4 weeks already?!?!?!?

I can't believe I have been in Rome for four weeks as of today! CRAZY! I've already failed at my goal of writing every Sunday, but I have a valid excuse. hahaha

GIORNO 20: Monday, we ended up having class for only an hour and a half. Antonella then took us to the art store to get supplies since it's impossible to bring all our supplies from home on a plane. After the art store, we went to a buffet which was delicious. They had the BEST NOODLES EVER. Although, I think I ate tuna. Not good news

. It was a rice, vegetable, meat mix, and I was thoroughly convinced it was chicken. But when I started eating...ewwww. It took so much will power NOT to throw up. After lunch, Antonella took us to the designer shops by the Spanish Steps. We got to see Gucci, Valentino, Versace, Chanel, Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, Dior, etc. You name it, we saw it. We even got to go in the Versace store!!!! It was sooooo pretty!!!!! *-* Ahh!!! The detail on each garment was impeccable!!!! I was in heaven! It gives me comfort to know that I'm not the only designer in the world who goes crazy with details and perfection. Although, I was scared to touch anything. There was a dress for €68,000!!!! Can you believe that?!?!?! I even got a free 2010/2011 runway book. Very cool!

GIORNO 21: On Tuesday, Emilio took us to the National Museum of Rome. It was amazing!!!! I say that about everything, but it's true!!! We got to see some famous statues like the discus thrower. After that, I went to school to work on my trend forecasting boards. I was there until almost 7, came home, drew 5 poses, and went to bed.

Naked man statue throwing a discus

GIORNO 22: In class, we worked on our trend boards all day. Antonella came around and gave us suggestions, see how we were doing, see if we needed help, etc. She has a good eye and her suggestions are always very eye opening. And, of course, being me, what do I do? I make my ideas the most complicated things. But, she was very impressed, which is a good thing.

GIORNO 23: Empires of the Mediterranean then worked in the studio all day. Are you starting to get an idea as to why I didn't write on Sunday? hahahaha

GIORNO 24: WORKED ALL DAY!!!!!! (Finally found a hair straightener! Woohoo!!!! And, ended up helping the electrician. When I came home from the art store, he was trying to fix the doorbells, and he asked me if I would help him. It took a few times before I completely understood what he was wanting me to do, but figured it out! Yay!!!!) Also, my roommates went to the Bay of Naples for a side tour. (Naples doesn't interest me too much, so I didn't go.) Soooo, that meant that I could turn on my music and sing and sing and sing while I worked. hahaahaha. Yes, this is what I do. Don't make fun of me. kkkkk

GIORNO 25: WORKED ALL DAY!!!!!! Got lectured for working all day. Oh well....this habit is really, really hard to break.

GIORNO 26: Church was fantastic. Bus of Awesomeness retained it's title. To all those who are anxiously awaiting the report on my love life, well...let's just say my parents can relax again. The guy from the previous week was just a visitor. Oh welllll. But, I got something even better. FRIENDS!!! There were 3 new girls this week, all from different countries here to study. One of them is from Texas, another from Romania, and the other from France (woohoo). The Romanian, Ralu, speaks English better than Italian, so she was releaved to find out I was American. And I was releaved that she spoke English. hahaha. Between the 6 languages all of us speak (Italian, French, Romanian, English, Spanish, and kinda Portuguese) we somehow manage to communicate. Funny language story: in Sunday School, the teacher had us introduce ourselves. I was the last to go...and I'm sure you can all imagine what happened. hahahaha. I start out, "Sono..." ".........." I was so focused on getting my Italian right that I forgot my name. "Sono Brittany!!!" I said I was from the US, studying fashion, all that jazz and then I said "Non parlo l'inglese molto bene." At this point, all of us burst out laughing, including me. hahahahahaha wowwwww. wait wait! "Non parlo l'italiano molto bene." hahahhaha. The teacher speaks English so she was very willing to help us. And yes, she makes us speak. kkkkkk. I am definitely going to learn the language with her as a teacher, whether I like it or not. hahaha. All of us girls are going to try and get together this weekend to go do something. All of them just got here. Since I've been here the longest, I want to make sure everyone adjusts well. I am soooo excited to have church friends! That seriously makes the biggest difference!

While I was waiting for the Bus of Awesomeness to return, a woman started talking with me. She spoke broken English and I spoke broken Italian. hahaha. You can just imagine how that went. Bus of Awesomeness came, and even with both of us waving our hands saying stop!, it kept on going. New name for Bus of Awesomeness: Bus of Fickleness. Both of us just start yelling, her in Italian, me in French (yes, I don't yell in English when I'm mad, I yell in French...don't ask why...your guess is as good as mine). She was very kind in telling me another bus to take to get to my stop.

Came home. Ate food. Worked. Went to bed.

GIORNO 27: Mondayyyyy, mondayyyyyyyyyyyyy. Worked all day in class, stayed after class til late. Ughhhh...this project took forever.

GIORNO 28: Emilio took us to a church...don't remember what it was called and too lazy to go get my paper. But, it was closed. So, we went to Santa Maria Maggiore. There we saw many interesting things like Bernini's tomb, the "supposed" pieces of Christ's manger and the column he was whipped on. As to whether they are real or not...well, that's up for you to decide. I also went inside my first crypt. Soooo coooooool!!!!! Went back to school after class, worked on my boards and finished by 3:15!!!!!!!! Came home and slept til 9:00. Then went back to bed at 9:30. hahaha.

Bernini's tomb

GIORNO 29: Today we had our presentations/critiques for our boards. Overall, things went very well. Everyone was very impressed with my work. I am so happy with how they turned out!!!! Antonella would like to keep my boards which is a really good sign! :D Now I can finally breathe again...for about 5 minutes...then it's time to work on the next two projects. Life never slows down. Below are pictures of the boards, although they look 10x better in real life. Just imagine them in 3D relief.

Eccentricity

Antiques

Structure

ciao roma

I've decided to make this blogging thing a Sunday activity, so fingers crossed, I'll be updating once a week.

Before I start going on and on and on about my oh so boring life in Italy, here's a video for your entertainment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAJNFoHuLno. They are not exaggerating, it's all true, especially one part that will be pointed out in Day 12.

Alora. Let's see, let's see. Ah, Day 10.

GIORNO 10: Woke up bright and early to meet two of my professors, Emilio and Fiona, at the train station. As part of orientation, all of us went to Ostia Antica, the ancient port of Rome. The place is HUGE! We spent several hours, and I think we only covered half of the area. It was amazing to see all the ruins, especially the mosaics and statues. They have a museum on the grounds that houses beautiful, beautiful, beautiful statues. The amount of talent and craftsmenship these people had...wow! I still find it absolutely amazing that these things have withstood the test of time, and I am so grateful they have been preserved for us to see today.

Standing on the remains of an ancient column

Ostia Antica

GIORNO 11: Woke up bright and early once again (for those of you who know me well, this is a rare occurance and should probably be documented so everyone will believe me) to be at the Post Office on the other side of town by 8am to send our Permesso Sogiornos. None of us looked very pretty after such a long day the day before. We were given numbers upon our arrival, so the earlier you got there, the better. My roommates and I got there ten till, and we managed to pull numbers 12, 13, and 14. Not too bad out of 40. One by one, we were called up to the desk. "Sign this, sign that, pay us money", etc. By the time I went through, we had been there for about an hour and a half. I felt so sorry for the people at the end of the line. Not a fun way to spend a Saturday morning. But, now I am officially allowed to stay in Italy for the next several months as well as travel throughout the European Union without problems. Yay!!

After a quick nap, my roommates and I headed out to Castel Sant'Angelo...well, kind of. Let me clarify...One of my roommates and I had planned the week before to visit Castel Sant'Angelo and the Vatican this day. My other roommate decided to tag along, so she could hit up a few stores on the way. Well, that's all we ended up doing. Store...store...store...store...store...store...I think we went to at least 20 stores. I just wanted to hit my head against the wall cause I really wanted to go to the castle. But, I did find some boots...that was my goal in Italy...bring back boots. hahahaha. Inbetween all the shopping, we went to the Pantheon (I think this is the 4th time now...). There's a McDonald's there that we were dying to eat at. Yes, dying. We needed some American food. So, there we are, in front of one of the most renowned Roman buildings, eating chicken nuggets. hahahaha. ai ai ai. Luckily, I brought my professional camera with me and was able to take a few more shots of the Pantheon. That's my plan with all my photos: take the digital on the first visit, take all the photos I want, and then go back again with the nice camera to take the artsy ones. Anywayyyy...we were going through more stores up by Piazza Venezia, and I couldn't take it anymore. I told my roommates that after they were done shopping to come find me at Piazza Venezia. So, I went by myself to take more pictures of the Vittorio Emanuelle monument. I waited, and waited, and waited, and waited. During all this waiting, there was a wedding photoshoot that I got to watch. Pretty cool. Finally, I saw my roommates, who were freaking out cause they couldn't find me. Somehow Piazza Venezia didn't click.

Vittorio Emanuelle Monument

GIORNO 12: Day 12, Day 12. How I loathe thee, Day 12. The night before, I looked up an alternative route to church so 1, I didn't have to walk and 2, so I didn't have to have someone pick me up at the train station. Bus 125 would take me to another bus which would take me straight there. Well, Bus 125, I'm not very happy with you. Bus 125 is too nice of a name. From this point on, Bus 125 will be referred to as Bus of Evil. I made it a point to be at the stop, which is just around the corner, at 7:45, so I could make it to the next bus in time. As I start walking, there goes Bus of Evil...5 minutes early. Okay, not a big deal, another one will be there in 10 minutes. Half an hour later, Bus of Evil comes again. And what does it do? Drives right on by!!! Even though I'm standing right there!!!!!! Aghhhhh! At that point, I throw up my hands, "ZUT ALORS!!!" At this point, if I found another way to get to church, it would put me there way, way late. So, I went back home, fuming. I felt completely awful. Missing church is a big no-no in my book, and I needed to go and feel some relief. BUS OF EVIL: FRIENDSHIP REVOKED!!!!! Sooooooooooo not happy with you, Bus of Evil.

Alora. The rest of the day was filled with reading the scriptures, napping, and reading Undaunted. (A very good read, I might add.)

GIORNO 13: First day of schoooooooooool. LOVED IT! On Mondays, I have a 6 hour studio compromised of my fashion class and illustration class. Antonella, my professor, is great! All the professors here are everything I've hoped for and more. There's a difference between teachers who know about the subject, and the teachers who live, breathe, experience and love what they teach. They are so passionate about their fields and all are very successful. I'm most excited about my fashion/illustration class. I believe Antonella has the ability to push me to the next level, transform me into what I am going to be as a designer.

Us fashion girls are downright spoiled. haha. We have our own studio that's fully equipped with a CAD Lab where we each have our own computer as well as gigantic desks for each of us. I'll have to take pictures sometime. It's really neat. The architecture students are mighty jealous. Mwahaha. I chose the desk in front of the window that way I could have a lovely view, lots of sunshine, and warmth when the winter comes in.

During our break, my roommates and I went up the street for lunch. There I had my first Italian lasagna...and...well...honestly, I like my mom's a lot better. hahaha.

The half hour commute isn't as bad as I thought. It goes by really fast since we walk through some beautiful parts of the city. But at the end of the day, I am exhausted.

GIORNO 14: On Tuesdays, I have my Living in Rome class. I was fully expecting it to be a 3 hour lecture. But, as it turns out, we pretty much just go to museums, villas, etc. And the professor, Emilio, is hilarious. He knows his stuff and loves to share his knowledge in a fun and exciting way. This day, we went to the Museo Capitolini where we saw several ancient artifacts like statues, temple ruins, portraits, etc, etc. AMAZING!!! It's incredible to finally see the actual objects I've learned about in my art history classes. For example, the giant head of Constantine. Yep, that's there. And the statue of the she-wolf with Romulus and Remus (the symbol of Rome...quite an interesting story...look it up...do it.) Oh, and with the giant head of Constantine is his giant foot. No one can ever EVER say again that I have big feet. Just look at the size of that thing!

Constantine's big foot...Brittany's small feet

GIORNO 15: Wednesdays are by far my longest days. I go from 9am to 6pm. From 9-3, I have my fashion studio again. I'm already improving signifcantly in my drawing skills. Antonella has been able to point out the tiny things that are wrong in my drawings and already, I'm seeing a huge improvement. Before, my professors have looked at my work and thought it was good enough, didn't need any changing. It's so nice to have someone take me to the next level. Right now, since I've worked out the kinks, she's having me focus on doing fluid strokes instead of focusing on every little curve and angle. That way the figures will look more dynamic and will give them more movement. They are definitely starting to look more professional. And to think this was done, in what? two days? I can't wait to see how much improvement there will be after 4 months!

We are also working on trend boards for the fall/winter 2011/2012 seasons. Something I'm not used to, and trend forecasting has alsways been somewhat frightening to me...haha. But, I'm enjoying all the research. So far, Antonella likes my ideas and has approved them. Sigh of relief.

After fashion, I have Italian Design. It's very interesting. The professor is a little hard to understand and the class doesn't feel very structured (being me, that makes me sooooo uncomfortable), but I know I will learn a lot of cool things. We spent probably half and hour talking about the evolutionary design of Ferrari's. I was fully awake for that part. haha

GIORNO 16: Thursday I have Empires of the Mediterranean. VERY interesting, especially since I'm a history geek. I love it so much!! We started talking about the the rise and fall of the Venetian Empire.

By Thursday night, I was starting to feel homesick, Americasick. I'm just glad I have projects already assigned to keep my mind busy.

GIORNO 17: Homesickness worse. I ended up reading my book again and then did my homework. Too disoriented to do anything else. :/

GIORNO 18: After a sad Friday, I decided the best thing to do is get out there and do something instead of staying at home sulking. Waking up early (I know, right? It's a miracle!), I headed off to Castel Sant'Angelo by myself. I don't know why Castel Sant'Angelo means so much to me. But it gives me nostalgia. I think it's because I always used it in my papers and conversations in Italian class. Needless to say, actually being there, walking on the walls, climbing to the top, made me feel a whole lot better. Oh my gosh!!!!! The castle is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The view at to the top is absolutely splendid, breathtaking. You can see EVERYTHING. Words cannot describe it! I'm so glad I got enough courage to get out of bed. haha. And it was really nice to go by myself and not listen to everyone complain (they like to do that) about how boring it is. I could enjoy it for myself, really take in what I was seeing and experiencing, and take as many pictures as I wanted. I'm really happy with the pics I got from this trip. No one there to rush me, and I could go off wherever I wanted. Which I did. haha. Somehow I ended up at the edge of the Tiber River taking pictures. I was planning on going to the Vatican as well, but the line looked really long and it was getting really humid. I'll have to go some other time and maybe reserve a ticket online.

Castel Sant'Angelo

On the defensive wall

View from the terrace

Angelo

Fiume Tevere con Ponte Sant'Angelo

More river pics

GIORNO 19: Due to last week's dilemma with Bus of Evil, I checked, rechecked, and triple checked the new bus I was to take. I found one that is much more central and is a major line, so with fingers crossed, I set off for church. To get to the "fermata" (bus stop), I had to take the tram...my favorite. haha. When I got to the stop, I was soooo nervous. It was supposed to be there at 8:20. As 8:20 got closer and closer, I was starting to freak out a little. Then 8:20 came and went. I flipped out on the inside. What? How could this be? ajkhflaksjdralkdsjfhlasdkjh. So, I just prayed and prayed that the bus would come. After missing last week, I just had to go to church. I just had to. I needed to be there to feel the Spirit. I needed some refuge from the world. And, the great thing about the church is that no matter where you are in the world, no matter what language you speak, you have friends, you have people who care about you, and you have people who are there to support you. After all the homesickness I was having, I needed to feel that. 8:30 came, and guess what?!? Bus 190F pulled up!!!!!!! From here on, Bus 190F will be referred to as the BUS OF AWESOMENESS! Almost crying with gratitude, I rode the Bus of Awesomeness to church. Upon entering, guess what they asked me to do? People in my Philly branch are just going to laugh. "Brittany, can you play the piano for us?" Those were the greatest words anyone could've said to me. Playing the piano is my comfort, and being able to play there made it feel like home.

This Sunday, I tried to go without translators. I figure the best way to learn is to force myself to listen carefully instead of relying on others. I was able to understand about half. haha. But, I didn't need the words. I could feel that warm, fuzzy feeling, and I knew that what they were saying was true. It really was quite a remarkable experience.

Well, one of the adults figured out that I wasn't married...hahaha. For those of you who don't know, I'm wearing an engagement ring. hahaha. In our study abroad pre-departure packet, it talked about wearing a ring to ward off potential stalkers. How he figured it out, I haven't a clue. Maybe I don't look madly in love or something. So, he took me to the YSA class where I found out that after my complaining of being the only YSA, I was wrong. Boy, was I wrong. There are about 15 of them! And, to my advantage, one of them served his mission in Scotland, so he was able to talk with me. Although, I guess he was just visiting. I think. I'm not sure. I guess I'll find out next week. For the lesson, he asked if I wanted him to translate. Wellllllll...he was cute, so I was going to let my "no translator" rule slide this once. kkkkkkk. Just this once. And if he happens to be there next week, okay, maybe just twice. But that's it. No more.

Sacrament Meeting was great. No translator help this time, but again, I was able to understand about half. I think it will just take time to pick out the words...people talk so fast!!! Today, a woman who sat next to me, asked me a question. I think she was asking if this was my first week, to which I replied, no, two weeks ago. Now that I'm thinking about it, I wonder if she was asking where I was last week. haha. I have no idea. All I heard was "settimana." Before I could even think, I just blurted out "due settimane scorsa." Ooops. She didn't have a completely puzzled look on her face, so maybe I did get it right. Oh well. We can only learn through our mistakes.

Rode Bus of Awesomeness home, took a nap, and here I am, writing. Finally to the present! Oh wait! How could I forget? This has to be my proudest moment! The mark of a true Italian woman is that she can walk in stilettos on the cobblestone streets. When I first arrived, and saw the huge gaps between the stones and how eneven the streets were, there was nooooo way I would even try. But, today, I decided to just try and wear my heels (okay, they weren't stilettos, but close enough) as I walked to the tram and bus. It wasn't too far, so I didn't think "walking" shoes were necessary. Ladies and gentlemen, I, Brittany West, klutz of the century, walked in 4 inch heels on Roman cobblestone. And, on my transfer from the bus to the tram on my way home, I had to run to catch it. Not only did I walk in 4 inch heels on Roman cobblestone, I ran, yes, ran in 4 inch heels on Roman cobblestone. Do I feel accomplished? You bet!

This afternoon, it rained. I just stood by my window and watched, felt, heard, smelled the rain. It was beautiful. I think that has been my favorite part so far. Weird, I know. But to just sit there quietly, watching the rain come down on the cobblestone streets...it's quite a remarkable feeling.

La Città Bella

Okay, okay. I've been a slacker in the writing department. Does that surprise anyone? haha. Lots to write, so grab a snack and take a seat.

Roma Day 0: Well, waiting in the airport was definitely not fun. The anxiety just kept growing exponentially...I'm surprised I didn't have a heart attack or throw up. And when they called my boarding zone, I almost threw up my heart. I've never had a problem with flying, heck, I fly several times a year. But, when I'm flying across the ocean, that's a whole different story. Luckily, I had a great book to read and fell asleep within a few hours and didn't wake up until we were flying over the Alps (a great view, I might add).

Roma Day 1: At the airport, we met Amy, the study abroad director. From there, we took a bus to our apartments located in the region Trastevere. Tras meaning over and Tevere, the name of the river...so over the river. The apartment I am in is absolutely beautiful...definitely more basic compared to American standards, but it's quite nice. The view we have from the windows is absolutely exquisite.

View from apartment

After settling into our apartments, we went to dinner at a local restaurant with the director of the school, Davide. Holy cow, the meals are huge here! There are 5 courses at least, and each serving is gigantic. I don't know how the people stay so thin! Being a good little girl, I just had salad (I think I need a round of applause...hahahaha) since I'm pretty much intolerant to all the food in Italy.

With stomachs full, all of us were too exhausted to explore anymore. I went back to the apartment to return emails, talk to my family, etc. However, upon doing so, I fried the adapter to my computer...now I have to wait to get a new one. :/

Roma Day 2: At 9 am, the group met Francesco, one of our professors. We took a walking tour of Trastevere just to get familiar with the area. I had my first Italian pizza at Dar Poeta, one of the best pizzerias in Rome as well as my first official Italian gelato. Mamma mia, delicioso!

View from the top of one of the seven "collinas" of Roma

After our walking tour, we took a bus/walking tour of center Rome. We were able to see the Pantheon, Vatican, Capitol, Victorio Emmanuale II memorial, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, Fountain of Four Rivers, and the Trevi Fountain. There were several other places...I just don't remember all the names...

Vittorio Emmanuale II Memorial

Spanish Steps

Pantheon

Colosseum

Trevi Fountain

Roma Day 3: Francesco took us to the school today. The walk over is about 30 minutes, a typical Italian commute. We go through several piazzas including Piazza Navona. The school itself is housed in Palazzo Taverna, a 13th century Italian palace. It is exquisite!!! The walls have beautiful frescoes and the studios are set up perfectly. I am so grateful to be working in such an inspiring place!

Piazza Navona

Roma Day 4: Saturday I decided to try and find the church, that way if I got lost, I would have time to figure out the correct way. And, of course, being me, I got lost. I ended up wandering around for an hour before I decided to go back to the apartment and relook up the directions on google maps. With the correct set of directions, I was able to successfully locate the church. It was an hour and a half walk to church, and an hour and a half walk back. Luckily, the walk was quite enjoyable and I stumbled upon a beautiful park full of ancient statues and a beatiful villa.

Ancient Statue

Roma Day 5: So today I woke up at 6:30 this morning (you guys didn't know it was possible, did you? hahaha) to go to church. I took the hour and a half walk...luckily it was fairly cool out. Although, I did get a few weird looks as I walked through the park in a dress. Once I got to church, the first person to greet me spoke English and pointed me to Relief Society where both the President and Second Counselor spoke English. I didn't even get to try...maybe that's for the better. I received several ciao's and buongiorno's. The second counselor, Harim, went ahead and sat next to me during Relief Society and Sunday School to translate. Then, in Sacrament Meeting, one of the elders who spoke English and saw my blonde hair from the back, came running over with a translation head set. It was such a weird feeling having everyone translate for me. Although, I could pick up the gist of what people were saying. The ward is fairly small...probably about 60-80 people...and I'm pretty sure I'm the only YSA there. Harim had me over for lunch. Then she took me to one of the hills that overlooks all of Rome so I could see everything. Absolutely stunning!!!!!!! After that, she decided to take me to the train station because after she found out how far I walked, she wouldn't allow me to walk anymore. And since I wasn't familiar with the train, she offered to come along with me. And man, am I glad she came. I would've gotten lost instantly. So, now she wants me to ride the train to the station nearest her house and then she will give me a ride to church from there. Definitely beats the walk. She would also like to take me places while I am here...she knows of a good pasticceria/gelateria that she wants to take me to.

Church Building

Roma Day 6, 7, 8, 9: Orientation week at school. We have also been taking tours in the morning of different areas of Rome. I've been able to see several churches, ancient ruins, etc. etc. etc. There is so much history here. I am so grateful that so many things have been restored so we can see them today. During orientation, we've been given lectures on the different regions of Italy: the food, traditions, etc. I am quite excited to go and see these places for myself. One night, one of my roommates and I decided to go to the top of the hill next to our apartment to see Rome at night with all the lights. It was incredible. Absolutely breathtaking to see all the monuments and churches and fountains lit up. Then on the way back down, we found a path that seriously looked straight out of a fairytale book. There are so many treasures in the nooks and crannys!

A local fountain at night

Now, I have been here for over a week and I am greatly enjoying my time here. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be in such a magnificent place and be surrounded by so much history. My Italian is coming back quite quickly, a huge relief. When I speak Italian, people will respond in Italian instead of English, so that must be good. haha. Yeah, I'm starting to miss my friends and family and the comforts of home, but this will be an unforgettable learning experience for me. I can't wait for the adventures that lie ahead.