Archives: Trains to Anywhere (09/25/2006) May 26, 2008

My week away from Rome was a crazy adventure in many senses. It started out all right. We (my two travel buddies and I) went to Siena first, for the day, where it rained. The rain, however, was not to bad. Just a pain in the butt. Then, we decided to take an earlier train into Venice. The night train was a bad idea, but this might have been slightly worst. We met two random boys at the Venice Train Station (St. Lucia), which was actually the best part. Then, while trying to find their hostel, we got lost in Venice. Then, because we had no hostel (since we had planned to sleep on the night train), we slept in a tunnel in the rain. Record setting rain, in fact. Needless to say, we were soaked. We arrived in Milan on one piece, but someone’s money got stolen, so she had to head home with my other travel buddy. So I headed alone to Florence. It was absolutely stunning.

Now, I am back in Rome, and it is raining again. Seriously, what a let down. Let’s hope that my next trip works out better. Knock on wood.

Archives: Rome (08/25/2006) May 26, 2008

Ciao! I made it to Rome around 18.15 local time on Wednesday. It took longer than I expected, but I have tried the gelato and the tortellini and the white wine. I do not have much time to write now, but perhaps when the internet at the Residence is fixed, I can write from there instead of from the Study Center.

Archives: Reminiscent (07/22/2006) May 26, 2008

God, I love to reminisce. I wonder why my family has been doing that a lot lately, over dinner, during drives, while watching television. I think that my parents will miss my sister and myself, when she’s in Boston and I’m in Rome. It’s a strange feeling, to know that she’s going away. I mean, I know that I am leaving, too, but I feel like this is no longer my real home anyway. I’ve been going down to San Diego for two years now, and yes, Rome will be a completely new experience, but nothing has been permanent in my life for a while. I always get a little choked-up when we start putting things in boxes, because that means it’s time to move on. And as much as I embrace change, I resist it. The secret to change is coping. I know that I got into UCSD because they thought I could cope … and succeed. The same with Rome. I wouldn’t have gotten into the program if they didn’t like what I brought to the table.

I’m coping with life … and I’m loving every minute.

Archives: Preparations (07/16/2006) May 26, 2008

“Rome is the city of echoes, the city of illusions, and the city of yearning.” — Giotto di Bondone

I start with this quote because I am thrilled to have the opportunity to study in Rome this fall. Simultaneously, I am apprehensive. There are so many things I want to do, so many things I want to see, so much of my life to discover. I am leaving in five weeks, and what am I doing? Cleaning my room and watching a Rick Steves DVD that I checked out at my local library. (Library DVDs are possibly the best deal I have ever encountered.) I just feel … panicky. All of a sudden, I find myself worrying about the classes in which I enrolled. I am worrying about laundry, shoes, and costs.

I am doing far too much worrying and not enough enjoying. I am right by San Francisco for five more weeks (even if those weeks do include some cashiering work, hopefully). I ought to enjoy my time at home. My departure will be both joyous and bittersweet, but that is a while away. I’m worried about leaving my family though. At times, my extended family just feels so unstable. At other times, it feels as if there could be nothing better than a meal with my grandparents.

I feel like I’ve gone far enough with this entry. This is just the beginning of my travels.

mi manca roma April 30, 2008

Rome at Night

By IAN FISHER

Published: April 20, 2008

At night, the city is lit like a theater, and in the warmer months, it should be enjoyed like one.

I wish I were back there, but I figure, in time, I will be.

March 9, 2008

I don’t know why I love this video so much.

Anyway, this week looks to be stressful. I hope to jam through the rest of the projects I have to do. In a week, there are also final exams, so it’s almost over! Holy crap!

And then … D.C. and Boston! My new carrot at the end of the stick, besides yarn that I made my roommate hide. That’s a whole ‘nother subject. Really wondering whether I should just combine this blog and my knitting blog. Separating my life is horribly difficult, I think. That, and am I really that interesting? Then again, perhaps this one is just lots of inspiration and cool tidbits. Chi sa? (Who knows?)

the road before us January 15, 2008

This is a pattern … me, on my floor, procrastinating on something I want to do and know that I can indeed do. I’m just … stuck. I wonder whether I put myself into this situation, this was inevitable, or both. No matter. It’s now the problem of digging myself out of this hole and not consuming an entire package of Saltines. I have forgotten how salty these things really are. I feel that if I were a snail or a slug, I would shrivel right up/implode just at the sight. Whoo!

Anyway, I suppose not much has changed since last year. Yes, I’m getting older, and perhaps I have some better idea of where I’m going, but the future still looms, yet it is a distant fantasy. It’s like the side view mirrors of the car. Objects are closer than they appear. So here I am, laptop in lap, really, typing away toward my future. The road is endless, but but I’m in need of a rest stop, and I’m not sure where that next exit will take me. At least, I think, I have over a year to figure this out. I really think that this whole double-major thing is a procrastination tactic. Story of my life, eh? At least I cop to it.

let’s never stop falling in love December 9, 2007

The world won’t stop changing, and I can’t blame it. I’d rather have it keep moving and keep going, and yeah, I don’t want to stop. I desperately wish I could still be in Rome, but if I were, my life would have changed in such different ways. I wouldn’t have gotten a job, I wouldn’t have gone to New York, I wouldn’t have lived with Kimi, and I certainly wouldn’t be the same person. All of the challenges that life has put before me have been worth the struggle. Everything I am is a product of who I was. Everything I will become is all part of who I am now. Life is like a game of Jenga — you keep building upwards with what you’ve already got and you pray for balance.

now and then October 29, 2007

Last year, I was in Barcelona, hanging out with Irene.

This year, I was cooped up in San Diego, hoping to God that we weren’t going to burn.

Needless to say, I’m very much alive, but due to the fire, we canceled an entire week of class. We’re now behind, and it was both a relief and a stress. Now, I’ve got a ton of stuff due this coming week, so it’s just go-go-go for me. Can’t win ‘em all.

Oh, and if that weren’t depressing enough, “American kids, dumber than dirt”?

I really do need to make more time for blogging. I enjoy it so.

flashback October 18, 2007

San Giovanni in Laterano (St. John the Lateran)

Almost a year ago, I wrote this in my LJ:

All right, so I’ve been a slack at posting. We still don’t have internet at the residence, so I’m using the internet at the study center. Talk about a pain in the butt. To that end, if you call me on Skype, I’ll get it on my cell phone? So call away people, but let’s keep it short, because my phone credits always run out fast.

Okay, so life has been crazy. Not too much drama, I suppose, but I have found that I tend toward one roommate more than the other. It’s natural, I know, and this situation pales in comparison to freshman year at UCSD, so really, I feel like I’m doing well. I haven’t been sleeping well, though, and everything that makes me stress out gives me a nervous stomach and I can’t eat. Gah, I just need to get over these nerves. Right in the middle of my stay. Honestly!

That brings me to another thing. We have passed the halfway point. It’s hard to believe that we have less than two months left, and it’s equally hard to believe that over two months have passed. It’s more surreal than anything else, and I’ll miss Rome when I come home, but I don’t think it’s the love of my life. It’s just not quite me, but hey, I’m working on it. There are days when I wish the world around me would stop … but that’s not going to happen anytime soon.

Anyway, midterms were this week. I had two yesterday, and there’s one more tomorrow night. Then it’s off to the soup kitchen. Thursday morning, I have a group oral exam in Italian, and then I’m done.

So … the exciting part! Thursday evening, I depart for Barcelona! I’m staying for three nights with Irene, then on Sunday evening I depart for Budapest. In Budapest, I’m staying through until November 2, then it’s off to Berlin for the last leg, then back home to Rome on the 5th. At … oooh … 7 in the morning. That will suck. Other than that, I’m relieved to have a break from Rome, as lovely as it is. I’m just so stressed right now, and I feel like I’m doing all right, but I just want to push myself harder, and I feel like I’m at the point of breaking. I know I can’t break, and I know I just have to hold on and breathe, but there are those moments when I feel like I’m suffocating. Those moments pass, though, and I’m just back to being me.

Life is crazy. End of story.