Just 5 days left!!!

Well Florence has been amazing from the beginning up until this last little strech of time!! I will miss its beauty, but most of all i will miss the amazing people who i met while i have been here!! Most of them have left already; Veronica, Michelle, Ben, and Katie!! But my other friends who live here; Giulia, Paolo, Simone, Max, Scott, Flaviana, Beppe, and Nicole!! Were always very sweet and made me feel at home when i was at Joshua Tree!! I thank them from the bottom of my heart for their freindship because without it these three weeks would of been much tougher than they already were. I look forward to hopefully visiting again with Erin in the beginning of November so that we can meet up with Karen and Terri!!

Anyways this last week has actually been pretty good. I finally went to the beach yesterday, and it was amazing!! Something i needed! I’m thinking of going back at least one more time before i leave, since i’m not going to be able to see a beach for a while! The last few nights at JT have been fun. First let me update everyone that Eugene is out of the picture because he works to much. Anyways for the past few weeks i have been talking to this guy (who is a regular at JT) his name is Giovaninno. He s very nice, has really pretty green eyes and adorable dimples! Of course his english isn’t that good but luckily after i have a few drinks my Italian improves (at least i think it does). So we have been able to talk for a few nights and on Friday he aske if i had eaten dinner, and i actually hadn’t had anthing all day really. So we went and had dinner together (SECOND DATE!!) It was a lot of fun and very good. Afterwards we went back to JT and stayed unitl closing. Then i was about to get a cab but he offered to take me on is… are you guys ready…moped!!! Yes!! I have been dying to ride one the whole time i have been staying here and now i can! So he gives me a helmet, i naturally look retarded but hey saftey first , and i plug my earphone into his phone so then we can both listen to his music!! It was a blast flying around Florence on a moped listening to music!! So unlike me i got us lost, the language barrier could be the culprit here, i refuse to believe i lost my sense of direction!! I know this city from front to back by now, well almost! Anyways i told him just to drop me off at the Piazza near my hotel and i would walk, but once we got there he insisted he walk me which i thought was sweet. So he did and he even waited to make sure the door lady let me in (side note i think she hates me! i come in late a lot oops!!) Well needless to say he was very sweet and quite a gentleman which is hard to find in Italy from my experience, well except for Eugene he was sweet to!! Anyways it was a blast!!!

Oh and last Thursday afternoon Giulia and I went to a Music Festival that has been here for like a week! It was cool, of course the time we spent there there wasn’t much music! But whatever it was nice to get out and do something different! She had invited me to go to dinner with her and friends but i didn’t go because i didn’t feel that good plus i didn’t want to impose!! I can tell she sometimes thinks i get bored b/c i can’t always be apart of the conversation, she doesn’t realize its just nice for me to be around good people. Anyways i hate for her to feel like she has to entertian me. Well this last week has been a lot better thankfully!! I’m looking forward to Prague though!! But more importantly i’m looking forward to seeing Erin!!! Love and miss you guys!! (LAMY)

Thanks guys!!!

Well thank you to everyone who is thinking about me and sending me well wishes and words of encouragement!! I really appreciate it and it always makes me feel better! Makes me miss you guys that much more but makes me feel better to!! I love all of you very much and miss ya’ll!! After Sunday’s little episode it has been better! i actually didn’t go to the beach but will soon!! Of course every store in sight is having huge sales so its hard not to go shopping! I may have bought a few things on sunday but hey it helped

Anyways last night was a lot of fun. Julia was working at JT so i went and had a blast!!! On my 30 minute walk there i had decided that if it wasn’t to busy and no one to really talk to that i would take it as a sign to leave and go by and see eugene at his restaurant (b/c we haven’t talked since our date and i wanted to feel things out). Anyways half way through my first beer nothing was really going on so I was like ok i guess i’ll leave soon. Thats when the best sign ever walked through the door!!! Let me just tell you he was gorgeous! Blonde hair, blue eyes, and from…are you guys ready…Australia!!!! Only the best accent ever!!! I was so excited! Anyways he ended up sitting next to me and we talked for a few hours he was really nice and was telling me how he just got back from Croatia!! I’m dying to go there is sounds amazing! He went on a cruise through all the small islands! He said it was gorgeous and similar to Greece but untouched!! I gotta go!!! But because this is how my life goes it was his last night in Florence!! But whatever we had a nice time talking! He ended up leaving around 12 but thats when i became friends with the DJ and learned how to DJ!! And since it was the DJ’s b-day he kept walking away so i basically was the DJ for the rest of the night, well with Scott’s help (he’s a regular form LA). See the DJ was turning 57 and so i wasn’t all that familiar with his music so Scott helped me pick out songs!! It was a lot of fun!! Oh and Max (one of the owners) gave me his number so that we could hang out during the day. Plus he has a wine bar that i am going to go check out soon! So everyone from JT is really helping me feel at home!! They are all very sweet people!! I’ll miss them the most!! So everything is getting better! I just take it day by day! And soon enough i’ll be in Prague!! Ok thanks again everyone for commenting and all i love you guys!!! miss ya’ll!!

One week down and two to go!!!

Ok well it took one week and a very sweet Italian to finally make me break!!! So far it hasn’t been to bad, just waisting time walking around, reading, watching movies, and going to Joshua Tree. Even had a date one day and there was a huge sale at my favorite store yesterday!! but someone can only walk around and eat alone so many times before it starts to get to you.  Yesterday i had an Office marathon and watched it from 3pm until 3am!!! Thats insanity!! But whatelse am i to do! i can’t go to JT every night! Anyways it was nice to watch my favorite show and it did make me feel a little better! 

So i woke up late this morning and headed to the Cafe that Julia works at during the morning to say hi. Well when i got there she was getting off of work so we were walking out together and talking. She was insistent on us hanging out when she had some time off. Let me just tell everyone that this poor woman works 4 jobs; JT at night, cafe in the morning, toll booth during the day, and psycologists on Wed.!!!! So for her to try and make time for me was just so touching and it hit a cord and i start tearing up!!! NO!!! “Ok, its ok Rebecca you can fight them back, cooly put the sunglasses on and fight them back!” And i did until she started asking “Well what do you do today?” “Um well just uh walk around maybe look around the market” “oh well what do you do later tonight?” “uh well um nothing really!” I lost it! i couldn’t hold it back anymore!!! Poor Julia was like “What is wrong? are you lonely? I’m so sorry i can’t hang out with you” And for anybody who has seen me cry you know what a spectacle it can be! I try to fight it so badly and just make it worst! So here is Julia trying her best to understand my english through hyperventilations!!! She was so sweet! She only had 2 hours before she had to be at her third job and she takes me to lunch! and paid!!! i kept trying to tell her it looks worst than it is, that i was fine! But she was just like its ok!! So it was very sweet but it was hard to get composure becasue it was her kindness to me that was effecting me so much! She was like “i understand i stayed in Belgium for 6 months once, and the first month was all crying!” So i officially love her and she is by far one of the sweetest people i have ever met!! So even though i have bad days i do have people who care here, which is nice! I think i’m gonna go to the beach tomorrow that should help!!! Ok well i will be in Prague in 15 days officially and i will be reunited with Erin in 16!!!! FUN!!!! Miss you guys and love ya’ll!!!!! 

First real date!!!!

Ok well i’m officially so full i couldn’t eat a thin mint, not one thin mint! i just had an amazing lunch with Eugene! it was really nice and we are going to meet up agian later for some drinks!!! He is very sweet! Kinda funny story though because yesterday when he told me to call him today i didn’t really understand when, and i was thinking later tonight! So naturally i go and have lunch by myself (yes i hate two lunches today which is why i’m so full!) luckily it wasn’t to big of a lunch but still!!! And of course being italian Eugene and i have like 4 courses!!! Oh my goodness i won’t need to eat for days, which is actually good, should save me some money But it was just making me laugh as i’m sitting there he is like “Manga Manga” which is “eat eat” How do i get myself in these situations!! Wait not knowing the language could be apart of it Anyways it was fun and the coverstaion wasn’t to bad considering the language barrier!

As for the rest of my few days alone, well they haven’t been to bad! Had an awesomely inexpensive night last night! First finally got my free turkish kebab becasue i had my get the tenth one free card!! Then i went to see Harry Potter, which was awesome, and the door guy to my school was selling tickets and remembering me gave me the student discount!! Yes! Then i stopped to have a glass of wine at Eugene’s resturant which he gave for free. Then i stopped by JT where i got a free jager shot!!! So in total i saved 11.50 euros last night!!! Very nice!!

Now let me just tell you about my hotel i am staying in!!! It is nice and perfect for my situation but there are some things you guys gotta know! First my bed, shower, and sink are about 2 feet from each other!! Gotta becareful not to soak everything!! Plus i just recently learned how to get hot water! Thank goodness those first cold showers were pretty brutal!! My toliet is across the hall which i share with two other rooms oh and the lobby but its not so bad now that i realized how to finally flush the damn thing!!!! that was awkard at first But my favorite is the construction that has decided to take place right out side my window! Oh my goodness with all that banging and booming it like sleeping inside an MRI!!!!! But i’m prepaired and have earplugs i took from work! Thanks Premier Imaging!! So other than that its not so bad except its on the other side of town from Joshua Tree, which i don’t know if my dad did that on purpose or not jk!!! All the walking is good for me, now i burn all those beers off! And no worries because if i ever stay to late Paolo gives me a ride home, he is very nice!!! The boys at JT always look out for me!! ok well i gotta get going! Love you guys and miss ya’ll!!!

“Mr. Cigar”

Thats what they like to call my dad as we walk around San Lorenzo market!!! Well my dad as come and gone and it was an amazing week filled with sight seeing, drinking, shopping, and even a few famous people!!! First we met up at Joshua Tree and he gave me the strangest look as to why i would like it so much. But of course on Thursday night when we were there at night then he understood, and we had a blast!!! He got to meet Paolo, Julia, and Mass (the other owner) and loved them all. Saturday day after J.T. and saying good bye to all of my friends we did some walking around and had an amazing dinner at the resturant in front of the post office!! Who knew? Not me!!! Anyways it was so good we went back for our last dinner in Florence.
So the next day i took him to Eugene’s for lunch but his table’s were full so we sat somewhere else, and had i known now what i do i would of waited. Let me just tell you, we tried to eat at that darn restuarant a million times and it never worked out!! First we missed the train back, then it was closed on Thursday!!!? What??!! Then we went for one final try for lunch and that was a success! He approves and loves Eugene! Ok maybe not love, I mean its not like he’s gonna be cool with me moving in with him or anything But he likes him! After lunch i showed him the sights of Florence; the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza di Michaelangelo and so on!

The next day we went to Lucca and rented bikes and had a blast. On Tuesday we made are way to Venice!! What a good time that was, we got the best gondola guy ever!! His name was Stefano and he taught us a lot…

1. Venice is 1,600 years old
2. It is made up of, well the number escapes me, but several different small islands
3. Gondolers hate the water taix guys
4. A new gondola cost up to $50,000!!
5. My personal favorite: A gondola will last you up to 30 years and i quote “more than any wife” gotta love the Italians!!!

Anyways, after Venice we made our way to Cinque Terrre!! Which was my dad’s favorite!! It is so gorgeous!! and we had the prettiest day! I finally got to see all 5 towns which was nice. And hike the first half which is much easier than the last!! The next day we went to Siena which is a great town!! We missed the famous horse race but better than that we had lunch like 3 tables away from… ae you guys ready?….TOM HANKS!!! and his wife!! and according to my dad some other famous blonde lady, but the verdict is still out on that one!!! It was really freaking cool, i naturally was to shocked to take a pic, plus i didn’t want to be rude, so there is no proof but he was there and it was awesome!!!

Anyways after Siena we got back early and tried to eat dinner at Eugene’s, but naturally it was closed!! So we went to the place next door and then i took him to J.T. so to see what it is that i love about that place!! And now he gets it! The people are amazing and my dad was just scratching his head at all the free drinks and then getting really ansy when they closed up and we were still hanging out! It was pretty funny. I would tell Julia “my dad thinks we should leave” and she would say “Perche?” and Paolo was like “Its fine”. We finally left around 4 and took the craziest taxi ride home in either of our lives!! It was hilarious!!!

Friday we got up and found me a place to live! Then had lunch with Eugene, finally!!! Saturday we made our way to Naples, which i offcially don’t like!! It is a dirty sketchy city! AND they refuse to feed you until 8 o’clock at night!! Here we are arriving at 6, haven’t really eaten, ready to have that famous Napoli Pizza and no where to eat!!!! It was craziness!! Finally we got some and it was amazing, of course anything would of been good at that point but whatever!!

Then we said our good byes and i made my way to the city i love!! Florence!!! I’m moved in to my hotel and am doing good! Not to lonely yet! Just sucks that all the friends i made are of course here and have to work like crazy because this city is so expensive! No worries though it’ll be a cool experience! ok Well i gotta get going! Take care guys and know that i miss ya’ll!!