Stephanie va a Firenze!

Our flight from Dublin back to Italy flew to Torino so I met up with Stephanie. Michelle was visiting Stephanie that same weekend so I got to see both of their lovely faces! When we booked our flight into Torino, we were thinking about seeing Torino and then catching a train to Geneva and then back to Florence. But by the time we were back in Italy, all of us were exhausted and quite sick of each other so we just wanted to go home. Steph decided to come down to Florence with us and Michelle said it was too expensive and just took the train back to Milan. 

Steph modeling her new leather jacket.

I took Steph to all of my favorite places in Florence. We tried to get heart pizzas from Gustas but it was so crowded that night that even Steph's beauty wasn't enough to charm them. In the morning, I took her to News Cafe and we got to enjoy our daily dosage of cappuccino and brioche. I gave her my historical and art tours of Florence and that night, we got some secret bakery goodness. YUM! Steph spent a fortune, buying all things leather--leather jacket, leather boots, and a leather purse. I'm glad she had the chance to see and love the very city that I fell in love with. Hope you love Florence just as much as I love it Steph! <3 Thanks for visiting! 

Spring Break: Brussels, Amsterdam, and Dublin

My Spring Break, sadly to say, was like a nightmare coming true. It was a lot of fun, a lot of stress, too much cold, and a tiny spark of drama. Well you know what they say about traveling with friends. It can either make the experience or break it. In this case, it broke it. 

I tend to enjoy more spontaneous adventures and having things unplanned so that the magic can work but the two friends I was doing Spring Break were the exact opposite and preferred to have things planned. Not to mention that all three of us had very different interests so it made it even more difficult to plan things. We started in Brussels, Belgium and even though it was late March by this time, it was snowing and beyond cold. We had to lug our duffel bags around with us the entire day and we got lost...a lot. We were on such a time crunch in Brussels that we didn't get to see or do much but we ate BELGIAN WAFFLES and FRIES. 

The ultimate tourist waffle: Belgian waffle doused with Nutella, slices of banana, and sprinkled with chocolate drizzle and sprinkles. YUM :B

With my Belgian fries :B 

We took Megabus from Brussels to Amsterdam, which I highly recommend if you're interested in budget traveling (it only cost us 8€!) Amsterdam is probably one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen but one that I would never want to return to just because of the experience I had. Since Holland is one of the big banking regions in Europe, they only accepted cards with chips in them. Long story short, none of our cards worked and only my card got rejected by every ATM. Next thing I knew, I was out of cash because I had spotted for some people and they paid me back by paying for other expenses. Traveling is never fun when you're broke because you're constantly surrounded by things you can't do, see, or eat because you can't afford any of it. BUT it wasn't all bad. My friend Mike from Pacific was traveling Amsterdam at the same time so Marie and I went out to meet with him and grab a beer. He took us around the Red Light District and my heart sank so much when I saw those girls, so young and beautiful, selling themselves. Even though I knew it was their choice and decision to go into prostitution, I just couldn't stop thinking of what would make them even consider that to be a choice for their lives. It was just so heartbreaking. To my shock, the Red Light District is one of the most beautiful parts of Amsterdam, with the canals glistening from the light of the moon. The next day, we ventured into Den Haag and Leiden to meet up with one of Marie's sorority sisters, Fien. Thank you so much Fien for everything! On our last day in Amsterdam, we went to see the Anne Frank House. My heart was so heavy just imagining two families living in such a small space, praying for the day that they would be free to wander around without persecution. I never appreciated Anne Frank's diary when I was younger but looking back to it now, I can really say that she was an admirable and brave young woman. Afterwards, we wandered around Amsterdam looking for fresh stroopwafels and after a few hours and the help of the many Dutch people we asked, we finally found them! 

With Mike in front of the Red Light District in Amsterdam.

In Leiden.

My favorite and best part of the trip was probably in Dublin. I love the Irish. They are so friendly and jolly! Maybe it was their cheerfulness that lifted my spirits. Compared to Brussels and Amsterdam, Dublin was a lot warmer so it made sight-seeing a lot more bearable. We went on a walking tour of the city and we were welcomed with a 100,000 welcomes, or "Cead Mile Falite" as they say in Gaelic. We did the Guinness Factory tour, a must if you ever visit Dublin even if you don't like beer or Guinness. In Ireland, we did more spontaneous and unplanned things, and went our own ways. By this time, we were kind of starting to get sick of each other (don't travel with friends!). Another one of Marie's sorority sisters who goes to Trinity College met up with us to show us around Dublin at bit. We had the best pub food at O'Neills :B noms. The next day, we took a bus tour to see the Cliffs of Mohr, another must if you visit Ireland. Our bus driver was so jolly (the Irish!) and he made every second, minute, and hour of the tour as enjoyable as possible. Even though it was a wee bit chilly, seeing the ocean made me think of home and long for those sunny days at the beach again. Ireland is filled with so much magic that everyone can't help but be charmed by it. 

Sippin on my Guinness during the Guinness Factory tour!

Marie creepin on my Guiness.

The girls exploring Galway! 

Cliffs of Mohr

After ten days of traveling with two girls that travel on a different pace than I do, I realized how important travel buddies were. I love both Madeline and Marie as friends but let me just say that I probably could never do a trip with the both of them ever again. But exploring these parts of Europe were an adventure in itself and I'm glad I had the opportunity to experience it. Thanks Jesus! <3

Top of the World!

So I heard a rumor that the cupolla of the Duomo was going to be closed off after Easter for the next three years for restoration. This news was very disappointing to me because it was my plan to say good-bye to the city on my last couple of days in Florence by climbing the dome. I didn't want to miss my chance to climb the Duomo since I doubt I'll be able to make it back to Florence anytime soon so right before we (Marie, Madeline, myself and Ben) left for Spring Break, we decided to climb to the top! Over 400 steps later, we made it to the TOP! 

Climbing the stairs up the Duomo! Here with Marie creeping up on me! 

Giotto's campanile from the top of the Duomo. 

From L to R: Madeline, Marie, Ben, and myself.

I apologize for not being more attentive to this blog during my Spring semester in Florence. But now that it's finally summer and I have a lot more time on my hands, I will be writing posts and uploading pictures. So stay posted! <3

Playing Catch-Up

I'm very sorry to all of my readers for not keeping up with my blogposts! I promise to try my best to update this at least once a week! hehe

So much has happened since the semester started that I don't know where to begin. We're going into our fifth week of school which means I haven't blogged for five weeks and midterms and SPRING BREAK is just around the corner! God has blessed me with so much this semester and everyday I wake up with more reasons to continue thanking Him for what he's done for me. For the first time (EVER), my close group of friends are all Christians. My roommate Madeline and I go to church and Bible study together and although at times it feels weird, I'm glad to have someone who will push me to go to Church when I have those days when I don't feel like it. Having such a close group of friends who share the same faith as me has made being abroad much more easier. My heart weeps when I meet other study abroad students who long to get "blacked out" and "shit-faced" drunk every night. There's nothing wrong with drinking but why would anyone want to wake up the next morning not remembering what they did the night before? 

Looking back at my photos, I'm coming to the realization that I've done so much within the first half of my semester! I went to Venezia for Carnevale and got to visit the islands of Murano and Burano. I visited Steph in Torino the same weekend that Mike was visiting her so I got to see another Italian city and see two great friends at the same time. I also got to revisit Pisa and take my touristy photo and see Joyce and Guido again in Montecatini. I went to Rome to have my own Lizzie McGurie adventure and I got to see Papa while I was there! But what makes me so happy about this semester is being able to fellowship with everyone from Church. Just last weekend, the weather was so beautiful and EVERYONE was able to come out to Cascine Park. It was so wonderful to be able to have a mini picnic and sing praises to Him. And the most amazing thing was being able to see how our worship to the Lord was immediately changing the atmosphere in the park. People kept looking our way to see what those "strange Americans" were doing and I know God will work wonders in all those who were there at the park that day. 

Last weekend, I had a mini breakdown. On Friday, my wallet was stolen again for the second time. This week was such a struggle to get through because I was running low on food and I had absolutely no money. Everyday was a test to my faith and trust in God. I was stripped bare of everything I had and the only thing I had left was my faith in Him. My wallet still hasn't been found but I believe that he will work another miracle for me. In the meantime, I only have more words of thanks to say to Him.

Enjoying the sun on the island of Murano with my roomie and Marie! 

Got to see these lovely peeps in Torino! 

Enjoying the night out and supporting DJ Simo!

On the Spanish Steps in Rome!

Enjoying a nice sunny day in Florence!

"La via è troppo breve per non essere Toscani."

Life is too short not to be Tuscan.

So why not go out and be adventurous. Explore what Firenze has to offer, then venture out into the Tuscan countryside, and further out to the rest of Italia. Before you know it, you're out exploring the entire world. Be an adventurer. After all, carpe diem.

The Start of a New Semester

The day that I was most excited for and dreading finally arrived. Today, I got to move into my new apartment in Firenze. I was excited to finally have a place that I could call my own but I was so nervous about my new flatmates and having to go through the process of having to meet and make new friends. Last semester was a big realization to me of how introverted and shy I am. I do enjoy being sociable but I really need some time by myself to self-reflect and recharge for the next social event. Many of my friends at school only see the social side of me but that's because I could easily hide out in my room and take a day or two to refuel my energy levels. Last semester, there was no place or even any space where I could be alone. Sierra and Melody rarely ever left the apartment and there would be too many people that I would have to walk past around Florence to find a decent quiet space. I was overwhelmed and exhausted from having to force a smile on my face and make myself presentable to everyone else that I was meeting. I just could not deal with it anymore. So the very thought of having to move back into the city and start the whole process all over again, although exciting, made me very anxious and worried. Would my new roommates like me? What would they think of me? Blah blah blah.

My new roomie and I!

But God is so good. My new apartment is twice the size of my last one. We have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a loft, a couch that pulls out into a bed, a cute dining table, a cozy kitchen, and a little patio to have our dinners once the weather warms up. We also live on the other side of the river. It makes a huge difference what side of the river you live on. Last semester, as soon as I stepped out of my apartment complex, I would hear English, Chinese, Japanese, etc. but on this side of the river, I have only heard Italian being spoken. On top of that, my new roommates are the sweetest! All three are Americans. Two of them are from New York and the one I share the room with, Madeline, is from Iowa. And the best part is that Madeline is a Christian! Praise the Lord! All this time I have been praying for a friend/roommate who could go to church with me and God provided! I am actually looking forward to this semester! c: THANK YOU JESUS!

Meet Kayla

To be honest, after the semester ended its been very hard dealing with everyone returning back to the States and the idea of having to make new friends and undergo the whole awkward introduction phase again overwhelmed me. I was beginning to feel very lonely. I picked up traveling on my own because I wanted to break out of my shell (and leave the house) but it didn't help because my loneliness was coming from my empty relationship with God. I was spiritually empty and my soul was craving for the word of God but rather than seeking the Lord, I tried to satisfy my emptiness with materialistic things--shopping, watching movies, traveling, etc. When I came back from my self-traveling, I finally decided to fully surrender to the Lord and I told him my needs. I was lonely and in need of a good friend, someone who could keep me accountable with my relationship with Him and also be my good travel buddy.

Then comes Kayla. Kayla, as my mom puts it, is an angel that God sent to me from heaven. Just to give you a little background on Kayla: she studied abroad in Florence a year ago and after her program ended, she returned back to the States, finished and graduate from university, and had found a job. Basically her life was set. But one day, God told her to return back to Italy and after much contemplation and seeking the Lord, Kayla decided to quit her job, sell her car, and buy a one-way ticket to Italy. Isn't she crazy? Crazy for the Lord! Luckily for me, Kayla was going to stay with the same missionary couple, Joyce and Guido, that I was staying with! Praise the Lord! I got an accountability buddy and a travel buddy all in one! 

Within just minutes of talking with Kayla, I knew that we were going to have a great time adventuring around Italy together! Our first day in Montecatini, we went on an impromptu hike to Montecatini Alto and got to know each other better and talk about our past relationships and just delve into God's goodness. Even though I have only known Kayla for just a little over one week, I feel as if I have known her forever! She really is my sweet sister in Christ <3 

Brothers and sisters in Christ -- presso Viareggio.

My new friend Kayla -- presso Lucca

From L to R: me, Sara, Steven, and Kayla after a hard Zumba workout :P -- presso Montecatini

Self-Traveling

After I returned from my adventures in Paris and London for the holidays, I decided to try traveling on my own for the first time. I needed time to reflect on my time in Europe and just take every moment to be grateful for all of my blessings. Being able to come to study in Europe, especially with my family's and my financial state, and still be able to see as much as I did and do, it truly is something that only God can provide. And He truly really does provide. 

I packed my bag and went out to explore more of Italy. After all, I am studying in Italy and what better way to practice my much forgotten Italian than by exploring more of Italy? I bought my train tickets and set out to see Bologna, Ravenna, Rimini, and the Republic of San Marino. 

As the train approached Bologna, I saw white, fluffy snow piled on top of the tracks. There must have been at least three inches of snow on the ground! Snow was falling on my head as I walked out of the station to find my hostel. IT IS NOT FUN LUGGING A DUFFEL BAG WHILE WALKING THROUGH SLUSHY SNOW! I had heard great things about Bologna. It was supposed to be Florence without the tourists and I was excited to see a true Italian city. But more importantly, Bologna is best known as a bustling metropolitan with lots of students due to one of the oldest universities being in Bologna and as the gastronomical capital of Italy. Bologna is the city where pasta alla Bolognese, ragu, and pesto come from. My friends had told me about the food stalls and food markets that fill the piazzas around Bologna but I guess the cold winter months made all the vendors close down. As I was exploring around Bologna, little balls of fluffy snow started to rain heavily down. I got so excited because this was my first time seeing snow fall from the sky (that I can remember) and started to take pictures. A passing Italian man looked at me taking pictures and he started to laugh at me, asking me why I was taking pictures. 

A snowy day in Bologna.

With the weather getting worse, I had to cut my travel plans short. The next day, I took a trip out to Ravenna to see the city of Byzantine art. Everything that I had learned during my first semester, I could apply in this city. For all those art history buffs out there, I SAW THE BASILICA OF SAN VITALE! Jesus pieced together by thousands of stones and gold on the ceiling of the dome was breathtaking. I only wish I had more time to see the tomb of the poet Dante Alighieri but sadly, I had a train to catch.

A street in Ravenna.

I have to say that Rimini was my favorite. Located on the Adriatic coast of Italy, it is the hometown of the renown Italian director Federico Fellini. Many Italians flock to Rimini during the warm summer months to relax along the coast and get their tan on. Rimini is your typical small Italian town where everything closes between the hours of 13:00 to 15:00. And since it rarely sees tourists, many of the local Italians in town are willing to help with a visitor! As I was walking along the streets, so many cars and passerbys would wave at me and smile! It felt so nice to be welcomed. 

A small boat docked in Rimini.

Paris for Christmas, New Year's in London! Part II

So this is the story of how a wonderful vacation turned into a nightmare.

Originally, I had no intention of joining the rest of the group for New Year's in London. I had already been to London for my Fall Break and I didn't feel the need to go back. But being surrounded by everyone else over Christmas made me really want to be with people for my New Year's festivities. After all, it was the one holiday that my friends and I would always celebrate together back home in Hawaii. So I bought a $200 plane ticket to London during our stay in Paris and to a certain extent, I was actually looking forward to doing all the things I never got to do during my Fall Break. But within days of spending time with everyone in our apartment in Paris, everyone came to the realization that even though we all share the same/similar majors, we were all so very different. Deidre's insistence that she shouldn't have to pay her 3 euros worth for the white bread and white pasta that she didn't eat was causing much frustration amongst the people in the group. Michelle's calculations to divide the cost of groceries was getting confusing. But overall, Paris was a nice trip. Things started to go downhill with the realization that even though they were going to London via train, they still needed passports. Alexis, who had joined the rest of us two days later had left her passport in her boyfriend's pocket and he had taken it back with him to the Netherlands. So Alexis couldn't go to London. I chose to meet up with everyone two days later. 

From L to R: me, James, Dawn, Logan, Kristen, Sam, and Deidre. 

Big Ben at midnight!

Fireworks over the London Eye

Before I even set foot on British soil, I realized how big of a mistake I had made. The hotel that they had booked for London was a ways out of the city center. No one could pull out cash from the ATMs. Anna's card was eaten by the ATM machine. They couldn't afford to pay the hotel for the number of days they had booked. No one knew how much they had to pay for the hotel. The hotel was shitty. By the time I arrived, Dawn had decided to pay her share and leave. Anna and her boyfriend had booked a different hotel for the two of them. I went with Dawn to her place in Reading. Michelle had contacted James without telling anyone and had secured herself housing for her and Shannon. Logan, Kristen, and Deidre were left by themselves. To add to this mess, I discovered the day before I flew out to London that I could not transfer money into my checkings account and was limited to just 80 pounds for a week in London. And if you know London, 80 pounds will get you nowhere. 

Dawn's parents booked a hotel room for her and a friend--me--for New Year's Eve. Dawn had told me that it was cheaper than the hotel option that Michelle had (100 pounds for 3 nights). Once we get to the hotel, I find out that her parents had booked the Sheraton hotel which I would have to pay her 70 pounds for one night. 70 POUNDS FOR ONE NIGHT! 

But New Year's Eve! Everyone was hyped up for the 15-minute firework show that would overlook the London Eye. Dawn and I met up with James, who had separated from Michelle and Shannon, and we were camping out for the show (none of us wanted to). We managed to find Logan, Kristen, and Deidre amongst hundreds of people camping out for New Years festivities. It was great to catch up with them because the whole point of this trip was for all of us to be together. 

Big Ben struck midnight, fireworks blasted over the London Eye, people were cheering, New Years hugs and kisses all around us. The end. It took Dawn and I four hours to get back to our hotel (at least public transportation was free for the rest of the morning). As great as that firework show was, it was not worth the $200 plane ticket + the 80 pounds I spent on transportation + the 70 pounds on the hotel that I was barely in. New Years in London made me realize how much I missed being back home in Hawaii and my family and friends. But I can't complain because how many people can say they spent New Years Even in London--at one of the biggest New Years festivities? I am truly blessed! 

Christmas in Paris, New Year's Eve in London! Part I

Ciao Ciao ragazzi!

Buon Natale e Felice Nuovo Anno a tutti! <3

This was the first time I spent the holidays away from my family and friends back in Hawaii. The SIS students studying abroad in Europe managed to get together for a week in Paris to celebrate Christmas followed by another week in London for New Year's Eve. It was nice to see familiar faces again and to spend the holidays with friends.

After missing my flight to Edinburgh and bumming it at my friend Michelle's place in Milan for a week, I was ready to explore what Paris had to offer me. It was my first time traveling entirely by myself and getting lost in the middle of Paris' Chinatown at night was not the greatest way to start my Parisian adventure. It was dark, it was cold, and to top it all off, it was dripping rain. As my feet started to swell up in my new wedge booties (what was I thinking?!?), the tears started to flow down my cheeks as it became more apparent to me that I was lost and could not find my hostel. Just past midnight and after asking many Parisians, I was able to find my hostel. I have never been so grateful for a roof over my head and a nice warm bed to fall asleep in.

I wanted to be in Paris before everyone else got in because I wanted the time to see the extensive art collections. As soon as I awoke, I was out the door to find my way to the Louvre. Luckily for me, almost all of the public museums in Paris are free to EU residents and/or if you have a study visa for three months or longer. In other words, I GOT INTO THE LOUVRE FOR FREE!! As an art history major, its overwhelming to your mind trying to process all of these masterpieces from different time and stylistic periods all at once. Having studied some of the early pre-Renaissance Italian art during my first semester in Florence, I felt a deeper connection to the works of Giotto and Cimabue. But my deep love for the Neoclassical French artist Jacques-Louis David had me breathless the moment I saw his many works hanging off of the velvet red walls.

Exploring Europe has had many firsts for me. But Paris will forever be home to my first couch-surfing experience. My host, Orlando, was very sweet, but to be honest, unless I'm going to couchsurf with someone else, I would have rather paid the extra 20 to 30 euros for a hostel.

It felt great to be reunited with everyone else that night. Although not all of us were really friends to begin with, the week that we spent cramped up in that apartment definitely brought us closer together (9 people in a 6 people apartment!). So much happened during that one week time span that my memories of it are all blurred. Here's my recap:

Sacre-Coeur with these lovelies

Disneyland Paris on Christmas day!

Chateau de Versailles

Ohh heyy! How is [insert country here]? Lots of hugs. Shittt, did we really finish off 6 bottles of wine in one night? Back to the Louvre! Christmas markets! Is that the Eiffel Tower? Lingerie! They sell macarons at a lingerie store? No, Laduree! Versailles! Can you take a picture of me? Its cold, lets go back. Uhh, I can't eat white pasta and white bread because I'm lactose intolerant so I shouldn't have to pay for that bread, etc. Jewish + Gay quarter in one location? The best FALAFELS in Paris! ALEXIS. Midnight mass at Notre Dame! Deidre, this isn't the H&M dressing room. You guys, I'm not drunk enough for mass. Lets speak in different languages! Holy shit, is that the line for mass? I really need to pee. Yes, the line is moving! You guys, I really want to stay until mass is over. Logan brought his French friends over. Oh I'm learning how to play the guitar! Hysterical laughs. DISNEYLAND PARIS FOR CHRISTMAS! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Fawwwk, I don't know where James is. JAMES! Montmarte and Sacre-Coeur. Eiffel tower! :B Where's the statue of liberty? LONDON bound! I don't have my passport. Shitttttt. Ciao ciao ragazzi~!