Favorite Moments/Recent Highlights

Prague-
Seeing Christina and Sarah came at the absolute perfect time. I'd been feeling homesick and had just hit the half-way point of our semester when I was able to run into their arms in the Czech airport and squeal like a little girl. We took a boat tour, loved rainy naps in a fun hostel with our own private room/balcony, woke up slowly to coffee together, had a picnic lunch in a park and saw a one-eyed dog (I thought it was really cute, Sarah called it "Cyclops"), tried traditional Czech food (sausages, desserts, goulosh, potato dumplings, beer-which apparently they drink more than water). We walked down the smallest street in the entire world (akin to an alley way with a traffic light because only one person can pass through at a time), took a two and a half hour walking tour that started at a clock tour and ended up at the Prague Castle on top of a hill. We learned SO many historical and cultural facts that made me want to research this country and city a ton. Favorite fun facts were about communism, graffiti, locks on gates (couples leave their initials or names on locks attached to a gate... "I left my heart in Praha"), and artwork over each doorway (instead of house and street numbers, artistic emblems served the function of identifying houses until the 1750s, so that one could say "I live in the house of the blue fox" or "Find me at the house of the 3 violas!"). I thought that the old houses and buildings were a mixture between Disney World castles (but more gothic/even more elaborate and beautiful) and dessert because they were so ornate and unique. I loved the smells, the language, the way that you could walk down these interesting artsy alleyways and turn the corner to find historical monuments and squares (sort of like Venice but prettier side streets). Sarah, Christina and I shared some fun conversations about which cities we would be if we were cities (the ultimate decision on me was that I'd actually be Prague!), what our eating habits reveal about our personalities, and plans for our senior year. It was absolutely wonderful and a weekend that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

The Howard children
Unfortunately, the Howards, who I have grown very close with (my professors and their children) left this week. They'll be back next Wednesday after a vacation in Sicily for a final goodbye, but I pretty much had to prepare myself this week that they will no longer be right downstairs to entertain or play outside with in the courtyard. Ellie, Hannah and I watercolored on Monday afternoon which was a nice treat. Dr. Howard took me out to wine that evening with her friend Christine, who is my poetry professor who just arrived, "to introduce me separate from the rest of the group." I felt really honored by this! Finally, on their last full day here, which was Dr. Howard's birthday, I got to take her out for a birthday cappucino after lunch, and play with Ellie in the afternoon. We did all of our favorite things. Ellie and I got gelato at the gelateria by the Duomo and ate it on the steps of this cathedral. Then we went to our favorite people-watching spot and made up stories and observed for a little while. Finally, we RAN down streets to try to get lost and discover new things we'd never found before. We both knew it was a magical day, because we came across numerous sights that astounded us. Our favorite was a hidden balcony with an awning covered in ivy. She decided she'll be living there, and I can live across the small side street. I was really sad to see them go because they've characterized so much of my time here, and Ellie and I especially got really close. We're looking forward to September when I'll be back in that area so that I can go rasberry picking with the kids and hang out with them again (they live about a half an hour from Gordon).

This poetry class of mine
"Poetry of Ekphrasis"- writing in response to art or objects. I absolutely love this class. I feel like it was created for me. I'm so glad I switched out of the portrait painting class because I really like my professor, Christine, and all week I've been reading poetry, writing notebook entries on the things I see here in Orvieto, memorizing already existing poems to recite to my class, and I got to write my first poem for the class on the fortress on our cliff. More to come very shortly... I have to run and get a phone call from my parents!!