much so not done with the photos. I took over 1k shots… homework and traveling take priority over these many shots. I will not be going through all the shots for a while. Shots, shots, shots. Shots.

Here are a few because I don’t really wan’t to pay for premium yet… but I will because I’m starting to think that I might keep this going for #thecollegeyears So think of these as part one.

 

Or would that be lame?

 

L’Arc de Triomphe

Going down, through the tunnel

“N’interrompez jamais un ennemi qui est en train de faire une erreur.”

— Napoléon

Funny story: the arc was completed well after little napoleon died

But it was still a regal place

Oh and I don’t condone lauderee just f y i

It sounds irrelevant to the post but I only mention it because I did get a few photos of their storefront which was ish aesthetically please but not really.

And that doesn’t even finish the full first day.

I got my first view from Asia and it’s Japan! A r  i g a t o

This past weekend was the Easter and the celebration of the Resurrection. In Europa, the Catholic church celebrated it while the Jewish, Christians( Baptist), and Orthodox will be celebrating next month because of its distinct segregation from the Catholic governance. Let it be known that the Catholic church is a politically powerful and highly lucrative institution and those that choose to differentiate themselves have tolerated a great deal of oppression to do so. Thus being said, Italy is predominantly catholic and according to the great Forbes.com, Firenze and Roma have world renown celebrations.

So, my mom sent Reba and I to Romania.

This is not very simple. It could have been simple but it was not.

“Choose adventure”         “Carpe diem”          “YOLO”

It was strenuous. The journey consisted of a 3 hour bus ride to Bologna, 2 hour flight to Cluj, and a 3 hour car ride to Oradea. Bless. This would not have been so taxing if there wasn’t time in between the different transportations. The time was both idle and active. Also, because of all the violence and attacks that are occurring( yes, God is graceful in His protection) security decided it was necessary to up the ante.

I don’t enjoy that.

They were significantly more annoying than the TSA.

We always have a wonderful time when we stay with Tusi Lentuta and her family. This trip, in particular, was to congratulate my cousin, Emanuel( Ema) on his engagement to Violeta( Vio).

But the title says Reba & Rebe so I will adhere to this and discuss my cousin, Rebeca( Rebe) and my best friend, Rebecca( Reba).

They are long lost twins, I kid you not. They get along so beautifully well and complement each other even though they’re so alike. They both love the Lord and serve in church. They are both referred to as ‘queen’ by the closer friends in their circles. They both have a big boss named Randy. They both work with people. They both had phases with Winnie the Pooh. They are drama queens that can be ridiculously sassy for extended periods of time. They both have extremely selective memory that will always play to their advantage.

Wait, I have a story about this. Two nights ago, at dinner, I asked Rebe if she recalled that one summer where we went to the pool everyday, with my sister. She said no and reacted as though I was crazy. I took it up with Tusi Lenuta who backed me up and said, not only did you go everyday but you also had ice cream and bread.

I’m not sorry that it feels good to be right.

The night that we arrived, the three, Reba, Rebe, and Ema, were quite literally laughing on the floor for a good two hours.

On Sunday, after the morning service, Rebe had a busy day scheduled for us. Her best friend had arranged for Reba and Rebe to milk a cow for the first time in their lives. We would also be visiting a few homes that were facilitated by a family that totally surrendered their lives for a rigorous ministry. They had opened up their home to elderly that were abandoned by their family after being in the hospital. The ministry has grown to a couple hundred souls being served by this family and many volunteers. They also have homes for orphans, gypsies, and those with psychiatric disorders. All of this is completely volunteer and by donations only. This is not only to be done by complete faith but also in order to circumvent any government regulations that would prevent those from needing help to have help.

The men’s wing

The courtyard between different wings

low key artsy

The lady of the house

Main entrance

psychiatric overflow centre

He was quite proud of this and asked for multiple photos

j o y

Rebe et Reba

Cow goes moo

The colors really intrigue me

Man of the hour

This was too cute

#werk

I really enjoy this

 

We have it all recorded, fyi

Rebe et Reba

Reba et Cole

Conclusion: Baile Felix langos is better than the ones in Budapest.. sorryyyyyyy

LOAD IT UP

l’acqua termale

Idk why the lighting settings are off but I promise, it was sunny

Rebe and I finished that and had tummy aches after but it was totally and entirely worth it

No, I am not jealous of Reba et Rebe’s friendship. I am rather happy that Reba has found a compadre that she willingly hugs.

It was about time.

 

 

 

 

It’s so bad but let’s be real. The bay area spoiled us. We knew of its greatness but we were not nearly as aware of its full brilliance until now.

They don’t have blueberry muffins here.

It’s not ok.

I have a midterm tomorrow so I decided to blog today. This logic is flawless.

I left you with our arrival in Vienna. Oh man- I barely got to day two… of nine.

Ahhh  I really don’t feel like this

Okay let’s do this  *breaks out a few stretches*

You’ll be happy to know that I’m starting this in my Italian lecture.

In preparation for Vienna, I had researched two important places that I had to visit. I was dead set on going to a store where the products were made of Viennese roses and a fig farm. My goal was to find gifts for my family. I also really love the essence of rose and am obsessed with figs(fresh). Figs and roses are not in season but I figured they would have some products that I would be interested in purchasing.

This is Emanuel but I call him Emma. He’s one of my chillest cousins and I love how easily we get along. Naturally, he is a diva like Reba. They got along nicely.

Ema laughed at my obsession with pollution; that is, the criminality of pollution.

FIGS AHHH

The fig place was legen…wait for it… DAIRY. They gave us brie and bread to try with the different jams. I spent a good 15 minutes there.

Both the jam farm and the rose shop had vinegar! I love vinegar. I wash my hair with vinegar( at home… here, it’s too $$). I love cleaning with it, cooking with it, etc. My family loves balsamic vinegar with salad. Perfetto!

Next, we went to Belvedere. It was freezing and we lasted about 30 minutes.

Belvedere

It was freezing. Literally. Freezing. It snowed the next day.

No sleep but still smiling #trooper

After, it was about dinner time and we hadn’t eaten at all that day unless you count a smoothie as food and 3 AM McD’s as that day’s meal. We found a place that was, naturally, the most infamous for schnitzel. The line was over an hour, not including the geniuses with reservations. Dinner was amazingly satisfying but there was much more meat involved than what we were used to eating (borderline vegetarian without even trying?).

No tint or edits just really warm vibes

Spinach& cheese dumplings

After, we went home and slept for the first time in over a day.

Glorious morning to you!

We started our day slowly and walked into the real world. Photos will be inserted because they’re a pleasant form of information and all this text must have you going mad.

German pancake for breakfast: day 2

IT WAS SO FLUFFY

@oakland i c u

The Die Zauberflote room in the Mozart museum! This photo might be illegal as in I wasn’t supposed to take photos and also the lighting was really dim soooooooooooooo…..

DTVienn

The royal orchestra was tres magnifique! Reba said the funniest thing before they began. “What if they suck?” were her words as the lights dimmed into the pianissimo notes. Oh, they were good. They were very good. Their playlist was lively and their demeanors were warm and enjoyable to watch.

Once we got home, it was about 11 PM and we were a bit hungry so Reba sent me downstairs to get food. She was pretty sick at the time(and still is). We got the best wurstel of my life oh my goodness. I would go back to Vienna just for the wurstel. It was that great.

Brunch: day 3

So, the soup and the Topfenknödel were mine because I felt the need to stay in touch with my european/jewish side. It was very necessary and I was satisfied. The soup was brilliant, with a veal meatball. Both Reba’s tossed pancake and my Topfenknödel were complimented by stewed plum sauce. I was scared of it because it looked sweet but it was rather refreshingly tart and I really enjoyed it. 

She’s pretty much a postcard.

Inside the Spanish riding school where Reba will be debuting hHahahahahha

National Library

It’s some important monument.. obviously

@The Museum of Natural History

Le Chef

Does the fact that the lines don’t align to the building bother you?

It bothers me so much.

Kinda etheral

I hate to disappoint but Reba is begging for a hiatus from modeling. It’s really strenuous and she doesn’t enjoy it as much as she used to. Not to worry, her contract isn’t up yet.

We, then, saw Aida at the opera house which( surprise) doesn’t allow photos. Also, I didn’t feel like bringing the brick with me to the more formal entertainment. It’s tacky. We thoroughly enjoyed the opera and whoever played Radamès was fantastic!

I think this is enough for today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUGAR BLOSSOM!

I would like to transport you to the time of Friday, March 11, 2016. Jamie had left for Germany at around 8 AM, Reba was sound asleep, and I was excited for break. That meant that I didn’t sleep almost at all. That day’s tasks were fairly simple. We needed to pack, I needed to run a few errands, and then we would be off!

We began at around noon with Reba making lunch and me being sent off to 1) take out the trash, recycling, and compost 2) pick up some euro form the bank 3) get panino’s for the flight/dinner. This sounds simple, right? Okay so dropping off the trash it about three blocks from homehome which is right by the Duomo. Done. Check. Next? Go to the bank. I decided on going to Piazza della Signoria since the banks are sheltered and actually have a “store front” type deal with real live bankers on the inside. This was a wiser move than I’d intended. The machine ate my card which resulted in a mini panic attack. I frantically *tried* to get into the actual bank. Security is high. The doors put you into a holding cell and will not unlock if you have metal on you. Fortunately, I didn’t except for my little iPod. So, I got in, sat down, and waited for what seemed like eternity. My iPod was playing “He’s already in your tomorrow” which was comforting. I was blasting my music and sweating bullets. I’d heard of the horror stories of students getting their cards eaten up and having to wait a month until a replacement made it over. I didn’t have time for that. I was flying to Budapest that evening.

Getting the card out was fairly easy. The machine hadn’t eaten it, per say, and there was nothing wrong with my account. So, I walked to Piazza della Repubblica and tried the bank there. Glory, it worked. Then, I dashed to the panino place, got our sandwiches, and headed back home for lunch. This whole ordeal must have taken an hour but luckily, Reba didn’t start cooking until much later than she’d intended(youtubing is her current favorite thing to do).

We ate, we packed, and we headed to the spot where the bus would take us from S.M. Novella to Pisa Airport. Reba is the boss. The boss is code for something that I can’t really disclose on here but you’ll probably get an idea of what “The Boss” means. For latin sake, we’ll stick with calling her “Le Chef”. Le Chef decided that a sign, which Le Chef translated, indicated the spot where we were waiting. Le Chef was wrong and Cole had a feeling but Cole also noticed that Le Chef had us waiting two hours early for a bus to take us to the airport two hours early. Cole was not okay with this. Cole doesn’t like being significantly early. Cole likes to make arrivals and utilize time to its maximum potential which means not arriving earlier than Cole finds necessary. Cole would much rather be late an make an entrance. Reba is very opposite.

I decided to stay quiet about my presumption. Some sick part of me enjoyed seeing Reba squirm. In reality, I was working on my faith. The later bus would give us a very small time frame and in the event an emergency would occur, we’d probably miss our flight.

God’s grace is sufficient.

After an hour of walking back and forth on the same street, I decided it was enough and that we should re-read the sign, this time, with me translating it. Yep, the sign said meet under the clock in the train station- not outside.

Coooooooooool

We went to the designated area and Reba decided to plop down. I knew we were not “there yet”. I asked her if she wanted to ask the lady on the inside of a stand if she would know where our particular bus would meet. Reba said no so I asked. The true meeting point was, in fact, around the corner from the current assumed meeting point and maybe 1/6 of a mile from the original presumed location.

So, we made it to the bus that would be leaving at the proper time. I’m also officially the worst person ever but I slightly enjoyed it.

Reason numero dos for le worm squirm: the bus did not leave on time

It left about 10 minutes late. At this point, I began to pray, God, I wanted you to teach Reba a lesson- NOT ME. Serves me right…So, I look at Reba and tell her to pray what I’d been praying for: make it to the airport in 45 minutes. This would give us 30 minutes to check in and get through customs( a stretch but much better than the 70 minutes that the pamphlet told us it would take). God decided it would be appropriate to make the bus ride spicy by allowing for some construction to take place. Yea, that was fun. Also, this bus driver was literally the slowest driver available in all of Italy. No joke, y’all.

But we made it in 30 minutes, PRAISE THE LORD.

This is not the end of the evening. By this time, it’s only about 6 PM.

We arrived in Budapest, safely, at 8 PM. Our train would depart at 7:45 AM. We didn’t think it would be reasonable to get a room for the night and (Reba I love you don’t kill me) Le Chef thought that 24:00 meant open 24 hours. Prego, allow me to let you in on a little secret. Europe runs on military time. 24:00 means midnight. The train station was not open for 24 hours. They kicked us out at midnight which before, I was just basking in the glory of the thing because it was majestic. I was totally chill with getting kicked out because I wanted to walk around the whole night. The train station would re-open at 4 AM. Reba gave me a long lecture on why it isn’t wise and expressed her want to take the metro. I didn’t. Hehe- I won. We ended up walking and trying to find McD’s. The first McD’s was not open for 24 hours. The second one, a little further in the city, was absolutely poppin’.

If you wanna know how poppin’ it was, read the post Keep Holding On.

At 5:30 AM, I prompted Reba that it was time to head to the station because I wanted to photograph the sunrise- which was glorious by the way. Going early, in this case, is not a waste of time because I had productivity on my mind. Boom.

After a while, Reba grew impatient and asked me to ask someone about when our train would arrive( this is at 6:30 AM ish). Transportation, in Europe, does not announce gates or terminals far in advance as they do in the U.S. but I asked anyway, to keep the peace. The dude was like “it’s way too early” and I told Le Chef ” it’s way too early”.

When it was time, we did board the train but on the wrong car. Hungarian is tres difficile and I don’t speak a lick. It has little to NO latin root so don’t ask me. But Le Chef also didn’t want to ask for help so we just plopped down, in the wrong car, with a luggage, in someone else’s seat.

Some Romanian lady came in and started freaking out because we were in her seat but luckily I was able to retaliate back in Romanian, that we had no idea what was going on or how to understand the ticket. Obviously, when someone with dark skin is speaking your light skinned language, you get stunned. She was speechless for a moment but proved to be useful in explaining the ticket to me. So, there.

Through this whole escapade, I remained way too calm for Reba’s taste. She hates it when I’m calm. But I was calm. I really didn’t get upset at all. I was just tired and dehydrated.

Après tout, we arrived in Vienna. It was- I don’t even know. I was tired. I grew excited when I spotted a juice bar inside the train station. How cool is that? A juice bar??? WITH ACAI? #basic

I really miss vitality bowls.

And after we took the metro four stops into the city, we had arrived to our penthouse in the first district of Vienna.

God’s grace is sufficient.

 

-and scene

USA- Hungary- Netherlands- Austria- Romania- Ecuador- France- Italy

Thank you for showing the love! I am not sure why but y’all are reading this but it makes me feel special knowing that you take the time and do :3

I want you to know that I have 16 drafts… so it’s not that I haven’t been writing. But I don’t go back and edit especially when it isn’t for the public e.g. contemplative topics.

It was spring break and life is ridiculous. Remember my last post where it was 3-5 AM, inside Mickey D’s? Well, we went from homeless to Vienna penthouse in 4 hours. The apartment  in the first district of Vienna, overlooking an offset of the Danube. After arrival, we took showers and toured the city with my cousin who lives in Gratz(two hours away from Vienna).

Now, before I make this a real blog post, I will warn you that it isn’t. I will be posting one, each day, for the next few days with the purpose of filling you in on our spring break whereabouts. Rather, this post is about thankfulness.

S U R P R I S E ! Happy Thanksgiving!

I know, I know… I never intended to be one of those “list writers”. To be frank, I never considered writing but this being the age of internet gives me an opportunity to be candid and I quite enjoy the idea of being published and unable to take back words- it makes me think twice. Or not. The risk factor does intrigue me. In any case, spring break has reminded me about how blessed I am. We had a few near catastrophes and bumped into a few unconventional situations but the truth is that I’m still not as thankful as I should be.

Florence isn’t my favorite spot but it makes a great home base. Reba and I were discussing it in the train on the way home from Milan (which was boring as far as activities go but immensely enjoyed due to the weather, beds, showers, etc). We have come to the conclusion that Florence has given us the opportunity to be more appreciative of things you wouldn’t think twice about, normally, as a contrast. I hope you enjoy my list or if anything, I hope you realize how blessed you are.

1. Good Weather

The interpretation of “good weather” is subjective, I understand. Personally, the simple presence of the sun can fix almost any situation. Florence deprived me of this for over a month. Needless to say, it was torture especially on my spirit. The moment I felt the sun on my face- maybe I was just vitamin D deficient- I felt significantly happier. This is not to say that I’m not joyful because I very much so am. It was simply easier and I felt brighter(this is a sentiment easier to express in latin but that’s a discussion for another day). When we got back to Florence, the weather was supposed to be raining. That dampened my mood for a second. Hahahahhaahhahahahaha get it? Dampened. Wow, I’m so funny. So, our heads hung low for approximately 2.5 seconds. For Reba, maybe 5 seconds since the humidity was abnormally high. I enjoy humidity. I don’t get icky from it so it hasn’t prosed as an issue. As we stepped out of the train, we took a deep breathe and noticed how gentle the air felt. There was no curt wind threatening some sort of ailment. It was mild and pleasant. Okay, enough of this neutral topic of weather.

2. Beds

Honestly, my bed at homehomehome and I don’t have such an intimate relationship. It’s more of a gathering point where my friends, family, and I sing quite often in fact. It’s queen sized. I have absolutely never realized how awesome that is. I tried to convince my friends( that’s right, my mommy gave me permission but my friends did not) to revert to a twin size. I had one back in the elementary school days. It was a bunk bed with my sister who was not fond of sharing a queen with me. She also happened to kick me out of “our” room when I turned 12. #notsalty #noshade #whatever

From this, you can probably gather that I’m not used to sleeping alone. Good because I’m not. So the issue with having my own room(which most students covet????) started with sleeping alone. Next, the bed was a terrible twin. I mean, if the room were warm this wouldn’t have been as big of an issue but it was freezing. The bed, itself, happened to be made of pins and needs( yes, hyperbole- I am capable of it).Two weeks ago, I moved into the living room which( yes, we are also very blessed) has 3 couches. This is so #rare. A few nights before we left for spring break, Reba moved into the couch parallel to mine, across the living room so two issues have been resolved a) bye-bye bad bed and b) it’s like a forever sleepover with your best friend that literally sticks closer than a brother. The couch isn’t comfortable but it’s better than the bed. When we get to the Air B&B’s, we get to appreciate beds. By the way, my bed at homehomehome has a name: Heaven, appropriately named by Grampa( Lisa or Lysol or whatever your nickname for her happens to be).

3) McD’s

Manga Manga Abbodanza! Not really, actually. The food in Italy isn’t half as spectacular as you’ve been told. Sorry to break it to you. Maybe this is because I’m a brat that gets to live here and is exposed to it everyday but as far as I’m concerned, you can definitely get a taste of the top 5 restaurants in an area and be done with it. Either way, nothing is open 24 hours unless you’re going to a bar which I have not and will not. There are a few bakeries that open from 2-4 AM but there aren’t any establishments meant for late night munchies… or when you’re stuck at the train station for an extended period of time. Another thing is that it’s quite pricey here. The Milan McD’s was my least favorite with Germany(Frankfurt) being my #1 and Vienna being my #2.

Mickey D’s, the great Mc Donalds, fast food extraordinaire, I almost love you. You have great wifi, are open 24 hours, and are clean. Too bad I’ll never go for you back in the states.

I don’t really eat fast-food at home. I try to support local joints or establishments that support local farms, clean energy, non GMO ingredients, etc. But in europa, McD’s is elite.

4) Fruit

I want my avocado trees. I want to be able to eat berries whenever I want, fresh berries.

My family keeps sending me photos of avocados. The world is cruel.

5) Hipster Coffee Places

They’re so pretentious but so perfect at the same time. Here, coffee is a commonality. There are very few artisans that give coffee the prestige that it deserves( shout out to Ditta Artigianale) but other than that, the average cafe gives more attention to the humble expresso. Expresso promotes quick, easy, and out the door. I like expresso but I like vibes+ chill more. I miss having elaborate vegetation as art at Blue Bottle. I miss the aesthetic of St Franks on Polk St. I want the quality of Bicycle Coffee, with love behind every cup. I need the activity that Ritual Roasters in Hayes Valley attracts. Keep up the A+ quality!

Coffee is blasé here as is art, architecture, food, anything that I am accustomed to constant competition and improvement about. Does that make sense? In a way, Italy isn’t going to be my favorite destination simply because it is complacent. Italy knows that is has the Vatican, 51 UNESCO world heritage sites, 60 % of the worlds art, and so much more. However, Italy doesn’t want more. The youth are discouraged to attain higher education in technical skills. It’s disheartening. There is no range of anything. Yes, brava for preservation of culture and blah but how long can you live in the past without feeling the negative affects of regression? At this rate, Italy could backtrack to developing.

Jk the Vatican won’t let that happen, ever. Or maybe the Vatican would move? France? Nah, not catholic enough. They can’t be sold religion there. #saltysaltysaltysalty

I digress a lot. I’ve noticed.

6) Smiling

The only time people smile is when it’s a dude that’s trying to hit on you. Otherwise, Italians are quite cold, loud, and entitled. This is more common in the North and amongst older folks. Coincidentally, I’ve seen more old people than children.

Americans are so nice. Why?!??!?! How?!?!!?!? Say you walk somewhere; more than likely, you’ll walk into fellow human beings that may smile at you, say hello or nice day, or nod in  acknowledgement that you, too, are human. Holding the door for others is expected. Shoulder checking doesn’t happen. Manners are observed and discrimination is politically incorrect.

Truthfully speaking, equality is overrated. I’d love for it to happen but communism, in it’s purest form, cannot be attained without society transforming to a dystopia so nice try @blacklivesmatter it ain’t gonna happen.

7) Paved Roads

Cobblestone is sometimes cute. That is a lie. Cobblestone is not cute. Cobblestone is bad. When it rains, cobblestone is the worst. When it rains and you’re walking a mile to the train station, cobblestone is your worst enemy. We don’t like cobblestone.

#firstworldproblems

It’s not that Florence is crazy or that Italians are particularly off-putting( low-key …) but these are a few of.. well… these count as culture shocks, right?

goodnight

 

no, i don’t proofread posts that get published. it’s ironic but oh well.

It’s 4:35 AM

I have absolutely no idea how people pull all nighters for whatever reason. I feel so weak. Mickey D’s is currently popping. 4 AM and popping. Wow. Who would’ve thunk it. It’s so lit. Wow. There are about 50 humans bustling up in this joint. Wow. Actually, it was the busiest at around 2 AM with around 70 human beings.

The wifi low-key sucks(people were trying to call/video and they did not go through) and the train station is tres magnifique( timeless, completely & utterly timeless). Hungarian is literally the most difficult eastern european language. Elnézést(Hungarian for excuse me.. why why why). I can’t read it, understand it, or even try to mutter a word. It has a minuscule latin base so naturally, my attempts are embarrassing.

LOL I MIGHT TAKE SUNRISE PHOTOS.

This is my pathetic excuse for an update at this ungodly hour.

I probably bookmarked 12 recipes that I will try when I get home home.

Wow, I haven’t stayed up this late since senior year.

@sneha, I have officially exemplified my title as grandma. I’m turning #turnty and I am a grandma. What is life.

je ne sais pas

 

 

Vienna in the AM though #turnty

Hello friends!

Yesterday, I hit 60 views for the 3rd time in this blogs history! With visitors from Italy, Spain, Canada, Romania, Philippines, and the US, I am quite humbled to know that you’ve made the effort to keep up with me and listen to my spiels.

Code black: Reebz is currently sick y sick y. She has been partying too hard with pringles, cookies, and milk. That and our professor has been very sick for the past 3 weeks and may or may not have given it to Reba. I bought ginger and heated it with lemon, honey, and water but Reba doesn’t like ginger so making her drink that concoction took hours. It was very cold- and evening- by the time she finished it.

This is an issue because tomorrow happens to be our first day of Spring Break. These plans( if you remember) were my task. We’ll be flying into Budapest, spending the night, and taking the first train into Vienna, where we’ll be for the first leg of the 9 days.

This will not be maximum fun if Reba is still sick so please pray for her and tell her to eat ginger.

We’re currently in class and we just took a conflict style assessment. I’m actually ish content with my results. I scored highest for compromise and collaboration, the two most balanced and positive results between concern for personal goals and concern for group goals. There is no right result but I do feel more aware of the traits between “we win” and “give a little; get a little”. The alternative results were avoidance, competition, and accommodation. I scored the lowest on avoidance which usually points at a “leave me alone” attitude. Accommodation is associated with “I give in” whilst competition is noticed for an “I win, you lose”.

*I do wish I were more competitive and had a higher concern for personal goals but my subconscious always defaults to others’. This is something I hope to work on… easier said than done.

The downsides of compromise

• Members give up some goals in order to achieve others
• Members accept losses in exchange for gaining something else
• Better options may be missed if group only uses this style

Naturally, compromise is the most popular style and has been argued to be the most effective conflict style. To each negative aspect, their is an inverse. It’s a medium.

The downsides of collaboration

• Effective collaboration requires a lot of time and energy for discussions in which all members fully participate

This may not seem so bad. It kind of is-sometimes, for me. Most people know I’m a very joyful person and I am invested in people. People…people are challenging. They require a lot of energy, time, and heart. I love a lot of people and if you know me, people do come first. But this doesn’t always win. There will always be someone that feels left out. Full member participation is draining to achieve. At the end of the day, I am satisfied and still joyful but I am also depleted.

But that’s okay because I wake up and fill up with Jesus 🙂

This time is so important both personally and for my spiritual state. If I even dare skip(which I haven’t since I’ve been here), man. It’s bad. It get’s really bad really fast.

Nevertheless, I’m pretty stoked for Vienna. They have a fig farm.

I don’t think figs are in season.

 

Buongiorno to week 6 of Firenze and week 8 in Europa. Oh man. Time flies.

I’m writing this from my couch right before a midterm. For breakfast? Beets and apples with peanut butter. You’ll note that I’m not a peanut butter fan and will always opt for nutella. But the peanut butter makes the apples taste better. I’m not exactly an apple fan- they’re really sweet…

It’s a great day: the sun is out, our bathroom window works, the broken lightbulbs have been replaced… and the sun is out!!!! *and the sun’s coming up in the morning~* Basically, I woke up knowing it would be a great day because God’s in control. And the sun’s out. I love the sun.

I also love me some beets. Yeeeheeeee.

Okay, brb. gonna study.

After my midterm and italian lecture, I noticed a lovely UPS package in the office area. First of all, I have the best family in the world. It is a little larger and unorthodox but my family is the biggest blessing and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. Well, Kooya Jakes, the best kooya in the whole wide world, shipped me photos of my beautiful family. I screamed, right then and there. Not a shrill-ish scream but a joyful kind of “AHHHHH!” if you can catch my vibes. I then spent the following 30 minutes taping them in a format to cover one of the art pieces that I sleep next to. Now, my family is the first and last thing I see. When I pray for them, I can look at their faces 🙂

Shout out to gloria aka sugar blossom who got a whole row dedicated to selfies with her and me.

It is currently evening. It is a good evening. Yes, the next few days will be full of assignments and midterms but it will be worth it all. Spring break is upon us!

That sounded really preppy. I may have regurgitated as I typed the prior.

Here are some photos of firenze

This is your narrator sinking in art, literally and metaphorically.

She’s glowing @ Piazza Michelangelo

We’re still the dynamic duo, just in case you were curious.

We live here nbd

It’s such an amazing facade. Ironically, inside, it’s very dark.

Reba ft Jordan #firenzefam

Heights are fun.

hq

The sweatshirt that I am wearing is probably the best purchase I’ve made so far. Actually, at this rate, it’s the best investment too.

I stood on the street for this. I could’ve been run over.

#noturningback

Sun for two seconds!

It’s raining right now.