Best Day(s) Ever!

I am in love with Dante. No worries... That's not my new boyfriend. Dante Middle School is absolutely incredible. On Tuesday, they officially welcomed us to their school. We were expecting a small brunch, but instead we walked into a classroom full of students with microphones and instruments. To be perfectly honest, I was expecting some cheesy song in Italian that we wouldn't understand. Instead, we were treated with the most powerful rendition of 'We Are The World' that I've ever heard. I've never heard teenagers sing with such passion. Within seconds, they had the majority of us in tears. The entire time, I kept thinking "THIS is why I went into education." I couldn't videotape the students, but I did record their voices. I'll post that to Facebook eventually for your listening pleasure. To show our appreciation, we reciprocated by singing the Star Spangled Banner and performing the Aggie War Hymn. They loved it! And we love them. Oh so much.

Today, I taught a lesson with Tess. To put it simply, we were teaching them how to write a letter. We gave them each a pen pal from the US, and the Italian students had to respond to the letter. The lesson went really well. I was warned that this class was great, but there was one student who was just awful. Then, I walked into the room and the Italian teacher (who stays in the classroom while we teach) was sitting next to an adorable boy. Problem child: spotted. She told me that he was awful and wouldn't listen and to not take it personally. After I taught the lesson and was going around the room monitoring progress, I noticed the boy wasn't writing a letter. I asked the teacher about it and she said that she was just happy he was sitting down. Apparently he never does any work. So I asked if I could try.

Long story short, this kid is my favorite kid in the world. Although he wouldn't write for me (I assume because he is self conscious about his English skills), he dictated an entire letter to me. I got him to sit still for 30 minutes, focus on a task and complete it successfully. The teacher was shocked, but I wasn't. I was just so proud of him. I later found out that the child was almost labeled as special needs because he was so disruptive. His teacher told another Aggie teacher to not worry about him because he was a gypsy and didn't care about school. But when I sat down and TALKED to him, he cared. He was proud of himself.

Teachers give up on students ALL the time. I think it's the saddest part about education. Given the opportunity, I really really do believe that every student can succeed. Because given the opportunity, I believe that every PERSON can succeed. Call me an optimist, but I really do believe in the power of people. Especially children.

I'm still loving Italy and everything it has to offer. But more than anything, I love these kids.

Ciao y'all.

First Day of School!

So let me start off this massive entry with a brief recap of my day. Today was my first day of teaching. We were at the local middle school, Dante, from 8:25-1:25. After a quick break for lunch, we had a viewing of the Wizard of Oz since we will be performing the musical (along with the students) in a few weeks. To round out our day, we had one-on-one tutoring with eighth graders for an upcoming exam (the Trinity Exam).

As far as teaching went, all I have to say is PHEW. I'm glad "Day One" is over. My first class was wonderful. The kids were excited but attentive and I fed off their energy BIG time! Ty and I taught them about some major American cities, and they really seemed to enjoy the lesson. My second class... Not so much. While the students were really fun, they were... A handful. I ended up having to teach the entire class, which would've been fine if they understood English. But they didn't. Soo it ended up to be a little rough. One kid who was held back a few years refused to do anything except write "Beautiful Blonde" on a piece of paper and hold it up. The rest of the class didn't understand the lesson at all. The good news? If I can handle this class, I can handle anything!

From here on out, it should be a piece of cake. Right?! Gotta look on the bright side here!

Oh... And as a side note, I have to talk about the Italian language. I. Am. Obsessed. Even though I only know a handful of words, they are the most beautiful words I've ever spoken. There's such a perfect rhythm to it. I can't get over it. The biggest compliment I've received so far is being mistaken for a local and having them spout off a sentence or two. I feel terrible for not being able to understand, but I feel pretty cool for about 5 seconds!

Okay, I think that's all for now. Thanks for keeping up with me! I miss life in the US but I'm having a great time. Let me know if you need a souvenir (or two!).

Ciao y'all!

Fun in Florence

Ciao!
Saturday we left La Pievuccia (which, I think I failed to mention, is an aggiturismo, a vineyard, a hotel and a gourmet restaurant all in one) and headed to Hotel Park, a small hotel just a half hour walk away from Castiglion Fiorentino. Then, we hopped onto a train to Florence. One hour later, we arrived ready to see the town!

Oh, Florence. It's definitely my favorite city that I've seen in Italy, and possibly takes the cake for favorite European city as well. It's just incredible. The people, the food, the architecture... it's all just so wonderful. We spent our afternoon touring the sights with our tour guide, Laura, who was extremely knowledgable albeit slightly dry. Once lunchtime arrived, we were more than happy to take a mental breather.

Then, we had the best meal that I've had in my entire life. So good that it deserves its own paragraph. We started with really great 'crusty' bread and some glorious red wine. Then, we were given a plate of pasta. We had some rigatoni with a light pomodoro sauce with a side of ravioli. Then came the second course. I was slightly suspicious about what appeared to be mystery meat, but one my fork hit my mouth I was in tastebud heaven. Oh. My. Lord. Boneless chicken breast smothered in Alfredo and some kind of delicious melty cheese. Then, dessert came out. Vanilla ice cream with some seriously kick ass hot fudge. What more could a girl ask for?

Okay, so I might've enjoyed the food a little too much... But when in Florence, eat as a piggy American!! After lunch was a completely free afternoon which Becca, Kelsey, Kirsten, Tess, Ashleigh and Emily filled with what girls do best... shopping! We spent hours scouring the Santa Maria Maggorio and ended up buying too many scarves, bracelets and pieces of artwork. But we're all happy with our purchases, so that's all that matters!

Then we came back to the hotel to eat a mediocre dinner (by Italian standards) and crash. We got to sleep in, and then we got a chance to tour Castiglion Fiorentino. The city is incredible, ancient, hilly and perfect. I can't wait to call it home! I spent the rest of the afternoon reading on a patio with Kirsten and Becca (and a pesky cat), which was perfectly relaxing.

Now, I'm uploading some pictures to Facebook. Be sure to check those out! Tomorrow I will teach my very first Italian students. SO EXCITING!!!

Ciao y'all!

Last Day at La Pievuccia

Ohhh myyy lord. We just finished a five course meal and all I have to say is thank God for the 2% spandex in my jeans. If not for it, I'd probably have a huge split down the middle. It's strange; in the US I get uncomfortably full on a regular basis but here I haven't gotten full to the point of discomfort ONCE. I don't know if it's the multiple courses, the fresh foods or the length of time we spend eating. But whatever it is I am absolutely grateful. Because I don't get excessively full, I can eat everything in sight. It's a blessing!

The food here is unlike anything I've ever eaten. Every time we are presented with a meal, my tastebuds are exposed to an array of what I can only describe as beautiful flavors. I'll have an entire album on Facebook dedicated exclusively to the food I've been eating, so make sure to check that out. You will drool.

Speaking of drool, I really miss my puppy. Luckily there's a dog here at La Pievuccia so I've been able to pet him enough to get my puppy fix. She's no Freeman dog, but she'll have to do for the time being.

Today we met with Celena, one of the school's senior teachers, and she seemed to love all of our lesson plans. She talked about the classrooms we'll be teaching in and the personalities of the classes that we will be meeting on Monday. I cannot wait to jump right in! And I can't wait to see Marny!! She should be back at Santa Chiara sometime this week, and I'll probably tackle her out of excitement. It's been too long!

I'm going to get into bed now because we have an early morning tomorrow, and you know how I feel about mornings. Wake up at 6:15!? Gross! But then we'll be in Florence for the day and it'll all be worth it! Until next time...

Ciao y'all!

Heaven on Earth

Am I in heaven?! Words cannot describe the beauty that we're surrounded by at La Pievuccia. The vineyards that surround us, the casitas that we're living in and the weather we're fortunate enough to have just make me feel like the luckiest girl in the world. (The only thing that could make this place better is having The Boy here with me. Will, I miss you so incredibly much.) As I'm writing this, I'm laying in a hammock taking in the Tuscan scenery. There's a rooster crowing (they really do say cock-a-doodle-doo!), a dog barking and birds chirping. You guys, I really can't remember a time I've felt so relaxed. This truly is heaven on earth.

We just got back from a "conversational Italian" lesson, but to me it was more like survival Italian boot camp. I learned a lot and I pray that l can remember at least half of it! Our teacher was Rossella and she was so incredibly sweet. We have a follow-up lesson and I hope I can make her proud!

Tomorrow we are meeting with Celena, one of the school's senior teachers, and we are presenting our lesson plans to her. It's a little nerve wracking,and I'm honestly just ready to get tomorrow's presentation over with! Wish me luck!!

Ciao y'all!

When in Rome!

Hey guys!
Today was the first day living the bella vita, or the good life. And man oh man is life good! This morning, we had the traditional European breakfast of rolls and crossoints and every carb you can imagine smothered in Nutella. SO YUMMY. Then, we were off for the day!

We started our day with a quick walk to check out the Coloseum and the Forum. Despite the fact that I've alreasee even there, the sites were just as breathtaking as they were the very first time I laid eyes on them. One of the girls on our trip was sick to her stomach in the middle of the tour, but fortunately she was well enough to stick with us for the rest of the day. (If you know me at all, you know that just the thought of vomit makes me want to cry. But I was totally fine! It helps that I adore the girl was sick, so I truly sympathized with her!)

Once we moved on from that excitement, we saw the Tomb of the Unnown Soldier. While I had been there before, I never realized that there were guards that protected the tomb all day long, just as if the tomb contained a high priest. The gesture alone was so kind that it made me tear up. Then, visited a church that was built in the mid-1400s. It just blows my mind that the church (below) predates the country that I call home.

Then we took a trip to see the Trevi Fountain. So. Incredible. Made a wish and I hope it comes true!! Then I checked out the Spanish Steps and learned that they're called that because they lead to the Spanish Emissary. I felt ridiculous for not realizing that beforehand! After a quick stroll, we finally made it to lunch. Our first appetizer was bruschetta. Yum. Then, we were given a plate of mini bread rolls and various dipping sauces to try. Once again, I tried to be brave. Bad decision. I ended up dipping my bread into tuna. YUCK! At least I know I still hate seafood! We were then brought out some of the best pizza of my life. I got funghi (mushroom!) and it was delicious! Then we had fried chocolate balls for dessert. I'm drooling just recounting this.

After that, we headed to the Vatican. I'll eventually put up pictures on Facebook, but for now I'll give you the hilights. I learned the reason the Pieta is the only sculpture in St. Bascilica to be behind glass; some lunatic took a hammer to the Pieta 23 times. Also, I learned that it is the only piece that Michelangelo signed. Our tour guide at the Vatican was Carlo. Not only was he highly knowledgable about everything Roman, but he also was a UT grad! And highly attractive to boot. It really made the Varican THAT much more interesting ;) But truthfully, it was amazing going back and seeing everything a second time around; I felt like I got a lot more out of the tour!

If you went to Europe with me a few years ago, do you remember the gelato shop that Nettah took us to? The one with over 100 favors? Well, I was there today!!! And MAN was it good to be back. Some of the best gelato in the world. Hands down. I ate stracciotella (basicially chocolate chunk) and roche (chocolate deliciousness). Then we checked out the Pantheon and headed to the same restaurant that we ate at last night. Dinner consisted of pasta in Alfredo sauce, green beans, turkey and fruit and ice cream for dessert. I could get used to this!

Sorry for the ridiculously long post, but this will be my last post for a few days. I'll be heading to La Pivuccia tomorrow, which seems like it'll be a relaxing vacation spot where we'll work on lesson plans and the like. All that means to you is that you won't get to check out my blog because I'll have no Internet access. Sad!

Hope all is well back home. Miss you all, but I'm already having a blast!

Ciao y'all!

Globe Trotting

Bonjour! This blog post is coming alllll the way from Paris, France. We missed our connecting flight to Rome (hooray for group travel!), so we'll be at the airport until 2:00 local time. So time to update the good old blog!

The time flew by (pun intended) on the flight to Paris. I slept for over half of the flight and spent the rest of it reading The Hunger Games and watching movies. Good clean fun!

We're all hanging out doing a whole lot of nothing... Luckily, we were given meal vouchers to fill the time... and our tummies! I tried to be adventurous, but it didn't work out in my favor. Note to self: mystery meat in a sandwich is NEVER a good idea!! However, the baguette was fabulous and the Coke Lite made me a much more pleasant person!

I'm going to get back to people watching now. Hope all you Americans have a wonderful day!

 . . .

Bojourno from Rome! Right now it's 9:45 and we just got back to our adorable hotel. I'm staying with Rachel and Ashleigh in this precious room. Not only do we have a bidet (...I'll pass), but we even have our own terrace!  It's beautiful here. More importantly, dinner was fabulous. Red wine, the BEST lasagna I've ever had, salads, chicken(?), French fries and lemon sorbet. Seriously guys, I'm going to come home and be HEFTY. But it'll be well worth it!

Tomorrow will be FULL of adventures, so I'm going to hit the sack. Can't wait to fill you in on everything I experience tomorrow! 

Ciao, y'all! 

So Close!

Howdy!

I've had a lot of questions about my trip, so I thought I'd take some time to explain what exactly I've been up to these past few months. I have been taking 15 hours (5 classes) that were condensed into a very short, fast-paced semester. These classes were taught by the three professors that will be accompanying me to Italy. I only had class once a day, but that day was an absolute marathon. I spent 12 hours on campus. Ugh! I'm so glad those days are behind me! I also got a job working at a preschool, which I absolutely loved. I even changed my very first diaper! (It was about time!) I miss the kids already, but I plan on working there over the summer.

Now, back to Italy. What exactly will I be doing abroad? I'm SO glad you asked! I, along with 23 other education majors, will be teaching English at an Italian middle school. So I won't be studying abroad so much as I will be teaching abroad. The 24 of us will be teaching English lessons, tutoring students for an upcoming exam and holding play rehearsals for The Wizard of Oz, which we will be putting on before we leave Italy. It's going to be a crazy couple of months, but I absolutely cannot wait. The girls (and guy... poor Stephen) that I am traveling with are some of the coolest people that I've had the pleasure to get to know, and I can't wait to see where the next couple of months will take us!

On Sunday evening, I will leave the country and head to Italy. For the first week of our travels, we will tour Rome, Florence and Arezzo. Then, we will set down our roots at the Santa Chiara study center in Castiglion Fiorentino, a small town in Tuscany.

I'm spending my next to last night in the US in Dallas, where I'm saying my farewells to my parents and my dogs. Tomorrow will be a whirlwind of last minute shopping, packing and friend-visiting, and then on Sunday I'm catching a ride from my incredible boyfriend to Houston. And then I'm off! I still can't believe that I'll be on a plane on less than 48 hours... but it's the truth! Ready or not, here I go!!

Ciao y'all!

Late Night Delirium

It's currently 4:45 in the morning and I'm still not done with my schoolwork. And this would be totally fine with me if it weren't for the fact that I have to be awake for the next 15 hours. Eww. 

Today was my last day of work before Italy. I know that I'm working at the right place because I got really sad when I had to leave. But there was no better farewell than them all sitting up on their cots and screaming "BYYYYE MISS ABBYYYY!!" as I snuck* out during their naptime. They really are too precious for words.

It finally hit me today. I'm going to be gone for two months. There's a seven-hour time difference between my current home and my future home. I won't have a dog to cuddle with every night.  I won't be three hours away from Mom and Dad. I'm going to be in Italy. There might've been some tears involved with this realization.

So that's the bad news. The good news is that my meltdown has already passed! I cried out the nerves and now I just have exciting things to look forward to. Like packing! And a trip to Dallas to see Mom and Dad and the dogs! And only having ONE more day of class left for the semester!!!

I just need to get through the next few hours. It's 5:00 in the morning. At 7:00, I will leave for class. That gives me two hours to make a lesson plan. Can I do it?! YES I CAN! Because I don't really have a choice in the matter ;)

 BYE!

*Oh, and I know snuck isn't a word. But sneaked just sounds too awkward. I can't handle it. Sorry!

Mixed Feelings

In five days I will be in Italy.

To say I'm having mixed feelings is the understatement of the century. I'm sad to leave my friends, my family, the boy, my apartment, my little monster and everything that I'm used to. But I know the second I take off the excitement will overtake my nerves. I can't wait to be in Europe, to travel the world, to teach young minds, to get out of my comfort zone, to eat amazing foods, to drink delicious wines and simply have the time of my life.

I'll post tomorrow to talk about the joys of packing my life into a suitcase (ugh!) and other random things that cross my mind. But right now I need to get back to work. One more lesson plan! One more book report! One more test! And one research paper. All before Wednesday at 8 AM. Oh man. Looks like I'll be living at the library! This is going to be a long 48 hours. But it'll all be worth it in five days!!! AHH!

Ciao, y'all!