AmeriCorps Motivational Statement - a little about me

Growing up in Latvia during the turbulent times following the collapse of the Soviet Union, my family did not have much. My mother, a single mother of two, struggled as she worked four jobs to put food on the table for me and my brother. One day, in the midst of teaching an English class, she fainted from hunger. It was in that moment that she realized that she needed to find a way out of the dark vacuum that was engulfing her family, no matter how challenging or precarious that way may have been.

In October of 1996, a brave woman arrived in the United States with nothing but five dollars in her pocket and nothing but perseverance on her mind. She began working as a caretaker for an elderly couple with Alzheimer’s, and every dollar she made was sent back home to her children. Three years, lots of tears, heaps of hardship and numerous immigration court cases later, my mother’s dreams came true – she brought her children to the United States of America.

My life, as well as the lives of my family members, has come a long way since that chilly October morning when I saw my mother boarding that plane, tears in her eyes, promising us a better tomorrow.  Two weeks ago, I became a citizen of the United States. I cannot even begin to describe the feelings of joy and gratitude that overwhelmed me when I became a part of this amazing nation. The struggles that my family went through now seem light-years away, but not a day has gone by when I have not counted my blessings. I thank God every day for guiding my family through difficult times, I thank my mother for her strength and perseverance, and I thank America for taking my family in as one of its own.

I am also thankful for my struggles because, as cliché as that may sound, they truly made me the person that I am today. I do not take things for granted, for I know what it’s like to have nothing; I work hard at everything I do, for I have an amazing mother as my inspiration and my role model; most importantly, however, I devote myself wholeheartedly to helping others, for I know what it’s like to be forgotten and neglected in this world of seven billion people, as my family once was.

In “Tuesdays with Morrie,” Mitch Albom wrote, “So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”

I believe that in today’s society, too many people are chasing the wrong things in their pursuit of happiness – a newer car, a bigger TV set. While materialistic objects may warm your heart for a day or two, helping others, devoting yourself to your loved ones and your community and making positive changes in the world will ignite a flame of pure joy in your heart that will burn for years to come.

The morning I became a citizen of the United States of America

Milan, Italy (April 4-5, 2009)

My best friend from Russia arrived early Saturday morning. My heart was overwhelmed with excitement and happiness not only because I was going to see Masha after months of separation, but also because I was going to let her experience this Florentine fairytale I was living in.

It was Gabriella's birthday weekend, her twenty first. Even though twenty one in Italy does not open up the same opportunities as it does in the United States, we still decided to celebrate BIG. What bigger way to celebrate than in the fashion capital of the world, Milan. We caught, and when I say caught I usually do mean CAUGHT, as in ran top speed with luggage in our hands, an early morning's train from Florence to Milan. Catching our breaths, catching glimpses of beautiful Tuscany passing us by, and lastly catching some shut-eye all the way to Milan.

When people call Milan the fashion capital of the world, they do so for good reasons. Getting off the train I felt less on a platform and more on a podium of a high-end fashion show. Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Versace... pin-thin women wearing tight jeans, leather jackets and boots with stiletto heels, tall, dark and handsome men wearing suits ironed to perfection. We're in Milan all right!

What happened upon our arrival at the hostel was probably the number one traveler's nightmare - we were denied our rooms. Three girls, zero passports, zero luck bribing the mean clerk. Apparently, Italian law states that valid documentation must be shown upon check-in at all hotels; apparently, New York State licenses are not considered valid documentation in Italy. It was getting late, dark, and the last train back to Florence for the night was the one we had previously arrived on. Miserable and exhausted from carrying heavy luggage all day, the three of us headed to our last resort - sneaking into Gabriella's five star hotel; it worked. We changed quickly and headed out for a night of celebration.

Milan offered us choices of cuisine from every country in the world, but we were set on the famous Armani Sushi restaurant. Upon our arrival we were greeted by waiters and waitresses that looked like they had just walked off the Armani runway - typical in this city. Two hours and two bottles of exceptional white wine later, we were finally ready to see everything the Milanese nightlife had to offer. We hailed a taxi and sped through the Metropolis, wind in our hair and nothing but smiles on our faces.

Club Hollywood; dancing the night away; one of the best birthdays of Gabriella's life.

The morning of April fourth was a warm spring day, Palm Sunday, and we headed out early to devote it to sightseeing. We took the metro to the Milanese Duomo, a cathedral that reflects perfectly the Gothic architectural style of Italy in the late thirteen hundreds. Proudly standing in the center of the piazza, the majestic cathedral, fourth largest in the world today, took over four centuries to complete. Pinnacles and spires adorn the roof of the Duomo, and the outside detail and sculptures to dozens of saints, carved from brick and Candoglia marble, is truly astonishing. The inside of the Duomo holds hundreds of religious paintings, stained glass artwork, and a small red light bulb in the dome above the apse marks the spot where one of the nails from the Crucifixion of Christ has been placed. The cathedral had an atmosphere of majesty to it; simply being there gave me a feeling of inner peace and calm.

We quickly found our way to the spiral staircase leading to the roof of the cathedral. Nine hundred and nineteen stairs later a spectacular vista opened up before me. A view of Milan, a modern metropolis, came together with the beautiful scenery of the Alps to form a picturesque skyline that would put half the beautiful cities in the world to shame. Hours of exploring and sunbathing later, we descended the steps again, leaving this beautiful cathedral behind, yet taking memories that would last a lifetime with us.

Masha and I finally got some time to catch up as we walked through the beautiful garden within the Milanese fortress. Beautiful statues, ponds and trees imported from all over the world were all wonderful companions as my friend told me of her adventures in India. Walking through the gardens was a soothing way of winding down from the fast life of Milan; the sun was starting to set, and I was glad to beheading back to my cradle of the Renaissance.

Athens, Greece (March 25-26, 2009)

What better day to arrive in Athens, the capital of Greece, than March 25 - Greek's Independence Day. After hundreds of years of Turkish rule, Greece won its independence in 1822.

We arrived at our hotel early and headed right out to the city's center to watch the Independence Day Parade. We were fortunate to have our EuroAdventures tour guide, Shaun, take us around, for even with maps it was hard to understand the directions - all the street signs were in Greek, an alphabet that few of us were familiar with. We made it to the parade before the actual start, but apparently crowds lined up hours before to get the best "seats" in the house. Gabriella and I squeezed and maneuvered our way closer to the main street of Athens, one that runs past the Parliament Building of Greece, and enjoyed a few glimpses of every branch of the Greek armed forces that marched by - army, air force, national guard, and even the scuba divers of their navy! Though squeezed by hundreds of people, we still managed to get a great view of one of these branches - the Greek Air Force; its airplanes and helicopters soared the skies above, pridefully displaying their country's aviation prowess. The Independence Day procession was truly a magnificent one.

Following the parade, Gabriella and I took the sightseeing bus tour all around Athens to get a better idea of the best spots to explore the following day. We tuned our headphones to channel 4, the Italian channel, and enjoyed the guide's detailed descriptions of architecture, museums, important buildings, statues and ancient ruins. Later that evening the whole EuroAdventures group, about 100 people, rented out a small Greek restaurant and enjoyed a family-style Greek meal with unlimited food and wines, as well as the traditional Greek yogurt and honey dessert. We finished the night off dancing at a little disco nearby.

Thursday was our last full day in Greece, and we dedicated it to sightseeing. Our first destination was the world-famous Acropolis of Athens. It is hard, if not impossible, to describe the feeling one gets upon entering these ancient ruins - quite frankly, I do not think there are words in any language to describe the rush of emotion upon approaching these crumbling remains that once served as temples of the Gods. The Parthenon, the Old Temple of Athena, Propylaea, Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus, the Sanctuary of Zeus Polieus, all these landmarks, thousands of years old, magnificent with their timelessness and filled with spirit of the past. I put my hand on the cold stone and closed my eyes - my mind traveled in time to 450BC, the Golden Age of Athens; I could almost hear the voices of the ancients, feel their presence around me...

A picture is worth a thousand words, but no picture in any history textbook can compare to an actual visit. People can spend months if not years studying ancient Greek history, but their journey will never be complete until they experience the places where it all began firsthand. I believe that it was there, at the Acropolis Ruins, that I finally realized how important, if not vital, studying abroad truly is. Whether you are a business major looking to start your own business or a history major planning to teach elementary school, you need to go; you need to leave your comfort zone, your bubble, and travel. Travel to enjoy yourself, travel to explore, travel to learn other cultures and customs, travel to have your questions answered, travel to learn about your past. Our world, if you allow it, may just become the best teacher you ever had.

Island of Corfu, Greece (March 21-24, 2009)

With all the stress and studying of midterms week finally behind, what better place for some R&R than... Greece. We left Florence in the early morning and headed to Ancona, an Italian port city on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. We boarded the ferry and set sail towards Igoumenitsa, Greece. The ferry ride was a little over fifteen hours, but we found all sorts of entertainment on board. As always, food was first on my agenda. I found the menu to be quite funny - Greek salad with a block of feta cheese, fruit salad with a block of feta cheese, french fries with a block of feta cheese, everything on the menu came with generous serving of feta cheese! I did not mind, however, for it truly was delicious. After our delicious meal came dancing with the national dance ensemble of Georgia - they were traveling on the same ferry with us, heading home after performing in Europe. Not only did they dance for us, but they also taught us traditional Georgian dance moves, let us sample home-made Georgian wine and pastries, and I even got to speak Russian to them! Bedtime came early that night, courtesy of Dramamine.

We arrived at Igoumenitsa early the next morning, took a short bus ride to another port and then another ferry to the beautiful Island of Corfu. The island itself was quite uninhabited, with only a few houses here and there - it was mostly forests and mountains, and the most breathtaking views of the surrounding beaches and sea once we got to higher elevation. The Pink Palace Hostel, a famous location in Greece for traveling students, was situated on a hill, a ten minute walk away from the beach. The rooms were beautiful, facing the sea. We had the most delicious Greek dinner that night - salad, chicken, baked potatoes and lots and lots of feta cheese!

The next day was spend enjoying the first rays of sunshine my skin has felt since the summertime. We sunbathed, shared traveling experiences with fellow Pink Palace guests and explored the Mediterranean beaches.That night the hostel hosted their famous toga party; we had to use the silky pink sheets that they provided us with and turn them into Greek togas - we got creative. Over the shoulder, strapless, knee-high, belts, pins - if I didn't know any better I would say people were auditioning for Project Runway! The rest of the night was spent sampling Greek foods and beverages, such as the Ouzo shots, and dancing. The Pink Palace crew put on a performance of traditional Greek dancing, lifting chairs up with their teeth and even breaking plates on our heads!

That Tuesday we signed up for the "ATV Safari" - basically, a tour guide took a group of about fifteen around the whole island of Corfu on quads. We went through small villages, around olive plantations and off-the-road through woods and fields, and even reached the highest point of the island where there was a small church and a gorgeous view of not only the Corfu island, but also other surrounding Greek islands in the Mediterranean. We stopped for a quick break at a cafe hidden in the mountains and enjoyed hot chocolate and fun conversation with the owners.

On the way back, our tour guide took us on the Corfu version of a parkway, a two lane paved road. Here we tested "the quad's full speed" - a mere 70 kilometers per hour, equivalent to about 40 mph - but the wind still whistled in my ears as we returned to the Pink Palace for one last time.

Florence, Italy (March 16-19, 2009)

Midterms Week

Up until this point, the only image that would come to my mind when I thought "midterms week" would be one of me sitting in a library, 3 in the morning, hunched over a notebook with a large Dunkin Donuts coffee loyally by my side. But this time around, it was different. This time around, I was in Florence.

Now, don't get me wrong, I was still in the Lorenzo de Medici library until the wee hours of the morning. However, most of my studying was not done in a library - it was done through "hands on" exploration of Florence; that's the magnificent thing about taking these classes in Italy, in Florence - you not only get to look at pretty pictures in textbooks and read about timeless masterpieces, but you get to see them with your own eyes, experience the atmosphere the artists were in when they created their artwork, and even see how and where they lived!

My "Renaissance Art" class, taught fully in Italian, focused on Florence as the "Cradle of the Renaissance," the place where it all began. We focused on the Medici family and their long legacy, thoroughly studying the artists who began as private painters and sculptors for the Medici family, such as Michelangelo and Boticelli. We learned the architectural history of the hundreds of churches and palaces of Florence, including the famous Duomo, Santa Maria del Fiore, the Pitti palace, Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella and dozens of others. We took a class trip to the Uffizi Gallery, located in the historical heart of Florence, right on the Arno river. Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" and "La Primavera," Fra Filippo Lippi's "Madonna with Child and Two Angels," Raphael's "Madonna del Cardellino," Michelangelo's "Tondo Doni," all honored the walls of this magnificent gallery. We visited dozens of churches and art exhibits, and grave sites of Da Vinci and Michelangelo.

My most distinct memory, however, was at the Accademia Gallery (located about 5 blocks from our apartment - imagine living in the birthplace of the Renaissance?) There are thousands, if not millions of replicas of Michelangelo's "David" all around the world. However, there is nothing that compares to the real sculpture. Upon entering the Accademia Gallery with my "Renaissance Art" class, I noticed two giant paintings of people, tourists it seemed, all looking up in wonder and admiration; our professor later told us that these are just photographs of people looking at the David. We walked through two smaller halls and into a large, white, well-lit hall, leading to a giant room; from my peripheral vision I saw the statue, and I froze in my steps - no book that I ever read was even close to describing this majestic masterpiece. It was big, and when I say big I mean huge. I, along with every other person in my class, could not take our eyes off of David! Daniele, our professor, let us enjoy our minute of shock and admiration, and then went into an hour lecture about the statue. One of my favorite parts of the lecture was one about Michelangelo saying he did not sculpt the statue out of the giant piece of marble - he simply cleaned off excess marble off of David, who already existed within the rock. Poetic and brilliant, I know.

"Italian Cinema" was another class I studied which was taught fully in Italian. When registering for the class, I pictured myself in a movie theater-like room, watching Italian comedies once a week for three hours. Was I wrong. The first month of the class our professor focused on early Italian history, ancient Rome and numerous wars. We watched black and white clips without sound, having to quickly adjust to reading Italian subscripts. The second month was focused on the early 1900's, when some of the first short films were actually made. Then came World War I and II, a high focus on fascism and on movies depicting the hardships Italy faced during the war and post-war period. Roberto Rossellini's "Roma Citta` Aperta," (Rome, the Open City), was a tragic film about the suffering family and friends went through trying to cover up anti-fascism activity of a loved one. Then came neorealist classics like Vittorio De Sica's "The Bicycle Thief" and "Umberto D." and Luchino Visconti's "Obsession" and "The Postman Always Rings Twice." Our professor stressed the importance of film in understanding history, for a picture truly is worth a thousand words. Even though the class was probably one of the hardest classes I had taken in college thus far, alongside my Renaissance Art course, it was worth every all-nighter and every missed night out, for it painted vivid images of ever-changing Italy in my head, teaching me of the hardships this happy-go-lucky nation faced prior to my arrival.

My "Advanced Italian" course met for two hours every day, but I certainly knew the learning of class material did not stop once I left the Lorenzo de Medici building. Twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, I was surrounded by the Italian language, learning new vocabulary, grammar rules, conjugations and popular expressions. My new Italian friends were more than eager to assist in my learning process, kindly correcting my mistakes and explaining why what I say does not make sense. There is something about not being under the pressure of being graded that makes learning a lot easier - perhaps the lack of stress? My brain was a sponge for Italian knowledge, and it soaked up every last bit of the language, culture, and history material it could find.

Getting back to my description of a Florentine midterms week, a lot of studying time was spent re-visiting the beautiful churches and monuments, re-watching Italian films, going over Italian grammar rules while watching the sunset over the beautiful Arno river, and simply conversing with my Italian friends for language practice - beats sitting in a library until five in the morning, don't you think?

Florence, Italy (March 14, 2009)

Spring was finally making it's way into the chilly city of Florence. It was a sunny, warm Saturday before mid-term exam week. The girls and I decided to spend the day relaxing outdoors (for we knew the next week would be spent in the imprisonment of the school library, hunched over our textbooks, class notes and Italian dictionaries).

The Tuscan region is well known for it's beautiful hills and valleys, and tourists from all over the world enjoy bike riding on the hundreds of scenic paths. We rented bicycles at a nearby shop and began our journey in the heart of Florence. Little did we know that Italian traffic laws give no courtesy to bicycle riders - I had a few near-death encounters with Vespas and bus drivers as we headed toward the outskirts of the city.

It was smooth sailing through hills and valleys once we finally left Florence, with amazing scenery and very little traffic. The original plan was to ride our bikes all the way to Chianti, until a friendly shop owner told us, with a big smile on her face, that it was twenty kilometers one way. So we rode aimlessly, with the sole destination being pure enjoyment of this beautiful spring day. We rode for hours, and chose a small village as our turn-around point. On the way back we got to experience the setting of the sun over Tuscan hills - I can confidently say it's beauty could be compared to that of a sunset on a Caribbean beach.

Before returning our bicycles, we stopped at a hidden gelatteria and explored the taste varieties of gelato on the side of the Arno river opposite our apartment's. I am not sure whether it was a day full of outdoor exercise, the finally warm weather or simply being in company of good friends, but the pistachio/chocolate/stracciatella gelato tasted extra good this evening!

French Riviera, France (March 7-8, 2009)

The French Riviera weekend trip was the first LDM trip my roommates and I went on. It was an early leave from Florence, and the buses were all boarded and ready to go by 5AM sharp. I watched the beautiful Tuscan scenery pass me by as I drifted into a peaceful sleep. I expected to be woken up by some sort of border patrol upon entering France, but the European Union countries actually have open borders with all their members. The LDM teachers-turned-tour guides woke us up upon our arrival in beautiful Monaco, France.

First thing is first after an early day's travel - cappuccinos (and no, they were nowhere near as good as the ones in Italy!). The day's agenda began with a visit to a church situated on a cliff, overlooking all of Monaco and the beautiful sea. I do not remember much about the inside of the church, but I do remember an enormous plaque that took up one of the walls containing the word "peace" in many languages of the world. Since Monaco is a tourist location for people from all over, it's very meaningful that this church contained the one word that so many nations strive for, "peace," in the many different languages of the world.

We next walked along the edge of the cliff through a beautiful garden. It was a warm, spring day, sea breeze in my hair, sunshine and architecture - what more could a girl want? Well, that question was answered for me very shortly by our next location - Nice, France. It was a short bus ride away, and we arrived at our hotel mid-afternoon. The teachers then left us the rest of the afternoon for exploring. Janalee had an agenda filled with museums and galleries, but Gabriella and I had a different plan, one that we executed with utmost enjoyment! We walked to the rocky shore, laid our jackets down on the warm rocks, and enjoyed two hours of laying out on the rocks. Sunlight gently kissing our skin, the sea breeze playing with our hair, the sound of the waves singing us to sleep... I think I did fall asleep, although it's very hard to tell when you are in places as magical as Nice's shore - reality blends in with dreaming and dreaming overtakes reality, for they are both equally surreal.

That night, after an LDM group dinner, we picked up some wine and prepared for exploration of France's nightlife. We first visited a small tavern and sampled their collection of beers from all around Europe (I found a liking to a light beer from Germany), and then visited a small Irish pub. I am not sure whether it was my subconscious homesickness coming through or whether it was because it was the only drink on the menu that I knew, but I ordered myself a nice Long Island Iced Tea! We spent the rest of the night dancing to a live band performance, and finished the night off with delicious gyros. I love Europe!

The next morning we arrived at a small village in the French Riviera, surrounded by stone walls on all sides. The little village had a very medieval feel to it, like a majestic fortress guarding it's precious villagers. The day was calm and peaceful, and very warm for the beginning of March. Gabriella and I took joy in exploring, while Janalee headed to the workshop of some famous painter. We found a group of elderly men, Italians as a matte of fact, playing Bacci ball in the courtyard; a small, hidden passage that lead us to the top of the village with a most breathtaking view; lastly, a farmers market with the freshest, juiciest, most delicious tangerines!

Our next destination was Cannes, a world-famous tourist location located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The weather was glorious, a perfect day for exploring all this town had to offer. We first headed over to the Cannes Red Carpet location, where we found hand imprints of stars like Whoopie Goldberg, John Travolta and the current governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. After taking some star shots, we headed over to the open market to browse through hundreds of jewelry, clothing and decoration articles.

After a quick lunch, a sandwich on a French baguette (they actually do have those in France!), Gabriella and I walked up a small path to the highest point of the city. It was a truly marvelous bird-eye view of the entire city of Cannes, as well as the surrounding French Riviera. We descended just in time for departure, but still made time to enjoy the beautiful sunset over the rocky beach of the French Riviera.

Before arriving in Florence, we had one more stop to make - a French perfume factory. A tour guide took us through the factory, showed us how perfume and scented soap is made, and even let us guess the scents of numerous jars! I could not believe how hard it is to tell apart what separate scents go into making one simple fragrance, nor how hard it is to perfect a formula that will be liked by many people! It was then time to say goodbye to the amazing French Riviera, but it had one more thing in store for us - a runaway donkey blocked our buses from moving, and we all had a good laugh! I slept like a baby all the way home to Florence.

Florence, Italy (March 4, 2009)

The great thing about Lorenzo de Medici is that the school does everything to get the international students involved with the Florentine community. From organized trips to museum visits, from soccer game tickets to various clubs, everything is aimed at helping the students better adjust in Italy.

We had a variety of clubs to choose from: music club, dancing club, writing club, theater club, basketball club, slow-drinking club and the one I chose - volunteer club. Emma Barbugli, Volunteer Club coordinator, organized volunteer opportunities at various places throughout Florence, including the St.James Church's Children's Lending Library and the Florence Angels.

I chose to volunteer with the Florence Angels, a non-profit organization that works to ease the lives of the homeless of Florence. I started on March 4th, and my job was simple - serve lunch to the homeless at the train station. Upon my arrival, I was warmly greeted by four or five elderly women, none of whom spoke any English. While setting up lunch, all eyes and ears were on me - "How is New York? Were you there for the Twin Tower Collapse? How is life in America? Do they have soup kitchens there?" I was eager to answer all their questions, not only because it gave me a chance to practice my Italian. I was able to fascinate these women, put a smile on their faces, and brighten their days with simple story-telling.

The homeless then began to gather. I am not sure what shocked me more - the fact that it was a chilly afternoon in January and many of them were in shorts and t-shirts, or the fact that most of them had smiles on their faces wider than Wall Street executives after landing business deals. I love Italy, I truly do. A homeless man that depends on the Florence Angels for simple nutrition, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt in the winter time, not wearing any shoes, beard untamed and hair undone, living a life filled with more happiness and self-fulfillment then most well-off Americans I know.

Lunch took about an hour, but in this hour I got to meet so many extraordinary people. From the caring women who volunteer their time to helping others, to the homeless who each had the most fascinating stories, to the other LDM girls who were volunteering, it was truly an unforgettable experience.

In Tuesdays With Morrie, Mitch Albom wrote, "The truth is, you don't get satisfaction from those things. You know what really gives you satisfaction? ...Offering others what you have to give." After my time volunteering with the Florence Angels, I could not agree with this statement more, for devoting yourself to the community around you is truly a wonderful feeling.

Florence, Italy (March 1, 2009)

Tonight we had our first family-style Italian dinner. We all gathered at Luisa's, and we all contributed home-made foods to a most international dinner ever. Cultural foods from Brazil, Portugal, Italy, Russia, the United States and even as far as Australia all made way onto our table, creating a "melting pot" of delicious and exquisite flavors.

We had everything from Italian pasta with vegetables, to Brazilian rice and a cheese melt, to a Russian cabbage salad, to a delicious Portuguese chocolate pudding desert to a most delicious cake prepared using an Italian cooking class recipe! Oh and did I mention a fine selection of Chianti wines and Limoncello?

The best part of the dinner, however, was not the food (which was amazing, don't get me wrong). It was the warm, caring atmosphere of a true Italian family-style dinner. It was the beginning of March, a month has passed since I had seen my family, and I have to admit I did get homesick and lonely from time to time. However, on our dinner nights, we came together as a family, cooked, ate, drank and cleaned together, laughing and enjoying each-others company through the night. Dinners like this one reminded me of "Under the Tuscan Sun," members of different families coming together as one, pushing all homesickness and loneliness aside!

Perhaps the Italian food should hold not only the reputation of being one of the best foods in the world, but also a reputation of bringing families and friends together over meals. Perhaps this is the reason for such strong family ties among the Italians. Perhaps there is truth that lies in the statement "A key to a man's heart is through his stomach," a truth applicable not only to men, but to everyone around.

Florence, Italy (February 27, 2009)

There are a few things that come to mind when I think of Italy: pasta, wine, cappuccinos, architecture, the Renaissance artists, soccer... ah yes, soccer. I am a doubtless believer that the typical Italian male has a lobe in their brain titled something like "football obsession" (football is the name for soccer in every country of the world aside from the United States).

On this Friday, Janalee and I got invited to watch a soccer game at a monastery right outside of Florence's center. And I would rather not call it a soccer "game,
but rather a "match to the death where winning is the only option." We didn't really know what to expect, but I was a little surprised to find that we were the only fans there... or so we thought. As the game began, we realized we were not alone - about a quarter of all the windows of apartment buildings surrounding the stadium on three sides soon opened up, revealing dozens of spectators ready for tonight's entertainment. They watched, cheered and even screamed profanities at the "slacking" players for making them lose bets against their "next window" neighbors.

The passion of the Italian people is truly indescribable, and it shows in soccer more than anything else. Italians eat, drink, breathe and live soccer, from birth on. Walking the streets of Florence I can always find a small group of boys, some who look like they haven't even started kindergarten, running around kicking soccer balls. Our friends from the monastery played in shorts on this freezing February night, running around and around for three hours straight, only taking quick breaks to challenge penalties and high-five goal scorers. Then there are the eighty-something year old men watching the soccer game from their windows, cheering on the players with more enthusiasm than I have seen at any SuperBowl.

Roberto Baggio, Adriano, Francesco Toti, Gilardino, these are just some of the extraordinary, talented stars of Italian football known all over the world. But just because the boys at the monastery weren't playing professional games like them, didn't mean that they didn't put their all, their minds, bodies and souls into their friendly match.

Venice, Italy (February 22, 2009)

The next day was spent touring Venice and photographing the costumes, as well as doing some souvenir shopping. Venice and the nearby islands, Murano, Burano and Torcello, are internationally known for the highest-quality blown glass products. After a long day of checking out all the little boutiques, some of which had the masters blowing glass in front of our very own eyes, I picked up some blown glass jewelry, a few beautiful glasses and a beautiful mask-shaped wine bottle stopper. It was then time to head back to the hotel to leave this magical place... little did we know, our adventure in Venice was far from over.

Upon our arrival at the hotel, Janalee was put in charge of finding out train times to return to Florence. "The last train is at 8:36 tonight, I just checked with the reception desk!" I had no doubt in my mind that we were going to make the train, considering it was only 3 in the afternoon. We decided to go out to dinner one last time before departure, because neither one of us was ready to say farewell to the delicious lasagna we had our first night in Venice. We finished dinner with plenty of time to make the train, and headed over on the water taxi, enjoying the beautiful water scenery all around us. Upon arrival the confusion began - I checked the ticketing machine, and an error message came up stating that the next train to Florence is at 3:11am. It was around 7:30 at this time. Panic did not take over my emotions up until I spoke to the cashier - I mean, machines make mistakes, there is no way that the last train before the 3:11am is at 6:36. And then it hit me - Italy uses military time, so the 6:36pm train would have been called the 18:36 train, close enough to seem like the 8:36pm train to an American not well-informed in 24 hour system. So it is 7:30pm and the next train is not until 3am, 7 and a half hours - enough time to walk around and have a late dinner, then rest up inside the train station (inside because it is February, after all, and the nights are just short of Arctic weather - an exaggeration, but one that felt very real that night). We got food and returned to the train station around 10:30, and did homework and some reading in the comfort of the warm waiting room. Until they closed it at midnight, that is. Yes, there is a law in Italy where train stations must close at night for maintenance purposes, and we were asked kindly to leave and wait elsewhere - where? they did not care. The next three hours were spent huddled together, wearing every piece of clothing we had in our luggage.

Needless to say, none of us went to class the next day, and the day was spent making tea with honey and lemon for one another.

Venice, Italy (February 20-21, 2009)

February 20, 2009 (Friday)

It is 6:00am on the dot, and the sounds of three separate alarm clocks sang together to wake up three very, very tired girls. I reached for my alarm clock, but, for the first time since my arrival in Italy, I did not hit the snooze button - the thought of missing the train sent shivers up my back, and I got out of bed quickly. A mix of joy and excitement quickly filled our apartment - WE ARE GOING TO VENICE! This thought spun in my head, teasing me with the endless possibilities of what lies ahead. We packed our bags and got ready quickly, had our tea (something that is becoming a sort of tradition each morning), and sped out the front door into the fresh, crisp morning in Florence.

I still cannot get used to the excitement and beauty of the morning atmosphere in Florence - the opening up of the little coffee shops where most Italians have their traditional breakfast - a coffee and a pastry, the setting up of the outside market, the morning work traffic heading for the city center, and, one of my favorites - the opening of the window shutters as the Italian people welcome sunshine into their homes.

Venice is a three hour train ride from Florence, and I took this opportunity to catch up on some shuteye (although I do wish I would have stayed up to see the beautiful hills, valleys and scenery of the Tuscan region). At approximately 11:30 we reached our destination - Venice: the city of beauty, the city of art and, needless to say, the city of eternal love. I was overpowered by a waterfall of emotions the second my eyes caught a glimpse of the beautiful cathedral that lies straight across from the train station, right over the Grand Canal. Water, gondolas, a musician playing a heavenly tune on his violin, colorful Carnival masks, laughter of little children running around in costumes portraying every animal in the zoo, beautiful women in gowns that would put the Queen of England to shame... I must still be dreaming!

Yet I was awake, and this magical fairytale around me WAS reality. We were in Venice. We were in the most fascinating city in the world. We were in a city with no cars and roads. My racing thoughts overwhelmed me, but thankfully I was able to get my head straight to ask a nearby police officer, in Italian of course, for directions to our hotel. I am not sure why it excited me so much when he told me to take "la barca numero cinquanta due," boat number 52 - I mean, I KNEW coming to Venice that there were no taxis, no actual taxi cars for that matter, but the thought of getting around in a boat completely fascinated me!

We got on our water bus and took a short ride to our hotel. While on the boat I had to, once again, pinch myself to make sure I was not dreaming - the wind blowing in my hair, the beautiful gondolas passing us by, the delicious scent of the crisp air, the sunshine warming my skin - it was just too good to be true! Upon our arrival to the hotel, we did not do the typical "sit around, unpack, relax" routine most people do after an early morning's travel - we were on a mission to enjoy every aspect, experience every second, and savor every moment of our short stay in Venice.

The best thing (well, one of the best) about Italy? The food! First thing is first when you arrive in a new city - sample the local delicacy. "Pizza Sfogliatta con fontina e prosciutto crudo," the Venetian rolled up pizza with fontina cheese and raw ham. Combine the pizza with a delicious caffe latte, add in the view of the beautiul Canale della Guidecca, sprinkle in a pinch of the beautiful costumes, and you got yourself a recipe for a heavenly meal! We took a stroll along the Guidecca Canal after lunch, stopping numerous times to pose for photos with the dressed up locals in the most extravagant costumes. The next few hours were spent exploring the city, wandering the streets aimlessly, forgetting all about the time of day. That's the thing with Italy - it makes you forget the passing of time, almost as if wanting you to treasure each moment as it comes without worrying about the next.

It was the darkness that gave away the time of day - dinnertime. We wandered off the main street onto a little side street (this is the best way to find hidden restaurants with the best local delicacies, for these restaurants do not cater to the tourist taste buds), and came upon a cozy restaurant with a most friendly waiting staff. A delicious lasagna, a plate of gnocchi, a mouthwatering steak and an amazing bottle of white wine later, me and the girls were on our way to our next adventure - the local disco the waiter at the restaurant had recommended. Nothing beats dancing the night away to Italian music after one of the best days of my life!


February 21, 2009 (Saturday)

It was this morning that I "fell in love" with our hotel - they served a most delicious breakfast to us! Italian pastries, fresh fruit, a most interesting Italian cereal made of oatmeal flakes, raisins and nuts, fresh cappuccino and my personal favorite - nutella on fresh bread! How can a person not be in a great mood after a jumpstart like that! We headed out the door early, for Janalee had a full day's itinerary planned for us (now, whether or not we actually followed the itinerary is a whole different story!). We started out by visiting Peggy Guggenheim's gallery of modern art. It took Janalee a little while to explain to me the "how's and why's" of modern art - in a period of two hours I went from a "modern art rookie," criticizing the blobs of colorful paint shown in almost every picture, to a person showing much promise in the interpretation ability of modern art - I even saw a circus scene, a bikerider and a tropical island in the paintings that were mere blobs before! Who knew being a little more open-minded could completely change a person's perspective!

Next was the Galleria dell'Accademia, the Academia Gallery of Venice. For the millionth time in Italy, the overwhelming feeling a person gets when seeing the most indescribably beautiful masterpieces of world famous artists came back to me. Magnificent, glorious, splendid, brilliant, extraordinary, remarkable masterpieces whose glory and beauty are timeless. Leonardo da Vinci, Giulio Carpioni, Antonello da Messina, Lorenzo Lotto, Luca Giordano, Pietro Gaspari,Charles Le Brun, Pietro Longhi and numerous other extraordinary artists have their workd displayed in this gallery. However, it was one particular masterpiece that caught my attention - Giovanni Bellini's "Annunciazione," the Annocation. And no, it was not the beautiful shading, the vivid colors, the realism of the Virgin Mary and the Angel, the perfect use of perspective or even the beauty of the delicate flower the angel was holding up that made me fall in love (for lack of a better expression) with this masterpiece - it was the fact that Bellini's whole spirit and belief in the scene shone through every brush stroke, every shadow, every inch of his artwork. The fact that he put so much love and devotion into creating this painting completely overwhelmed me; a passion this strong is something people look for their whole entire lives, and Bellini was lucky enough to find it in his artwork. It's a shame it took me twenty years of my life to find my favorite painter!

After the Galleria dell'Accademia came what was becoming my favortite time of day in Italy - dinner. We settled for some paninis at a little cafe right on the water, facing the Grand Canal. The spectacular view was accompanied by delightful music of a carnival band and the unforgettable taste of Italian coffee. Following dinner the girls and I went back to our hotel to prepare for the night's events - a grand carnival celebration, costume parade and acrobatics performance at the Piazza San Marco. Instead of the usual 30 minute walk, the human "traffic" extended the time it took to get to San Marco to about 2 hours - which we did not mind, considering the walk in itself was a show filled with colorful decorations and magnificent costumes. Piazza San Marco was filled with thousands of people, tourists and locals, singing, dancing and laughing, almost in unison, celebrating Carnevale. An acrobat attached to a large balloon soared the sky above the crowd, doing flips and twists to beautiful Italian music. A crowd of penguins cheered and danced as they made their way towards the costume contest. Three American girl stood frozen in fascination, absorbing this once-in-a-lifetime experience, one magical moment at a time.