ok...I lied.

I didn't update this, and I realize I still need to. So heres the deal...I JUST BOUGHT THE MOST AMAZING LEATHERBOUND JOURNAL...and I'm going to start writing in it, maybe I'll reflect on this entire trip then write it all out on here...who knows, but I'll catch this up eventually.
I SWEAR

updates on life
-spent the last day in Cortona
-leave for Venice tomorrow
-Ron and Deb are in Italy!! (but traveling alone currently...without me)
-I bought a GREAT giant leather bag, that will be my carry-on on the flight home...its GORGEOUS! (and red)

so I need to update this.

so I've been REALLY behind on this, but so many stories to share.
you can look forward to the following chapters of my ridiculous life...

-Florence vs. Us....Florence Won

-European waxing...woah

-Barcelona & Sitges

-journey back to Italia

-no one saved the drama for their momma when we got home

-mild depression...what else is new

-Done with the year of the junior

-Ron and Deb arrive in Italia

some of the posts I promise I'll put up within the next few days...I SWEAR!

BARCELONA IN 2 WEEKS, WHAAA??!!?

Sooooo 2 weeks from today I'll be on my way to Barcelona...OH MY GOD I KNOW!
I'm soooo excited I could die.
This means, I need to stop cheating on this no carbs for lent deal and look for some shorts and fun dresses.
All I want to do is lay on the beach...and get tan...and well...thats it.
Obviously we'll do other things but the image that will get me through the next two weeks is this:

I just wanna be there RIGHT NOW!! ...getting tan and meeting cute american boys on their spring break. hahaha

So...turnovers are a bad thing?

currently sitting with a record of 1-2, the St. Lawrence Womens Lacrosse Team WON THEIR FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON YESTERDAYYYY. WHAT UPPPP.
current record is as follows

Thu, 03/17/2011	UMass-Dartmouth	W: 18 - 5
Tue, 03/15/2011	Fredonia State	L: 13 - 12
Fri, 03/11/2011	#7 Cortland State	L: 14 - 8

At 11am this morning (AMERICAN...obviously) they take on Connecticut College....after talking with one of their veteran midfielders...aka my roommate Kendall Harty (number 14 on the roster) it looks like the girls of Connecticut College are going to wish they wore kneepads...or even coats of armor. Its about to be Harty Time...sorry Conn College...better luck next year.

number 14 on the roster, number 1 in my heart

Want to know more about your St. Lawrence Lady Saints? Can't get enough about Kendall Harty and the rest of the team?

CLICK HERE for photos, new articles and the most recent stats!

I fell in love in Italia...

    So this past weekend I went to Florence for the night to see my sorority sister Margaret Espositoooooo, my friends Alexis and Victor came with me and it was hands down the best weekend yet.

    We started off our weekend in Orvieto where I had some awesome buys and a great lunch. I loved Orvieto, I think I’m going to go with my parents when they come in April. Ok anyways, we left Orvieto early and took a train to Florence. We got there and at the train station, knee brace and all was my girllll Mags. We ran to each other, hugged for a loooong time, cried a little then made introductions. Alexis and Victor are just amazing and get along with everyone…same as Mags, so immediately we all became the 4 Muskateers. We went straight to our ghetto ass hostel….in the ghetto, and checked in and changed. Alexis and I had bought bottles of wine in Orvieto so we drank those before we went out to dinner. After a day of my new “no carbs for lent diet” I was already feeling great by the time we got to dinner.

On our way to dinner we saw the HOTEL DE INNOCENCE (which we totally learned about in Art History) which we freaked out a little about…we were looking for this amazing pizzeria but instead we found a nice little place near the water. Once at dinner we shared hilarious stories of studying abroad over more wine, and then proceeded in our mission to find a gay bar for Victor. I lost the bet and went up to what seemed like a gay couple from Italy…they were not from Italy and lets just say it was as awkward encounter…whatever.

love them

lost the bet...

    After dinner we wandered and found the first bar, where Mags had a Long Island Iced Tea that was stronger than Nate Howard during spring lift. So after we left that bar in our mission to find “YAG” we rode a carousel, got gelato and explored the nightlife of Florence…baller.

FINALLY we found YAG!!! Yayersss. We walk in…Christina Aguilera’s Dirrty was blasting with the music vid playing on the back wall, blue lights everywhere…along with tight jeans, fohawks and these wonderful red frozen mixed drinks. After getting settled in, we were on a mission to find Victor a suitor. Once we found a contender…who didn’t speak English, Alexis and I were confident enough in our 5 weeks of beginning Italian to translate for them…fail. Then we met this wonderful boy Filipo…I loved him…and we danced the night away to Lady Gaga and Rupaul…winning.

    After Margaret made it known that SHE was ready to be hit on by guys, we parted ways with Victor and went to find another bar. After a few blocks of walking we found a pub that seemed promising…which it was. We walked in, and were greeted immediately by 3 handsome young men from New England…one of them looking just like my friend Brendan McCarthy. After we made introductions and met another nice American, I went into shock and nearly cried…there infront of me on a flatscreen…was ESPN AMERICA…AND SPORTSCENTER WAS ON!!!! Once my body wasn’t in shock anymore, I posted up infront of the screen for nearly an hour…inconveniently these way too skinny and euro Italians started to hit on me and I tried my best to tell them that the next day was selection Sunday and I needed to catch up on the games. After Margaret and Alexis pulled me away from the tv we left that bar to go to another bar with Margaret’s new American friend Jared…who was very nice. Once we got to yet another blue light euro bar, we proceeded to go straight to the dancefloor…where more creepy Italian men appeared. Eventually there was one that wasn’t so easy to get rid of…however out of no where our 3 american boys appeared and Margaret immediately told them that they needed to help me get away from the jacked creepy Italian wearing a little scarf…ew. Once we all made it outside we got to know the Americans better, and they were soooo nice. After awhile of calling Johnny, Brendan (because he looked JUST LIKE HIM) he was getting frustrated…also because I had jumped ship to get to know Chris better….besides Chris was taller than me. So after Brendan (Johnny) and Alex went to go back to the other bar, Chris stayed behind with me because guess who wandered away again….Alexis. Eventually we found her and we all went back into the club until it closed…then we lost Alexis again…so we waited outside the club until everyone had left. While we were waiting/periodically yelling he name in hopes she would appear, the cutest thing EVER happened. So all night we saw these indian guys that would walk around with giant bouquets of roses to buy…and I was telling Mags earlier how I wished I was here with someone that would buy me a flower…well Chris bought me a flower, hahaha soooo cute. I died.

    Anyways we ended up finding Alexis, we all had a great night and I wish I had given him my number the next day but I wasn’t thinking…anyways, he was a dreamboat. 6’3”, from Boston, has a pilot license, played lacrosse, went to Umass Amherst, winner. Maybe I’ll see him again someday…

So that morning, hungover, unshowered and still reliving last night in our minds while sharing stories (oh ps. We accidently left Victor waiting outside the hostel for 3 hours…he had no key. When we turned the corner to our hostel to find him sitting on the street, Alexis broke out into a drunken sprint to him…Chris followed...and I stayed behind and laughed until I cried) we went to McDonalds, ate everything we could and then said our goodbyes because we needed to catch a train.

(bought our tickets 4 minutes before the train left…we’re G’s)

easy like sunday morningggg

saying goodbyes

so those were the highlights…want more deets. 

Get at me yellow room.

my baby's got sauce

This is my roommate Ken. She plays Lacrosse. I'm committing myself to being the best Saints Lax fan from 6,000 miles away...I just need to learn what a turnover is....along with everything else.
Hey its a process.
They had their season opener today at SLU...they played Cortland..but lost. Whatever, Cortland is nationally ranked 7 in the country. Cortland was good, but Kendall Harty is better.
I just feel bad for Fredonia come Tuesday...
Go. Saints.

Harty Time. 

MISS YOU KENNNNNNN!!!!!

Lent...

ok so I've lost all will power and have been eating and drinking entirely too much...and I feel like a tank. And...in 3 weeks I'll be on the beaches in Barcelona...SO I've decided to give up carbs....yes carbs, and most meat for lent. That means no pasta, no bread, no pizza, and no meatballs. You may think I'm crazy because I'm in Italia, but...we're going to try it and see how it goes.
...my staples are probably going to include veggies and blood oranges...wish me luck.

...However I am allowing myself to have gelato and chocolate once in awhile.

WISH ME LUCKKKKKK

"YOU'RE 21!....I'M 21!!"

I'm officially 21. Therefore one of the first things I will buy when I land in America (besides chicken fingers and fries) will be alcohol. yayerssssss.
My birthday fell on a perfect day...Tuesday, aka FAT TUESDAY, aka CARNIVALE..and oh ya it was "The Day of The Woman" in Italy as well...ya it was crazy to say the least...
We started celebrating on Sunday...as seen in earlier posts, but it picked up on Monday evening where at dinner everyone sang to me, blew out candles, got a little cake...all that stuff (you're probably wondering...wait your birthday was Tuesday, why are they singing to you on Monday...well on Tuesdays and Thursdays we get fruit for dessert...lame I know...so they sing to you on days when dessert is served...i mean no ones wants a candle in an orange am I right? ....actually I'm currently obsessed with blood oranges so I wouldn't of midned) Ok so everyone sang...cute. Then at midnight Monday night, while I was finishing up my metals project (BEING SUCH A GOOD STUDENT MOM!) all of my roommates and friends came in with a cake and candles singing happy birthday, it was sooooo nice. Like these people here made my birthday the shit. I love them. like LOOOVE THEM. So on Tuesday, the actual day of my birthday I got more cakes from Dorothy and candles and more people sang to me...and everybody was just so awesome and then WE ALL WENT OUT.

love this girl

Since it was carnivale and shit, everyone was dressed ridiculously and painted their faces and it was awesome. I wore my helmet..and had Texas Ranger and Lexi paint my face...
**Oh and as Tommy watches me write this over my shoulder, I would like to say that although I did not go to dinner that night (stayed home to study for my midterm mom) he had bought me cakes and wine and was going to surprise me...AWWW THANKS TOM!**
OK so after pregaming and face painting it was time to get to the Lions Well....and with Karina and I's luck, on our way there we ran into Jacob...great.
When we finally arrived at the Lions Well it looked like Halloween on E....it was insane. EVERYONE was dressed up, and in really good costuemes. Before I could order my first shot, the entire room errupted in "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU...." like seriously these people made my brithday the bomb. I wish they went to slu. Ok so anyways, after making it known to everyone that it was my birthday it was time for shot....after shot....after shot....one with tommy, one with casey, one with dorothy, one with karina, one with alexis...one with the bartender....

friends....

she made my night

my 21st birthday 

then I woke up the next morning...still drunk...having to go to a meeting with our RA Casey and Jacob...with wet laundry all over my room. Eventually Mr. Hangover appeared.
Throughout the day I proceeded to feel like death and managed to dry heave for nearly 7 hours....through my Art History midterm as well. Great.

THANKS FOR A GREAT 21st EVERYONE!

"it's your birthday!...no its not...WELL WE'RE STARTING IT NOW!"

so this past Tuesday...Fat Tuesday, Day of the Woman, Mardi Gras, MY BIRTHDAYYYY was epic.

We started celebrating my milestone birthday on Sunday...as we proceeded to wake up 3 hours late (to find that Alexis had peed the bed again) and missed our first train, we decided to take a cab to Camucia, and while waiting for the next train, we stopped at a bakery/bar...thats literally the only way I can describe this magical place. While Alexis and Karina were fighting hangovers, we figured that we should start drinking immediately to get them drunk and get rid of the hangover...so we ordered "SPECIAL MIMOSAS"...and they were the shit.

on the taxi ride to Camuciaaaaa

MY FIRST BIRTHDAY PRESENT!

special mimosas...round 2...with less than 10 minutes till our train

As we enjoyed our morning mixed drinks and some expresso, Alexis went up to pay so we could leave (seeing that we were a few blocks away from the station and our train was arriving in less than 10 minutes...we needed to haul ass)....the logical thing would to be to pay and walk to the station...instead, we turned around to see the bartender making 4 more mimosas....Alexis ordered another round. It is now 10:44am and our train is supposed to arrive at 10:50am. As Karina looked at her watch yelling "GUYS WE NEED TO GO" we did what anyone else would do; Grabbed the drinks, chuggled them at the bar (while everyone else was calmly drinking espressos and families were enjoying breakfast...), and proceeded to run out screaming "GRAZIE, CIAO!!!"
Once we hit the street it was go time...actually it was 10:47am. shit. we had 3 minutes.
RUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNN!!
So on a lazy Sunday morning in the peaceful town of Camucia, 4 american girls, now a little drunk, proceeded to spring 4 blocks to the train stations cheering eachother on to run faster.
We made it. exhausted. out of breath. thinking we were going to yak. After realizing we were on the wrong side of the tracks, we quickley ran to the other side just in time to catch the next train to Florence...

....where are we going?

(I should probably tell you that we were on our way to Florence to see a "futbol" game for my birthday...I was in need of seeing hot, athletic men running around.)
So as we got onto the train (with no tickets not knowing what stop to get off on) we felt as though we could conquer the world..then we got exhausted and passed out for an hour. We awoke, saw a bunch of people wearing jerseys at one of the stops on the outskirts of Florence, read some signs that matched the info we had written on Dorothy's cigarrette carton (so classy) and decided to get off....our instincts were right...we had gotten off at the stop 1 block away from the stadium. YAYERSSSSSS!!! (oh and we got there for free because no one came to check tickets...score)
We get off the train and got a second wind. WE ARE HERE IN FLORENCE ABOUT TO GO TO OUR FIRST "FUTBOL" GAME!!! what up. shout out to Brian Abernethy, he's so proud I went to one.
Ok so as much as we wanted to run and buy purple stuff as soon as we got off the train, we had to buy tickets...obviously we bought the cheapest ones...which were in the bleachers...with all of the young drunk guys who wave flags and scream songs and throw things...perfect. After we bought tickets we went to go get lunch...consisting of large beers and small bowls of pasta.
Next thing you know we had 15 minutes to gametime. We ran to a stand, bought some cheap ass 5 euro jerseys...number 10 Mutu, Muta...something like that...put them on and went into the stadium.
After being served free redbulls and buying overpriced beer we were feeling AMAZING...walking into the stadium we were like "OH MY GODDDD"

MENNNNNNNNNN

There we were, surrounded by MEN, TESTOSTERONE, BEER, YELLING, SPORTS...OMG IT WAS ABOUT TIME. We noticed the teams warmed up and stretching...forget finding out seats, there we stood with our faces up against the glass staring at some of the hottest men I've ever seen.
After wiping the drool from our mouths we decided it was time to find out seats. After we found out seats(...ok not really we just walked to the bleachers, found the largest spot of open seats and sat down...success) started to get into it...taking pictures, screaming anything, making friends and playing "Hot or Not" (one of my favorite passtimes at Dana).

alexis...and security

Ok so whatever the game went on, Dorothy started getting annoyed with the lame american girls behind us complaining about everything and not drinking beer...all while judging us. So we judged them back and then before you knew it, our boy Muto, Muta, Mutu..WHATEVER, well the hot guy, number 10 (THE GUY ON OUR JERSEYS) scored two out of the three goals Florence got so we were OFF THE WALLS. It was GREAT.

I <3 Fiorentina as well

Then before you knew it, the game was over...we left, got gelato, went to the train station and WE FOUND TOMMY!!!!
Tommy, mr. have to have a plan for everything, woke up on time, got on the train we were all supposed to be on, was there infront of our eyes dressed in purple and we WERE SOOOO EXCITED TO SEE HIM. We had been screaming "TOMMY" all day hoping to find him somewhere. We were screaming Tommy during the game and even got people around us to start yelling Tommy...it was great. So ya we found Tommy, bombarded him and starting telling him all about our day, blah blah blah, got on the train ride home and passed out. Next thing you know we were back in Camucia.
Oh and on our way back to the train, Dorothy and I found a helmet in the middle of the road...no bike, no person...just the helmet....we brought it home with us....and we now wear it when we go out. (As seen in my current profile picture HERE)

modeling my new helmet

I think I was delerious or my hangover was starting to kick in....but by the time we were on the busride home to Cortona...I felt like I was on another planet...Tommy has a video...I have yet to see it...
Ya so that was only the beginning of the best birthday EVER.

Found My Husband!!

so this morning i met my husband. no big deal.
meet Johnny McEntee...

presh

6'3'' 225lbs and a greeeeeat build. he's a dreamboat.

 

he's got the sauce

 Goodlooking, dark hair, taller than me AND plays football. sign me up.

Plus he's funny. Take a look for yourself...

trick shots by my future husband, he's so charming

hookup alert

background check...a few weeks ago Victoria (super sweet, really nice, recent breakup from boyfriend) made out with Walker Texas Ranger (artsy soccer player from alabama who loooves the woman's body)

THEN...I recieved this on my blackberry this morning...
"One of the WB's, 60% sure it was victoria, drunkenly came into the boys room, confirmed made out, slept there but wasn't there at 6:30am this morning."
xoxo gossipgurl

Then tonight got this one...
"Victoria was/is super pissed at walker for lying about his hookup with someone (remaining un-named for now...stay posted for the reveal) last week."
(ps. hook was a full blown HOOK.UP.)
xoxo gossipgurllll


...so who is this mystery hookup that Texas Ranger had last weekend...juicyyyyy

coco-nutty...drop me a beat.

Blackout ali is alive and well. This past Saturday night was one of the best nights I’ve had since I’ve been here.

During the day  we visited Pienza and Montepulciano, aka the cheese and wine capitals of the world. So in Montepulciano besides having the best wine everrrrr, Twilight filmed a few scenes of the second movie there…you know when he’s shirtless and glittering in the doorway and shes running to him through the people dressed in red…ya. We spent the majority of our day eating a 4 hour lunch/ wine date in this amazing restaurant where the owner was sooooo nice and the food was amazing and the atmosphere was great and I just never wanted to leeeeave. By the time our bread and wine was brought out I was straight up in love with the owner and proceeded to ask him if he wanted to adopt us….he didn’t speak much English so had no idea what I was saying. But he told us to come back and go to a bar he owned…before I die I WILL go back to see him again. And Jord I’ll take you with me because then you can see  all the places that Twilight was filmed and see all the shrines they have for Twilight in all the restaurants and bars.

After dinner we walked around town looking for anything that was open…the downfall of “siesta”. We have formed the conclusion that Italians don’t really work. They wake up…hang out for a few hours, then go on siesta, then hang out more then go out. Love their work ethic. Ok ya so we were walking around and then were lured into this wonderful place that was giving out free samples…of food AND wine. Obviously we went in…for a while. We left with pockets full of biscotti and a bottle for the bus ride home…we asked when we bought the wine if she could open it for us…she did…and totally judged us…whatever.

Still feeling the wine from during the day we proceeded to drink all the wine we bought that day on the bus ride home. Best decision ever.

Oh and you know when you buy beanie babies…how they have their name, birthday and little rhyme about them on the tag. Well we found a “beanie boo” that had the same birthday as Dorothy so we had to buy it…and we did. And we proceeded to rap all the rhymes from all the beanie boos that we saw in the gift shop prior….over and over again.

I think I can still remember what our favorite one was

“some say that I’m a little monkey,

my legs are short and my body is chunkyyyyyy”

We loved this…so much that we made a beat for it and freestyled after we would yell it over and over again….oye.

Oh and throughout the day we had a few “Jacob incidents”. For all of you just tuning in, Jacob is one of the people working on the trip and half of the girls are smitten with him…probably because he’s the manliest man here…slimmmm pickins over in these parts. Anyways I try to see it, but I’m not sold on the idea of “how sexy he is” or “how hot his bod is”. Anyways I call him the diamond in the rough thinking maybe one day I’ll find him attractive…well as I was filming a video on the bus I was just being ali…loud ali…and didn’t realize the window was open…and omg I can’t even type the rest. Then we had a really awkward moment getting on the buses. I was team marco…

playing scratch offs....miss you rochelle

Pienza

HI WALKERRRR

view from  Montepulciano

family photo...so presh

Imi and her daughter Mia...my favorite photo of the day

the piazza that a scene from Twilight was filmed in
SEE JORD!

eat your heart out foodnetwork

Ok so we arrived back in Cortona. Time for fun.

After a quick trip to Molescini’s to buy dinner…consisting of chocolate and boxed wine we hiked up the mountain and got ready to start the nap. We power-napped, showered, got ready (for me consisted of putting in the hair extensions and caking on the bronzer…my amazing mother sent me a care package…complete with gold hoops and hair extensions…THANKS MOM) and started drinking. Once the boxes of wine were gone and everyone was dressed (that night everyone was dressed by Ashley for a “sculpture”) we headed for the Lions Well.

From what I can remember/what I've been told..

•       Dance dance like its your last last night of your life life
•       Drinks. Broke my glass.
•       Zane and a bunch of guys…asked them their age. ranged from 16-19. Jesus. High tailed it out of there
•       Peeing inbetween cars with Dorothy
•       Yelling “WE WANT DICK”
•       Shots
•       Tommy and Angela…doesn’t she have a bf…scandallllll
•       Fell off a table. So classy.
•       Fell off the table on Tommy and Angela. Whoops.
•       Time to go
•       Give a talk to Lexi’s date. “if she doesn’t make it home I’ll beat the shit out of you”
•       March up the hill
•    Yelling the entire time...with Dorothy.
•    Got back home. Fucked shit up Andrew Krieger style.
•    Throwing cheese. Breaking balsamic. (people here def dont think its funny like at St. Lawrence)
•    Talked to myself
•     Passed out

"the night has begun"

dancing queen

death for dorothy and i

tommy and angela...SCANDALOUSSSS
they've got potential

hey brooke, whose your friend?

i've been asking him to play "black and yellow" and  some kap slap since i've been in cortona...

lexi's new friend...they went home together.

NEXT MORNING... 

Woke up, thought I was dying....no recollection of the night before..

Day full of throwing up and getting motion sickness when I rolled over in bed. Yay hangovers….not.

Hearing about what I did the night before. Kewl.

Dorothy went deep in the heart of texas

All I want is a bacon egg and cheese from mcdonalds.

oh and God Bless Dorothy Zittel.

Karina can breath through her nose.

This girl has had the like flue slash BLACK PLAGUE for the last few weeks. I mean sick. I love her but she got me sick…slut. I love her. So anyways we’re celebrating. All though she still coughs and we worry she’s going to cough up a lung or barf on the spot. She ran into the room this evening and freaked out. We thought it was some juicy gossip. Nope. She covered her mouth and we waited in silence.

Then we realized…

SHE CAN BREATHE THROUGH HER NOSEEEE!!!!

Bitch is getting better. Ugh ohhhh, look out Lions Well!

Because I miss you...

Today is my bestfriend Andrew's birthday. He is 21 today...and as tradition holds on your 21st birthday...or at least at slu, I can bet you his day is going to be filled with getting iced, everyone yelling Happy 21st whenever they see him, and the occasional "DON'T DIE TONIGHT KREIGS!"..(which we all take semi seriously with kriegs...the thing about my bestfriends is that they all should of died of alcohol poisoning our freshmen year...) Ok anyways, now I'm just rambling and I'm semi delerious because some deathly illness is going around this friggin school over here and obviously I got it...again...cool. not. But  I know he wont see this but I'm going to write it anyway because I miss him a lot.

Dear Andrew,

Happy Birthday, I miss you a lot. I know you're going to have an awesome birthday surrounded by our idiot friends and I wish I could be there. Don't get hurt tonight, you're coming off of an embaressing injury already...I mean who has to go to the ER after playing pick up...and playing pick up with our friends. Come on. Hope you survive until I come home. Hope you have a lot of mind erasers and everyone buys you lots of drinks at the hoot. And I hope you have the best birthday ever!!

Miss you lots, love you more. (its true and you can call me whatever you want, but I know you love me too)

Happy Birthday Kriegs

Love, Ali 

ps. check your CMR this week

Me and Kriegs 

...and after just typing that and thinking about my friends I'm already crying because I miss them so much. awesome.

99 cent boxed wine and pockets full of snacks

This blog post I’m just going to write out in bullets. I’m really sick right now and don’t feel like writing it all out in a story. I’ll do it later if you really want. But here’s the outline of the night.

• Pregamming in room 8
• shit was poppin
• cameras were snappin
• 99 cent boxed wine
• best investment ever
• broke the bed
• in my defense, it was for a good reason...I was practicing my approach
• sex talk
• we're all lonely as hell
• almost cried talking about the jimmy's brothers
• background on the mac is me and the brothers at winter formal this year
•  I go through the picture talking about each one and how much I love them...
• I'm pretty sure this happens on a weekly basis..
• haven't even left the room yet, already almost crying...shit I'm drunk
• the ali we all know and love is back
• get to the bar
• shit I'm drunk
• flag down John Lucca
• pink drink extra sweet
• it was heaven...I had a lot of heavens
• met some canadians
• they were cool..we talked about hockey
• next thing you know I'm on top of a stool
• take a breather outside
• turns into me going into an alley, crying my eyes out and proceeding to leave a 5 minute voicemail on Kriegers phone telling him how much I miss him and how much I love the Jimmys Brothers
• back into the bar
• loving my life
• leave with some locals along with alexis and clare
• get back to the bar, dance some more
• realization
• I'm dunzo
• drunk texting
• so I guess I really like to drunk bbm everyone from slu and tell them how much I miss and love them..wow I'm cool
• Route 66
• snacks in pockets...yep
• dip included
• bolt
• pit stop on the way up the hill
• outside picnic...by myself
• Pass out next to heater in fetal position

Lions Well

Hey Campbell

my girl.

As you can see the night was a success.

All we want to do is take touristy pics...bling bling

So this weekend we took a trip to Pisa and Lucca…Pisa as in the leaning tower of, Lucca as in, not our bartender from the Lions Well. The bus left at 7am…we were pissed. So after about an hour of struggling to get ourselves together, Casey (our RA) frantically gets everyone whose left in the building out and down the hill…in this process we all felt that it was ok to stop and get some breakfast on our way out…ya I guess it wasn’t ok. When we got to the buses I quickly realized that the seating was made for human beings 5’5” and under. The over 2 hour ride was NOT fun, or comfortable…but I ended up passing out and missing whatever views we were seeing. I woke up to Marco talking to us over the loud speaker, he was in such a good mood that day.

As soon as we got off the bus we were greeted by warm sunshine and what looked like the Jamaican bobsled team trying to sell us “Bling Bling”. (We proceeded to run into them all day “mama you want some bling bling?”)

The first landmark we saw that day was a McDonalds train…I’m serious.

shoutout to america

So after a short walk to through what could only be described as the tackiest tourist crap ever (…I will admit I really want a tshirt or tacky sweatshirt…sue me. ) we finally arrive to the one and only leaning tower of pizza…next to some dome thing and a cathedral. For our Renaissance class we had to go tour the dome thing and then go through like an indoor/outdoor cemetery…after this Bailey and I were getting really antsy…all we wanted to do was take dumb tourist photos…you know the kind that you’re holding up the tower or pushing it over.

After another lecture about something…aka Bailey and I decided to be “artsy and hell” and take pictures of ourselves in the reflection of each others sunglasses…hers turned out good…mine was…not so much.

so artsy

FINALLY we were set free to do whatever we want…we sprinted to where all the Japanese tourists were (they always know what they’re doing when it comes to touristy stuff) and set ourselves up to take the best pics possible, ass seen below….

pretending to be japanese tourists

Mark Armstrong, this is for you.
POKE!

I'm actually this big.

sarah's so strong

so strong

chillen

After running out of ideas and just getting tired of balancing on top of whatever we were balancing on, we decided to walk through the markets. Sarah got a new pair of sunglasses, Bailey looked for a scarf but never found one that met her expectations and I got another thing for the townhouse…he said it was a tablecloth…but after I opened it up its more like a cloth poster…I bought it with some leftover dolla dolla bills from America so I was happy…oh and its not like a table cloth with flowers on it or anything like that, it’s got recipe for “Limoncello” on it and its covered in lemons…obviously I had to get it…Limoncelli, Limoncello(…it’s a sign I’m meant to be a bartender I think)

At the end of the markets we found a McDonalds (but it as soon as you walked in it seemed that it was named 1955..weird)…we went in. It was an experience. The menu items had some similarities, but I can promise you I will not be ordering a “chicken legend” anytime soon…they also served chicken wings, which I thought was weird…(I would kill for a plate of boneless hot wings and ranch…but I’m def not getting chicken wings from McDonalds) and they had a separate area called McCaffe….it was surprisingly impressive. A big layout of pastries and chocolate, a million different choices of coffee…oh and before we finish talking about this place…their bathroom was like…well I felt like I was at a nightclub…oh and they had a big giant cardboard cutout that said 1955 on it….it was weird…but Bailey and I still took a pic with it…as people stared.

Since I’ve been in Italia the best coffee I’ve had was from that McDonalds…true story. “Ba da da da daaaa, I’m Lovin’ it.”

we think we're cool...the lady next to us..she didnt

MCDONALDS

mcdonalds coffee next to the leaning tower of pisa
1 pt for America

Our day is far from over..Pisa..check (basically it has a market, the leaning tower and a McDonalds) next on our list is Lucca (known for an antique festival…we were lucky enough to miss it). After a short 30 minute bus ride where my lack of filter and amazing geographic knowledge (or lack of) had everyone entertained along with Bailey’s sugar high, we had arrived in Lucca. Oh and ps. On the bus ride Marco and I bonded some more discussing comics…(yes comics…whatever I went with it)

  I was ready to just get a glass of wine, some gelato and lay out all day…I didn’t get to do that…we started with a little lecture and then we were on our own. A bunch of us went out to lunch, where we all had pizza that touched our souls. Amazing. After enjoying our lunch outside while talking about all of the people walking past us (hopefully none of them knew American…er, English) we made a group decision that we all needed gelato.

so good

Lucky enough there was this AMAZING and CHEAP place right near us that had the creamiest gelato I have had since I’ve been here. I had…I think tiramisu and this chocolate amazement that had big chuncks of chocolate and some fruit on it…it was REEEEEALLY good.

Now my favorite part of the day came around…while we were all enjoying our gelato…we decided to lay out in the sun…I was so happy. As we napped on the stairs of this big important church (we had a lecture on it earlier), Dorothy and I proceeded to be sarcastic assholes about everything. I love this girl, I don’t know what I’d do if she wasn’t here. Literally, she is my savior. Oh and she bought this great gold and black ring at a vintage store that day. Before you know it Marco had shown up (yaaaaay!)

Marco is slowly warming up to us; while we were on the stairs still contemplating our next step in conquering Lucca he talked to us about his favorite comics, which one he reads, and then talked to us about his jacket…in detail; why he liked it, why he bought it, where he bought us. We’re basically like bestfriends now (ok not really but we’re taking our relationship slow…I want this to last..hahah)

After we part ways with Marco (sigh) we decide to go shopping…I bought a leather bag…again. But this one I needed. From a distance it looks black, but take a step closer and its really a dark deep rich brown. Its smaller, with silver accents…its great for going out with…which was what I was looking for. I needed a small crossbody bag that’s not gonna cramp my style if I’m dancing on a table or in a small area. Trust me, trying to break it down with a bigger bag…NOT FUN. Oh and I bought a belt…its alright, but I needed one.

food coma

While leaving the leather shop we ran into..i don’t even know…seemed like a protest/parade. During this catastrophe, Bailey and I were separated from the rest of the group and decided we might as well just go up to the park and people watch. Initially our plans included people watching while swinging, when a little girl took our swings (bitch..she saw us walking towards them) we decided to walk up this giant hill…when we got there it was a let down. Basically it was an old aquaduct/damn thing and like a bike path. We walked around a bit…there was basically a cliff where you could fall 2 stories…maybe it was higher…and break your legs on impact…ok I’m exaggerating but I was scared and couldn’t walk to the edge. Ok so we walked around, it was like a big bike path, bunch of people were there..all with little dogs. We came to 2 conclusions while we were at the park:

1.   in Italy little dogs are valued more than big dogs

2.   everyone is always so put together…even when they’re just going to the park (we saw an older woman running in a leather jacket..WHAAA?!?)

Our time in Lucca was dwindling, so on our way back to the bus we stopped, PAID to use the restroom...it was $0.60 for 5 minutes…which made me think, what if you were using it to hook up in and your 5 minutes ran out..would the door just open…we didn’t stay the whole 5 minutes to see what happened..the bathroom was pretty gross.

Before we got on the bus we got gelato again…it was a HUUUGE disappointment…it was basically flavored whipped cream…gross.

protest? parade? who knows

dangerous.

So there was the day in a nutshell…not so exciting. Now that we’ve settled down and gotten into some kind of routine our lives aren’t that juicey.

On the bus ride home I got all sentimental…(god I’m such a loser). I don’t know if it was the great views we were seeing as the sun set or the slow jam music I was blasting in my ipod, but I was all like (not out loud, just thinking) “omg I’m in Italy. Like this is where I live right now….shit.”