another valentines day...still single

Want to know what I did for Valentines Day?

I know you don’t, but I’m going to tell you anyways.

Woke up to my alarm saying “its Valentines Day, you’re alone and in Italy”….obviously went back to bed for a few more hours. Seeing that I didn’t have class till 2pm I decided to take out some sexual aggression by running…first half an hour was fine, but then my body went into shock…going from running on treadmills to running up 45 degree roads on mountains...lets just say my body didn't react as well as I had hoped. The only thing that kept me going once I reached altitudes that were comparable to the Himalayas, was my ipod blaring “Better Than A Stereo Dream” and the amaaazing views that almost made me enjoy the run.

After sprinting up the hill to the school (ultimately leading to me dry heaving over the ledge…) I went to my drawing class…where I am the only intro level student as well as the only one that hasn’t had semesters and semesters of drawing under their belt (shit)…

Leaving class with a hurt ego I made an executive decision that it was time to start drinking…my roommates agreed.

After pregaming aggressively, no one realized how drunk we were really getting until you actually listened to the conversations we were having at dinner…

“a good relationship is built on sex and trust”

“I WOULD HAVE SEX WITH THESE POTATOES” (yes they were THAT GOOD)

“A is for artsy as hell”

A is for "ARTSY AS HELL"

really enjoying our conversations

this is Jacob...I keep telling myself he's a diamond in the rough...

By the time dessert was being served we were dunzo. Did I mention there was an art show or something like that after dinner (which we all decided to try to go to even though it was optional..see mom I’m trying). By the time we got there half of us were hanging over the balcony or laying on the floor…it didn’t start on time so it was time to head to the bar.

After everyone arrived at the Lions Well all hell broke loose.

Playing their normal American mix…lil kim was playing, making it already a great night for Dorothy…ask her what else happened…I’ll give you a hint; Texas Ranger…oh dayummmm.

Using our makeshift dancefloor, most of the girls from the program danced their hearts out…aka jumping up and down like they were at a justin beiber concert…and we were all graced by the presence of Carrie and Triscuit dancing…grinding…I don’t know what you’d call what they were doing….”awkward sex on the dance floor” is what some have said. Relationship Status update, it looks like they’re “together”, we now see more PDA and so far the future looks promising. However everyone still has an uneasy feeling about it.

Then the Canadians came, made a dance circle..most are still ugly…one girl wears a retainer..wow.

John Lucca, our bff, was giving out free drinks to his favorite girls, which influenced the decision that the bar would make a better dancefloor than the floor itself (if only it were a pool table..miss you ticker) Bailey was one of the first to get up…obviously she could fit…her lead was followed.

Zane our 16 year old friend…still trying to hook up with Alexis..(bro just stop trying)…told Dorothy that he’s going to get Alexis drunk enough to hook up with him…Jesus Christ now I’m really going to keep an eye on Alexis. While this was going on he proceeded to buy Dorothy a shot (what is this his plan B?...this kid is going to get his ass kicked) and then snot rocketed…vomit.

There have also been claims that Campbell made out with two Italian boys, tried to make out with Nathan…twice…(I’m guessing she was super wasted) and then tried to get Karina to follow suit and find her own Italian stallion…except Karina, like me, thinks that 16 is too young…even if we are in Italy and can’t find anything that meets our standards.

The night officially ended when everyone got back home, got into bed and proceeded to fall into a deep alcohol induced coma…only to be awaked by the faint sound in room 8 (our room) of Alexis completely missing the bed and crashing onto the ground…we have tile floors…the sound was loud enough to make me think that she might of gotten a concussion...but I was too tired to get out of bed and couldn’t fathom making a trip to the hospital.

Kate and Clare

Campbell and Victor

Bailey.

still on the bar

HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GREAT VALENTINES DAY!

PS. Today Alexis is healthy and still missing the bed most nights.

thanks for the letter mom...

Returning from a run, I was greeted by our RA Casey who told me I had mail….it was from home. I obviously thought it was a Valentine or a letter. Wrong.

This is what was in the envelope.

did she type me a letter? no. she mailed me my drawing syllabus.

"Don't be Late!" was the only thing that was writting on it...

My mother had internationally mailed me my syllabus for Drawing….the only thing on it was the attendance policy underlined and a note saying 3 little words. “DON’T BE LATE”.

This is my mother.

Thanks mom.

Maurice Charles Laug

Maurice  Charles Laug ba ba ba ba, Maurice Charles Laug..ba ba ba ba (to the tune of Feliz Navidad)
(..I guess only Annie and Amy will get that)

So a year ago on February 15, 2010 , his 88^th birthday, Maurice Charles Laug, my grandpa, passed away. He was the coolest grandpa EVER. When I think about him there are a few things that come to mind. Looking back I remember him always falling asleep in church (I would have the honor of sitting next to him and I always thought it was the funniest thing ever). When I would spend the night at their house, he would make breakfast…consisting of waffles, topped with maple walnut ice cream, drizzled with maple syrup. His style was impeccable; sporting a members only jacket most of the time as well as anything that said Pella Corp on it (my Uncle Chuck works for Pella) and probably one of the best memories of grandpa would be his blue and white linen stripped suit…which he wore ALL THE TIME…he would accessorize these couture looks with a giant gold watch (inspiration for my giant gold Michael Kors watch that I’m obsessed with) tightly on his wrist (he literally had a permanent indentation on his wrist from where his watch was).

one of his "members only jackets"

me and grandpaaaa

Unfortunately I don’t have as many memories with grandpa as Adam, Andrea or Aaron..maybe even Amy( my older cousins, I’m the severe baby of the family). When I was in middle school he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s ultimately leading to his big finale. He spent his last 7 years in a nursing home, by the end of his years, he barely said anything, but you could tell he knew us when we visited and knew what was going on, you just knew when you looked at him, he had the kindest eyes.

"in Italy it's more for people with significant others.."

alright lets talk about Valentines Day weekend shall we?
ok great, sit down and listen.

So its Friday night at dinner and we're all super excited for the weekend, the theme of the weekend "Cortona In Love". (I guess Valentine's Day is pretty big here...granted that everywhere you turn is a dumb romantic restuarant or a wine bar or a chocolate shop...Cortona is basically where Valentines Day hangs out for the other 364 days out of the year...great, how did I get sooooo lucky.) Ok so we're at dinner and I flag down Mr. not so tall, dark and handsome; Marco. I asked him if there is a certain color to wear for valentines day besides pink and red (I mean I was planning on wearing black all weekend...its basically a tradition for the juniors of the volleyball team...). He proceedes to loose it, laughing hysterically, and I'm like...god this guy thinks I'm a joke...but I'm ok with that, most people think I am...and most of the time I will agree. Ok so he started laughing and proceeds to try to lay it down gently on me that Valentines Day in Italy is a holiday more for those with significant others (I wish you guys were here I can do a great impression of him doing this...hand gestures and all)...WHAT ARE YOU SAYING MARCO, JUST BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A BOYFRIEND I CAN'T CELEBRATE IT!?!? (no I did not say that, but I was thinking it, and I was thinking it all in caps too). After that bomb was dropped I sunk into my wonderful puffy cloudlike dessert that I could of eaten until the day I die.
Saturday night we all decide to go out to dinner then go out. Well at dinner Bailey realized that she was not only sitting inbetween two groups feeling that she can't really be part of one or the other's conversations but above all, she was the third wheel in an ever so obvious date between Carrie and Triscuit. Yep...folks it looks like the first heat of the competition is over, and Carrie is the winner...Will this relationship blossum, or fail miserably with a messy breakup and a surprise ending? JEE I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS!
So dinner went off without any casualties...well except for the glass that Alexis shattered....we hadn't even been served our first course yet...ha. I think my dinner consisted of half a bottle of red that Alexis and I shared and maybe a gallon of balsamic vinegar (I looove this stuff over here, its ten times better than anything back in the states...balsamic vinegar has become a major food group in my diet...along with chocolate and wine..I'm a health nut can't you tell?). Ok then we decided we owed it to ourselves to order dessert before we drowned our sorrows in "fruity sweet surprises" at the bar...
Alexis and I shared creme brulee...holy shit it was the best thing everrrr. The table went silent after all the  desserts were brought out, then it sounded like everyone was having sex when really everthing was so good...we couldn't help but make noise.

we love dessert

We arrive at the bar...already feeling pretty good. After we order our drinks...when I say order I mean, we flagged down John Luca and said "SURPRISE US! (I obviously got my fruity sweet surprise while Alexis...well we're pretty sure she got straight alcohol....) As the night went on, Kate proceeded to whip her hair while "free boobing it", Alexis ran off to take tequila shots and my girl Karina made sure I didn't rest my head on the bar long enough to fall asleep. Then the night picked up...we found an old exam for one of our Art History exams...and took it...then...the heavens opened an a futbol team walked in...shit, it was a high school team. (you forgot that the drinking age here is 16 so half the time you're getting hit on by a pubescent teen...jesus) I quickly made friends with Mattio...he was such a little cutie pie, obviously shorter than me, 18, and the one out of them all that spoke english the best. We met while he was translating for his coach...who thought I had "beautiful eyes"...

(At this point in the night our wonderful friend John Luca had been giving us drinks on the house including a round of Limoncello...yayerssss....oh and then we proceeded to invent the "Awoww" cocktail...now being served at the Lions Well Pub....so taking this all into account I had completely lost my filter to what I was saying and found everything funny)

John Lucca making the first official "Awoww"

So as the futbol coach proceeded to hit on my through his translator Mattio, I asked a simple question "HOW OLD IS THIS GUY!?"...Mattio proceeded to tell me 27/28. WOAH WOAH WHAT?!
Ok, in America you're not a range of ages, you're one age. And this guy was not 27/28...more like 30-35...hell maybe 38...I make cuts when it comes to potential suitors...and he didn't make it. I proceeded then to make a dear friend out of Mattio and his teammates.
After spending a few hours at the bar and rounding everyone up...Kate, Karina, Alexis and I all went to Route 66. Jesus this place is the euro version of the ticker...but if Coach actually put money back into the buildling and had a decent selection of liquors. We saw a few other girls from out program and proceeded to dance the night away. As we were doing so Kate proceeded to dance with our waiter from dinner than night (so great...he must of been at least 48), then she had what could only be described as a scene from Step Up 3d with a...I'm going to say 13 year old, I was dragged onto a table with this guy that I thought was decent...until I focused my vision. BARFFFF...he tried to make out with me...I needed an out and fast...I told him I was a lesbian and that Kate was my girlfriend and ran away..while this all took place we had lost Alexis. christ.
So as we gathered our stumbling selves and some friends that we had met (actually very nice guys but none of them had a chance with any of us...but Zane thought otherwise with Alexis..bro you're 16, this isn't The Graduate). As we're all looking for her, I was not in the best state and thought for sure that I had seen someone from home. I got soooo excited, beelined it to the other side of the club and hugged him...then he turned around..and it wasn't him. I quickly apologized, and walked away...one of the most heartrenching experiences ever.
Alright so as Karina has officially hit mother mode and is frantically looking for Alexis...we finally realize she's fine, and leave. On the way out we grabbed a shitton of their flyers for Valentines Day and thought we would help their marketing and post them all over the Kehoe center and slide them under everyone's door (GREAT THINKING KARINA!)

the flyers we posted

obviously we needed to put one on the announcements board

So there was the weekend in a nutshell...oh and on Sunday there was a soccer match organized for the program for whoever was interested...Jacob played and I guess the guy is shredded...never would of thought it. I'm obviously going to be at the next one...with my camera.

The Best Thing About This Trip So Far.

The best thing about this trip isn’t the gelato, nor the amazing views from out hilltop, not even the food or shopping. Bye far the best part about this trip are the friends that I’m making here.

At first I was really nervous, hell I was petrified. I knew I had to go into this experience open mindedly and I think I did, but I never thought I was going to meet as many amazing and awesome people. I thought for sure I wasn’t going to find anything in common with them and I wouldn’t be able to be myself…I was wrong..THANK GOD.

Right off the bat we all seemed to just get along and as the days passed we just got closer and closer. Its so hard to believe that I’ve only been here for what…9 days? Its so crazy. Not only do I feel like I’ve been here forever, but I feel like I’ve known these people since my Freshmen year at SLU.

Everyone is so different with different personalities and when you put us together it’s a great mix.

My roommates are so cool, we’ve got Clare; whose tall like me, sooo nice, and one of those people that you just feel good being around. Then there’s Carrie; a little peanut whose wicked nice and Kate; from Montauk! AKA KNOWS MARTY!!! (so crazy), shes a sorority girl too, super fun, you always wanna go out with her and when you guys do go out she’ll break it down on the dance floor…competing against a 12 year old.

They’re all in one room, connected to my room with Alexis; shes actually been my roommate since we started this adventure, shes super chill, gets along with everybody, and is always down for a goodtime. Karina; omg this girl, looove, her laugh is great, its loud and is contagious, she can read palm, make you laugh and will make sure you don’t fall asleep on bar and that you’re having a good time and not thinking about dumb boys. And then we have our honorary 7^th roommate Victor; our social chair, if Victor is around you’re going to have a good time, he loves food as much as the volleyball team does as dana after practice, he dresses in the coolest clothes and will always tell you that you’re wonderful the way you are…he’s a beaut.

 Then there’s mini Bailey; my girl. Her roommate Elizabeth, loves Jcrew as much as me, as well as tiramisu. Dorothy; girl from NYC with a shared love of weezy f baby. Lexi; shes from LA, has one of the best laughs you’ll ever hear and is cute as a button…she also hooked up with Ringo from the Beatles (impersonator not the real one…obvi) when we were in Florence..GET IT GIRLLL. Tommy; my bro.

in love with this girl

another family dinner at Toninos

Kate, Karina and Walker...Texas Ranger

Carrie and Victor at their finest

Walker looking very put together, Tommy singing Michael Jackson, and Dorothy taking it all in

Bailey and Elizabeth...they're winners in my book

Karina, me, and Kate

Victor and Kate at dinner

MY ROOMMATESSSSS <3

...and those are pretty much the people I’m closest to here.

Debate of the Day…Am I willing to pose nude?

Alright so I’m taking Drawing, as we all know….and our teacher proposed the idea of modeling for the classes…and you get paid ( 9 euro an hour…that’s great when you’re already on the verge of being broke…god damn Florence)….the catch is…you’re naked.

Naked.

I’m in Italy and I’m supposed to be trying new things and exploring my artistic boundaries right?

I’m seriously thinking about doing it…I mean I being naked, it’s a good feeling!

However…if I do decided to do this..we we definitely be cutting out carbs for the week prior..hell we might be cutting out food all together…and I’ll definitely need to lay out as well as running up and down the Mt. Everest of Cortona.

Thoughts?

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Lions Well Pub

I guess this is going to be our Hoot Owl for the semester…future looks great for this…the bartender gets hotter after every drink, as well as the locals that are there. The first night I asked John Luca for a “fruity sweet surprise”…the guy gave me a green drink with Absinth in it…it is now my go to drink (I should probably find out what its really called).

It isn’t a club type of setting, more like a…well Pub…obviously the name speaks for itself. But as the night goes on they turn on some satellite radio and you will hear American music blasting throughout the bar…we hear everything from my girl Britney, to Pink and even Katy Perry. Its got a pretty big area when you first walk in…our makeshift dance floor…or if you’re like Bailey you can just use the top of a stool (she’s a gem). We’ve decided that we’re going to burn a cd for the place. I guess they’ll let us do anything…they have a big Georgia flag hung up on the wall along with pictures upon pictures of past groups that were here before us. 

John Lucca.

oh hey Alexis

<3

note the Georgia flag in the background

start to a great night

Carrie breaking it down

is that Alexis with Triscuit?!?! SCANDALOUSSSS