Woah Reversed Culture Shock. Nice to meet you AGAIN!

Damn you reversed culture shock.  Even though I have gone through you two times, now this being my third time meeting you again our encounter is not as pleasant.  What I mean is that coming back to USA after four months in Italy, and Italy ALONE, has really opened my eyes to things I like and don't like about both of these beautiful countries.

USA.  Why in the world do people desire their material objects to be unnecessarily huge?  Only two blocks away from my parents house their are two streets I refer to as the "new mansion estate drive".  These new homes include two, two door car garages, heated driveways (because heaven forbid you have to get outside and use your muscles and shovel the snow), and gas lamps with real fire in them.  Goodness gracious how vain can people get?  I understand that I have no idea who these people are or what they do but must you really have all of these things?

Money changes people and I cannot attest to this because I have never been of much money.  But I do know that I would not take for granted the fortunes I may obtain in my future.  Any day I would take an adorable, reliable, dependable, FIAT 500 over 9 seater SUV found everywhere in the USA.  And when will I really need four different cars? So scratch those two, two door garages which will NEVER be connected to my house.  There is no way I am trying to put myself about these people on "new mansion estate drive" but I will not fall into those poor habits.  Get a grip, a shovel, and use those muscles you work on with the trainer you pay way too much.  Thats all for now.

Peace, Love, and Laughter

Stephanie

See you soon Italy...Here I am USA

The best welcoming back to the USA was the big SUV that almost hit my taxi on my way home from O'Hare Airport.  Thank you Infinity for making unnecessarily gigantic cars!  Other than that fun event I arrived to my street and saw the trees had already begun to change colors here.  Home looked just want I wanted it too look like, a place for me to pass out.

A friend of the family brought me a delicious salad which I could not even stay awake to eat until 1130pm that night.  My sleep and eating schedule was completely off!  I do not remember my jet lag being this bad when I cam back from Italy the last time.  Oh well, the pay off is so worth it.

Since I fell asleep on Monday night at 5pm I woke up Tuesday at the dark hour of 4am.  I was full of energy and ready to get my clothes in the wash and experience a drying machine for the first time in 4 months!  Since I was already up and it was supposed to be a beautiful day I decided to go see the sunrise downtown on Montrose Beach. I hopped in the shower and took off.

The sunrise was phenomenal and full of color.  It was my first morning back in the USA and I wanted to do it right.  Since the sun came up around 645am I was starting to get a bit hungry.  Seeing that I was already in the city I had to get my favorite breakfast (senza American Coffee) at M Henrys on Clark.  YUM YUM YUM!!! I treated myself to some delicious french toast and potatoes.

On my way out of the car I was brilliant enough to forget my cell phone was in my lap and then it ended in the car door, with a smashed screen because I forgot.  Oooops.

Now I am onto my next mission and goal: Italy by January 2011.  Italy is where I want to be and where I feel like I belong more than anywhere else in the world.  Of course this will change but for now I want to live my life by my rules.  Until then I will be applying for jobs in Italy and enjoying my time back in the land where almost everyone speaks the same language I do.  In the near future I am planning to return to my University and see some of the best friends I have in the world.

Peace, Love, and Laughter

Stephanie

Positano Vacation

The trip could not have come at a better time! Let me tell you, What and EXPERIENCE!

Within ten minutes of being in Naples, Italy I saw someone get mugged.  Of course I am not saying Naples is unsafe but when you decide to travel, a little word of advice, never leave your wallet in any of your pockets.  The poor man who was robbed had just arrived in Italy with his wife for the first time.  But they did not let the situation of them sharing a few laughs with me on the train ride from Naples to Sorrento.

The bus ride from Sorrento was packed with tons of tired tourists that were sick of the heat.  I wanted to tell them to shut it because I had been dealing with 110 degree weather this summer.  You come to Italy in the summer, expect warm temperatures.  Once the bus made the turn towards the Almafi Coast everyone was in absolute awe while I was holding back my breakfast.

I knew I had made the right choice in coming to Positano.  Upon arrival to the Hostel Brikette I was happily greeted by the owner and her adorable puppy.  I booked a dorm room and was surprised she upgraded me to a private room and bathroom.  Yay for traveling in Italy in Mid September!

After running up to the room my only thought of what to do with my afternoon was enjoy the beautiful beach below, mind you WAY BELOW! A surprising discovery is that if you have terrible knees, all I can say is Buona Fortuna (good luck).  Getting around this city by walking is all down and up stairs.

The views were spectacular walking down the 800 steps to the beach.  The weather was never a let down, I was fortunate to have constant sun the entire trip.  The first day I was lucky enough to meet a lovely couple from Minnesota! The woman ironically was aware of the town in Wisconsin my family and I would go to when I was young! This world is way too small sometimes.  My dinner was a masterpiece of squid and linguine with a spicy tomato sauce.  YUMMM

The next few days were spent wandering around the curvy and tiny alleys of Positano in the mornings and in the afternoon I would always end on the beach.  My last night I met some great girls from Australia and another from Texas (originally Illinois...way south haha).  The girl from Texas and I had a great dinner at the last Trattoria in Positano.  The service was wonderful and the wine did it's magic.  We came back to the hostel (50 meters away, without steps :D) and just drank out on the terrace and enjoyed some dainty cigarettes.  

Going back to Florence had to happen, it was a reality that I was about to return to the United States.  I said my goodbyes and headed out after a lovely morning swim on the little beach.  Took my last walk up those horrible stairs and went to catch my bus.  In short on the way home my right middle finger was slammed into the luggage door of the bus and no one helped me (hooray for crappy ass tourists) and a lovely polish couple that were spending their last night in Naples.

This vacation was spur of the moment and I am happy I went through with it.  I only now look forward to returning and hopefully returning with a friend or family member.

Peace, Love, and Laughter

Stephanie

Go After What YOU Want

Why continue something when you see it going no where? In my opinion, it is understandable to hold onto something that is raw and real because this thing connects you too something close to your heart.  This is something I had to face about twenty minutes ago.  It was if I was at a fork in a road and had to choose to continue what I was doing or just let it go peacefully.  I chose the later of the two.  For the first time I really spoke up for what I want and what I don't want.  Of course I was scared to bits and pieces but sometimes you just have to grow up and get over it.

I don't know where I will be in a year, six months, or this Saturday (hopefully Siena) but I do know that I want something more than what I had.  Hopefully you all (whoever you all are) do not think I am some ungrateful person because I most certainly am not.  My only goal in life is to live with no regrets and by standing up for myself tonight and for what I want is exactly abiding by that standard. 

As for now I am going to spend an amazing vacation in Positano, Italy for the next 4 days and just relax for I return to the states.

Peace, Love, and Laughter

Stephanie

Positano Tomorrow!!!

Why not make a random vacation a day in advance in a country in which I barely known the language and how to get around the south?  In other words I am going to Positano, Italy tomorrow and I could not be more thrilled.  Ever since I saw the film, "Under the Tuscan Sun," I knew I had to see Positano.

Tomorrow I depart from Sesto Fiorentino at 6:20 in the morning and arrive in Positano around 1:30pm.  I am nervous as all get out but I am thrilled.  Number one I am doing this all by myself and Number 2 I am super proud of myself for getting up the guts to just do it!!!

Now I am off to say goodbye to my favorite new family that hosted me this summer in Chiari, Italy. I will miss them immensely and of course keep in contact.  They made me feel as though I was adopted into their already well knit family...this includes even the Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, etc.  I am only so thankful that they let me into their lives =).  Sentimental I know!

As for now Peace, Love and Laughter,

Stephanie

Last Camp Finished. Now Vacation!

I have become a statistic!

What I mean is that I am officially an unemployed Miami University Graduate with no job.  Normally I would be extremely worried about what the hell I will be doing next but I am really at peace.  All I am worried about is how to get back to Italy as soon as possible.

My last camp of the summer 2010 was in Villa Santa, Italy.  I worked with some really great people from Scotland, England, and New Zealand.  The past two weeks were full of laughter and moments I will never forget (particularly with one adorable little boy who is in love with Killer Whales).  The truth of this job is that when the people you work with are good, everything is at least 100 times better at camps.  Unfortunately now I will have a hard time acclimating to my new non tutor lifestyle.  Who am I going to call a faggot and pick on 24/7? Just ain't the same without the amazing people I have met throughout this experience.

But some things to look forward too are for sure the amazing time I am currently having in Chiari, Italy.  Last night I was lucky enough to see some of my students from the first city I worked in.  They just walked up to me with their huge smiles and gave me a lovely "ciao" and ran off to the safety of Mama and Papa.  There was a very big festival last night in Chiari.  It is their version of the Pailo, but without horses.  The city is designed in the shape of a circle and Chiari was divided into four quarters.  My host family lived with the Zeneto area (aka the yellow team). Before the race I had a fun dinner with all of the relatives in the grandparents shop that they cannot seem to sell.  Everyone walking past were talking about us and I have to admit is was a confidence booster because I felt so welcome with this family I had stayed with 3 months before.  The spectacular in the center was a huge debbie downer but still some parts were sort of exciting.  The race was a thrill and a friend of mine has his brother running for the Green team!  In the end the Green team won the Pailo and right then the celebrations started.  Italians are known not to drink heavily but last night I saw many an italian stumbling around drunk at 11:30pm.  All I can say is, WAY TO GO! hahaha.

As for right now I am going to relax with one of my favorite families in Italy and enjoy having wireless internet for the second time in about 15 weeks!

Peace, Love and Laughter

Stephanie

Where HAVE I been? AKA PAST

My travels over from 27 May to the present day have included nine different camps, and that means nine new Italian Cities. In order from my first location to where I am going to be ending my summer tutoring Italian children in English are as follows:

1. Chiari, Italy --> 1 Week Camp
2. Rome, Italy --> 1 Week Camp
3. Salvaterra, Italy --> 1 Week Camp
4. Sesto Fiorentino, Italy --> 1 Week Camp
5. Marcheno, Italy --> 1 Week Camp
6. Gandellino, Italy --> 2 Week Camp
7. Borno, Italy --> 1 Week Camp
8. Belluno, Italy --> 2 Week Camp
9. Villasanta, Italy --> 2 Week Camp

Every city besides for Rome and Sesto Fiorentino I had already been too.  The seven other cities were never place I would have thought of going to if I were just a tourist traveling Italy.  I must say I have been to some of the loveliest little towns and met some great people and some not so great...LOL.

The perception of Italians from, at least an American point of view, is their advanced abilities in the kitchen, wine, and love.  Let me clear some of these things up for you.  Italians for sure can cook but honestly who wants to eat a panini with a brick of bread and two of three circles of salami in the middle??? Not me for sure.  SHOOT. Another thing is why is tuna and mayonnaise a staple? And then who thought...well let's make some rice and add anything we have in the fridge into it and eat it all cold? YUCK! But mind you, my opinion is coming from someone who likes ketchup...a lot!  Of course having wine with dinner is lovely and having a Peroni beer every once and awhile is a definite bonus.  Oh and they have gelato too.

Love can be looked at in different angles.  Before studying abroad in Florence in January 2009 I thought that all Italians were friendly and happy go lucky.  There are of course some Italian that surely live up to that standard but then there are those others that just fall way short of that expectation.  One city I will never go back to visit is Belluno.  No offense to any of you that may like this city or have family or any type of connection to this city but I am about to bash it to pieces.  The people of Belluno were very trendy and stylish but something the tour books will not tell you is how absolutely WHINEY these cats are!!!  Goodness gracious I believe Belluno is one of the most depressed cities in Italy.  Of course there were some cool people in Belluno...wait but they were not even Italian...forget that!  Just kidding but seriously get your city checked out Belluno!  Many of the kids I have had at my camps would come up to us saying, "Mi fa male la testa."  My response to this is "Ooo Dio!" (tranlastion: My head hurts, and Oh God).  Since when did kids get headaches at sporadic moments at age 6?  Time to get up and run it off! hahaha.

But to be kind I have had more pleasurable experiences with Italian children and adults.  Overall the Italians are very kind and loving.  I will miss many kids I have had at my camps and I only hope the best for them in their future adventures.  Even more so, many of the families who were kind enough to host me for one or two weeks have been fabulous and I will miss them incredibly.

As for right now I think that is enough! Time to go back home and eat some yummy Italian food without tuna, mayonnaise, or any of that cold rice crap!

Peace, Love, and Laughter

Stephanie

Where do I begin?

A year ago I changed my life.  I decided to changed my focus of study my senior...aka last year of University...from Biology to History.  Literally two days before classes started for fall semester, I dropped all of my classes! I literally had to make a choice on what I wanted to graduate with, what $30,000 a year meant to me. When I made the call to my parents to tell them of my plans I made the assumption they would be furious.  In the end they supported me in whatever I felt was right for me.

From 07 January 2009 to the current day of 07 September 2010 my life has been an absolute tornado of emotions.  I have had so many new experiences within these past few months. Not all of them have been good but then again many of them have been life changing.

Since my blog asks the simple question of "Where is Stephanie?" I will give you all a solid answer.  Currently at this moment of my first ever blog post (by the way which I like and absolute douche saying) I am in Villasanta, Italy at a local bar. I am trying to steal a local's unprotected internet service which continually likes to fade in and out on me.  When you travel from city to city almost every week in Italy for almost 4 months you get used to these situations.

Villasanta has been my home for the last week and a half.  I will be ending my summer with the best job I have ever had this week.  Plus is that I will be getting quite a nice pay check, negative is what in the world am I doing after?????  As of right now I am traveling on Saturday with my current host family to Chiari where I had my first camp this summer.  They host a Pailo similar to the one in Siena Italy this Saturday 12 September 2010.  I know at some point I have to go back to Florence, Italy because many of my warm clothes are there.  Ironically I left behind a lot of my warm clothes and ended up being placed in the mountains of Italy for 6 weeks.  Woops.

My flight back to the USA is unfortunately on Monday 20 September 2010 and to top it off its at 730 in the morning.  YIPEE.  The last thing I want when I return home is to have something to tie me down and keep me in the states.  By saying that I mean a real job, you know, the ones where you have a fancy little cubicle and your own desktop (probably a PC eww).  My idea of my future does not involve a office I drive to every morning and work the typical 8 to 5 workday.  Of course I have to be realistic and think about my debt from my very expensive piece of paper I like to call a Diploma from Miami University.

What I want is not typical.  I am not in a hurry to find a job I will do forever because that just isn't me.  Maybe before 07 January 2009 I would have been all for a job that gives me a solid salary but after seeing the beauty the world has to offer through all my traveling that is the last thing I am looking for.

Ever since I took the study abroad opportunity and left my University I made a pact with my heart to never have regrets. I know that sounds a bit stupid but I really tried to live up to my pact.  Ironically enough this little pact did not and has not always worked out for the best but at least I can say I have done some crazy things I will never forget.  Why live life by the rules main stream society sets for us?  That just makes you seem like what my friend "Jeff" would say... A faggot.

I have no clue where I will be in a month, or even next week.  The only thing I know about my future is that I am going out to dinner on Thursday 09 September 2010, and going back to the states on 20 September 2010.

My only goal is to return to Italy by at least January to continue working here in Italy.  Who knows maybe I will apply for graduate school when I go home.

As for right now this is where I am in the world.

Peace, Love, and Laughter

Stephanie