Honeymooning It

So when we first arrived in Florence everyone (and by everyone I mean our advisors) told us that we were going to be in the "Honeymoon" phase. Apparently, this was the phase where everything would feel like rainbows and butterflies. I remember thinking to myself that if that was what a honeymoon felt like there was no way I was going to get married. Alright, I know I am being a tad dramatic but things were definitely not easy. I guess I sort of expected everything to be perfect right away, so when it wasn't, I didn't know what to do. But I've learned one very important lesson from all of it...everything takes time. And that is exactly what I needed...TIME. I can honestly say that I have officially hit the honeymoon stage. Alright, so what if it took me a month? The important thing is that IT'S HERE and I couldn't be happier than I am right now. These past couple weeks have been such a whirlwind and ya sometimes I feel like I don't have one second to breathe...but that's the best part of it all.

Anyway, here are some of the things I did with my life these past few weeks:

1: Climbed the Duomo
If you are claustrophobic this is not an adventure for you. But for those of you who don't mind a zillion steps up a winding staircase, the view is worth all of it.

2: Took an obnoxious photo at Pisa
Everyone needs at least one. Yes, you look like a moron...and yes, so does everyone else.

3: Fell in love with a sandwich...and a sandwich man

There is only one Italian man who can make me swoon and that would be...the sandwich man. He makes me a sandwich the size of my head and puts whatever he thinks I would like on it. Needless to say I love it (and him).  Che Bellissimo!

4: Celebrated Carnevale at ViaReggio

Who needs Venice when you could celebrate with a bunch of Furries? If you don't know what a Furry is, TLC is clearly not one of your favorite channels.

5: Ate the entire world...and then some...

See me in the background? That was Courtney vs. Cookie. I won.

6: CELEBRATED MY 21ST BIRTHDAY

And apparently put a sparkler in my mouth? I guess brains don't come with age.

Foodie Friday

     So here comes parte due (like my italian?) of Courtney pretending she is a Food Network correspondent. I mean a girl can dream right? I literally cannot rave enough about the food I have eaten today and it has put me in the greatest of moods. As mildly pathetic as I just made myself sound, my hope is that by sharing my food finds, other people will try it out for themselves and have their own little pick-me-up. So up first: The Oil Shoppe.

I have heard a lot of great things about this place so it has definitely been at the top of my hit list. And awesome news guys...it's only ten minutes from my apartment. The Oil Shoppe has an endless amount of possibilities. They have over 20 preset paninis to choose from but you can even make your own if you want. You have a choice of one meat, one cheese, three vegetables and a sauce. Amazing, right? I literally had the hardest time deciding what to order because everything sounded just so good. I finally chose to have a panini with chicken, mozzarella, pesto, lettuce and tomato. You get a choice of 3 different breads as well. Like usual I opted for the whole wheat. They also have salads, fries, onion rings and desserts there too if you aren't in the mood for a panini, but anyway back to my sandwich.

look at that baby.

As expected the panini was delicious and the pesto really made it wonderful. It was quickly inhaled, no doggy bag needed. What made it taste even better was that it was just 4 euro for such a generous portion. Err Panera Bread who? I was also given a frequent user card aka after you buy 10 paninis you get one free. Sadly, for my body's sake that free panini may not be too far away from my future. I already know that the next time I go, I am ordering the grilled cheese with sauteed mushrooms and truffle sauce. Oh yeah.

Even though I was so satisfied from my lunch at the Oil Shoppe...my next target was the Florence Chocolate Festival. I have been anticipating the start of this all week. It is ten days long. TEN DAYS. I'm screwed.

It was free samples galore and I was loving every second of it. I tried chocolate liquor, basil chocolate (awesome), lavender chocolate, hazelnut cream chocolate, yadda, yadda, yadda. Everything was so tempting. Basically a girl's dream come true. They had fondue, dried fruit covered in chocolate, hot chocolate aka melted chocolate in a cup. Once again I had the hardest time trying to figure out what to purchase but THEN I spotted some girls eating this beauty.

DONE AND DONE.

Lauren and I quickly pounced and ordered our own. It was a fudgey brownie/cake with an orange jelly in the middle and steaming chocolate poured all over the top. I can't even put into words how absolutely delicious this was. There was chocolate on my face, chocolate on my hands/gloves/ teeth...basically all over EVERYTHING. Apparently I turned into an animal and could not control myself. I can only imagine what I looked like eating this thing but sadly I'm kind of okay with that. It is a blessing and a curse that I pass this festival on the way to my classes...but I mean lets be real...it's mostly a blessing.

(that's the face of the happiest girl in the world)

Ciao!

When in France...Eat Fries?

     You know those moments in life that are so completely ridiculous that you think to yourself "this can't possibly be happening right now" and thus it leaves you questioning all reality? Well...I think it's safe to say that I had quite my fill of those moments this weekend. As part of the study abroad package I guess you could call it, we are granted the opportunity to go on two different excursions. My first excursion was this past weekend and we made the trip to Monaco, Nice and the French Riviera. Let me start by saying that a 4AM wake-up call is rough, and even more so when you resemble a pack mule and it takes you over 20 minutes to walk to the bus. Once we were on the bus, everyone passed out and to be honest the 5-hour trip to Monaco flew by. We picked up our tour guide Bernadette along the way (although I swear the bus never completely stopped moving) and she pointed out some pretty cool stuff, ie: the exact spot Grace Kelly met her demise, morbid huh?  Once we were off of the bus, we also walked by a place of happier times for Grace Kelly, the Cathedral where her and Prince Rainier III of Monaco got married, and then we saw the changing of the guards. As you can imagine Monaco is absolutely stunning.

Unfortunately, we didn't have the opportunity to walk around Monte Carlo and channel the Selena Gomez movie because we were starving and lets just say it took us awhile, and by awhile I actually mean the whole time, to find a place that would serve the nine of us. BUT hey I got to eat a crepe and I mean we did get this view of it. Better than nothing, right?

    So next destination: Nice. This is where our second stop and hotel was for the night. We could not be more excited for a HOT SHOWER and French television. I immediately flipped on any channel. Ironically, the Amanda Knox lifetime movie was on, but I didn't care because it was TELEVISION and well I haven't seen that invention since I left America. It was also so so nice to be able to steam up a bathroom and have water pressure that consisted of more than a dribble. We all lied around until it was time to go to the dinner that LDM set up for us...this is where it gets good. We were told that we were going to be served a traditional French dinner, with an appetizer, entree and dessert. Being hungry college kids who have been stuck on a bus for hours, we were delighted with the prospect of promised vegetables and a free French meal. In reality the restaurant moved us all in and out within 30 minutes, our vegetables were French Fries, the wine may have actually been balsamic vinegar and the dessert was a pastry made of an ambiguous fruit (maybe pineapple? maybe mango?). It was the most absurd experience ever and our table was dumbfounded. Let me illustrate the scene for you with some pictures.

So all in all Nice was a bust and not nice at all (get it? heh). Well actually I shouldn't say that because we went to a casino and it was so pretty on the beach in the morning.

But our next stop was Saint Paul and then Cannes and I loved both especially Cannes. In Cannes, Amanda and I got separated from everyone and decided to eat at a real French restaurant and avoid any form of a french fry. Let me tell you, french fries were on every menu. Who knew they were so popular in France? I mean I know the word "french" is in the name and all but I really thought it was just an American thing, whoops. Anyway, we found this lovely restaurant called "La Plage" where everyone was so sweet. We ended up eating things I would never eat in America aka fried baby fish and sea bass (err desperate times???).

Trust me they tasted a lot better then they look (try to ignore the eyes). It was also really cool to go to the red carpet where the Cannes film festival is held. 

So afterwards we made a couple of more stops in France and then finally made our journey back to Firenze. They played "Me, Myself & Irene" for us on the bus, which I'm pretty sure is the strangest choice ever but I'm not complaining. So all in all, despite the "wtf" moments, the trip was beautiful, cold (emphasis on the cold) and something we are all going to look back on and laugh about.

Avoir!

Gusta Pizza

     If you are as big of a fan of the Food Network as I am, then surely you have seen the show "The Best Thing I Ever Ate." For those of you who aren't familiar, please turn on your televisions now. It is basically a show where everyone's favorite Food Network stars and chefs, like Bobby Flay, Ted Allen and Giada De Laurentiis (just to name a few) share their favorite dishes from restaurants all across America. Each show is catered to a theme like "Best Fried Chicken" or "Best Dessert." The concept is simple yet brilliant. It is easily one of my favorites to watch and it always leaves me hungry a.k.a I've learned to never watch it at night.

     So as you all know, I am Food Network deprived here in Florence. My hours of watching "Diners. Drive-In's and Dives," "Paula's Home Cooking" and "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" are no more, at least for now. So, my solution you ask? Pretend I'm in my own version of the show...PIZZA edition. Before I even arrived here I was told to go to Gusta Pizza. Everyone assured me that it would be the best pizza I would ever eat so I knew I had to make it my mission to go as soon as possible...and well today my mission was complete guys. Despite the fact that it was flurrying outside, five of my housemates and I (with wrist wallet strapped on) made our journey across the river. It was about a 10-15 minute walk and I may have lost feeling in my face but it was worth every second of it.

There was a bit of a long line when we first arrived since Gusta has made quite the name for itself. When it was our turn, we ordered six Margherita pizzas and waited anxiously since we were all starving (and excited). Finally, our number was called and I'm pretty sure we immediately started scarfing down our food, once pictures were finished of course.

The pizzas were such a generous portion. Everything about it was just delicious. The pizza tasted so so fresh and was light on the stomach. PERFECTION. All of the flavors were just so in sync with each other. I sound crazy trying to describe it but I wish I could share a piece with all of you. I could have easily finished the whole thing in one sitting but I decided to take half of it home to enjoy another time...or in about an hour from now. I will definitely be making a trip back very soon. And hey if you ever find yourself in Firenze definitely check it out, you won't be disappointed!

A Little Wrap Up Before Bed

After an interesting weekend shall we say, I figured a bulleted blog post would do the job. It's been four days and let me tell you I have learned a heck of a lot. Hmmm so where do i begin...

Alright

• Drivers in Italy are CRAZY. New York City taxi drivers don't hold a candle to them actually.
• The streets are one giant game of Frogger. We are the frogs.
• Appreciate hot water and microwaves and well light for that matter.
• Comfy shoes are your best friend, heels are not.
• They absolutely love Nesquik and The Simpsons here...err maybe too much?

• There will never be a shortage of gelato and it is way better than ice cream.
• Don't go out to a bar the night before school orientation (it doesn't end well).

• You will walk everywhere. Hello cardio workout.
• I can compare Italian boys to pigs and dogs and sharks and uh essentially every other animal.
• Tutto 99 is like Dollar Tree, so pretty much it's a magical wonderland.
• Wine can be purchased anywhere and I mean anywhere. Cheers.

• Tomatoes and eggs are so delicious here. Probably the lack of hormones.
• Expect to get lost. That is why they invented maps. Best purchase ever.
• Secret Bakeries are awesome...and sketchy...did I mention awesome?
• Skype is a Godsend.

But most importantly

• ITALY HAS CRIPSY M&M'S and I plan to buy in bulk ;)

Not Real Life.

     After the LONGEST DAY OF MY LIFE I am finally here in Florence! Trust me, I make no exaggeration when I say the LONGEST. The first plane we took was 7 hours to Munich, Germany, the land of pretzels and beer. I am so thankful to have had Britni sitting right across the aisle from me to hold my hand because I sure as hell crushed it. The flight wasn’t bad at all though. I never thought that would come out of my mouth, I mean it may be the wine talking, but I mainly talked the entire time, which calmed my nerves massively. I’m not gonna lie I really enjoyed the food too. Everyone has horror stories about plane food but clearly they did not have what I did. Good job Lufthansa. I opted for the chicken dish with mashed potatoes and chocolate mousse. Fancy, huh? We got reaaaally lucky with our first flight but then came the 3-1/2 hour layover, which felt like an eternity. As nice as the Munich airport was there's only so much one can do. We were all just so anxious to get to Florence until we saw the second plane. It was small and fat and there was more luggage then that plane definitely could hold. For some reason I was miserable on that flight and I don’t know why. It’s not like it was ultra bumpy or anything, I think it was just a combination of a lot of things. I’ll spare you the details of the next part. Long story short, there was lost luggage, nausea, tears, a crazy taxi, no keys, 100 stairs and broken backs. But that’s all in the past. It could only go up from there (right?)

     Last night a bunch of us went out to dinner. Wine was obviously ordered, as was penne and mini meatballs in a lemon sauce. It was such a cute place and they sat us in a back private room. I had my first gelato afterwards even though I was stuffed from dinner.  I got a strawberry cake flavor. The name of it was obviously a lot longer but I don’t remember it at all. Delicious nonetheless.

     So I’m now sitting in my living room with my housemates.  Our house is beautiful. We have a roof top balcony that looks over Florence and I live with 7 other girls. You could tell it is one of the older apartments. Aside from a smelly fridge, no water pressure, broken dishwasher, non working burners and no hot water, things are finally starting to get somewhat settled here. We are unpacked and groceries have been bought (just a little for now). There are still sooo many things to do and figure out and it is so so so overwhelming (culture shock anyone?) but I think we are going out tonight, which is exciting. But before that the game plan is siesta and an icy shower!

Holy Shit.

      I was trying to think of a word to describe how I was feeling right now but then I realized I could only come up with two. Spoiler alert: it's the title of this post (sorry mom). Okay I know they are not the most appropriate of words and I was even thinking of substituting the “i” with an asterisk or some crazy symbols but I thought that writing the actual word would be more effective. Actually I’m pretty sure "Holy shit" could start any sentence I could make right now like, “Holy shit I'm about to study abroad in Florence for four months" or “Holy shit I’m going to be on a plane for over nine hours.” See?

    

     It has been such an overwhelming mix of emotions this past month and I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a really big knot in my stomach right now. Don't get me wrong it's not a bad knot or anything, I think it's just more of a nervous/excited one. At this point I feel like I've talked about abroad for so long and yet for some reason it still doesn't feel like real life. My best guess is that it sure as heck will once I am sitting on that plane. Oye. First of all, I am terrified of flying. Yes, I’ve been on a plane before but not for nearly as long. I also have no idea who I will be sitting next to. I really hope they don’t mind a stranger grabbing their hand/wrist/shirt/face upon take off because I can’t make any guarantees and things could get awkward real fast. I mean I will try to keep my hands to myself since society generally tells us to, but once that moment comes I take no responsibility for the actions that will ensue. I’ll plead temporary insanity. Now I don’t know much Italian (actually I don’t know any) but I do know the word VINO, and yes that will be ordered. For two reasons. 1: because I can and 2: because I will desperately need it. Despite the fact that I now sound like an alcoholic and a crazy, I promise I will not be channeling the scene from Bridesmaids because I really can’t afford to be “that girl.” And if you’ve seen the movie you’ll know what I am talking about and if you haven’t...well... 

     Anyway there are so many things that I am scared of aside from the whole flying thing, like not having my cup of coffee to go every morning and not seeing my parents. But there are also sooo many more things that I am SO excited about. I know that this semester abroad will be life changing and I will miss my family, friends, Marist (and Frankenstein) unbelievably, but this really is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I am so grateful for. I hope to do as much as I possibly can and I also hope to keep up with this blog so that I have something to look back on. Well now that I got all of the sap out of the way I think this is where my first blog post ends and I promise the next will be much more exciting...I’ll even put in pictures (now if that doesn't excite you).

So wish me luck and ciao America! <3

Courtney