So it's my last day in Rome...

Ew, I just got nauseous after typing that sentence...

I'm all packed.

The fridge is emptied.

The apartment is clean.

And it really isn't helping that Mae is playing "The Freshman" by the Verve Pipe right now... 

Okay, now it's "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve. Is this a joke? Did she make a "Make Kelsey sad on her last day in Rome" playlist? As if this situation wasn't hard enough...

We're going to make this one short and sweet, partially because I'll start sobbing, and partially because all of my other posts have been 70 years long.  Speaking of, thanks a whole bunch for reading these.  Even if this is the first one you've read (in which case I apologize for the melancholiness of it. Is melancholiness a word? ok, no time for word vomit, kelsey.) thanks for doing it. A big shout out goes out to Babs and Dean, because without them I wouldn't be here, and you wouldn't be reading this blog.  So you should probably thank them too when you see them.  Plus, they're just plain fun to talk to.

Ok, let's get down to it:

Things i WON'T miss about Rome:

-Cobblestone. Trust me, it only looks pretty.

-the 870 bus. Can't live with it, can't live without it.

-dog poop. there are 20 dogs to every pooper scooper. maybe even 25. maybe 40.

-shaving only one leg every shower because the water gets cold after 3 minutes.

-mosquitos. spiders. and anything else that has bitten me.

things that i WILL miss about Rome:

-nuns. they're everywhere. and i love it.

-my roommates.

-my friends (yes, i have some. or at least they're pretending to be them for the time being.)

-Gelato, Pizza, Pasta, and any other food item that has made me very happy.

-my 80 year old non-english-speaking cutest old italian man ever art teacher.

-Castel Sant'Angelo. Ok, every monument.

-wait, why am i doing this list? I'll miss EVERYTHING about Rome (minus those listed above, and even then, i'll still find a way to miss them.)

I love this city. I've loved my experience here. And I wouldn't trade a moment here for anything.

Oh no! We're tearing up. No good.

Once again, thanks for reading this. It has meant a gosh darn lot to me, and I can't wait to see everyone when I'm home! You can find me at the nearest Mexican Restaurant, because as I've complained about for the past 4 months, Romans don't believe in bean burritos. And i do.

You all are neat. Ciao ciao.

Part 2 for You. Woohooo! It's new! Ok I'll stop rhyming now. ....Boo.

Umm, can we just take a minute and pat me on the back for keeping my promise and writing this within a few days?! Grazie! Just watch out for the bug bite back there. No really, though, that's one thing I didn't expect from Rome: mosquitos. I guess Rome and a summer in Wisconsin DO have something in common... 

So last time I checked you were waiting anxiously for Barcelona. Before you read this you should know that everyone in Barcelona has a lisp. Or at least it sounds like it. In the Catalan language, they pronounce an S like an ETH. Hence: BARTHELONA. Please just say that aloud right this instant so you can laugh at yourself. Grathiath (gracias for those who haven't caught on to this cool game). Trutht me, you'll be doing thith all day. Okay we're done. 

If the lisp doesn't convince you to go to Barcelona, the fact that they have a man-made beach should.  It was made for the Olympics in 1992, and we're not talking a little sandbox. It's an actual beach! And good news! No topless 80 year olds! Or at least none that i saw... 

The best part about the city: Gaudi Architecture. Everywhere. If you haven't heard of him, please start a new tab and google him this instant. His work is like nothing you have ever seen, I can guarantee it.

The worst part: My knuckles in a constant state of white from holding my purse too tightly the entire time. If you're a pick pocketer, you probably live in Barthelona. If you're a tourist, you'll probably get pick pocketed. It's just that simple.

Overdramatic situation: I was in this hippie zen store that overkilled on the incense buying bangles. The store was probably the size of Carrie Bradshaw's closet (her closet from the show, not the movie closet. Oh i just got the chills at the thought of the closet in the movie. Sigh.. wait, how did i end up here? There goes the word vomit.) GETTING TO THE POINT: THE STORE WAS SMALL. I placed my camera on the counter 2 inches in front of me with my friend Jaclyn next to me, and the cashier gave me a shocked looked and immediately said "put that away. someone's going to take it." Ummm.. jaclyn and i were the only people in the store... besides the 5 weird girls in long skirts sitting with their legs crossed on the floor in a circle chanting something weird. Lesson Learned: Don't set your belongings down. anywhere. and don't trust girls in long skirts that chant. or just don't go into stores that have more incense than oxygen.

Needless to say, I ended my Spring Break on a great note. I was terribly worn out however, not only because of the previous week of travel, but also because "Barthelonians" don't believe in going out until 1 or 2 in the morning. That means as I was going to sleep, Starbucks was opening (yes they did have starbucks, and yes I had it twice while there. Although I didn't cry like i did in Amsterdam, reference an earlier post if you're lost.)

Moving on to the weekend of May 1st... 

(I know, that seems like a big jump, but let's be honest: if i wrote about every detail, you'd be here for days at a time, and this blog is long enough. and I'm about to talk about Croatia, so calm yourself.)

CROATIA:

I'll be honest, i had NO idea what this place was going to be like.  I admit, I even asked the question "what country is croatia in?" (for those of you who didn't notice anything wrong with that question, croatia IS a country. it's okay, now you know.)

Croatia is not only a country, it's a beaaaauuutifullll country. We stayed near Split, a large city/harbor, and spent the weekend laying out, sipping cocktails, laying out, annnnd sipping cocktails. Oh yeah, and we gambled. And guess who won 120 euros?! Yeaaahh me. Vegas anyone?!

So go to Croatia. Maybe even gamble. Spend some time near the sparkling blue water. And let your jaw drop at how TALL the croatians are. (no really though. they're giants.)

DUBLIN:

Skipping to this past weekend, my LAST weekend traveling... oh wow, i feel tears coming on...

If there's a place in the world where everyone is happy 24/7 (possibly because of alcohol consumption) it's dublin, ireland. Yes, they drink guinness at ALL times of the day. Yes, it rains a lot. And yes, it's spectacular.  We spent one day touring the city itself: we saw Churches, Trinity College, and of course, The Guinness Factory. Then Gregg (the only boy on the trip, surrounded by 4 girls...) had this great idea of going on a ghost tour that night. If you know me AT ALL, you know that this ghost tour is probably NOT something i should go on. I'm not just afraid of typical "scary" things, I'm afraid of anything remotely scary, from the dark to the meat aisle in a grocery store (you might not be able to relate to that one as much...it's personal). So you can just imagine how hard I held Jaclyn's hand the entire time, how panicked i looked throughout the entire tour, and how much i regret going on it now. Thanks Gregg.

Besides the Ghost Tour, Ireland was flawless! The next day we took a tour of the countryside and took in all of the green that ireland has to offer.  It was everything you imagine Ireland to be, but more. There were sheep in the road, rolling hills, streams, stone bridges, small villages... go. just go. and bring an umbrella.

Oh, and while you're there, make sure to listen to all the live music dublin has to offer. I swear, it's not a real pub unless there's a real singer. And there's nothing better than listening to irish folk music while drinking guinness and sitting next to a leprechaun. (just kidding about the last part, although we did look...)

So here i am now, with 3 days to go, and yes, i'm sad. Rome has been everything I've wanted it to be and more. ahhhh okay i cannot do this until my last post. My roommates have already had to deal with me crying everyday for 2 weeks, I can't start now.

To end on a happy/cool note: 

I just saw "Angels and Demons" here in Rome, and as you know (or as you should know unless you've been living under a rock/refusing to read great dan brown books) it takes place IN rome. Little did i know, that the first "altar of science" (don't worry, i'm not going to give anything away) was literally 100 feet from the theater that i was in watching the movie. cool, right?! Yeah, i went to it after the movie, and I could still smell tom hanks.. oh how i love him. i mean, who can convincingly portray both forrest gump AND robert langdon? Ummm, him. Oooh, what if Forrest Gump, instead of Robert Langdon, had been summoned to figure out the Illuminati? Now that would have made for great cinema.  I'll leave you to ponder that film... 

Until next time, my last time... okay crying again.

Ciao from Rome

I'd make this one blog, but it'd take you 7 years to read... so PART 1:

Wow. I haven't done this in so long that I barely remember how to write these... ok, you think. then type. keep thinking. keep typing. ok now i remember.

So Last time I wrote I had just spent a wonderful weekend with my parents in Venice and Florence, and if you thought the fun stopped there, it didn't. Because Babs and Dean actually came to Rome! And yes my dad still brought out Rick Steve's in MY city. Psssh, there is more to Rome than the Colosseum, Mr. Steve's, so I think I'LL be the tour guide in this neck of the woods if you don't mind.

My parents had this great idea of going to Pompeii and Sorrento that Saturday, and since it was on their bill, I obviously wasn't going to object. The only problem with going to Pompeii and Sorrento is that you have to get off the train in Naples first. Let me think of a few places that you might be able to associate Naples with... how about Ensenada mixed with South Central mixed with somewhere in Cuba, plus an Italian touch.  Needless to say, don't go there. Unless you want a fake purse.

I just realized that I have to include Spring Break in this Part 1, so I'll make my descriptions of Pompeii and Sorrento short:

Pompeii: old. cool. city covered in lava. dug up. neat. go.

Sorrento: ride a vespa to Positano. We did. now i want one.

That Sunday it was Easter, IN ROME. On good Friday we had gone to the Colosseum for the Stations of the Cross with the good ol' Pope (I think I've mentioned him once or twice before. He lives here. We're close.) so Sunday Babsies and I headed to St. Peter's Square for Easter Mass with the Pope and a few thousand other easter-goers. I'd try and describe that feeling, but it's quite impossible. I didn't even care that I didn't do an easter egg hunt. Instead of looking for eggs, I looked for a spot in a mass of people and LOVED it. Who needs candy when you've got the Sistine Chapel? Take that easter bunny. (p.s. Babs did bring me candy and an easter basket all the way from America, so I got both Reeses and Rome this past easter. iiii know, even I'm jealous of myself.)

SPRING BREAK:

I know i know, you've already been reading for an hour, but trust me, you will not want to miss out on my spring break. Even I'M impressed with my trip. I'll give you a teaser: Paris (that alone should make you stay), Nice, Cannes, and Barcelona. Go get a snack. Come back and Enjoy.

PARIS:

I went to Paris when I was 12, and here's what I remember: body odor, smoke, rude people, the mona lisa, body odor, frog legs, eiffel tower, and oh yeah, BODY ODOR.

Apparently I was ignorant, blind, and had an extremely sensitive nose back then because my view of Paris was sooooo wrong. In fact, I can honestly say that it's my favorite city in Europe (technically second city compared to Rome, but that doesn't count).

Everything was great there EXCEPT the Parisian's sense of direction and timing. (Example: we were told to go to the Louvre at 6 p.m. because that's when it's free to go. So we got there at 6 only to find out the hard way that it CLOSES at 6. We didn't see the Mona Lisa. And it wasn't even free because we had to buy a postcard of the Mona Lisa from the giftshop just so we could pretend that we saw it. Thanks, Lady.)

Our hostel really set the tone for the trip. First of all, it's called the "peace and love" hostel. Right then, we should've known. Second, there is no lobby. Just a bar. As in, you can get your room key and a rum and coke at the same time. I literally signed in on a book that smelled of tequila. The rooms were purple. We had a bunk bed that was 3 beds high. The shower was the size of broom closet that could only hold 1 broom. Basically, it was awesome.

We decided to go on a tour of Paris offered through the hostel, and that's when we met Karen. Karen is a 40 year old American from Philly who decided to visit Paris for a week when she was 30, joined a reggae band, ended up living there permanently, and now plays the flute, goes on tour, smokes weed, and gives tours in Paris for a living. This woman is planning on writing a book in the near future, and I definitely recommend for you all to go out and buy it.  I remember more about her life than I do facts of Paris. She is crazy in the best possible way, and gives great tours in Paris. I have her card. Let me know if you need it.

So we didn't tour the Louvre, didn't go up the Eiffel Tower, and didn't eat escargot, and STILL, Paris is my favorite city. It's THAT great.

We headed to the French Riviera for the next few days, because after 2 1/2 months in Rome, seeing water other than the Tiber River is a rare occasion.  

NICE:

Something I didn't quite put together before going to Nice in the Spring time.  Let's see if you can figure it out: French Riviera. Beaches. South of France. Beaches. Sand. French Women. Laying out on the Beach.

If the word "topless" hasn't come into your mind yet, then you were like me. That was until I walked onto the beach and saw a lady the same age as my grandma fully... exposed. Wow, I just got the shivers. Unfortunately that image is permanently engraved in my brain. Sorry, Grandma, but it's hard to even look at you the same way... 

To sum it up: nice is "nice". HA! get it? it just might be nicer if swimsuit stores sold tops to match the bottoms. or if the senior center got a pool with a massive tall gate around it. everyone would be happy.

CANNES:

Yes, the film festival is held there. Yes, it's what you'd think of as a typical French Riviera city. Yachts, Marinas, Louis Vuitton, Red Carpet, Ferraris, The Ritz, Sun, Sand... It's basically a celebrity paradise in France. And if we were celebrities, we probably could've afforded something more than McDonald's. But we aren't. So we couldn't. Don't feel bad for us, that BigMac tasted great.

My big splurge? A MANICURE. That doesn't sound like much of a splurge until I let you in on the fact that you can get around 5 American Manicures for the same price as one in Cannes. I know, gasp. And they chipped within 2 days. Not to fret, I'll be home soon. "Divine Nails" on Glendora Avenue here I come...

So I still have Barcelona to do, but I'm sure the screen is beginning to get blurry, your foot is asleep, you still have crumbs on your mouth from those snacks you got in the middle of this, and you're dying to go on facebook. SO. I will include Barcelona in my next blog, along with Croatia and Dublin, and I promise to write it WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. So keep your eyes out. We're moving at full speed here because I'll be home in ONE WEEK. iiiiiiii knowwww, start planning the party.

Ciao for now! (umm, hi that rhymes. soooo neat.)

I have a mother and a father...

...AND THEY'RE BOTH HERE! woot woot! Before I begin with "The Adventures of Babs and Dean in Italy", I must apologize for taking too long to write ONCE AGAIN. Not to worry, though, the entirety of my last weekend went something like this:

sleep.

get up and lay in bed.

breakfast.

watch "the real world".

lunch.

watch more "real world".

watch "the city" because there are no more "real world" episodes.

dinner.

watch "engaged and underaged" or ANY OTHER possible show on mtv.com

go to bed.

repeat all weekend.

...with a few bathroom breaks inbetween.

so you didn't miss much.

HOWEVER... these past few days have been hectic/incredible, so we'll start with them:

Before I get to Babs and Dean, I'll first recall my days in Lake Como and Milan. Now, I know you all are dying to know, so I'll give you your answer before I write another word: NO, i DID NOT make out with George Clooney in Lake Como at his mansion on the water (sigh). YES, i did a double-take at every salt-and-pepper-haired attractive middle-aged man (you'd be surprised at how many there are...) and YES, i did buy a postcard of "his house" (and by one i mean six.)

THAT BEING SAID... 

VISIT LAKE COMO. George Clooney or not, it is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. Brittany, Anndel and I had one of those perfect days: great food, tasty gelato, pretty weather (we even had a rainbow, no joke.) It was just... sigh. So GO. You won't regret it. 

We missed our train to Milan (read onward to hear about MORE missed transportation.) but thankfully those come every hour, so while we were waiting I purchased "fake nail tips" and tried to put them on in the train station. You can imagine how that turned out. 2 euros down the train with nothing to show for it. Apparently everyone predicted that outcome except me.

Milan was... hmm... how do i describe it... very... New York-ish? It was much more of a modern city than Rome, that's for sure. The duomo was beautiful, but right next to it was a jumbo screen and an exhibit on "the future". Don't get me wrong, the city was great, I just wasn't expecting everything to be so... up-to-date.  Apparently I've lived in Rome too long because I think grocery stores with more than 5 aisles are jaw-dropping, and the only thing modern in St. Peter's Basilica is the metal-detector.

So I left early sunday morning for Venice... wait wait wait, I'm starting this all wrong... 

Once upon a time, my parents decided to plan a trip to visit their favorite daughter in Italy (me, obvi.) However, instead of rushing to Rome to see her, they decided to make it a three-city trip and see Venice and Florence BEFORE Rome (don't worry, I'm not irritated or anything that they weren't in a hurry to see me... or that this became a "let's see italy" trip rather than a "let's visit Kelsey because we miss her so much" trip. Not irritated one bit. ONE BIT.)

SO, because I love surprises (and because i'm A-mazing) I decided to surprise them in Venice! So I tricked them into being in front of St. Mark's Basilica at 11:30 (you don't need to know how, just that I am genius.) and politely tap my dear ol' dad on the shoulder from behind saying "scusi". Of course he turned around and didn't know who the heck i was for about 4 seconds, but once he realized it was his wonderful daughter the "what?! how?!" came out and the tears were flowing and we actually did a "family love" in St. Peter's Square (translation: family love is a longstanding Conklin gesture similar to a group hug). I usually would be embarrassed but I admit, i was just so darn gleeful.

Venice was beautiful! Seriously, the place is ON water: no cars, just boats. So we "boated" (is that a word?) all around, saw a museum or two, ate LOTS of gelato (you can't get Babs and Dean away from that stuff...) and even did a Gondola ride (i didn't feel like the third wheel or anything on a "romantic" gondola ride WITH MY PARENTS. third wheel is bad enough, with your parents, you can only imagine). But then again, how can you not do a gondola ride in venice?... I can only hope next time it'll be with someone other than mom and dad...

As mentioned before, there was a bit of a "missed transportation" incident. To put it simply: i missed my plane back to Rome. NOT MY FAULT THOUGH (ha, i love saying that) I went to the wrong airport ("Treviso" is NOT in Venice, don't let RyanAir fool you) and then got tricked by a cab driver and basically ended up spending 6 hours traveling to 2 airports, 3 different cities, taking a boat, cab, 2 buses, a train and ANOTHER boat back to my parents' hotel. The only good thing that came out of that was complete sympathy for me (aren't parents the best?!), free breakfast the next morning, and a tag-along journey to Florence! Okay, so I guess a lot came out of missing that plane... YAY?

Florence was great the second time around! This time I didn't eat most of my meals in an American Diner (not that i regret that the first time there) and I even visited the Uffizi! ...something that only an art nerd like me would find fascinating. Botticelli IS cool.

I don't even know how I can begin to break down these past 6 days, but it's worth a shot:

1: Lake Como was wonderful. Making out with George would've made the trip that much better, but you can't have it all.

2: Milan is the opposite of Rome in that you can't find a clothing store in Rome because there are too many restaurants. You can't find a restaurant in Milan because there are too many clothing stores.

3: Do something nice for your parents.  They'll love it. And buy you dinner.

4: Florence never gets old.

5: I never mentioned that this blog is being typed out on my NEW COMPUTER! I finally have one here in Italy! And my dad named it using this train of thought: "Kelsey, name it Gwyneth Paltrow".

"Okay, but why dad?"

"Because what's her daughter's name?"

"...Apple... ohhhhhhh, ha."

"You have a Mac, get it?!"

That's just a little taste of Dean Conklin's idea of humor. You should get to know him better, you'll be a better person because of it.

On that note, I have to go clean my apartment for the arrival of Babs and Dean in Rome tomorrow morning! Rome. Easter. Babs. Dean. Me. Can life get better? I think not.

p.s. shoutout to Cole Strange! Sorry you were forced to go to Proms (yes plural) with me. I owe you.

p.p.s. HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY KYLE FICARRA. Thanks for being my best friend. Cole only had to do Prom with me. You have to do life with me. Poor thing.

C to the IAO.

The Sun Never Sets On A Baller...

...that explains why Mae and I tend to wear our sunglasses at night.

So once again I've waited too long to write this blog and I need to update on not one, but TWO weekends. Here we go...

Last weekend we decided to stay here in Rome. I mean, it is Rome after all, it's not like we were bored or anything.  In fact, it was quite eventful:

Mae and I decided to lounge all day Saturday at this little old place called... what's the name... oh yeah, THE PANTHEON. We sat at the outdoor patio of the McDonald's (yes, there is a McDonald's directly in front of the Pantheon, and it's the cheapest seat in the piazza.) and ate chicken nuggets in the presence of greatness. I don't think I'll ever be able to eat at a McDonald's again.  Somehow Route 66 just doesn't provide the same view as the Pantheon. I wonder why....

Since I've recently become obsessed with the book "Angels and Demons" and because I'm a giant nerd, I took notes on places mentioned in the book that sounded interesting, the first being a place with "world famous iced coffee". *sidenote* While "iced coffee" may not sound that interesting to you, ROMANS DON'T BELIEVE IN ICE. Coffee, soda, gelato, ALL HOT. okay, not the gelato... *end of sidenote* SOOO we went to Tazzo D'Oro and had the BEST iced coffee of our lives. That was a random fact, but it added to the entire Pantheon situation, plus I had to mention Angels and Demons. As stated, I'm obsessed.

Sunday we went to the Vatican and had a conversation with our good friend, the Pope. Okay, so it wasn't necessarily a "convo" because we didn't actually talk TO him, but he did speak! And we were there!!! Then we went to Mass in St. Peter's and I probably looked like a deer in headlights the entire time as I stared at the ceilings and walls. I couldn't concentrate, church shouldn't be that pretty. Sorry St. Dorothy's, but you're just... simple. Then again what isn't compared to the Vatican. Except a Rubix cube. I don't think anyone can call that simple. Except maybe Chris Gardner. 

Then we did something that we hadn't done before: We saw a movie. In English! And it felt goooood. First movie in Rome! Ohhhhh "The Wrestler". I sobbed. Then again, I also cried in "Crossroads". Needless to say the weekend was pretty fun: you can't go wrong with a Pope/Mickey Rourke combo.

onto CINQUE TERRE. I'd normally suggest that you just stop reading this because it's word vomit, so if you're absolutely bored, exit this window and google image search this place. If somehow you find this interesting and you're kind enough to keep reading (Babs, Dean, Aunt Debi, Natalie Crook and Sarah Satterberg *shoutout!!!*) I'll do my best to describe this place, but you probably still should google search any of the five towns (hence, CINQUE terre). It won't do it justice, but you'll get some sort of image rather than just my nonsense of a narration.

We got off the train in the first town: Riomaggiore, and I almost passed out. It was THAT pretty. I know what the ocean looks like, and let me tell ya, this was no ordinary ocean... Let's just say the waters of Newport Beach don't have that same "WOW" factor. The five towns are five cliffs that drop into a blue-green ocean, and you get around by hiking a trail along the outer edge of the cliffs- a.k.a. a steep drop into the ocean on your left, and a mountain wall to your right, as you walk along handmade dirt trails. Now that I think about it, it sounds pretty dangerous. Including the fact that I'm clumsy it makes for a death threat. But not to worry, I'M ALIVE! As proven by the fact that I'm writing this now.

Needless to say this weekend I hiked AND ate THREE 5+ course meals AND suppressed my fear of a giant tidal wave as I actually enjoyed the ocean. Not to mention I sang "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls at a Karaoke bar and danced in the street to celebrate the festival of San Giuseppe.  After an hour of italian techno I never knew I could be so happy to hear "All the Small Things" by Blink 182. Hi, 7th grade.

Oh yeah, and i got crushed by some 7 year old italian kids at soccer. I "lightened up" because everyone said i was being too hard on them, and look what happened! I got smoked. That's the last time I'm going easy on young children. They gotta learn someday.

Okay, I swear I'll write sooner. I think we're actually developing a fan base here, although most of them are blood relatives. Nevertheless....

Arrivaderci!

p.s. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD! ...yesterday. Thanks for being married? And creating me? ...I'm not going to think about that one too much... ick. But thanks anyways!?

Florence, Siena, Amsterdam, and my favorite city: Starbucks.

..yeah that's right. or at least it should be a city. Considering I started crying when I saw it in the Amsterdam airport (there are witnesses).  If you didn't know, Starbucks is nonexistent in Italia.  Therefore, I haven't had it in 5 weeks.  Needless to say I saw it from across the terminal, began tearing up, dragged my suitcase through crowds of people, and gladly paid about 8 dollars for a caramel macchiato. I would've paid 20. No questions asked.

2 weekends ago I had the pleasure of visiting Florence and Siena.  The main thing you need to know about Florence is that it has great pancakes and great leather.  Okay, and some pretty great art, too.  Hi, Michelangelo's "David". Yeah, he's just as great in person.  Did I mention I got a picture of his butt? I did. Which is pretty impressive considering photography was prohibited... Pssshhh rules shmules. 

Here's a warning to everyone afraid of heights: DON'T, I repeat DON'T climb to the top of il duomo.. or ANY massive dome-shaped cathedral.  Or ANY tall structure in that case.  Because it IS high up there and you WILL be afraid.  My roommate, Brittany, did not take this warning into consideration.  Enough said.  However, if you don't mind heights, I definitely suggest it. I also suggest visiting Katie Warmuth and Mckitterick while you're there because they are A-mazing. shout out!

Siena is also beautiful but much smaller.  Within 3 hours we managed to see il duomo, il centro, eat pasta carbonara, walk the streets, witness pre-soccer match chaos, and see the head of St. Catherine. Yes, her actual head. Preserved. And thumb in fact. No i won't go into detail because it makes me queezy, so just google it. ...with caution.

In all seriousness, the inside of il duomo in Siena is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.  You can also google that, but it won't do it justice.

Onto the next weekend, these past few days I've been in good ol' Amsterdam! Hmm... how to sum this one up... you've got the red light district in one corner, Anne Frank's house in another corner, the Heineken Museum in another corner, Van gogh in yet another corner, and "coffeeshops" on EVERY corner. I never knew they could all coexist! (For the record, mom and dad, they aren't real coffeeshops. I mean, I'm sure there is coffee there somewhere, but.. yeah.. I'm just gonna stop...don't look it up.) 

Let's see if we can sum up these two weekends in a few bullets:

1: The David has buns of steel. (actually marble. HA! get it? okay no more jokes.)

2: There are 463 steps to the top of Il Duomo in Firenze. Bring water. And a sweatband.

3: Go see il duomo in Siena ...and consider passing on St. Catherine's head.

3: Be "open minded" in Amsterdam, but not open minded enough to actually use the public urinals. 

4: Don't, and i mean DON'T, take for granted Starbucks. I miss it. And you.

I'm off to watch Harry Potter! ...because that's not random.

CIAO!

The Swiss Alps are not for "beginner skiers"...

...which would have been helpful for me to know BEFORE attempting to ski them. However, I am proud to say that I managed to make it down a 2 hour trail and only fall once... twice... okay about 5 times. But I think I did pretty well considering last time I even tried to do a snow sport I broke both of my wrists. at the same time. So I'm happy I'm alive and only sore.

If you've never been to switzerland, interlaken in particular, I definitely recommend it! This was my second time there, and it was even more beautiful covered in snow! ...or at least i thought so. apparently in pennsylvania it snows quite often, so my penn state roommates thought i was really weird for wanting to walk around in the snow and make snow angels. but snow comes around in glendora about as much as bean burritos are available in rome. needless to say my favorite food has been completely absent from my current diet.

to break switzerland down:
-yes, i ate chocolate. A LOT of it. hot chocolate, cold chocolate, bars of chocolate, bags of chocolate, if it was chocolate, i ate it. but they didnt have swiss miss hot cocoa. ironic.
-the cheapest thing on any menu was a hamburger, and they were 16 dollars. i'm now broke.
-as mentioned, dont ski the swiss alps if you havent skiied in plus ten years like me. okay do, but plan on wearing so much padding that you look pregnant (i have pictures to prove).
-no, i didnt have a single slice of swiss cheese.
-switzerland is beautiful. go.

Apparently italians dont believe in ranch dressing...

...but that doesnt make them awful people. it just means that they're missing out! i admit, they have pizza dowwwn, but without ranch!? pssssssh. ranch makes EVERYTHING better.
..except mustard. which is amazing as is.

CIAO FROM ROME!!! i am currently sitting in a classroom overlooking the castel st. angelo (look it upp) and am literally a 5 minute walk from St. Peter's Basilica, of which I can also see from my bus stop. iiiiiiiii know, WHAT!? hi, its the vatican, and its my neighbor. can it get any better!?

yesterday my roommates and i (ohhh i'll get to them in a minute) decided to visit our dear ol' friend: the colosseum. while we were 10 minutes too late to actually take a tour, we didnt shed a tear, because alas, we can do it anyday we want to. we live in rome. sigh.

so since i havent written since i was in america, i'll cover some basics: i live in a cute little apartment with 3 awkward girls: ali, mae, and brittany. ha, just kidding, they're not awkward. just crazy. okay kidding again. they're wonderful! and probably reading this now. and might never speak to me again...

today was officially my first day of school, and im taking classes both here and at the rome university of fine arts (again, studying art in rome!? life is tough..). I'VE MADE FRIENDS. i know you all are shocked, but it's true. and while i never thought i'd be able to say this, i cant imagine coming here with anyone i knew before. yes, i'm known as "SO CAL" to some (thanks, brittany), or otherwise "SC" (again, half of my program is from penn state. but should winners get intimidated? i think not.) but for the most part i fit in! ..minus the piercings in my arm.

to answer the basics:
-yes, i eat pizza. everyday.
-yes, everything here is old/ancient/historic/BEAUTIFUL. except the mcdonalds. which gave us our sanity one lonely monday night after days of pasta.
-yes, we usually speak italian. which i admit i do much better when intoxicated. sorry babs and dean, but its kinda true. and useful in cabs.
-and yes, i miss you. while my internet is complete poop (which doesnt matter much because my computer DIED. done. gone.) i swear im trying to keep in contact! dont give up on me now! or these every-two-week posts! they'll become more frequent!.. maybe!..

okay, leaving, because you all are bored or probably left this blog after i rambled about ranch dressing. but to those who persevered (a.k.a. mom and dad) I MISS YOU!

until next time,
kels
(the girl dressed in too many layers because 40 degrees feels like antarctica compared to sunny california...)

My Stomach hurts...

...and I think it's because I'm NERVOUS. yikes. Who knew moving to another country could be so stressful? I don't recommend it... okay that's a flat out lie, I definitely do.

I'd like to give a few warnings before starting this "blog" process...
1: the color of the blog is dedicated to Babs Conklin. Green is her favorite color and I miss her already... even though she's in the other room...
2: I apologize for my writing. I tend to write how I talk and therefore it's massive word vomit. I swear I could talk about the color of the walls on this blog for paragraphs. (They're yellow by the way. With swirls.)
3: I want you all to know that I'm going to miss each and everyone of you. I honestly do have a stomachache and I don't think it's because of the Grand Burger Breakfast burrito I just had... It's because I'm leaving everyone that I love, and while I'm soooo excited to go, I know that I'll miss you guys terribly.
4: I'M GOING TO ROME! ahhhhhhhh. So the next time I'll write this to you it'll be from my apartment in Roma! Can't wait to talk to you then!

-kels