wow

well. it's been almost a month since i last BLOGGED!, and there is no way i can even begin to catch up on everything that has happened. I don't believe I could even recall everything i would have written had i not been busy every second of the day.

how about some highlights?

my family came to visit! minus my brother, plus my grandma. It was so wonderful to see them and wish they could have stayed longer. We ate amazing food, drank wine up the wazoo and enjoyed being with eachother. OH! we also saw La Boheme the opera in Italian. It was funny and tear-jerking and I have found a new appreciation for opera. I think my dad should take lessons.
two friends from whitman came to see me the day and the day after my parents left. Oh my gosh I cant even express how fantastic it was to see familiar people and talk about what has been going on in our lives the past semester. We all agree that Whitman is the best place in the world. We went to a Beatles cover band show and had gelato (a lot of gelato) and explored the city. Plus, Matt kept my apartment-mates happy by cooking us the most delicious food. He certainly earned his keep (not that I was MAKING HIM COOK! NOW! or anything). Really, I could have been doing absolutely nothing and still would have been having fun just being with them.

We climbed to the top of the Duomo, which (sheepish face) sadly was also my first time in the Duomo this semester. I live 15 feet from it, but had yet to step inside. The view from the tippy-top over Florence is sweeping and makes you want to sit and stare for hours, which of course you cant because people have to move through. It was definitely one of the highlights of Florence touristy things so far.

Top 3 so far: (in no particular order)

The Stibbert Museum
Chanting monks at San Miniato
Seeing the Firenze soccer team play (and kill it 4-1)

moving on.
It is finally getting warm and sunny and delicious out. I am beyond ready for some nice weather, the gray skies and cold windy rain-y-ness was starting to get to me. I've spent as much time as I can out here in the garden, soaking up the sun and trying in vain to do my piles of homework for finals next week.

finals next week. it's weird to think that I only have 10 more days in this amazing place. I am going to try and do something fun EVERYDAY for my last ten days. and i'll blog about the fun thing. OK! good, and it will keep me bloggin.

Today counts as one of the 10 days, so I'll have to do something fun for dinner and dopo cena. Melinda is having the worst week of her life (seriously everything is going wrong) so we are going to take her out and try to cheer her up a bit.
Tomorrow is already set up. I am going VESPA RIDING IN CHIANTI. jealous did you say? yeah, I know.