Five Months Down

It will be officially the five month mark of my experience in Italy on Valentine's Day actually. I've got a lot I should probably think about and reflect on since that was my 'assignment' from my AFS volunteer.

I've grown up a lot since I've been here. I understand now that the only person you can rely on is yourself and no one else. Mum isn't here anymore to talk to teachers for you and get you out of trouble. I'm independent here and had to learn how to do things for myself quickly. It wasn't easy going from the rapid change of always having someone there with me to go to basketball games or go shopping with and then come to Italy and have to start all over with friends and realize you just have to do some things on your own. I think I've really grown into myself and and more of an idependent person now, I don't need someone else constantly on my side. That's what dogs are for.

I remember the fews days before I parted for New York and the Rome. I was so nervous about all the things that could happen. If I would fit in with the people here, if I would get along with my family, if the language would be too hard for me, if I would not be able to last. There were countless thoughts that ran through my mind in the days before I left America. Now, since I have been here for five months I suppose I can put answers to my questions. My experience has gone better than I thought it would be. I think I was so nervous when I first came that I only expected it to be a disater. But it's been a lot better than I hoped. I had to switch families of course..that was a bit of a road block. But I overcame that situation and have been trying to be optimistic with every thing that comes my way. It's not easy to give up everything in your everyday life and go to an entirely different coutry. Not easy at all.

If I could change one thing about my experience so far ..that's a hard one actually. I think I probably would have studied more italian before I came here. It would have made my first couple of months A LOT easier. Also, I wish I wouldn't have been so shy the first couple of weeks. Because the first couple of weeks when your in a new school is really when people stereo-type you as being shy or funny or ect..but now I think my personality has really shown. It was very hard because when I was with my first family I was always so sad and almost depressed looking when I was at school because I was so unhappy with my home life. But right as I switched I perked right up and people started to really notice the change and the real me finally came out. I happy though with how far I've come with this experience so I don't think I would really change anything else.

A lot of people say that the next five months will be the easier months. Your italian will get better, you friendship with your friends and family with grow stronger and closer and you will really feel like your living the enitial italian life you wanted. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed!!

With how my first month here went I had to learn how to control my emtionals and not expect the absolute fantasic top of the line outcome out of everything or i will just end up getting dissapointed. In the AFS orientation in New York they said this experience would be an emotional rollercoaster with more downs thans ups. Then they repeated that in the Rome orientation. And we all were so annoyed at this and gung-ho that we were going to be to happy and hcipper all the time. ...yeah. There are lots of days where I feel down and like a zombie. But the good days def make up for the bad ones, and it all evens out in the end.

Italian winter in Salerno is seriously a tyropical rainforest. THe weather here is like it is in London. It's rainging the really sunny then filled with black clouds. It isn't to terribly cold however. There are some days though where it feels like I live in Antartica minus the snow. But not far as bad as Pekin I here. Stay warm!

Here's my sceduele for the upcoming months:

March:
Praga, Czech Republic- 1 week
Sicilia- 1 week
Tuscany- 1week

April:
London, England

Lots and lots of traveling! The trips in March are all with my classmates from school. I still don't know dates for them though. And the trip to London will be with my host family because Fred used to live there for ten years and wants to see his friends again! I'm so excited I get to explore Europe!

Not much new news has happened since i just wrote yesterday. I'm going to meet a bunch of guys from Liverpool tomorrow. (Beatles homewotwn :D) They're staying with one of my friends and they speak zero Italian so I can def relate! They're only here for vacation though. But none the less it's a good opportunity to meet people from other countries! Plus I LOVE english accents.

I can't remember if i posted this in my last post, but so far 3 Americans have been sent home. One chose to go home, one wasn't attending enough school, and I have no idea about the other. And now that I just wrote that I think I did say that in my other post. Oh well..ill write soon!

Baci!