coming soon

the rest of the details of my life. tomorrow.

21

Today just so happens to be my best friend's 21 birthday. I wish I could be with you on this special day, but I can't wait to see you in less than a month! You've made these past two and a half years the best of my whole life and I can't wait to continue to see what else you've got up your sleeve. I hope you have a great day and I also hope you like your Don Draper-esque American present (not to be confused with your soon-to-be Italian present). I love you so much & call me when you wake up!

Go to my profile on google+ and look at the video I posted!

Ps. I initially had a nice section of the video where I talked to you and said most of what I just mentioned above, however, I realized I have a squeaky annoying voice so I had to delete it. Also there might be a section where you can't read a note but it's supposed to say "As he grew older he discovered coffee ice cream." Hope that makes more sense, I didn't know how to fix it.

Hope this made you cry like the other one... 

paste di colazione...

Italian food is clearly delicious; I don't think anyone could disagree with that. But I want to take this time to vent about how frustrated I am with the lack of breakfast in this country. We as Americans are told "breakfast is the most important meal of the day." There are countless ads that explain that you won't lose weight by skipping breakfast, that breakfast jump starts your metabolism in the morning, that breakfast is good for you, etc. But here in Italy, they don't care. Breakfast here is about convenience. And by convenience I don't mean a sausage biscuit on the go. Breakfast equals a croissant, pastry, muffin, or even a piece of bread. That's it; no meat, no eggs, no potatoes--just bread. We were shocked by the inadequacy of the first Florentine hotel we stayed in upon arrival to the city. They had a complimentary breakfast that we were very excited about, however, after being seated by our waiter and munching on the basket of bread he brought to the table, we sat waiting for thirty minutes until we finally asked if we could get a menu and order our breakfast. He said, "Well, that is your breakfast." We looked down at the now empty basket of bread and were astonished. That was our breakfast? This hotel must be terrible in comparison to others, we assumed. But it wasn't just our crummy hotel. No one here eats more than a piece of bread or pastry for breakfast. Back in Texas, breakfast is my favorite meal. Croissant sandwich with bacon, eggs, and cheese. McDonald's sausage biscuit with cheese and a small orange juice. Quickie breakfast with bacon, egg, and cheese. Hash browns. Grits. White toast. Pancakes with butter and maple syrup. Eggs Benedict with crab meat. Lox and bagel with cream cheese and capers. Spinach Bacon Mushroom Omelet. Or my favorite: the All Star Breakfast at Waffle House. The lack of breakfast has been the root of almost all the culture shock I've noticed while in Italy; but more on that later.

Most of all, breakfast is a time to catch up with friends. Just like dinner. This meal should not be inferior to the other two central meals of the day. Try to replicate the sensation you feel when you walk into the kitchen in the morning and pour yourself a cup of coffee and the smell bacon permeates the room.

 Why not enjoy the morning just as we enjoy the night? I must admit, breakfast has become more important to me over the years. But maybe that's because I--like the Italians--never stopped to realize how great breakfast makes you feel. After a good breakfast, I am ready and excited for the rest of my day. 

My favorite breakfast of all time is on Christmas morning. As my parents and I arrive at my grandmother's house, I can distinctly remember walking through the front doors and being engulfed by the smell of Grandma's Christmas Casserole and her Monkey Bread. The grandchildren weren't allowed to open Christmas presents until we all ate our breakfast together. So we sat around the big table and laughed and talked while we ate breakfast. 

America, I miss you. Because you serve breakfast 24 hours a day. Because you have protein in your breakfast. And because you celebrate breakfast every day.

so long summer

This will probably be my last post involving summer-y pictures; fall is approaching and is much awaited.

Capri

Scary ride to the Blue Grotto

The Blue Grotto- one of the Natural Wonders of the World

Dolce & Gabbana light blue

Waving man!

Angry

Campari e aranche

This summer has been amazing; but Fall will be really unique now that I'm in a place where there are real seasons.  I just packed away all my summer clothes and brought out the sweaters. Can't wait to get cozy as I prepare for seemingly endless presentations, papers, and midterms..

the best in the world

The best part about my semester abroad thus far has been the realization of how amazing life is. When you sit back and think about how big the world is and how much you haven't seen and how many people you haven't met, it really is overwhelming. Standing at the top of the small town of San Gimignano, I looked out beyond the city walls and was taken aback by how beautiful the world is. I was standing on the set of Under the Tuscan Sun; it was exactly how you would imagine Tuscany to be--there was even a local man playing his guitar. Considering I read Beppe Severgnini's La Bella Figura: The Field Guide to the Italian Mind before coming to Italy, I didn't have high expectations of the Tuscan countryside. In the book he regrettably admits that Tuscany isn't the picturesque haven that you might imagine, but rather an extremely industrial place with people that are not enthusiastic about the romance and beauty of their surroundings. He is either wrong, or I really misinterpreted his words. My guess is the latter, considering the scenery is impossible to miss.

Here's a sneak peak into my fabulous weekend in Siena and San Gimignano! I'm endlessly surprised by how fantastic every day in Italy is.

Tri Delta District!

Go frogs

A beautiful view with the best gelato in the world

And of course the pictures of my delicious food at the Villa San Michele Restaurant for Wesley's birthday.

Antipasto

Ravioli stuffed with fig & pheasant with white truffle sauce

Lobster with Risotto

Sea Bass

Pot of Veggies

Birthday cake with sugar rose

Dolci

Nighttime view from Fiesole

Slowlyyyy

Fruity