Don’t worry about a thing because every little thing gonna be all right

When Austin and I were in Bratislava we started talking to one of our hostel mates who was from England. He asked us what we were doing and I said we were exchange students from the States studying in Italy for the semester. He mentioned this murder case and made a joke in reference to it (I had never heard about this until now). Apparently, an American girl studying in Italy has been on trial for the past 2 years for killing her British roommate in a “violent sex game”. About 2 hours ago, after being on trial since 2007, she was found guilty in a courtroom in Perugia. This hits so close to home, it has be a little freaked out and I just read some of the evidence against her and her Italian boyfriend who was also given a guilty verdict.

Anyway, here’s the story on Amanda Knox that was just published tonight:

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Amanda-Knox-And-Raffaele-Sollecito-Found-Guilty-Of-Murder-Of-Meredith-Kercher/Article/200912115491684

The world around us makes me feel so small

So good to finally have internet at my apartment! I just learned my well-traveled suitcase is sitting pretty outside of my house in Beaumont which is a relief because my gum/life possessions are officially safe.

Went to Just Cavalli last night, Roberto Cavalli’s nightclub in Milan. It pretty up-scale and the average age is mid 30′s…not exactly your college environment. I prefer Old Fashion by far, and I think OF is my favorite club in Milano. I still need to try out Limelight.

I really wanted to go on one of the 108439 ski trips next weekend but alas, will instead by studying for finals in Milan. I have so so much reading to do it’s a little scary but I’m hoping the professors will have mercy on us poor exchange students. Probably do a day trip anyway, perhaps Verona??

Off to sushi aperitivo (haven’t had one in a while!) and then perhaps some reading tonight. Maybe. Probably not.

A swedish halloween

First off with a song. Heard this first at Oktoberfest and just found out the name of the song/artist from Ale. This song is pretty unique in that it is the only song that originated in Italy to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Volare means “to fly” in Italian and Modugno (composer and writer) is describing the feeling he has when with his lover…a sensation that he is flying.

Had a crazy weekend with Martin and his 2 friends. They showed me how the Swedes drink and I showed them around Milan. I must visit Stockholm! If only I had more time…

Also made some new friends in Pavia. I’m looking at photos from Halloween back in Austin and needless to say, I’m looking forward to next year’s. Costumes in Milan don’t really exist so I didn’t get to dress up…bummer! The closest thing to Halloween in Italy is Carnevale. The largest festival is in Venice and everyone dons extravagant masks and costumes. Makes me wish I was here in the spring too.

Well need to rest up today because we’re flying out to Egypt tomorrow.

Survey the state of your soul

Just came back from the Abercrombie opening in Milan. I went with Sumi, a friend from university, and it was a packed house. I mean lines, crowds, roped off entrance, models, models, models. It’s funny/ironic how much Europeans love A&F. If I remember correctly, in the States, Abercrombie is popular with high school students but that all goes away once you hit college. Fyi, someone somewhere thinks Italy is suffering from serious inflation because the prices at A&F Milano are ridiculous.

It’s a tough call but this may just be my favorite JMraz song:

Cause you make me feel…

midterm + postal errands+ napping for an insane amount of hours + shopping (Via Torino style) + running+ groceries + wine hunt + dinner at my dig + trip planning + movie watching = Tuesday.

Airplanes and a little dancing

I want a beach house oh so badly. I was telling my roomie my San Diego dreams over dinner last night. He wants to go on exchange in California but might have to go to Canada if his test scores aren’t high enough. I’m thinking about booking a flight to Boston to visit a friend who studied with me in Madrid last summer. Flights through Southwestern are only $200 right now! Yummy East coast February weather. I really need to make it to Burbank—I used to go every summer to visit family and haven’t been in gosh 4+ years. Can’t even imagine how much everyone has changed. Maybe spring break? Christmas break will definitely be India or China. Always thinking of the next place; my brain needs to stop with the steroids.

Just made my course plan for spring semester…taking 16 hours ugh. But, perhaps ballroom dancing with Paankhuri! Registration opens up on Friday so we shall see. Off to study more le finance —midterm tomorrow then I’m freeee.

Extra hours are delicious

I just found my friend, Martin’s blog! So exciting-it’s in Swedish soo I can’t really read much but he posted this video which I wanted to share:

Sorry if the obsessive spaces taken up by video gets annoying, but I love to share music. Especially piano covers. And who doesn’t love the Fray? I’ve made a new resolution to start updating more often even if they’re small seemingly meaningless posts like these…I was going through my Spain blog and getting nostalgic so I ‘m going to be good about keeping up with this. Plus, it’s kind of relieving to have your thoughts on paper/cyberspace, you get the point.

I woke up at 10 am today thinking it was well, 10 am, and lo and behold daylight savings is upon us! Sweet, I get an extra hour! I think I’ll wander over to the Esse Lunga (huge grocery store in Italy–all the large supermarkets are outside the city and only accessible by tram) and stock up on groceries. After going to Arcobaleno (Bocconi student dorm) for dinner with Elena, I’ve decided I need to cook more. I mean, I’m in Italy, if not here then where?

I’d pull a sunshine story in the pouring rain

Sorry, sorry, sorry it’s been forever! I’m pretty bad in updating this blog. It is FREEZING in Milan. Like December weather in Texas. The above picture helps me think warm thoughts. I’ve been trying to stay warm by using my computer charger (which heats up like an oven) as a radiator. Remember how I was supposed to have that suitcase shipped with all of my jeans, coats, boots, life essentials? It’s lost, MIA, gone for good and I have officially given up hope. I should go warm weather shopping (socks and gloves please!) Monday. I guess if you have to replace your wardrobe, Milan isn’t a bad place to do it. I also did not register for the permit of stay session. I don’t understand why we need these documents since I already have a student visa but apparently if you want to reside in Italy for more than 3 months, you need a permit of stay. It requires a crapload of unnecessary bureaucratic work as well as talking to the Italian police/waiting in line for 5+ hours so I decided to not do it. Which means I can’t really leave the country after December because there’s a small chance I won’t be allowed back in. Still going to risk a trip to Switzerland-if it’s by train it doesn’t count right?!

I was made a returning offer for an internship with Shell next summer. It took me forever to get back to them and I even asked for a 3 day extension so I could call them to decline instead of doing it by email. My internet was being really sketchy and kept dropping my call so I ended up emailing my HR rep anyways. I guess my reply wasn’t definite enough because she told me to get back to her with my final decision. That was a week ago and I haven’t responded-it’s such a tough call to make! I really cannot settle down in Houston (I need to get out of Texas) and the position I’m offered is not in Marketing (where my heart ultimately lies). I loved my internship and the people I met but I know if I take this and am made a full-time offer the following year, it’s going to be even harder to decline. You know, I always used to dream of these big, foreign cities and settling down there. Starting new. However, this past summer, I realized that it’s not so much the location that’s important as the people you surround yourself with. I was stuck in Houston, one of the last places I wanted to spend 3 months (especially when I had plans to go back to Spain with a friend for a summer gig on one of the islands, Majorca), but ended up having an incredible time. So incredible that by the end of the summer, I actually didn’t want to leave for Europe (blasphemy, right?!) However, there are other factors that I’d rather not bore you with that ultimately swayed me away from another summer in Houston. My Shell buddy emailed me a few days back to see if I had talked to HR/changed my mind so I need to get back to him too. I also should call my INROADS rep asap who has been trying to get in touch with me after I told her about Shell. On top of all of that, UT spring registration starts soon and I need to call my advisor to see what honors classes I have to take.

I keep neglecting all contact with the States and it’s getting ridiculous. I’m in fairytale land right now and don’t want to face reality. Just want to escape all responsibilities until I absolutely have to go back to Texas.

Oh boy, I think Italy just won a soccer game. I hear sirens, car horns, and people cheering in the streets. I was showing my friend around my apartment earlier today and when I looked out over my balcony I just noticed a huge Forza Italia flag hanging off the window next to ours.

I’ve been pretending to study like crazy for my Corporate Finance midterm Tuesday. Key word is pretend as I am easily side-tracked. My professor is incredibly talented (and a looker haha)-he’s from Germany, got his Postdoctoral Fellow at London Business School, and now teaches in Milan. I went to the Bocconi library today to really focus and get in 8 solid hours of practice problems and ended up going out for gelato, running into a friend and catching up on the street, sitting on a park bench reading…having a park right in front of the university probably seemed like a great idea at first but in reality is pretty distracting. After coming home with some lofty intentions on studying a bit more, I ended up baking brownies with one of my neighbors and watching movies all night.

The regular students here have midterms for about 2 weeks. However, I only have 1 midterm during the 1st week so after finance, I’m finito! I have a few friends visiting from Sweden for a couple of days (so pumped!) and then come next Tuesday, I’m jumping on a flight to Egypt! So rad, I still can’t believe I’m going.

It’s crazy how much things have changed back home. I guess I took it for granted that when I got back everything would be exactly how I left it. That was naive.

I will have to include a post about my trip to Greece soon.

Currently listening to:

xox

Blood, Trailers & Beer

I’m writing this post from Munich! I have to adjust to a new keyboard and the German one is a little different than the ones in Spain and Italy. For example, the z and y switched places and I have letters like ü ö ä ß § spread everywhere. So it is currently 9:30 am and surprisingly I’m awake (and the only one so..this has never happened before. Must record the event). My 2 roommates, their 2 friends, and I drove up to Munich in Simone’s camper (aka mini-trailer) Thursday morning and we’re staying at Alessandro’s house here. I’ve never seen a house in Europe before (only flats) and this one is incredibly charming (think: the English cottage in “The Holiday” but 5 times bigger) and I think I’m a little in love with Ale’s mom. One night she was telling us embarrassing stories of Ale…some of which included him stealing bikes and pillow cushions from various nightclubs, him getting arrested at the age of 13 from being too intoxicated at Oktoberfest, and various other tales about her 3 sons stealing random stuff from around the city (like a life-size ash tray that is “perfect for parties”). Not to mention she made us a huge “German breakfast” every morning so we could handle all the liters of beer Oktoberfest entailed. Yep, in love.

Oktoberfest was madness. Pure madness. Friday we spent 4 hours in a tent there and then moved to a beirgarten until midnight. Somehow we ended up spending 14 hours at another tent on Saturday, danced on top of tables to German folk music (as well as your occasional “Hey Jude”, “Sweet Home Alabama” and “I Love Rock N’ Roll”), met a handful of random people from Hamburg and various parts of Germany, Afghanistan, and Turkey) lost a few people (and cameras, phones…). Speaking of which, Alessandro’s mom was telling us that the police find the oddest things the morning following Oktoberfest. No, not your odd misplaced shoe or a guy’s boxers but more like dentures, a wooden leg, plastic eyeball…

My legs look like World War III attacked it. Coming back from Ofest one night, Simone and I thought it would fun to race up the escalator. I wiped out big time and now have a 4 inch gash running down my right leg. In what was probably the most embarrassing moment of my life (definitely not posting that on here) I fell from a bike knees first and now I’m sporting a lovely scab that burns like hell on my left leg. Combine that with me peeling a huge chunk of my skin from scratching at mosquito bites and a bruise from hitting the sink in Simone’s trailer as we swerved to avoid a 18 wheeler and my legs are the 2nd most attractive thing next to Flava Flav.

Châteaux hopping in southern France next weekend. Should probably get some homework/reading squeezed in since I’ve now missed a week of classes. On the way back from Munich (10 hours with the 7 stops we made because the camper was breaking down on us) I was jamming to some Juanes (stop judging) so I’ll leave you with one of my favorites by him. The original is better than the European version but I’m unable to post it on here (you can see the other version by clicking “ver la version orginal” when it starts playing). If you get a chance to look up the lyrics, they’re beautiful.

My Trips Wishlist

Where I hope to venture over the next few months:

-Munich (Oktoberfest)
-Nice
-Cannes
-Montecarlo
-Amsterdam
-Prague (Czech Republic)
-Vienna (Austria)
-Krakow (Poland)
-Moscow (Russia!!!)
-Stockholm (Sweden)
-Greece (island-hopping, anyone?)
-Istanbul (probably one of the most gorgeous cities in the world)
-Egypt
-Rome
-Venice
-Cinque Terre
-Pisa
-Florence
-the Vatican
-Bologna (food capital of Italy, also home to the country’s oldest university)
-Parma (delicious food)
-Verona (home of Romeo and Juliet)
-Genova
-Naples (best coffee in Italy)

Yikes that list got long really quickly…hmm well we’ll see how many of those cities I can cross off.

We get a mid-semester break which is when I’m expecting a few friends from Sweden and also want to make it down to Egypt. One of my friends is working in Madrid (I find it hard to stay away from Spain as it is) so I will definitely be heading back. Hopefully Paigelicious and Ianskies (shoutout!) come to visit during Christmas break and then New Years in either Barcelona or Paris!

Oh my, the roomie is playing “Me Gustas Tu” by Manu Chao in the kitchen. If you’ve never heard the song, it’s a must:

I first heard it in a Spanish class freshman year and have been a Manu fan ever since. Baller-ific.