As midterms come to a close and fall break approaches, all anyone can think about is Europe. Milan, Madrid, Barcelona, Florence, Paris, and Amsterdam – these are among the places to which some of my classmates are going. As much as I’ve emphasized traveling in my previous blog posts, I want to instead devote this one to pointing out the importance of staying in one place.
This weekend I visited Rome with one of my roommates. Besides Cinque Terre and Milan, Rome is definitely my new favorite Italian location. It was a big city, but still filled with culture, and it was also relaxing which was very nice. We stayed with her extended Italian family members in their apartment in the city. They were so kind and it was so great to have a home cooked meal, and of course great tour guides! Only one of them spoke English so we also worked on out Italian A LOT this weekend, which was really fun.
We went to Tuscany last weekend and it was beyond beautiful! We stayed in Siena and I fell in love with the deep colors and uneven cobblestone that lined the city. It really took you back in time and made you appreciate the Italian culture. We went out to two amazing Italian style dinners with IES Abroad and it was a great bonding time for our program.
20.20 Uhr
“Call me Barb.” I said as the kids arrived at Camp Longbridge. It was Halloween weekend according to Kate, and we were going to do it big—pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, bobbin’ for apples, and a haunted cellar!
On Friday afternoon, the adventure began when I met Anna at the Hauptbahnhof to make our way to Switzerland. We had both applied to be camp counselors at Longbridge, where Swiss German kids go to practice their English language and develop a sense of English-speaking cultures.
I know, I know. It really shouldn’t take me a week just to upload the second part of a two-part post. I never said I was perfect, but, if it makes you feel any better, I’ve been having some (ongoing) internet problems here.
It’s partly a blessing because it forces me to actually leave my comfortable homestay and go and out and, you know, interact with real live people.
But I recognize the adverse effects on the Blog and I apologize.
Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Kia Ora,
Here is one of my many new poems I have been working on. This one I actually wrote today, but I think the first draft is pretty decent. I hope you feel the same.
The Last Resort
I blink
Slowly
My eyes closed
I see paintings
On the backs
Of my eyelids
Long yellow waves
Of the farmers handiwork
And the yellow leaves
Kissing their families goodbye
As they finally let go
And fall to the Earth
