Mid May - Mid June

I'm not in my final Italian days. It's completely surreal right now. But let's get all caught up first.

I was all set to move come the end May and very excited to be staying with Joyce. I was to finish school on the 26th, even though Italian school would go until the 12th of June, then go on a 4 day school trip to Sicily returning on the 30th (at midnight) and then move on the 31st. That was the plan at least. But it didn't go exactly as planned.

On one of the days before I was talking with joyce and she had no knowledge of me moving in early June. She thought that I would be coming sometime around the 15th, but no one with AFS had told her anything. AFS decided to not listen to my request at all, even though they had already agreed to me moving with Joyce and didn't even bother to tell me. They moved me to a completely different family, in a completely different city, where I had no friends and they literally didn't tell me where i was for-sure moving to until the 31st, the morning I had to move. If I wouldn't have called to ask why Joyce had no idea about me moving they might not have even bothered to tell me anything. I am honestly VERY angry with AFS Italy, but that's not the story i want to tell right now, so let's go back to my last day of school and go from there.

My last day was so unreal. I remember thinking about how...over it felt. When I left America, i KNEW that I would be coming back, when i would be coming back, and that my friends and life would still be sitting there waiting for me. But when I leave here...it's much more final. I spent the first 3 hours in my normal class in what to everyone else was another day of school. But after the 3rd hour there is a break in Italian school. Not a long one, but still. During this time my class presented me with this letter saying "you have become a part of our class and we will miss you" with all of their signatures. It was really sweet. Then, during the second to last hour I went to say my final goodbyes to all my friends in the class I went to Greece with. I really bonded with that class and it meant a lot to see them one last time. And then I walked down those steps for one final time. I took a picture out front and waved a final goodbye to my 2nd Italian school.

The next morning we rose early and went on our school trip to Sicily. From our school there was two classes, ours (in which only 6, including me, came) and the other 4th year class I took math in. But there was also another group of students from another class. It was a 10 hour drive (with a 30 minute ferry ride in between) to Sicily but FINALLY we arrived and got all situated before going to dinner and having a nice somewhat wild evening. I went to bed incredibly early (one or two) that night for an italian school trip, but I slept well because I was the only one who slept in our room that night (as I was the only one who slept). The next morning we went to the beautiful city of Noto. One of the differences between Italian schools and American is they just let us wander around the city as we wish. No limits or anything. Besides visiting the city we had some fun playing little pranks such as fake 50 Euro bills on the streets or "American Tourists" (they wouldn't believe me that they could never seem like Americans just based on how look, let alone on how they act). Then in the afternoon we went to see a Greek play at one of the ancient outdoor greek theaters. I didn't understand "un cazzo" other than there was a woman walking on water, everyone died like 10 times than came back and there was a crazy sheep man. My friends explained it to me later, but that's not important. The next day was much similar to the first as we wandered around the city of Siracusa in the morning (there was an incredible castle) and in the afternoon we went to another greek play in the evening. And on the final day we took the very long drive back, arriving back literally at midnight.

The next morning I had to finish packing my things before lunch and then shortly afterwards I had to say all my final goodbyes. And then I left the city of Venosa for the final time. That afternoon I moved to my 3rd family in the city of Potenza. They live literally in the very center of the city and there is a girl, Alessia, who is 18 and I share a room with and a boy, Marco, who is 17 and has never said more than "ciao" to me. But the who family is very nice and welcoming and even if it's not what I wanted or would have chosen, it's not bad. I went to Alessia's school (my 3rd Italian school) with her until the 8th and really got along well with her class and friends. They welcomed me in and we joked around and I got along with them very quickly. One of the things I've said recently is that even though I haven't had the year I was planning, one good think I've gained by moving to 3 different families and 3 different schools (and school TYPES for that matter) is that now I really know what the differences are between Italian families/schools and America.

And then on the 8 until the 11th I went to the final AFS camp for the students in my region and the region next to mine. There aren't even words to describe how wonderful all the students are and how much I love them! But it was a major time to reflect on the little time we have left here. On the second night we all sat in a huge circle and they gave each of us a small candle and then we had to each give a small comment reflecting on this year and then light our candle until they were all lit and then we formed AFS with the candles and all took a pic. I spoke sooner than I wanted to and didn't get to say exactly what I wanted to say but got the main points across. What I wish I would have said translates to "Carpe Diem. This year I've had a relationship with the phrase in a way I never before believed possible. Yes, I experienced it. But the relationship I had was in living in the city of Venosa where the Latin writer Horace was born, the Latin writer who would eventually write Carpe Diem. There aren't words to explain how this little city has changed me. I had an incredible family, made incredible friends, and seized the day where it was first born to be seized. This small city has opened doors fro me that I never even knew were closed. This YEAR has opened doors. I'm not the person that left a year ago, I'm a stronger person. I've made new friends, done new things, learned about new customs, and became a citizen of the world. Thank you all" Thats what I want to say (in short, but there is really so much more). The entire week was more or less like this and it was a good time to just spend with literally some of the most amazing people in the world.

And now I am back home at my third host family's home. School has officially ended and summer is here. We wake up late (my sister actually has me beat on sleeping in...I didn't know that was possible), have lunch at 2-3 (it's an italian thing) relax/take naps or whatever in the early afternoon (3-5), I try to go to the gym most days due to massive eating habits =P (but all too often the wonderful joyce comes to visit me and I go out with her) in the late afternoon (5-8) and then in the evening we either go out at 9 and eat then then mess around until 1 or 2 or eat dinner around 11 and THEN go out. The Italian way of life is a very different world from ours and I find myself already nostalgic of it, even when I have yet to leave it. There are now less than 20 days left to my Italian experience and I honestly have NO clue what I will do when I return home. I'm stoked to see everyone, but I have made a life for myself here and living without it is a truly scary idea.

I promise to write at least one more blog when I get home, but I might write 2, another for a one month later thing. But soon enough I will close this blog. Maybe I will write another, I don't know. I doubt it. No matter how much the Italian's like to say differently, i can imagine my average american life being interesting enough to write pages about for each month.