Counting Down...

I just finished my final and am now done with summer school, which is a great relief. My parents should arrive in SLO soon, and tomorrow I will move back home to Livermore before I depart for Europe. I leave in only 9 days! This week I completed all of my and Pepe's reservations, so I don't have much to worry about. For the time being I plan on reading about the sites before I see them, studying the layout of each city using Google Earth, and making sure I will have everything I need when I pack. I also received my Italian Visa recently and paid for my Permit to Stay (Permesso di Soggiorno), which I need to obtain within a week upon my arrival in Rome. So far from what I've read about the Italian bureaucracy (and Italy in general), it seems like it is very disorganized, and getting my Permit to Stay will likely be a tedious process. Many Italians don't even bother paying taxes, forming/waiting in lines, or following traffic rules like stopping at red lights. It will be quite an experience adjusting to the different customs and culture when I get there, but that is what studying abroad is mainly about: living in a different environment to broaden your perspectives. I look forward to it as an exciting challenge. Ciao!

Through the eyes of a tourist

Salve! So today Pepe and I decided to walk downtown and pretend like we were tourists in order to get a feel of how it might be when we are in Europe. Pepe brought a backpack filled with miscellaneous stuff and I just brought my camera. While walking around we paid special attention to our surroundings as if we were seeing them for the first time. I have to say that I actually had a lot of fun and truly felt like I appreciated SLO more than I have in a very long time. I took pictures of noteworthy and attractive sites so I could get a feel for how many pictures I might take in a given day. We walked into a store that sells olive oil, called We Olive, and we tasted several types of olive oil and vinegar for free! I was surprised with how flavorful some of them were. The types of olive oils in increasing order of powerful taste were buttery, fruity, and peppery; and the vinegars tasted sweeter the older they were. I decided I prefer vinegar to olive oil and my favorites were the older balsamic vinegars (10 and 12 years old). I learned that balsamic vinegar comes from a special grape (Trebbiano) in Tuscany and is made with 14 different wooden drums. This tedious process is the main reason why balsamic vinegar is only made in Italy (I guess only the Italians have the patience and passion it takes to make superb vinegar... the way it should be made =) ).
Then we went to Barnes & Noble, and read and bought some guidebooks. We decided to finish our European-like visit by sitting down in a cafe (Linnaeas Cafe) to read our new guidebooks. It turns out the outside dining area through the back door was beautiful (surrounded by brick walls but very peaceful and covered with plants), so Pepe and I started taking some pictures and a girl (Bridgette) asked us if we wanted her to take a picture of us. It turns out that her parents were from Italy and we spent over an hour talking about what to see in Italy, especially the Amalfi Coast.
Today was one of the best days I've had this summer... and I can only imagine how much fun I will have when I am actually in Europe. However, I want to be sure to bring a pen and something to write on with me from now on so I can write down everything interesting that I learn and put it on here. I might even try sketching in my journal since I did plenty of sketching in my architecture classes.
As far as preparation, we are mostly done planning and making reservations for our European trip. We recently bought large backpacks in which we will fit all our belongings for our trip, and our Eurail passes just arrived in the mail. Mine covers 10 days of travel in France, Belgium/Netherlands/Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, and Italy. I also reserved a hotel for Oktoberfest, which a few of my friends are intending on sharing to cut down on the cost. I leave for Europe three weeks as of tomorrow... I can't wait. =) A piu tarde!

Me and Pepe at Linnaeas Cafe

Less than a month to go...

This is my first blog entry ever! In just under a month I will leave for Europe to study abroad in Rome, Italy for about 4 months with Cultural Experiences Abroad (CEA:Rome). The program lasts from August 26th-December 13th, although I plan on doing some traveling before and after so I will be in Europe from August 5th-December 22nd. I chose to study abroad in Rome because I have had a strong fascination with it ever since I first saw the movie Gladiator almost a decade ago. I especially love the classical-style architecture left behind from the Ancient Roman Empire, and it will be wonderful to walk around every day and soak up the beauty of Italy. I will hopefully be taking classes that will teach me about the many buildings and sites, and it is one of my main goals while abroad to walk around, explore and document these sites; so look forward to some interesting pictures with details in the near future!
I have been lucky enough to share this past year with another Italian enthusiast, my roommate Pepe, who will be studying abroad in Florence the same time that I am in Rome. We will both depart from SFO on the same plane the morning of August 4th and begin our European adventure, traveling for 3 weeks through Dublin, Bath & London, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, and then finally end up in our respective places of study.
I feel very prepared for my trip to Europe from my visit to Scandinavia with my family 4 years ago and my brother Jon who just got back from studying abroad in Sweden for 10 months. Jon, Pepe and I are all currently living together in San Luis Obispo, where Jon has given Pepe and me invaluable information to make the most out of our trip and deal with culture shock before we get there. I have also been reading guidebooks and have already made many of my accommodation and transportation reservations.
At this point I am extremely excited to see the sights and immerse myself into the European culture. I will write another entry soon; I am hoping to keep my blog updated often so I can better record my memories and how my global perceptions have changed. Arrivederci!

Planning for a Euro trip can be fun...

But it can also make you feel like you want to pull your hair out... haha