Home stretch!

Hello all!

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. I've either been too tired to blog in my free time or I just haven't had free time. But since I sort of do right now and I just don't want to do homework (bad decision making, by me) I will update you all on my life now!

So last week I went to the Vatican. Which was the one thing I wanted to see ALL TRIP. And let's just say, I wasn't let down at ALL. We stopped in the museum first. Which I'm sure has got to be at least a mile long. If not more. And there were tons of people in it, so it was not a fun time walking through the crowd for your tour. It was super nice inside though. I got to see some classic works from Raphael and Michelangelo and Caravaggio and all those famous Italian painters. Observe:

 


So that was cool. I got to sneak some pictures of the Sistine Chapel when we went inside. It was much smaller than I imagined it to be, but it was still just as awesome. My neck hurt from staring at the ceiling so long. And then there was the big moment.

SAINT PETER'S BASILICA.

Basically, the best moment of my life. Honestly, I took about 25 pictures of the inside but it was definitely no match of the beauty inside. I can't even describe how amazing it was besides the fact that I felt like I died and went to heaven. And that is what heaven looked like. Absolutely gorgeous.

After some more random shenanigans during the week, we went to Florence for 3 days. Honestly, it was probably my favorite trip of the whole semester here. It was a huge difference in size compared to Rome. It was so much quieter and I didn't have to worry about getting run over by a motorino or a car (unlike my walk to school every day...) We got to be in a pretty nice hotel (with AIR CONDITIONING) and an "American Bar" in which you could order alcoholic drinks to coffee to cheeseburgers. Had some pretty great food in Florence too.

I got to see The Birth of Venus AND David, both of which were pretty awesome. But hands down, David was beyond amazing. Literally, I stood in front of it for 15 minutes just staring at it and all of it's marble, chiseled glory. I even snuck a pic of him:

Beautiful.

We went on a 3 hour trip to Pisa while we were in Florence, as well. It was such a small town. Literally the only thing you could do there was see the tower and possibly see the Cathedral. But seeing the tower was pretty sweet. I mean look at it.

Unedited glory.

So cool, right? And of course, I just HAD to get this picture:

You know, just chilling.

So it was pretty cool. Now we're in the last week! It's the home stretch! I can't wait to come home and have American food and do American things like watch fireworks and eat peanut butter and jelly.

You don't understand. I really want some peanut butter and jelly.

Tomorrow I'll be going to a cooking class with my roommate and learning how to make authentic Italian food (and of course, I'll be kick-starting my career as a perfect Italian mom/chef) (just kidding about that career thing) and then later that night, I'll be off to Hard Rock ROMA for a birthday dinner. Sunday I'll be going on church tours with a friend. Monday and Tuesday I'll have my last two days of classes, Tuesday night is our farewell dinner, Wednesday is our packing/do-whatever-the-heck-you-want day, and then Thursday I'll be driving over to a hotel and relaxing by the pool all day long by myself (what a blessing in disguise), and Friday I'll be flying home!!!

Be on the lookout for random posts before and after I get back to the states. I'm sure I will be recounting things like good Italian meals I've had and random stories that I never posted.

Hope you are all doing well, readers.

XO, Steph

Siena!

Hello all!

Sorry about not posting since (I don't even know when?). I was trying to log in to my Blogger the last few days and started freaking out when it wouldn't work! (Che stress.) But after an hour of messing around with Blogger and Google+, I stupidly realized I was using the wrong email.

It just isn't my day.

So this weekend was very chill. It wasn't spent like last weekend with Dan the Man and the ridiculously strong vodka in Sorrento. (Thankfully). Instead, I went to dinner with a few of my friends Friday night and stayed in, chilling with a bottle of vino. Saturday we went to Siena!

It was a 3 hour bus ride at 8 AM. Yes, it was as painful as you think it was.

But we got there, ate, and went to the Duomo.

Gorgeous, right?

Basically, the Duomo is a huge church on top of another church with a museum attached to it. There's probably a much better description of it, but whatever. We went inside the chapel, which had gorgeous marble floors and beautiful paintings on all the walls. They even had busts of each Pope lining the upper walls.

Sup, holy dudes?

There was a crypt downstairs, which was part of the old church that wasn't excavated until 1999. And the Baptistry had such pretty ceilings! And the museum had so many old relics from Popes and priests.

So. much. Jesus.

But for those of you who were wondering, no, this place wasn't where St. Catherine's head is located. As much as I would've wanted to see it, I had no idea where it was and was wondering all afternoon if it was in the Duomo. But alas, I get home and find out that it was somewhere else. Next time, I guess.

On the bright side, we went to the top of the tower. It was part of the Duomo that was never finished. But I am SOOOO glad it wasn't torn down. Why? Look at the view:

Hello, Tuscany.

*in Fran Drescher voice* Gaw-juss honey.

So yeah, after all the Duomo excitement and climbing back down the scary tiny spiral staircase, we went back to the plaza for dinner. I had my first Italian lasagna and it was pretty fantastic. As was the Tiramisu I had for dessert.

American moment of the weekend: When getting dessert, the waiter told my friend a "Frappe" was like a milkshake. So what do you think of when you hear that?

I thought so, too.

So yeah, seems legit right? Nope. Instead she gets something that looks like a bottle of chocolate milk poured into a fancy glass.

Shaken, not stirred.

#lostintranslation

#americanproblems

After getting home that night we all just chilled in the house with a bottle of vino... and slept until the afternoon.

Overall, a pretty awesome weekend. Here's the schedule for the week (sort of):

Wednesday we visit the Vatican!!!!! So, so, SO excited.

Friday is my friend's birthday, and what better way to spend a birthday in Italy than going to Hard Rock Cafe. And of course, a discoteca. Awwwww si.

Sunday we leave for Florence! We'll be spending 3 days in a fancy hotel (hopefully with hot water) and chilling with the Davide and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Last full week of classes too! And only about 18 days until it's time to return back home. Sometimes it feels like time is flying and other times it feels like it's moving too slow. I could never do this study abroad thing for a whole semester.

Miss you all, readers.

Wishing you well,

Steph:)

Real World: Rome edition

Honestly.

I feel like I'm on an episode of the Real World. 20 kids who didn't really know each other that well thrown together for 6 weeks straight. And even though we all don't live in the same apartment (thank GOODNESS) the apartments are still 4-6 people.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way...

Hi. I feel like I haven't posted in a really long time. And since I am unable to get to sleep right now (and I have to get up in... 5 and a half hours?) I figure now can be the best time to give an update on my life.

I have come to the realization that I would never be able to live here. As much as I would love to come back to visit the bagillion churches and monuments that I probably won't get the chance to see, I really don't see myself ever living here. I miss hot showers wayyyy too much.

I know, I'm a spoiled American. #firstworldproblems

I went to the coast this weekend. Note to my lovely readers: if you EVER study abroad in Europe, which I highly suggest you do, DON'T go on a trip through Bus2Alps. It was probably the worst service I have ever received.

Don't get me wrong - I loved being at the beach all weekend long, and I got to see Pompeii which made my little Humanities nerd freak out a little. But when the "dude" who is supposed to be your tour guide is flirting with all the girls on the trip, pre-gaming in a restaurant before taking the entire group to a bar (and Italians really don't appreciate sloppy American drunks... not that that stopped half the kids on this trip), and giving terrible directions to places that really don't even exist or telling people that the area is safe and hearing about your friends almost getting abducted, that is not the kind of tour I would like to be on.

I realize that was an incredibly long sentence. I don't care.

Dan the Douchebag (as we affectionately called him) didn't ruin the trip for us by doing what he did, but he definitely put a damper on it. I saw no amount of professionalism about him and the other guides weren't a whole lot better.

On the bright side, I got a sweet tan from staying at the beach for 2 days in a row.

Yes, I realize now that was a pun. It was not intended.

But I had some good food too. And swimming in a cave was pretty freaking sweet. I saw and did things this weekend that I probably won't do ever again, or for a really really long time. Like dipping my feet in the Meditteranean and taking boat tours of beautiful islands.

Awwww, si.

So yeah, overall good experience with some Bus2Alps bumps along the way. I'd go back to the beach but definitely not through them.

I'm going to the Villa Borghese tomorrow, which is basically Rome's version of Central Park in NYC. Apparently we're going to some museum that has all these awesome Bernini sculptures and famous paintings and other things that I didn't really know existed. I mean, I knew they did... just not there.

To be honest, I only thought the Villa Borghese was a huge park with a zoo in it. My bad, I guess.

But yeah, it should be awesome. This weekend is still in question, but I definitely plan on visiting some places and possibly exploring by myself. You'd be surprised how much you need a break from the 18 other people you know on the trip. Even though most of them are leaving to go to Paris. #jealousface

I'll post some other random stories when it isn't late at night. Staying up this late is probably a very bad idea, and I'm sure I will feel it tomorrow morning when I'm crawling to the kitchen to make myself some cappuccino...

Good night. Good evening. Good morning. Whatever time it is when you read this.