The 'Giorno'.

It is such a strange feeling to wake up at 6 in the morning and begin the day with the shittiest attitude. 6 in the morning, when the sun hasn't even risen yet and when the morning dew has barely settled. It started out so shitty because my roommates and I missed our train to Milan. I guess if there is one thing I believe in religiously (aside from my fashion magazines, of course) is Karma. Karma, you son-of-a-bitch! You always know how to bite me in the ass when I least expect it! My go-where-the-wind-takes-me attitude is the reason why I did not know our bus left from the main train station outside the city walls instead of the main bus stop at the Gramsci bus stop, and since the next bus arrives 4 hours later, we are forced to wait patiently (or impatiently) until 11:45, which means we will not arrive until 4. I guess that's a good time for a 'pasta' (which means pastries like croissants and little bites of heaven with nutella) and a cappuccino. Oh, and I haven't booked a hostel yet. heeeeee.

Agitated by everything around me, I quickly take my routine morning shower, grab my book, and head out to the nearest caffe near my residence. This time, it is a place called A. Nannini. Not the official Giovanni Nannini family pastry house, but the wannabe that attracts half the customers. Is it weird to love being by myself? To find joy from within? Does that mean I love myself? Or does it mean I don't enjoy the company of others? Maybe it means I've matured, or maybe it means I have not.. Anyway, I order this insanely amazing croissant filled with chocolate and honey pudding and smothered in frozen nutella, and cappuccino (of course) with 2 packs of brown dolci (it's weird how I hate coffee so much in the States but develop a strong addiction in foreign countries). A small group of high school kids with their black jackets and messenger bags give me a curious look as I sit by myself in the corner of the caffe and disappear behind my American book.

Gilbert, the author of my book, gives me hope that I will be able to find belief, hope, and pleasure during my stay in Siena. Her words brighten up my gray morning and 3 hours later, I walk out of A. Nannini with an uncontrollable smile on my face and starring at the sun creeping up from behind the beautiful medieval buildings. The sky is now bright blue. It's just so pretty here, I can't help but smile. I know I must look really out of place because of my height, hair, face, and awkward smile to myself, but it's a literal meaning of 'uncontrollable'. Do I really have to leave a few months from now?

The Naps We Take.

Siesta: (noun) an afternoon rest or a nap, esp. one taken during the hottest hours of the day in a hot climate.

Apparently all of Italy (and most of the world) takes these except for the U.S. but I guess they have to because they are constantly walking from place to place. It could also be the fact that Sienese people (or maybe Italians in general) are very calm and easy going so they don't mind taking a break in the middle of the day?? Since day one, my roommates have succumbed to the powers of Siesta. I thought I could be stronger, but I, too, am falling for his powers. Stores close down during this so I'd be pretty crazy if I decided not to sleep. Oh the convenience of capitalist America...

The times when the streets of Siena are most crowded are early in the morning, late at night, and even later at night (say 2 a.m.-ish). Nobody does anything during the afternoon, which seems really odd to me because that's when the sun peaks above the clouds and the streets look so pretty! That is also usually the time when my roommate goes for a little jog because no one is out to see her run.

The Dream.

I met this African-American lady today at a leather purse store called 'Campagni'. She had the tightest curls on her head and she was tall, like a gazelle, with glasses. She said hello in the perfect American accent (if there is such a thing). I was actually a little shocked, so, understanding she was from America, I began to ask her questions, and her to me. I learned that she was once a student from the UC Siena group (from UCSB) with our current tour coordinator Brooke. She had kept in touch with her Italian friend that she had met during her stay and after she graduated, her friend needed a roommate in Siena and she needed change in her life, so she packed her things and moved here. It's been four years since and she's only visited California once, last May. She also met a boy... With her shop in Siena now, she's so busy that she doesn't even think about California. Siena is now her life.

I wish I was this brave!

It is easy to see how she has fallen in love with Siena though. The weather, even in the winter, feels amazing. The air is brisk and cool, and even though my hands were about to fall off tonight, the air felt good! The medieval city still has its original heavy, wooden doors with random brass knobs in the center and the floor is all cobble stone, hand carved to prevent slip-age on a rainy day. Each window is perfectly polished and each store entrance has a heater that blows down on your head. I love it! Random little alley ways and crazy winding roads keep your curiosity going, and just around every corner is the Piazza del Campo, the biggest Campo I have ever seen! Google it, it's so pretty!

So far, I've had a different pizza topping each time I've gone into a pizzeria. My favorite has got to be the one with tomatoes, mozzarella, and zucchini. Their most popular pizza seems to be margarita though. As for the gelato, I'm afraid to say that I haven't tried any yet! I'm waiting until I am hungry because my first bite has to be magical!! I went to this quaint little restaurant yesterday and ordered the first meal's Gnocchi. Yuck. It was funny because they have like a four course meal and I only ordered the first one. I couldn't finish so I took it to-go, which is unheard of in Italy, so the waitress had to wrap it in aluminum foil for me because they didn't have boxes. Meanwhile, the family to my right finished their antipasti and was just warming up for their first course before getting ready for the main course. Dessert??

My apartment/miniresidence is really nice but it's hard to grocery shop! So I don't.. 2-4 euros for a slice of pizza should suffice for the next four months, or for the next four years?

The Battle.

I find it a little humorous that I’m writing my blog entry on a Word document because I’m 400,000 feet in midair with no sign of Wi-Fi. This isn’t a sign of eagerness to document my every move abroad, this is a sign of desperation… desperation to find some sort of salvation from the Indian lady snoozing next to me. (I’m panicking at the thought of her suddenly opening her eyes and targeting “Indian lady” on my illuminated computer screen to instantly realize that I’m talking shit).

After passing 40-something rows of seats, I finally find seat number 47 D. Yes! I get the isle! As I am about to put my carry-on over my head, this short little Indian mother says, “I sit” and waits impatiently for me to move. I move… out of her way, then she gives me a little look of discomfort after realizing that I was the lucky owner of the isle seat and she was not. But before I get a chance to put my belongings in the overhead compartment, she lifts her carry-on, which is big enough to be a check-in suitcase, and jams it in the compartment, then selfishly takes her seat. All the while I’m glaring at the compartment because I am now forced to put my shit by my feet for the next 12 hours of my life. Hmm.. maybe I am mistaking her broken English for rudeness? Or… maybe I’m not

She smells like moth balls and sits with her dirty little toes pointing in my direction. Her cracked heels catch my attention for a good 2 minutes before I realize that I have to put my seatbelt on. She has the nerve to tell me that there is no foot room for her on my side of the seat and points to the flight attendant to get him to help me put my belongings overhead. Ask me why I complied? I really don’t know. Obviously, there is no room because her selfish suitcase took over the entire plane, so my Marc by Marc Jacobs tote took the backseat in a corner by the 20-something section numbers along with a camping bag and an old guitar. Great. I was mad at myself for listening to her so I go to get it back and place it where it had been before, safe and uncomfortable near MY feet. She glowered with her tween daughter, but I didn’t care.

As we are about to take off, the stewardess comes by and asks her to shut off her iPod. She does, but as soon as the stewardess leaves, she turns it back on to her soundtrack of the latest Bollywood movie. Reminds me of Tanya… HAHA but that was different because Tanya was never asked to turn off her phone in the first place. Yeah, UA pretty much sucks for flights up to Sacramento. Anyway, talk about r.u.d.e!

This on going battle doesn’t stop yet. Before Nights in Rodanthe begins, the airplane shut off the lights for people to sleep. I, however, already took a nap during take off so I was wide awake and ready to read with my overhead light. She gets frustrated and tries to turn off my light but doesn’t know how. Ha-ha. It’s been almost 3 hours and my lights are still on, except I don’t think I win this round because she still managed to fall asleep, take my arm rest, and snore to a point where I couldn't read my book anymore. That explains why I'm writing. I suck at battles.

And this begins my entry into Europe. Luckily, the stewardess gave me a glass of wine. First toast silently goes to Maria, for englightening me with the good news of ordering beverages on international flights. Grazie!

The Beginning.

It's exactly 9 days before my departure date and I don't even know what I'm packing, where I'm staying, which train I'm taking, or where my passport is. Hm... But believe me when I say this, I'm not careless or irresponsible! I'm relaxed, chilled, and easy-going ;) However, at the rate that I'm going--seeing that I haven't even been home in the past 2 weeks and my planner is scheduled up to my neck--I probably won't even make it to Italy :(

We'll see how long I last writing in this blog during my stay in Italy. I'm doing it for Melissa, Noelle and Maria because they asked, but please note that I have this weird tendency to write an entry, re-read it a few days later and realize how retarded it is, then delete the entry because I think it's not entertaining for people to read. Maybe that can be my New Years Resolution: to stop deleting blog entries! Hahahaha no.

As for the trip, I'm really excited but not excited enough because it hasn't hit me yet. I say I'm gone for 6/7 months and I talk about how much things will change within that time period, but it hasn't really HIT me like 'WOW!' status. What has hit me is the trip I planned with Maria to Sweden and Greece! I'm super stoked for that and that's not happening until June! I really just hope I still have money... I hate hate money...

I'm super excited to eat Milka chocolates from Germany when I stop at customs in Frankfurt. I'm super excited for McFlurries with Ghiradeli chocolate chunks in them. Yummy!!! I'm also excited for the gelato and pizza! And I'm most definitely excited just knowing the fact that Jason will be in Europe during the same time :) I can't wait to live as a local in another country! I can finally understand how Maria felt when she first came here. haha!

While I'm there, I really want to go to an opera! I think it will be so boring but I still want to go and see! Dress up in pretty gowns with long black gloves and binoculars. Tanya is making it my goal to make out with 6 Italian boys in 1 day (because she did it, duh) and ride on the back of a Vespa with a cute Italian man.. but she also got an Italian man fired from her Uncle's pizza shop... hahhhaha and that's why I love her. I want to go to a crazy night club at night with my cute eather jacket and get into trouble and run away from the Italian policia!! I want to read books and eat biscotti at the local Cafe in Siena! Go wine tasting the great Italian vineyards! I want to work at a local pub to earn scraps of euros for my weekend travels (like my future, except Tanya will financially support me when she gets unavailable phone calls from me because I'm in trouble in... Peru! Ghana! Croatia! because she's going to be a corporate lawyer and I'm going to be a nomad). 

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I want to do so much and none of it has anything to do with actual schooling. To me, that's what traveling is all about though! And if you get lonely and need some place to go, please visit! I will be more than happy to host you :)!!!!