I went to Italian Mass this morning at the Duomo (pictured to your left). Actually, it was not so much in the morning, more like the afternoon--it can be hard ro rouse up my roommates. It was my first time to go to a church service since I've been in Europe. I've never gone so long without attending church, but at the same time, I've never been in so many beautiful churches. Mass today was a cool experience. I didn't understand much of it, but following along in the program helped. And they had all the verses they were reading in English on page five. Next week we want to go to an English Mass in one of the other beautiful churches around Florence.
I've had fun this weekend being a tourist in Florence. I went to the Pitti Palace today by myself and wondered around the 
opulent rooms and beautiful paintings. I went to the Uffizi Friday, and yesterday, I went souvenier shopping with Melissa and Vannessa (pictured to your right in the Piazza della Signoria, which I walk through at least once a day). It's been pretty chill.
And then I have one week left of actual classes, one week of finals, and then I'm finished. Egads.
In other news, we've already ruined are kitchen table from multiple people neglecting to use cutting boards, and our landlady has told us we are going to pay her for a new one, and so, like the free-spirited, Florentine art students we are, we've taken to decorating said table with colorful sharpies.
We plan on selling it on ebay and making making thousands of dollars to donate towards AIDs research or some such disease.
I believe this is the meaning of the phrase, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."
So last weekend I went to Rome with my Michelangelo, Caravaggio, & Bernini class. We saw about a million things in one day, running all around the city. It was enjoyable, but long. Then, Melissa, Hunter, and I stayed the night and did some other sight seeing on Saturday. For some reason, I went on strike from my camera for the weekend and took no pictures. I just didn't feel like it. But Melissa did, so it's ok. I have this weird paranoia that if I don't journal or take tons of pictures, I'll forget my life. I'll forget these places and people and experiences. It was nice to take a break from that paranoia for a couple days. I didn't even bring my journal to Rome; that is so unlike me.
Going to Rome last weekend was the first time this semester I visited somewhere I had been before. Four years ago I went to Rome with my dad. I rememberd a lot from that trip, which surprised myself--like streets and shops and stuff. And it made me miss my Dad. I'm sure I got annoying, "That's where my dad and I bought souveniers . . .My dad and I went inside the Coloseum last time . . . That's where my dad and I took a cute picture . . .I saw Michelangelo's Moses with my dad last time . . " I'm sure everyone was like, "Ok Laura, you were here with your dad, we get it."
Speaking of. I would like to apologise before hand for the many references I will inevitably make to Italy in the next year. I'm sure that will get annoying for all of you. "We get it Laura, you lived in Florence for a semester. You don't have to talk about it ALL THE TIME."
Back to Rome. First, here's a picture I've dug up of my Dad and I in Rome quattro anni fa (us on the Spanish steps):
And now here's Melissa, Hunter, and I in Rome last Saturday (us in front of the Coloseum and . . . a Jeep. It was an ancient Roman Jeep, I assure you):
What I really want to do is scream. I don't want my roommates to pity me, or tell me they understand, that they screwed up in the darkroom at such and such time blah blah blah. I just want to complain and huff and puff and scream.
I just wasted the last three hours of my life. For my photography final, I've been taking pictures at Florence's Santa Maria Novella Train Station. It was a beautiful day today, crisp autumn weather with a clear blue sky, so I decided to walk out there and take a roll. So I did. I was feeling pretty good about these 36 pictures, and so went straight to the darkroom to process the film. That's when things went downhill. To make a long story short, I stupidly exposed the whole roll to light while in the darkroom, but then processed it anyway--hoping maybe some pictures could be salvaged. Well, they couldn't. It was all black. Bleh. So then I decided to print a picture from a past roll. I just wanted one good print so that my time in the darkroom wouldn't all be for naught. Well, I didn't get a good print and my time was all for naught. Naught naught naught.
Naught.
Let's not talk about it anymore.
I love doing drastic things, like chopping of my hair. People stop you in the halls to comment, some whom you've never even talked to. You get lots of comments on your blog. You don't recognize yourself in pictures. It's great. And having short hair is a lot of fun. I like coming out of the shower and just shaking my head around. When my hair was long it wouldn't do anything but fall in my face when I did that, but now it flies all over my head. I love it.
Thanksgiving turned out wonderfully. We all cooked. We couldn't all fit in our kitchen, because there are nine of us, so we dragged a table into our biggest hallway. Some people, like Jenny, spent the WHOLE DAY in the kitchen. And I'm not one to exaggerate. I was in and out of it all day, helping out when I could and I made green bean casserole. And did I mention that I didn't tell anyone I was chopping off my hair on Thanksgiving? So on one of occasions of me popping into the kitchen, my hair was about eight inches shorter. People screamed. It was fabulous.
Jenny and Whitney, our two main cooks. 
Me being helpful-ish.
All of my roommates in the aforementioned hall.
After we ate dinner, we watched a Thanksgiving episode of Friends and then ate pumkin pie. Yum yum. We had a lot of leftovers, but unfortunately, Melissa and I were in Rome Friday and Saturday and so now all of it is gone. Sad day.
And now it's Sunday and I have nothing to do and I will relax.
My first away from home. We're having a big Thanksgiving dinner at our apartment tonight. I'm in charge of the green bean casserole (hey Julia). And bigger news. I chopped off my hair!
Che strano! How strange! It's feels so different, but good different. Light and healthy and bouncey. I'm very excited about it. Im also excited about putting it in cute little pigtails.
So this weekend I was in a snowglobe, pretty much. I went to Vienna, Austria with my school. It snowed, and was beautiful. That's me with my new snowman friend. We also went to an outdoor Christmas Market that got me super stoked about Christmas. It was magical. I ate roasted almonds, such as the picture illustrates.
And this time next month I'll be home.
And I've also come to be more into hats, if you can't tell.
There has been a wonderful new development in our apartamento. We now have heat! Benisimo! Hallelujah! It has come at just the right time, too , because today is rather rainy and cold, but I'm snug and warm in my heated apartment. Yessss.
Yesterday morning, I went to our coffee shop for the first time by myself. I usually go with a whole troop of my roommates, but I had to finish a book for lit class, so I decided to do so there, da solo. Aside from all the italiano surrounding me, it felt like home--sitting in a coffee shop by myself and reading; I haven't done that in awhile. I was sitting in a booth, and a random Italian dude sat across from me at one point. The only thing he said was to ask if he could sit there (in italian), and then he just sat quietly while finishing his coffee and pastry. It was a bit awkward actually; I was glad to have a book to hide behind. I snuck a glance at him at one point though, and he was actually pretty cute. Too bad no other words were exchanged between us. A little while after he left and right before I was to leave, a woman set her stuff down in the seat across from me as well. So perhaps that's a normal thing to do here--invade someone else's bubble.
And here's me and Whitney in rainy, cold Prague.
edit:
So I was just reading my old blog posts. I thought to myself, "What was Laura thinking this time last year?" and so looked. I looked at October and saw the post where I pondered how many people actually read my blog and if I had any unknown stalkers. i had everyone who read the post leave a comment, just to say "Macaroni." They didn't need to reveal their identity, or say anything else, just "Macaroni." I want to do that again. I want to know how many people are reading this. So if you are, even if you don't know me and just stumbled across my blog, do it. Macaroni. Do it!
You better. I'll know if you don't. I'll just know!
Oh life. How wonderful art thou. So many things to discover around every corner.
This weekend Whitney, Melissa, and I did Prague. That city is ours now. I had a lot of fun using the word "Czech" in punny ways. And I walked a lot. More than I've walked since I've been in Europe, and that's a lot. And I froze. A lot. And it snowed! And I met cool people. And I took 303 pictures. Here's a sample--the cutest picture of the three of us. Because you'd rather see us, than Prague, right? If you want to see Prague, just Wikipedia it. If you want to see us, you're at the right place.
"I had leave the house of self-importance
To doodle my first tattoo
To realize a tattoo is no more permanent
Than I am, and who
Ever said that life is suffering
I think they had their finger on the pulse of joy
And the power of transcendence
Made its grace a practice we can employ "
So this dove and me, we're going to be together for the rest of our lives. When I grow old (hopefully it will come to that) and wrinkly and my hair is gray and my skin sagging, I'll still have my little dove. She can remind me of who I was, or hopefully who I still will be. And of Italy. And of Chio, the Brazilian Italian who needled her onto me. And perhaps I'll get tired of explaining to people what "pace" means. "No, I didn't misspell peace . . . No, it's not a homage to Pace Picante sauce, though I do love Pace Picante sauce . . .No, I'm not particularly found of pacing . . ." It's peace. I lived in Florence when I was 21.
And here is a picture of me and my roomies on Halloween, sans Melissa who is taking the picture, and Isabel, who owns the pink hair I'm wearing.
None of us really dressed up as anything in particular. We just dressed fun. My pink hair created quite a reaction wherever I went.
So this morning, me and two of my roommates left our apartment to get our usual cappuccino and usual pastry at our usual cafe, but did not see the usual site when walking down our stairs. We saw three firemen, sweeping water down the hall, water pouring out of Maria's apartment. Maria is our underneath-neighbor. She's little and old and lives by herself and doesn't speak any English and yells at us in Italian all the time. Anywho, apparently her apartment flooded this morning We don't know the story, but it was an abnormal site--the firemen sweeping the water out of our apartment building, while Maria is yelling at them. And her coat rack in the hall. I feel bad for the lady. And then Matteo, the guy who works at our usual cafe, forgot our cappuccini. We just sat there for a little while, waiting--"He's not making the cappuccinos. Should we say something? He's helping that old man. It's been awhile . . Maybe he knows the old man? Maybe the old man is sick? Should we say something?"--until finally Matteo looks at us and says, "Tre cappuccini! Ho domenticato! [Three cappuccinos! I forgot!]"
It was just a weird morning.
The rest of the day was fine. It's nice to actually get stuff done for a change, unlike this weekend . . . when I watched a lot of movies and Family Guy . I also took the big touristy double decker bus this weekend. You get a little red headset and are driven around the whole city and the headset tells you about Florence in the language of your choice. I had just been aimlessly walking around by myself (it was a beautiful day), saw the bus, and just got on. It was a nice diversion. And a nice change from walking everywhere.
I don't know what I'm going to do with myself when I'm home and have my car again. That'll be strange. And sweet.
Blurg. Blah. Blu.
I didn't have class Thursady, I never have class Fridays, today is Saturday, and I haven't been doing much else except not having class. We've watched a lot of Family Guy. And today Whitney and I went to Pisa. It's only an hour and a half away by train. We ate pizza, took the obligatory pictures with the tower, layed around in the grass, and came back. It was a nice day. And now I'm curled up on the couch watching "Hot Fuzz." I think my brain is about to ooze out of my ears. Tomorrow is Sunday. Perhaps I'll actually do something. Perhaps not.
I got some new ink in my skin. Cat's out of the bag. I wasn't going to tell people until I got home, but I just couldn't stand it. It's sweet. You'll see it when you see it.
Tonight, our roommate from Taiwan, Ady, made us sushi and fried rice. Exquisite.
I just have to laugh. I just have to laugh so as not to yell.
At first the problem was people not washing their dishes. Piles of dishes would just chill in the sink for days. People made angry signs to each other to vent their anger. Everyone was complaining but no one was washing. Now, there are less dishes in the sink. But no, the problem's not over. You see, we don't have a dishwasher like you spoiled Americans, we have a sink and a drying rack. And now, as we empty dishes from the drying rack, we find dirty dishes. So someone is not washing their dishes and just putting them in the drying rack. Still dirty.
So I just had to laugh as I was rewashing someone else's dishes. It's just so ridiculous you can't not laugh. Laughter or anger. I'll chose laughter. Ok, maybe a little of both.
So something new I've learned--floss is very durable. Over Fall Break Whitney's backpack strap broke, and she fixed it by sewing it back on with floss. My new purse just got a little tear, and so I sewed it together with floss. Floss is the new duct tape.
I painted my nails black for Halloween. They match my computer.
Happy Halloween! Not that it feels like it's Halloween. Here, the only people who celebrate the holiday are American College Students (there's quite a few of us in the city), but there are still many stores selling costumes and most bars and clubs are having special stuff tonight. That should be fun, but I'll miss Trick or Treaters. I guess I haven't seen much of them since I've been at Baylor, since they don't go around college apartment complexes, but I still miss them.
I was going to go to Paris this weekend, because it's a four day weekend. Some of my other roommates were going to go to Barcelona, but now, for one reason or another, all our plans have fallen through, and we're pretty much all chillin' in Florence this weekend. I"m pretty excited about it now. I haven't been in Florence a lot on the weekends. It'll be nice. I want to do a lot of the touristy things I still haven't done, and I want to sleep. Mmm.
While I'm here, I'll show you some more pics from Fall Break.
Here's Whitney and I swinging in Switzerland. So beautiful there!!
That's Vanessa and I in front of the sign of our hostel (the sweetest hostel ever). It was the first morning and was all foggy and snowy--very exciting. You can't see it because of the fog, but behind us there are beautiful mountains.
Here's me and my travel buddies/roommates inside the aforemetioned hostel. Vanessa has a pool triangle on her head.
Next time I'll show you some of Bruges,Belgium perhaps.
I'm never in Florence on Sundays. Usually I'm somewhere else--in Italy or otherwise. Usually in Italy. We got back yesterday evening from our Fall Break adventures. That was definitely one of the best weeks of my life. We did Switzerland, Belgium, and Amsterdam. We started out in the small town of Gimmelwald in Switzerland and the towns we visited got progessively bigger as the week went one untill we ended up in the city of Amsterdam. In Amsterdam we stayed with my roommate's family which was really nice after all of the hostels. And none of us have really been in a home since we were in America. I mean, these people even have a dog. Oliver. And they would lay out breakfast for us every mornning and the mom was always concerned we wouldn't be warm enough when we walked out the door. I haven't had a mom worry about my body temperature in a while. It was nice.
But yes, all that to say that I've never been here on a Sunday. I've never been here on a day when I have no obligations--no class, no train to catch. Just sitting on my bed writing in my blog, totally needing a shower but not wanting to move.
What a great week though.
That's probably another thing about how this is nice. All week I've had to get up and go do the tourist thing--Anne Frank's house, Van Gogh museum, hike through the Alps, canal tour, etc. But now I'm home in Florence and can just sit on my bed and write in my blog.
What a great week though.
Oh, but I am sick. Cold sick. I have no voice. Let's not talk about that. Or class. Yuck.
Because it's been a great week.
But I miss you.
edit:
That is very much not me in the picture. That's Vanessa. She's quoted in the post below.
Melissa: I feel like being here is good for your soul.
Vanessa: Yeah, humans are like, natural.
That pretty much sums it up. We arrived in Switzerland this morning. Its unreal. So beautiful. Besides the fact that on the Swiss keyboard, the z and y are switched (that keeps tripping me up), its wonderful. We are staying in a cozy, cramped, little hostel, the Mountain Hostel, in a little town called Grimmelwald that one has to take a gandola to get up to. No McDonalds up here.
Thats all I have to saz, I mean say, for now.
And midterms were ok. Italian and Michelangelo made my brain ooye, I mean ooze, out of my ears, but besides that, ok.
So midterm week is in full swing. The motif of this week is people freakin out and then coming home and saying, "That was easy," or at least, "not bad." For the most part anyway. Mine have been easy so far. And really, I have a lot more free time than I do in a usual week because I have no reading to do and classes are a lot shorter, because there are only tests.
So I'm having a really hard time concentrating right now. Sorry if my sentences aren't making too much sense.
Nice was amazing, btw. And now I have sooo many pictures of Melissa, since she was my only travel partner this weekend. Here's one of her and I snorkeling in the Mediterranean. 
That was the day we spent on a little yacht with a bunch of new English friends. It was a very good day. Many adventures.
So I think I want to minor in either Gender Studies or World Affairs. Hm. And what will I do with my life with an Art History major and Gender Studies/World Affairs minor? I don't know. Maybe I'll teach yoga. Or live in a cabin in the woods and write poetry. Your guess is as good as mine.
Oo, speaking of, I went to a yoga class with some of my roomies today. It was so fun, even though it was all in Italian. The only words I could understand were left, right, leg, and breath. But it felt so good.
I am in Nice, France right now, at a hostel called Villa Saint Exupery (as in The Little Prince). It's pretty much the most amazing hostel I've seen or heard of. It's in an old monstery and is run by young Australians (I've met more Australians these past two days than I have in my whole life. They must really like France or something. And they are all so laid back and friendly). The hostel's big meeting and eating and interneting area is in the place that used to be the chapel, so there are beautiful stained glass windows, but now it's not very chapel like. In fact, at night it becomes and bar and restaurant and general common area. The people who work here are also sooo helpful and informative, it's pretty ridiculous. Also, the French people I've come across in Nice have also been ridiculously nice (haha. They're nice in Nice.) which surprised me because I've always heard the French people are less than friendly. That'll teach me to stereotype.
Yesterday Melissa and I went to the beach and explored Nice, today we're going on a sail boat all day with a group from the hostel, chillin on the boat, snorkeling in the Mediterrean, and swimming around. You know, the usual. Tomorrow we want to go to some local art museums and what not, and then we'll take an overnight train back to Florence tomorrow night, get back in Florence at 7am, and take my photography midterm at 9am. Alright.
Yeah, midterms are next week. Already. I'm not too worried about them though (obviously--I'm in Nice) And then Fall Break! Woot.
Walking along the streets of Florence, a girl gets use to the catcalls. "Ciao bella!" "Beautiful." "Come sta?" "Si si." "Bellisima!" etc etc. Or noises, like kissy noises, and just blatant staring. Today I got a new one though. Today, I got "Shakira!" Haha. Shakira. I was wearing a long, flowy, latina-esque skirt, and my hair was down . . . but really? . .
Haha. Shakira. Yeah right.
In other news, it's pretty entertaining in our kitchen right now. Aside from the left over birthday decorations, there seems to 
be a sign battle going on. Most of the signs have to do with the messy state of our kitchen, and people not washing their dishes, such as "I have a dream . . . of roommates who do their dishes after they use them, of a sink that sparkles, of a kitchen that smiles back at me because its clean." Next to that sign, is another that reads, "our kitchen gave me AIDs!" When I saw that one yesterday, and then looked around at the mess, I added to the sign, "maybe instead of making signs about it, we should . . . clean it." And then I swept and washed some dishes. In retaliation to my snide message, another sign was put up later, this one had stars on it. "After I make this sign I'm probably not going to clean the kitchen." To which I added, "duh." She didn't like that very much.
But it's all in good fun.
So this past weekend I went on an trip with my school to the Amalfi Coast, the Isle of Capri, and Pompeii. It was a huge group--like 80 students. We created quite a scene wherever we went. Especially on Saturday night when we were stuck in a boat during a terrible lightning storm and then all ran to our hotel in the pouring rain, some of us without shoes on (they just get in the way). It was a good weekend though. The above picture is me in Pompeii, taken by my roommate Jenny because I forgot my camera at home. It was kind of nice to not have to click a picture of everything I saw, and to be just be able to see it. To just be there. As John Mayer says, I "didn't have a camera by my side this time. Hoping I could see the world through both my eyes. Maybe I will tell you all about it when I'm in the mood to loose my way in words." So I journaled diligently throughout the whole weekend so I would remember everything.
And now school. And Florence. And Melissa's birthday's tomorrow! In honor of that, here's a picture of us being cold and wet during the soccor game a few weeks ago.
So we've past our one month mark. Now people are starting to diet and excercise, after all that pasta, pizza, wine, and gelato. Like me, I've taken to running every now and then (as in twice so far). You really feel like you live somewhere when you run there, leaving all the tourists in your dust. Some of my other roommates have put themselves on diets. Others have just decided not to buy anymore Nutella. I don't know if I'm that strong. Just now, looking up Nutella on Wikipedia, it's all I can do to not go to the kitchen right now and finish my almost empty chair. And the jars of Nutella I buy here can double as a glass after you've eaten all of the chocolately insides. Hey recycling! So really, my eating Nutella is beneficial to the environment.
But I'll restrain myself for the moment.
You want to know what's weird? I've been in class for a month, midterms are in two weeks, and the only grade I have right now to speak of is an Italian quiz I took last week. That's been my first and only grade so far. That feels weird.
I went to Assisi (as in St. Francis of) and Orvieto (another cute town in Umbria, located on a cliff) this weekend. Precious places. One of my favorite parts was the Basilica di San Francesco--this beautiful church built in honor of St. Francis. It is also where his tomb is located. There were so many people there, but they were all so silent and reverent. It makes one better understand why people decided to build these big, beautiful cathedrals. They inspire so much awe. You can't not think about God in them.
P.S. I love sending postcards, but what I like almost even better is recieving mail. It's like a breathe of fresh air--a letter from home. Just so you know . . .
I got a new nose ring today, and a new sweater. So it's been a pretty productive day so far. The sweater I'm wearing now; it's forest green with tan patches on the elbows a la Mr. Rogers. I'm in love with it. Its especialy feels good today because it's all rainy and dreary. Apparetly it rains a lot here from October to March. Great.
I went to a soccer game last night, that's the big news. Florence versus Rome. Even though it was cold and rainy, it was a lot of fun. Italians really love their soccer. And apparently last week someone died in a riot at a game. We were hoping to see a riot, but no such luck. It's was a good game. Rome was leading 2 to 1 throughout most of it, but then we scored a goal in the last 10 minutes and tied the game. And apparently it's ok to end a soccer game in a tie, because that's what happened. And once the game ended everyone ran for the gates. A whole wave of people. I don't know what everyone's rush was, I guess they didn't want to get stuck in traffic or wanted to be able to catch a cab before everyone else took them. We were in the later category, but then just ended up finding our way home by foot. We were really proud of ourselves.
Oh yeah, and I got an umbrella today. I figured it would come in handy.
Ooo, I just heard thunder. I'm really glad I bought the umbrella, because I have to go to class in a couple minutes.
And yeah, and my bug bite. I went to the doctor a couple days ago and he said it's just an infected bug bite. He popped it and gave me cream to put on it. It's getting better. I'd post a picture, but for some reason blogger isn't letting me right now. Just use your imagination.
There's nothing like free wi-fi and a glass of wine. Melissa and I are sitting at our kitchen table and I just said that to her and then, "That's going to be the opening line of my next blog post." Check. (I know it makes it less cool that I just told you the story behind the first sentence, but that's ok, because I'm really not that cool.) We don't usually have wifi in our apartment, but tonight, while all nine of us were waiting in line to use the stove to make all of our separate dinners, Piero from some internet company came by gave us free trial internet for 24 hours. So here I am, sitting at my kitchen table drinking wine and writing in my blog. All my other roommates are glued to their computers as well.
So I went to Sicily this weekend. Che bella! It was beautiful. We saw lots of cute towns, Greek ruins, and chilled on some picturesque beaches. I especially enjoyed the chilling on the beaches part. And every once and awhile, I'd be laying there on the sand, soaking up the sun, and I'd pinch myself while thinking, "Laura, you are on a beach in Sicily." And in case you didn't already know, the Mafia started in Sicily. The professore who lead us around, Francesco, (for this was a school sponsored affair) told us the history of the mafia, but refused to speak of it in public. He felt safer waiting to talk about it on the bus, which I thought to be interesting. Also, on this trip, I got a wonderfully large bug bite. I got it while sleeping on the train Thursday night, and it's still there, big and red as ever. I'm afraid it might be a spider bite. Hopefully I won't have to amputate my leg, that would be a hassle. And I hear the Italian hospitals are crazy.
I guess I'll give you some pictures.
That's me and Hannah eating Cannoli, which are native to Sicily. They are really sweet. Hannah couldn't finish her's, but I definitely finished mine.
And this is Vanessa and I chilling on the aforementioned Sicilian beach.
And then this is Vanessa, Hannah, Isabel, and I in an aforementioned Greek ruin. It's the Greek amphitheatre in Siracuse. Very cool.
And now it's back to class and catching up with school work. For lit class this week (tomorrow) I have to read a 415 page book called Austerlitz. I have 20 pages left. I'm pretty impressed with myself.
I'm sitting outside of my school right now with a few of my roommates. It's midnight here in Firenze and we're sitting on the side of the street on our laptops. We get some funny looks. Don't worry, we won't get mugged, there's lots of people around. There's a bar a few feet away, which makes us look even more funny. You just have to be here.
This time tomorrow I will be on a train to Sicily. Yeehaa! Mediterranean, here I come. Mafia, here I come. Sun, here I come. Seafood, here I come. Greek temples, here I come. The Beach, here I come. Watchout.
Have I mentioned it's midnight?
And here's a few live action shots from Siena last weekend, courtesy of my roommate, Melissa. It's when we first got to Siena and FINALLY found our hostel. I'm saying something like, "Um . . we're here to stay in the hostel . .?" Everyone thought that was really funny. What else was I supposed to say?
This next one is right after we got buzzed in. There was nothing but stairs. It's us thinking, "Does this hostel exist?"
Don't worry,it does and we found it.
I just got out of my Intro to Classic Photography class. We use black and white film and develop it and all that jazz. Today was the first day to learn to do prints. It was so much fun! The class was from 9-2:30, but I could have kept on going. I love this photography thing. You have this plain piece of paper, put it in some chemicals, and then out of nowhere a picture starts appearing on it! Its magical. And one of the prints I showed Neri, our professor, he said was "bellisima" (very pretty). The girl before was just "va bene" (good). Heh.
I went to Siena this weekend. Id show you some pictures, but Im not on my own computer (did you notice the absence of apostrophes?). It was a cute little Tuscan town built on a hill. We got a lot of exercise with all the walking up and down hills.
Also, my parents are in Florence now. I had dinner with them last night. It was good to see them and catch up and be with people who have known me all my life. You start to miss being with people who really know you, after awhile.
This morning I had a little field trip with my Renaissance Art in Florence class to the Medici Palace and Church of San Lorenzo. It was inredible, especially the church. So beautiful. I'm getting to see all this beauty that before I'd only read about in books and seen on slides during class. And in my reading for my Michelangelo class, I found out that he lived just a few blocks from where I live now. He's buried in the Santa Croce, a church near our apartment. Dontello is buried in the San Lorenzo, along with some Medici peeps. Egads people! This is real!
I'm going to Siena tomorrow. It's this beautiful little Tuscan town about an hour away. I've heard that it's beautiful. It's famous for a bareback horse race held in its big piazza, Il Campo, every summer. Fun fact: the next James Bond movie's opening scene was filmed during said race this past summer, with Mr. Bond watching the race. So I'll go see the movie when it comes out and get to say I've been there. That's pretty cool, I think.
Hm, I feel I should give you another picture.
Here's a guy kayaking down the Arno (the river that runs through Florence.)
I wish I was him. That would be so fun.
So for my European Lit class we just read this little book entitled The Tale of the Unkown Island. I loved it. Im going to read it to my children one day. Its a beautiful story. You should pick up a copy. Its really little.
By the way, the computer keyboards here are a little different. I still cant find the apostrophes. So you can know when Im not on my laptop by my lack of apostrophes.
I'm alive and back from Venice. It was beautiful! As long as you don't look too close at the dirty water, it's quite picturesque. Very romantic. The weather was gorgeous too. It's molto touristy though, which is to be expected.
A film festival was going on at Lido, one of the islands, and on Friday we saw an Estonian movie. I kept thinking, "How cool am I? I am in Venice, at an international film festival, watching an Estonian movie." It was good too, if super despressing. The movie was "a study in human isolation," according the synopsis. Not really a feel good movie, but like I said, good, and engrossing.
We also walked around, saw the sights, ate sea food (and I LIKED it). Good times abounded, and I took molto pictures. They're all up on facebook now. Sorry if you don't have facebook, you'll just have to wait.
And I'm tired of staring at this computer screen now. Later.
So I'm almost through with my first week of Florentine classes. All I have left is Michelangelo, Caravaggio, & Bernini this afternoon. I think I'm going to like most of my classes. My teachers all seem pretty cool, and after last night's Italian class, I even think that will be bearable. Jenny and I will persevere together.
This weekend I'm going to Venice; I don't remember if I've mentioned that. There's like, six or seven of us going. It's fun to have that many people, but then nothing gets done. No one wants to book the hostel or look up train tickets, and everyone expects someone else to do it. We'll see out this goes.
I don't feel like saying anything else so here's another picture:
It's me and two of my roommates having cappuccino our first morning here.
I just got out of my first Italian class. I always got As in Italian in the past, but this class is a new breed. For one, barely any English is spoken, and to make it worse--there are only two students. I can't sit quietly in the back and not be called in, I HAVE to participate in EVERYTHING. And I forget so much. Thankfully the other student in the class is my roommate and friend from Baylor, Jenny, and not some fluent speaker or anything. Jenny and I are pretty much on the same level, so that's good. I still don't feel very prepared for the class though. At least the teacher seems nice. Just sometimes, when she's staring at me, waiting for a reply, I just freeze and can't think of anything in Italian to say. And when I do, it's wrong. But it's ok, it's just the first class. I have to keep telling myself that.
I also had photography today. That class, I think, should be fun. It's five and a half hours long, but there's a break in the middle and a lot of it will be us out and about taking pictures, so it should be painless. And two of my roommates are in my class with me.
Surprisingly, I know people in every one of my classes. Either a roommate or a fellow Bear. There are a lot of us Bears here. Baylor is more represented than any other school. Out of the ten people in my photography class, four of them were from Baylor.
And then here are some pictures for you anxious readers out there. 
These are all of my roommates but me at a party thrown by the school last night.
And then here is all of us plus me and minus Vanessa and Anna eating dinner at our apartment a couple evenings ago. It was our first time to use the kitchen.
Here is the Arno River, which runs through the middle of Florence.
I'll leave you with that.
I am so overcome with excitment. I'm sitting in an internet cafe in Florence, Italy . . . and I LIVE here. I don't know what the time says, but in Italy its 11:30 am, and we're seven hours ahead of Texas, so you do the math. I got here yesterday afternoon. Last night I went out with my roommates and had pizza and wine and then crashed. We were all sooo tired. I woke up really early this morning though, at like six. We have nothing planned with the school today, so shopping is in order, there are molto saldi oggi (many sales today. I'm trying to impress you with my blossoming Italian.) Tomorrow orientation starts and then class starts Monday.
It still hasn't hit me I'm actually living here for the next 3 1/2 months. It's so surreal. We went to the Duomo this morning and it's absolutely gorgeous. Che bella! And I get to see it everyday.
I hate saying goodbye to people. It makes my stomach hurt. When I thought about going to Florence I thought of how wonderful it would be and all the experiences I would have and all the art I would learn about. I didn't think about all of the goodbyes. It's been harder saying goodbye for this than it was saying goodbye for college two years ago. I think that's because I've allowed myself to become closer to people than my high school self did. Not that I'm still not stoked about going to Italy, it just stings a little, and I didn't prepare myself for that.
But it's just three and a half months.
This time tomorrow I will be on a plane.
I'm back in Waco, just for the night.
This place has really become a home to me. This apartment with these girls. I'm already looking forward to coming back next semester. Sure it's still as messy as I left it last week--the fondue pot is still sitting on the table from last Friday night . . . with water and bits of chocolate in it, and empty boxes are everywhere, but these girls are wonderful, so it's ok. And I don't have to live here.
This time next week I will be in Firenze. AHHHHHHHH. Mama mia! Mozzarella! Meatball!
Really, I'll be more excited once I've finished packing.
So one of the guys who went with us to Kenya is making us an awesome video. Here are two teaser videos. The first is just like a preview, the second is from the safari.
It's weird to be back, but not really be back. Not bad weird, just weird. But more than that it's fun. It's fun to see everyone again and catch up. I'm in Wacko Waco for the next couple days, getting time in with my friends before I leave for four months (a week from Monday).
The apartamento is a mess, though. A MESS. I'm kinda glad I won't be here to have to help clean it up. Heh.
Ya see, when six people live together, a lot of times stuff just won't get done because everyone expects someone else to do it. That's why we have a chart denoting whose turn it is to take out the trash and recycling. And that's why the mistletoe is still up.
The last time we spoke I was 20 and a little over two weeks away from my departure for Italy. Today I am 21 and 1 1/2 weeks away from Florence. Times are a-changing.
I went to the dentist yesterday and the lady who cleaned my teeth had just come back from Italy. Both of her parents are from Sicily and when she found out I was spending the fall in Florence she got all excited and went on and on and on about Italy. What to do, what the weather will be like, what to wear, and placed much emphasis on wearing comfortable shoes. The TV in our room was tuned to KERA and was showing ariel views of Sicily. With a $100 donation, I could obtain a copy of a DVD of this 20 minute program about Sicily. The donation guy on the show said we should buy it and show it to young people to educate them about the world. Me and the dentist lady chuckled at this. I can watch the Travel channel for free. Free to me anyway, I don't pay for the Satellite TV
And she said my teeth were suprisingly clean considering I hadn't been to the dentist in two years. And the fact that I never floss. I didn't tell her that part. I never really have, but my dentist always says my teeth are really clean, so I don't really have the motivation to start now.
Also, last time we spoke I had not yet recieved my visa and was getting kind of concerned about it. It is now in my possession, thankfully. I'm actually going to Florence.
I think I've eaten enough chicken salad this past month to last me for a little while. Simplicitea's Tea Room has some wonderful chicken salad, and everyday after the lunch rush I usually sit down to a scoop of it with a bunch of Club crackers, and sometimes some fruit or a slice of quiche. Today was my last day working at the aforementioned Tea Room, and after that last meal of chicken salad, the thought of it now kind of makes me nauseous.
So yes, I am now no longer working as a waitress, and am really looking forward to sleeping in a lot these next two weeks.
So, people are usually a little shocked to hear that last year I shared an apartment with five other girls. But get this, in Italy, I'm going to be living in an apartment with 8 girls. There wll be nine of us in all (in case you needed help with the math). My own room will have three girls, including myself. I know the two girls though, they are from Baylor. I don't know them really well, but they seem to be agreeable.
I'm so flippin' excited. Two weeks people. I'm leaving in two weeks.
It's been a little over a week. I feel I should say something.
Being home is good, I'm glad I'm here. I like waitressing at the tea room (you should come visit me) and hanging out with oldie but goodie friends. This is the life, really.
My nose is doing well, thanks for asking. I got it pierced, in case you missed that. I have a new piece of metal lodged into my face, and I like it.
Last night I went to a wedding of a friend. She's a few years older than me, but it's still weird to know that my friends are getting married. I mean, they're my friends, not just distant relatives that are ten years older than me. Before you know it, my friends will be having kids, paying for college, retire. It's pretty much all down hill from here.
Just kidding.
Or am I?
No, I am. Marriage and stuff freaks me out, but I guess it will be ok. I mean, a long time from now. Long.
But in my more near future--I go to Italy in less than two months. Eeee! I got a big packet in the mail today from Study Abroad Italy, telling me all this stuff I have to do before I go and how to stay safe and what to bring and where to buy my textbooks and what the weather will be like and blah blah blah. I'm tired of thinking about it and getting information about it. I just want to go.
So I got my hair cut today. I haven't paid someone to cut my hair since November of 2005. I've cut it myself a couple times, rarely ever brush it, and one time, it caught on fire. The woman at Regis said I was crazy.
Well, now my hair is healthy, soft, and a couple inches shorter. Even though it is only a couple inches, I still hurts my heart a little. I guess I've grown attached to my long hair. She styled it also; it's all curly, like goldie locks curly.
And that's that.
So,
At the begining of this summer, aside from my two week adventure in Kenya, I decided to pass the season in Waco, taking classes and working at Camille's. At the endish of June, niether the idea of living in my apartment sans my roommates for the month of July nor continuing to work at Camille's seemed appealing to me any longer (that sentence was kind of awkward, but we're going with it). So I dropped my session 2 classes at Baylor, applied to TCC, and gave Camille's my two weeks notice. Last night, I registered for a class at TCC and this morning I paid for it. A couple hours later, I dropped the class at TCC and took a job at the tea room where my mom plays piano. I'll be serving food, making tea--earning some extra cash before my adventures in Europe.
I used to think I was the type of person who liked well thought-out plans, who found spontaneous-ness uncomfortable. I don't know about that anymore. I've been trusting my instincts more of late, and I'm feeling pretty good about it.
Oh yeah, and then there's the nose piercing.
I got a flippin' B in my Brit Lit class. That's bogus. B is for Bogus. Blasphemy. Bleh. In my head, I'm thinking, "Laura, it's just a letter. Life is much bigger than that." But my heart is thinking, "Bogus. Blasphemy. Bleh."
And it's July. That part is ok.
I just had a pleasant walk home from class/lunch. Sometime in between getting out of class and eating lunch it started to pour down rain. I had ridden my bike to class, but brought my umbrella along in case this happened. So I left my bike locked up in front Carrol Science and started to walk back to my apartment. Actually, it wasn't pouring, just regular raining, until I got to about Moody Library. Then it really started coming down. I pulled my umbrella down as close to my head as I could manage; I'm wearing a light blue tshirt and realized how transperant it would be when wet. I gave up on trying to keep my pants dry, and they were sloshing around my ankles. By the time I got to the SLC, I had almost fallen a couple times because my sandals were slippery, and so I just decided to take them off. At first I thought, "People are going to think I'm weird--walking around without shoes. They're going to think I'm hippie, or worse, that I'm trying to be a hippie." But then I thought, "So?" and did it anyway (more on that later). So I walked the rest of the way shoeless, not even trying to avoid the big puddles anymore. Fifteen minutes after I started, I got back to my apartment. My pants were drenched to about my thigh, and so I changed into dry capris and here I am.
It's was a nice walk.
Yesterday I read an article in The Oprah Magazine called "The Cure for Self-Conscious: It's one word--one little word--but it has revelatory power." Obviously this intrigued me. Aren't you intriqued? Wanna know the word? Don't you want to be freed from self-consciousnees? Empowered to follow your instincts and not care what people think? It's something "so lucid, so mind expanding, so simultaneously Socratic and Zenlike, that I was mesmorized on the spot."
So?
That's it.
So?
"If I say what I really think, people might disagree with me."
So?
"If I go out to eat lunch by myself I might look like a loser."
So?
"If I can't run on the treadmill as long as the person next to me, they are going to think I'm out of shape and think they are better than me."
So?
"If I go talk to that cute boy I don't know, he might think I'm weird."
So?
"If my house is slightly messy when I have people over, they're going to realize that I'm not perfect, that I am slightly human and slightly busy."
So?
"If I walk home in the rain holding my shoes in my hand rather than wearing them on my feet, people might think I'm a hippie, or worse, that I'm trying to be a hippie."
So?
There. Now you're freed.
While I'm being all empower-y, let me share with you this quote I ran across.
You should paint that on a piece of wood all prettily. I bet it'd sell.
Sometime during this weekend, while I was away, my sheets disappeared. My bed is made, but my comforter and pillows are the only things on it. I just noticed this. Granted, they weren't even my sheets to begin with, they are Claire's, but it's weird that they're just . . . gone. They up and left without leaving so much as a note. And they were so soft. I thought we had something special going on. I spent so many nights with them. I feel so used.
In other news, on a spontaneous whim I've dropped my session two summer classes and am now going home for the month of July. That's just what I want to do. It's not that much of a whim, really. I've been thinking about it for a couple weeks, but I voiced these thoughts only a few days ago and so it looks spontaneous to the uninformed observer. Doesn't it seem more fun when it's spontaneous? So that's the story I'm sticking with.
So, I got a 55 on the Brit Lit paper I turned in last Thursday. And you want to know the only reason why? Because I wrote 710 instead of 750 words. Forty flippin' words! I got a 55 even though "the essay is strong in every other category." That's ridiculous. So I emailed my professor and tactfully told him that he's ridiculous. I'll let you know how it goes. Erg. The funny thing, is that I'm not really that concerned about it. I wouldn't care that much if it stayed a 55. I feel like I should care more. Hm.
A shower, a clean set of clothes, and freshly shaven legs feel oh so good. Plus, I bought new deodrant that has a "Cool Cucumber" fragrance that I can smell on myself as I'm sitting here. Yum.
My bike is all better. I now know how to change the tube in a bike tire. I am capable.
It's been a good day. Also because I have the John Mayer/Ben Folds concert to look forward to this Friday. Woot! I'm mucho excitedo about that. I'm listening to John right now, he's having a stupid mouth.
That is all.
My car is fixed! Yay! Timmy is back and all better, with new windshield wiper blades and everything. I don't have to bum off people for rides now. I can buy groceries! Life is good.
I felt like I had more to say, but I guess I don't.
Disclaimer: The following post is slightly cheesy. In it I talk about the m-word (marriage) which I try not to do too much because I'm at Baylor and there are so many girls here who are after it and I so don't want to be one of those. Just know that I have no notions of getting married anytime soon and am perfectly happy how I am. That said, you may read on.
So last night some friends and I were discussing relatioships--marriage, dating ,and the like--and pondering together what it all meant and what we think marriage is suppose to be like. It's something I kept thinking about as I was trying to sleep, when I came up with this analogy that I think helps me, at least. Maybe a marriage works the same way as complementary colors. Apart, the two colors don't cease to exist, they are still lovely and alive and . . . colorful. But when you put said color with its complementary, both are brightened and, well, complemented. Just by being together, they are brighter and do their job as colors better than they do it apart. Like I said, that doesn't mean they aren't colors when they are apart, it's just that together, they do so much better. That would then lead one to believe that, like a color has only one complementary (for red it's green; for blue it's orange; purple, yellow), there is only one person out there that is your complementary, which I don't know if I buy. Of course there are limits to every analogy.
It was just something I was thinking about.
In other news, Rach and I layed out by the pool for the first time this summer yesterday, and now I'm rather burned. It was still fun though; it felt like summer. Last night we went to Target and procured new swimsuits and now I'm anxious to hit the pool again, though I know I should probably give my skin a rest.
Sometimes I feel like a snob, because I like to use words like "procured" instead of "purchased" or throw in a "whilst" here and there instead of "while." It spices things up, no?
My car was towed earlier this morning. It's all out of my hands now, which is kind of a relief. And remember when I was saying how thankful I was to have a good bike to fall back on? Well, I certainly jinxed myself with that--now the back tire of my bike if deflated and won't take air. I guess it needs a new tube, but I need a car to go get one and remedy the problem. Now I'm stuck with my two feet and the benevolence of my friends. Oh well. So goes life. It's all pretty funny actually. Last week pretty much everything I own that plays a significant part in my day-to-day life had problems, I already mentioned my car and bike, but my laptop and phone also were being finicky. I keep telling myself that they are all luxury items anyway and I need to stop complaining. Things could be so much worse. I could be dying. And I'm not, as far as I know. Heck I get to go to flippin' Italy in a couple months, life can't be all that bad.
What do you do with that? Stop using plastic all together? That doesn't seem feasible. Nothing does. I feel like nothing I do will actually matter, in the grand scheme of things. But I guess if everyone thought that about everything, nothing would ever change. I can't solve the problem. I guess it's just a matter of chosing if I want to be apart of the problem or the solution.
I hate them. They're overrated and require too much attention, time, and money. Sure, the arguement could be made that they save one time by making transportation from one place to another quicker, but I think the evironment, your body, you wallet, and your peace of mind is better off without them.
Yesterday my car wouldn't start, and I was stuck at FedEx for thirty minutes trying to find someone to come pick me up. No one was answering their phone. Apparently class or work or whatever else they were doing was more important than helping me out with my car. I know, ridiculous. Finally I got hold of a kind soul to come pick me up. My car was left there and later that day, another kind soul went with me to jump it. It started, but didn't last me very long. Apparently something is wrong with my alternator, whatever that means. I don't know about cars. So I go to my car again today with the intention of going somewhere to get some mantenence help, but of course, it doesn't start. So of course I start crying. I sit there in my car for a little bit, feeling sorry for myself, and then walk back up to my apartment, giving myself a pep talk along to way. At least I even have a car to stress about, I tell myself. Most people in the world don't. And it's just a car. I have a good life if this my biggest problem right now. And at least I have a good bike to fall back on, and nice roommates. I then decided to forget about my car for a little while and rode my bike to Common Grounds to unwind with a Frozen Milky Way. That's where I am now. It's really hot outside, so I was very sweaty by the time I got here, but it's nice to be here now.
I know--eventually I'm going to have to do something about my car. I just don't feel like thinking about it right now. Ok? Leave me alone.
So I took over three hundred pictures while I was away, but have uploaded 146 to an album on snapfish that you can view by clicking here. On this same snapfish account are other albums from people who went to Africa with me; we are putting all our pictures up so we can share them. Eventually I'll put my pictures up on facebook too, but for now they are at snapfish. Enjoy.
edit: Phew, I just put up all my pictures on facebook. That was quite a feat.
I do enjoy summer. Life is just much more chill, like a Jack Johnson song. I'm just taking one class, which is still something, but it's not that big of a deal; I work just three days a week; there are less people at church and more chances to get to know people with such a smaller group; the SLC is never crowded. It's nice.
I went grocery shopping with Rachael today. I usually just buy the same items--cereal, sandwhich stuff, Lean Cuisine pizzas, milk, etc. I try not to be too adventurous, because then I usually don't end up eating what I bought and it goes bad. There also isn't a lot of refrigerator space to waste when one is living with five other girls. But today, I ventured out a little. I bought Strawberry-Orange-Banana juice, brie cheese, alfalfa sprouts, and strawberry Nutrigrain bars, along with my normal purchases. I'm pretty excited about it. I'm going to have juice tomorrow with my breakfast; the Nutrigrain bars remind me of my childhood.; and while in Kenya, I decided I love brie cheese.
Another thing I liked in Kenya was the mango juice Gracia Guesthouse would serve us in the mornings. It was soo good--thicker and creamier than other juices. There was also passion juice, but mango was my favorite.
Dang it, now I'm hungry.
Speaking of Kenya, here's another picture. Some elephants hanging out in the Great Rift Valley. 
Oh me, oh my. I'm back in Waco now, thrust back into ordinary life. I flew back into Dallas at about 10:30 last night, spent the night at home, and got back to Waco this morn just in time to change and go to class (I just used the word "back" four times in two sentences). Today I have to read half of Beowulf and work five to close. I'm trying to catch my breath.
It's good to be back, but it's also just weird. For one, it's weird being here without a lot of people that are usually here with me, like half of my roommates. Rachael and Tinsley are here, and its fabulous to be with them again, but it's definitely a lot quieter than usual. Oh, another weird thing, my cousin, John, is in my Brit Lit class with me. I never would have guessed that I would be taking a class with him. It's an interesting turn of events.
And I just feel a little different.
I took 340 pictures in the last two weeks. Here's one, to entice you. It's Sandy, the Great Rift Valley, and myself, taken on the first Sunday we were in Kenya.
Back to Beowulf.
Hi from Kenya! There's so much that I could say, I almost want to say nothing at all. I basically just wanted to let you know that I'm alive and having the experience of a lifetime. If you want to know more details you can visit ubckenya.blogspot.com. I think that's right. If not, just leave a comment and then next time I'll tell you the right address.
Ok, people are waiting on me (I'm at an internet cafe near where we're staying.) I'm out.
Check out this headline to a news article on the msnbc website: Drunk students learn lesson from peeved giraffe. And then underneath, "1.3-ton animal attacks three Lithuanians after they climb into his cage." Awesome. Well, I guess it's not awesome that they were attacked, but it is an awesome headline. Don't worry, no one died.
And it's summer! Woohoo! Oh yeah, I already had my celebratory blog post. I won't bore you with another one.
So there is eight girls' stuff in our apartment at the moment. We have the six of us who live here, and then yesterday Sarah moved all her stuff in (she's moving here and Julia's moving out). And then there is also Elise's stuff, who is living here in the Fall whilst I'm in Italia. Phew. Yesterday was crazy, let me tell ya. All our couches are pushed against the wall and there's lots of boxes and random pieces of furniture in the living room. And a little tree. It's pretty great.
It's not a Christmas tree, just a little tree in a pot.
This time next week I'll be in flippin' AFRICA.
My sophmore year is over.
It's been a really good year. Let's take a moment to be nostalgic and sad.
Hm.
Ok. Now to be excited. My sophmore year is over! Yeehaa! Man, so much is coming up--Africa, John Mayer/Ben Folds concert, summer school (woohoo!), ITALY, being a Junior. For now, these next few days, I'll just enjoy not studying. I don't know what else I will be doing with myself, but I won't be studying. I'll work some, I'll pack some, I'll read some, but I won't be studying. Holla.
The other day we figured out how to play iTunes wirelessly through the speakers in the living room. It's pretty dang awesome and made studying a lot less painful (except for those roommates who need silence to study. I felt bad for them . . .but not bad enought to turn it off). Rascal Flatts is blaring right now. "I miss Mayberry, sitting on porch drinking ice cold cherry coke . . ." Rascal Flatts reminds me of summer, East Texas specifically, because I bought the CD while I was working at Sky Ranch last summer.
Yum. Summer.
I'm tired of studying. Just flippin' give me a test already. My first one is in 55 minutes, at 2--Religion.
That's all I have to say really. So this post isn't a total waste, I give you a picture of me and two of my roommates plus Shay and Sandy being locked out of our appartamento a couple weekends ago.
This is what happened a few hours prior as we were leaving the apartment:
Laura: Yeah, I do. (IShe has her purse and so blindly believe her keys are in there. The thought crosses her mind that she should check said purse for said keys, but for some reason, she just doesn't)
And I think you can figure out what happens next. We come back, the door is locked, and no one has a key. So we chill out in the hall for awhile, until Rachael comes back and lets us in. It was kind of fun actually. Really, they should be thanking me for forgetting my keys and the ensuing adventure. It was good bonding. (If you click the picture, it gets bigger and you can better see our wonderful facial expressions)
Classes are now over and dead days are in full swing. My first final is on Friday. I also have exams on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday, along with a paper due Monday. The following Sunday I leave for Africa (two weeks from this past Sunday). I don't want to even think about packing.
That's my life these next two weeks.
And last night I was trained on wraps at Camille's. I wasn't really looking forward to it, but it was pretty painless.
I feel like I'm on the cusp of so many things and I don't even know where to start. I guess I'll just dive right in.
=========
It's Earth Week here at Baylor. Today people are asked to wear green, or, if they purchased one, the Earth Week shirt. It's green and it has "B(ECO)ME" written on the front a la the Gap "RED" shirts (i.e. DESI(RED)). They were out of smalls, so I had to get a medium, which is rather large on me. I feel like a pillow. Ah well. I only wear it for one class and then go to work anywho.
Sometimes I worry that my peers in my Tues./Thurs. class think I only own khakis, because I always wear them on those days; I usually have to go straight to work afterwards.
So, this time in two weeks class and finals will be over. EEeeeeeee.
So I have this theory--you may have heard me mention it before--that everyone is a snob about something. It's different for everybody--music, food, fitness, clothes, bikes, outdoor equipment, jeans, books--whatever. I believe this to be true, but have had trouble pinpointing the snobbery in me. I sometimes take pride in the fact I listen to some obscure artists, but I also love to jam to artists like Usher and Rascal Flatts, and I don't lose respect for a band when their music is played on a commercial or TRL. So I don't think I'm a music snob. I just haven't been able to diagnose myself, but today I think I've figured it out. I think I'm a sandals snob. I love my Chaco's, Teva's, and Gurkee's. Even when my Chaco's gave me blisteres I enjoyed wearing them merely because I knew they were Chaco's, and they cost sixty bucks (they don't anymore, by the way. give me blisters I mean). I recently found my missing Teva in the back of my closet and so they've barely left my feet since. They're so comfortable and rather cute, but also, they're Teva's. I take pride in having sandals made by respectable outdoor sandal companies. Hi, my name is Laura, and I'm a sandals snob. And I don't plan on changing. I love my sandals. (My Gurkees smell though--they absorb my feet sweat. That's kind of annoying.) I'll probably eventually be an art snob too. I think it's inevitable, being an Art History major and all.
Phew. I just finished an annotated bibliography for my English class. I'm writing a research paper on art restoration. I've found it to be pretty interesting, and now I have a new idea for a future career for me: art restorer. One of the sources for my bibliography is an article about this group of American students who were in Florence restoring art that had been damaged by floodwaters. I was very jealous of them.
I'm glad I'm not Pre-Med. Those people are always studying and when they're not studying they're thinking about studying or freaking out about their grades.
I'm at Common Grounds right now and they're playing a song in which a girl keeps singing, "I was made for you." Well, there are other words, but those are what keep repeating. I don't know if I buy that--that people are "made" for each other, romantically speaking. I don't think there is a guy out there who was made for me and that, with him, I will be complete. I think relationships and marriages and love are well and good, but not the culmination of our exsistence. I don't believe I'm made for any person. Well, I think I'm made for every person, we are all made for each other, and to love each other, but that's another story. I'm talking about romance. It's nice, but I refuse to believe that it's what I'm made for. I hope that it's not, I hope there's more to life than that.
That was just a thought I had. Now to get back to my annotated bibliography
Today turned out to be a really pretty day, weather wise. That's always a nice surprise--when a day starts out raining(ish) and turns into pretty.
I got a chicken caeser wrap from work today that was unwanted because someone changed their order to a low carb chicken caeser wrap and so the girl who was making it said
"Laura, do you like chicken caeser?" And I said,
"What?" because this girl (who is a manager) doesn't usually talk to me if she doesn't have to and the question was unexpected.
"Do you like chicken caeser?"
I said, "Uh, yeah." Still not understanding.
"Then this is yours." She said.
So she put it in a to go box and placed it in the back room. I grabbed it on my way out, hours later, and ate it back at my apartamento whilst watching an episode of Friends. With the wrap, she added the customery field green salad with raspberry vingarette dressing and, to my surprise, a peanut butter cookie. And a napkin. I was touched. A peanut butter cookie and a napkin. Hm.
I just finished a little paper for English. That is satisfying. As was my chicken caeser wrap with a side field green salad with raspberry vingarette dressing and a peanut butter cookie and a napkin.
I should start being more randomly and quietly nice to people. It makes days.
So I am getting super excited about Florence next semester. I have a friend that's over there right now (also named Laura) and I just read through a bunch of her notes on Facebook (it's like a blog, if you're not familiar) and now I can't wait. One thing I was kind of surprised of is that she said in a post from March that she hadn't spent one weekend in Florence, but had traveled around Europe every weekend--Spain, London, Prague, around Italy, Brussels etc. That's amazing.
I've finalized my class schedule for next semester. Wanna hear? Ok. On Mondays I have Literature in European Cultures from 3-5:30 (that's cool, I didn't realize my first class of the week is so late in the day. That could be nice if I'm traveling all weekend.) My next class is on Tuesday, 9-11:30--Renaissance Art in Florence (which includes frequent field trips around Florence.) Then on Wednesday from 6-8:30 I have Italian (but that's up for change depending on the results of my placement test). Thursday I have two classes: Introduction to Classic Photography 9-2:30 and Michelangelo, Caravaggio, and Bernini 3-5:30. That will be a long day. And then there's no class on Fridays. Pretty sweet. The classes I'm most excited about are my art history ones. And I think next semester will tell me a lot about how serious I am about Art History, as far as the rest of my life goes. I'll be surrounded by it, and either I will get really tired of it, or enraptured. And either I'll fall in love with Italy and want to do something there later in life (like graduate school or something) or I'll decide it's a cool place to visit, but not to live.
It's going to be such an adventure! I can't even imagine.
And then before that is Kenya. Eeee! I'm so lucky that I have all these opportunities to travel and learn.
April 1st always makes me feel really lame, because I am never able to think of a cool April Fool's joke. Throughout the greater part of the year, I think of myself as a moderately funny gal. But then April 1st comes and I feel all this pressure to do something funny/amusing, and I can't think of anything. I think I'm just more subtley funny. We'll say that.
It's been a buon weekend, by the way (every Friday my Italian professor says "Buon weekend!" which means "Good weekend," because, even though there is a word for weekend in italiano, they usually just say "weekend"--according to her. Oh, and another fun fact [hey Claire]: in italiano, you don't capitalize languages. Like francese and inglese and italiano. See, wasn't that fun?). Friday night we had a Disco at UBC to raise money for our trip to Kenya. It was a lot of fun (see adjacent photo of Sandy and I. I know it looks like I'm reaching for something, but really, I'm stiking a disco pose. And I know, my feet look awkwardly placed. It felt right at the time). Oh yeah, and before that was the crazy stormy weather. That was pretty exciting. The street in front of our apartment building flooded. The water was almost up to my knees in some places. A bunch of people were outside in swim suits, frolicking about. It was amusing--a break from ordinary life. Other than that my weekend has consisted of working and chilling.
Oh! And this morning we had church outside. If you're familiar with Waco, it was near the suspension bridge at an area called Indian Springs, I think. That was really awesome, if a little warm. People were baptised and we partook in communion. And it was beautiful.
And next weekend consists of 4 days and I get to go home. I'm excited about it; I haven't spend much time at home since January. It will be refreshing.
So that's my life right now, pretty much.
