One Week!

Hey Everybody!

One week from today I will be on my long flight to Florence, Italy for my semester at SRISA. I have had many different emotions this week about it all. I will admit I am pretty scared. Luckily my excitement overrules my fear. I have been working some good hours this week which has helped me keep my mind off of my worries and excitement of the trip. I did start packing last week but realized I had started packing clothes and other stuff I still needed, so my neatly packed suitcase is now a disaster. I will  have to try again in a couple days.
I am extremely thankful for all my friends and family for being such great support with this opportunity in my life. My grandma and Aunt Jill both gave me money during Christmas for my trip, which will be extremely helpful while I am there and I am so grateful for their help. My family and friends have all been excited for me, which just makes me more excited about it all. I can't wait to liven up this blog page with some stories from Florence, but for now this is all I have. One more week!! :)

Visa!

Hey everyone!
As most of you know I finally got my visa in the mail! It is such a relief!! Now I am taking time to plan the fun things and focus on all the other important things I have to get done before I leave. I met with my friend Lauren (the girl who went last year to SRISA) last week. She gave me a ton of helpful hints on what to pack, what to bring on the plane, people to contact there, and many other things. My cousin Bridgit lived in Europe for awhile so she knows about it pretty well. I've made sure to go to her for help about any questions I have also. She says the train system is great along with RyanAir, which is super cheap airlines from one European country to other European country. My biggest fear as of right now is not knowing where to go in the airport. Luckily I am not afraid to ask for help, so I should be just fine. Anyone who was around me during the visa process knows how much of a worry wart I am.
I am home now for Christmas break. So I am just trying to get together with as many friends and family as possible before I leave. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a happy new year. Only 18 more days until I leave! Nervous and excited!

Roommates, Trips, Apps

Hey Everyone!

It's been awhile since I have posted anything, mainly because I really haven't found out any news until today. 

On November 20th, I was able to meet with the honorary consulate in Minneapolis to get my papers notarized. It wasn't until the 26th of November, I was able to get those papers out because I needed to make copies and I was home for Thanksgiving then. Hoping to get my passport back with the visa soon. The good news for today was that I found out who my roommates were. I have three other roommates!! I am so excited. I was hoping to get more than one roommate so I am thankful. I am also trying to figure out what field trips I would like to go on while in Italy. The ones that they have to offer are Bologna, Rome, Milan Fashion Week, and Naples/ Sienna. I am thinking about going to Rome, Naples and Sienna. I was super excited about Milan Fashion Week but I recently found out that that trip is for SRISA Fashion students only. Bummer. I am super excited for this experience!

My Aunt Margaret and Uncle Mark are coming to visit me during my spring break in March. We are planning on spending most of our time in Lucca where the Micheletti family originally came from. Our hopes are to be able to potentially find some relatives. It would be great to meet some distant relatives but being with my Aunt and Uncle will be great enough for me! 

I have been pretty busy these past couple months so I haven't been making time to try and learn some of the Italian language. I have a couple apps on my iPod though which I have played around with when I do have time, so I have learned a few greetings. I also have an app called Italy which has all the names of the cities and gives you a list of things like places to eat, hotels, sightseeing, history, architecture, and so much more. When I find time I will focus on one city and just read all about it ( I have been focusing on Florence for now mainly, as that is where I will be living). 

Other than that, not much is new with this girl! Just super excited for this experience and hoping it is a safe and enjoyable one! I will keep you all posted when I find out anything new and exciting. 

Ci vediamo dopo. (See you later!)