An entire semester in one post?

Well, it’s become pretty clear I’ve completely failed blogging this past semester. I’m not sure why. Part of it is definitely the novelty of being abroad has worn off. Things that seemed so shiny and sparkly in the beginning have become routine, a part of my everyday life. This is neither good nor bad, just how it is. I laughed when I read my post about conquering small things, like making coffee and buying groceries. The fact that these events no longer my thoughts really highlight how I’ve adjusted to living in Italy. Sometimes I find myself walking around Bologna, and for a moment, I could be back at Dickinson, back in DC, or even in Athens, GA. As my days here in Italy come to an end, I must remind myself to look up at the gorgeous buildings and portici (the covered arches), for it won’t be long until I’m back in the US and thinking wistfully of my year abroad. I am in the midst of writing a concluding blogpost, one last post to thoroughly reflect on my time abroad, but here’s a lightning quick recap of my semester:

Roma: My three friends from Dickinson — Phoebe, Bart, and Alex — came to Bologna for a long weekend, and we traveled to Venice and Rome! It always amazes me how different parts of Italy are. Canals and ancient ruins, just hours apart via train.

London: The long awaited weekend… reunited with my best friends! A lovely weekend spent in London (despite the fact I don’t think we had more than 15 minutes without rain) meeting up with my best friend Caitlin, Phoebe, Amanda, Patsy. Two other girls were supposed to come (one from Dickinson who didnt go abroad, and one in Toulouse, France) but last minute events prevented them from coming. Nevertheless, it was a great weekend, wandering around London and seeing Phoebe and Amanda’s favorite spots (they spent a month there in the beg. of their program), eating delicious food in Borough Market, and generally just chatting, gossiping, and catching up. I also got to see my friend from HOBY, Alex! I hadn’t seen Alex since Fall Pause freshman year when I went to NYU to spend the weekend with him. Overall, a great time had by all!

Poland: Thanks to the generosity of the Piszek soceity and a couple of Dickinson alums, we went on an 8-day trip to Krakow and Warsaw, fully funded except for a couple meals here and there. Krakow and Warsaw are considered the two capitals of Poland: Krakow as the cultural capital, and Warsaw the actual and place for politics/business. We had lots of pierogies, apple pie, mushroom soups, and other Polish delights. Highlights of the trip included: a visit to the US embassy in Warsaw, the Easter markets in Krakow, and a sobering visit to Auschwitz. It was educational, so we had six lectures and several informative walking tours in both cities. The best part of the trip was that everything was organized! I can’t tell you how nice it was to basically just be a sheep for the weekend (thanks, Ellen!) and just show up at the designated time and location. Also, it’s always fun to travel with the whole group — as long are you’re not the one planning it! — and we had a great time together, sitting around playing cards in the hotel and celebrating 21st birthdays.

Copenhagen: Seeing Caitlin once wasn’t enough, so I booked a trip to visit her in Denmark! It was definitely the most unique of all my travels, as she lives with host family. It was so refreshing to stay in an actual house instead of budget travel hostels, and meeting her family and playing with the kids was a good change of pace. I love the city of Copenhagen… so pretty with bright colors and green! CPH has some of the most developed bike lanes I’ve ever seen! We spent one afternoon laying out in a park, catching some rare rays, then walking around the city and going out to eat. I insisted we go out for a nice brunch one of the days, as brunches with my friends are one of the aspects of Dickinson I miss the most. We walked through Christiania, an autonomous part of CPH with about 1000 residents and its legal to sell pot on the streets and stuff. Interesting, but way too seedy and sketchy for my taste. Add in a museum, eating traditional Danish food with Caitlin’s family, making funfetti with the kids, and several episodes of Modern Family while snuggled up in bed, and it was one of my favorite weekends!

Studying: Right, right, I do actually have class. School has been much better (and challenging) this semester, so that’s definitely an improvement. My Johns Hopkins class is a ton of work as expected, but I’ve learned a lot and it’s been a good experience. I’ve mostly come to realize I don’t really want to go to grad school right after college. I think taking a couple years and working will give me more of an idea of what I really want to focus on.

Life in general: No complaints. Thoughts that come to mind: I can’t wait to have a blender/food processor. I love having my own room. I’m going to miss my Italian family immensely — my sister has a violin recital on Saturday, and then I have one last dinner! I have definitely acquired an insane amount of stuff this year; packing should be a disaster, per usual. I’m praying my computer makes it these last two weeks; bought a netbook two days ago and can’t wait to play with it at home! While cobblestones are pretty, they absolutely destroy your shoes. I’ll probably only be bringing my boots home, everything else has been destroyed by the streets.

Bologna fun: Luckily, this semester has been full of visitors! My fr

Summer plans: Excited to report I’ll be back in DC! I remember being sad to leave last August and thinking “I better be back soon.” Even more exciting is the fact I won a fellowship that places me at a federal agency — National Center for Health Statistics — pays for housing at GW, and provides a nice stipend. The downside to all this is I need to be in DC either the 30th or 31st, and I get home late afternoon on the 28th. Basically, I have just enough time to wash everything I own, throw it back into the suitcase, and play with Pebs before hopping in the car and heading north. BUT, still nothing to actually complain about. I feel extremely lucky, and I’m looking forward to another great summer!