Home Sweet Home

I have now been home a week!!!!!! I am writing this post so you all know I am home and safe. Last Thursday was such a long day and the day before that was pretty long too. That Wednesday there was the school trip to the Vatican. The four exchange students were grouped on a bus with no one else from our linguistic school, which caused us to be separated from the group when we arrived at the Vatican. Everyone from Caserta were give bright yellow baseball hats which we needed to wear so we could be identified. The four of us were waiting to get through security and we kept following a group with the yellow hats, turns out they were another school! We arrived in the audience hall safely and waited with the kids from our bus until our school came in. Four different teachers came up to us and yelled at us saying they were looking for us and we need to stay with them.

In the audience hall the Pope came and read some passages in about seven different languages. It was a wonderful experience to be there and have the Pope in the same room, listening to him. (One thing checked off my list) After the Pope we went into Saint Peter's Basilica and we listened to a little service inside the Vatican. I could not understand everything, but I was able to follow along. Just sitting there looking at everything, realizing where I was, The Vatican! I thought about what this place means to so many people in the world. Religion, God, faith, something to believe in, everything and sitting there a few rows back from the front of the Vatican, feeling small in this world, I just wanted to cry. The experience was very moving and rather overwhelming. I was sitting and listening to a service in the Vatican! To many people this is their life, their goal before they die. The Vatican is just one symbol to represent this religion and thinking of what it all means and the beauty of the Vatican....truly breath taking. (Yet another thing off my list)

After the service we had some free time to stay in St. Peter's Square. I stayed with the two girls from Australia and we went to this fountain and ate lunch. We stood there with St. Peter's Basilica to the left, on top of the hill, with the sun moving towards it, and we were there eating our sandwiches trying to take everything in, staring at the Swiss guards. Time flew by that day and later I remembered that it was my last full day in Italy. The entire day was perfect. From the bus ride there, talking and making friends, listening to the Pope, sitting in the Vatican, eating lunch in St. Peter's Square, everything....made me realized that this experience did not make me hate Italy at all, nor the people. I had my ups and downs and being able to walk around and see things they way I wanted to made me realized thats how I wanted to see Italy. Staying home all the time not being able to get out and see the culture and explore and study the history is why I could not stay until June.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011 will be a day I will never forget and the feelings I felt that day I hope to keep with me forever. Like all good things they must come to an end. The bus ride back seemed to go by too quick, waiting for my host mom to pick me up at the school seemed to fast, saying goodbye to Lani and some of my Italian friends dragged on and I felt that I was losing someone very close to me. When I got back to the house to finish packing I realized I left my camera on the bus. All the pictures from that amazing day were gone. I was more sad about losing the pictures of the Vatican, the Pope, my friends rather than the camera itself. On top of feeling disappointed, I was leaving in like 8 hours for the airport. I had so many emotions and so many thoughts going through my head. That night I slept pretty well and when I awoke for a split second I forgot I was leaving.

Flying by myself was not to bad. The flight to Milan from Naples was not to long, but in the Milan airport I had a four hour layover. I waited with one of the reps from BEC and then she helped me to check my luggage in. The flight left Milan a little later than expected so when I arrived in Frankfurt I had to run from one gate to the next. There was about twenty minutes left for boarding so I didn't have much time to look around. When I got to my gate and gave the woman my ticket there was a man there who told me, "You know its dry onboard." I did not understand what he was talking about so he repeated himself and then said, "We have a roof on the plane." Then I realized he was referring to the rain boots I was wearing. He was very nice and laughing helped me to relax a little. I found my seat and luckily there was only one other person in my row so we were not squished. She was coming back from Israel where he son is going to college and I told her about my trip and she asked questions and talking with her was nice and she was impressed by the way I was explaining things and talking about how much I learned.

About 8 hours later, I was landing in New York City. When the clock on the T.V. screen showed 30 minutes, I was ready to jump out of the plane and go home. Waiting for my luggage took a little longer then I hoped, then I had to have my passport stamped and hand in the paper they gave us where we wrote down everything we were bringing into the country and then I walked through the doors to see my family. My Aunt, brother, his girlfriend, my mom and dad were all there waiting for me and had a little welcome home sign for me. Not even five minutes seeing them my aunt made me call my Grammie and Poppie so they knew I was home safe with them. I called a few more people and they were all glad to hear my voice and hear I was home safely. As we were pulling up to my house my Grandparents were pulling down the drive way. Once we parked I got out and i saw my Grammie running up to hug me. Once we were inside I hugged everyone again.

Once everyone left and I was talking to my mom I gave her another hug and I just cried. I was waiting to hug her for four months. All though it was a learning experience with some unforgettable times, it was the four longest months of my life. I would not trade them for anything, but just being home and hugging my mom, I never wanted to let go.

The next few days I was pretty tired, but still up and doing things, seeing my best friends, my aunt, and on Monday I went to my friends house and it turns out there were a few more people there then she told me there would be. I was so happy to see most of my friends. hugging them all and talking with them. I shared stories with them, we watched a movie and just hung out. It is now exactly one week since I left and I am happy to be home. I start classes in a week or so and I will have to start learning to drive and going back to work and I can't wait. I will never forget Italy. Some details will become fuzzy, but for the most part I will take what I have been through and what I have learned in Italy with me where ever I go and do whatever I do.

A Holiday Speed Through

Another video on youtube! Talking about the holidays and showing pictures. My blog posts are more detailed then this video, but either way I hope you enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrGQlTDrm0w

One Week

Another blog post today, you are all in luck!!!! This post is to tell everyone who does not know already, I am coming home early. I will be coming home in one week, next Thursday. I have decided that I do not want to stay in Italy until June. I followed my dream and took a huge chance by coming here. I was excited to come and after a few months of trying my hardest I realized that this is not the right thing for me, not in high school, not for this long, and not going to an Italian high school. There have been hard times, fun times, sad times, all types of times and I have learned a lot. I am glad my mom and dad said yes and let me follow my dream. I am glad I came and didn't just say, "No it will never happen." I am a little sad things didn't work out like I hoped, not for lack of trying, but I am content with my decision to come home. I will finish my senior year at home with my friends and family. I will start classes again on Feb. 1st, continue with Masque and Mime, I will be home for senior prom and graduation. I will start learning how to drive, go back to work and start saving money for college. I don't know what my next big thing is, but I want to enjoy what I have more because you never know what you have until it is gone. My little town might be boring with nothing to do, but I have my family and friends and they are the reason I love living there so much. Thank you for all of your support! All of you! Everyone talking with me, keeping my spirits up, helping me out, listening, understanding, everything. I could not have come this far without you. I still have dreams of traveling the world and doing things with my life, still unclear, but still plans and dreams the same.

I am enjoying my last few days in Italy and getting excited for coming home. I miss so much from America and home, things I never thought I would miss. I am going to have a little Christmas style party with my family, an Aly Christmas when I come home. I have come so far and grown so much as a person and realized some things are more important than others. Family would be number one. Some of my friends falling into that category and friends in general number two. Having these people in my life have made me who I am and helped me to get where I am. This trip has not changed me into someone else, but I have changed some, I am sure. I fear that I changed in some ways that my friends will not like and don't understand why, but I have a feeling it won't be that big of a change. Things could have gone better and far worse, but what happened, happened and all I can do is learn from it and move forward. I may not know why until later in my life, but staying as long as I have is better then not coming at all. I know some people will judge me for coming home early and I know some people are sad things didn't work out, but I am happy for the most part. I am 100% happy to come home and cannot wait. I know I will miss Italy some, but I will be back to see Italy my own way. Doing what I would like, going where I want and not having to worry about school and this program.

If I have learned anything, it is that you need to be happy with you and surround yourself with people who love you, doing what you love to do. You are the most important and no matter how crazy your dream may sound, do it! You will never know unless you take a chance and try. Somethings will not work and you might be heartbroken, but with time things get better and you move on. You learn and strive for something better while enjoying the most of what you have. Never give up because reaching your goal, your dream is one of the greatest feelings in the world and make you so much stronger.

December

Another month has passed and gone here in Italy. It is now January and a lot has happened since my last post (not the Christmas one, but in general). Well at the every end of November I moved to my friend's house and I am living with her and her family. I am still in southern Italy near Naples. I helped her family put up the Christmas tree, before December started. My host mom made all the decorations by hand. I am still going to the same school, not really doing much, but same school. Two other exchange students came to the school, but only for six weeks or so. Both are from Australia and are two amazing, nice girls. We are going to pen pals when we get back home. Mailing each other things that you can't find in America/Australia. I also worked on a project with the other American exchange student in my school. We made a powerpoint talking about American culture.

The beginning of the month was a hard one. Moving again, not sure if I wanted to stay in Italy or not, missing home and just being overwhelmed from everything. Luckily it was to my friends house so I already new her and the move was a little easier. With time things got better and I didn't cry everyday and I haven't cried in a while which is always nice.

School is still as boring as ever. Not doing anything in class, reading the text books to keep busy, and they are the wrong text books for the class because I didn't want to pay for the books. Around the middle of the month my host sister's boyfriend came down from Milan and stayed with us for a few days. He was able to drive us around a few times, but not too much because he didn't have his car.

On the 21st my host sister and I fly up to Milan to stay with her boyfriend for a few days. We were able to go to Switzerland and Milan and on the drive back to Caserta, where I am staying, we stopped in Rome for a few hours. It was a lot of fun staying with his family and just being able to go to so many places. He has been staying with us since the 24th, when we arrived home. Winter break does not end until January 9th, and we go back to classes on the 10th. January 12th is a school trip to Rome to see the Pope and the Vatican. It cost 20 Euros which is a pretty good deal, so thats where I will be on the 12th.

New Year went well, although it didn't feel too spectacular. We went to my Nonna's house for dinner and the count down. We watched the t.v. and the one station had live concerts and they did the count down from the concerts. Once it was midnight we all went to the balcony facing the road and lit fireworks. There were fireworks in the street, in the piazza, going off on the balcony setting the fake plants on fire. It was loud, but still fun. We also at lentils, which I think is a good luck/happy new year tradition, but I am not really sure.

December has been the best month of my stay here in Italy. I have had so much fun with my friend and I have enjoyed so much. Time has gone by so quickly because it is now three months complete months in and almost to my fourth!