Monday, October 21, 2002 5:27pm italy time ~ Greetings from Florence, how wacky. This is a quick update, so no archiving. We flew into Italy thursday straight from class (it's our fall break), and were in Venice until this morning, and now Florence. It's insane. Venice was incredibly beautiful, but due to a lack of planning a bit crazy cause we had to find a place to stay each night, and saturday there were so few free beds in the city that we took a train to Padua and slept there. A really good time though. We even met people and went out.
It's feeling really good to know I'm making this trip happen, funding and planning and all, but I am also just about broke now, with about a week to go (we go back to London monday, just before class).
I had a really good time having Clarke in London, but the last day he was there was just a crazy mix of paper writing and Red Bull, some of which isn't even done yet. So that was kind of bad. A very good time though.
I'm so exhausted right now. Out late, then up early for our train which ended up switching in Bologna, so I didn't feel safe falling asleep since we might miss it. I'm traveling with the same people I went to Edinburgh with, minus the one who we got separated from there who caused us the night of police station hell. Probably good. Still a lot of stress, but it's so beautiful and surreal and exciting.
We got to Florence late, so we haven't done too much yet, and it's very gray and rainy right now, so hopefully we'll get a good early start tomorrow. We're here through wednesday, then it's off to Rome thursday-monday, with a trip to Pompeii and possibly Tivoli in there. A lot of people we've met have said we should go to Sienna while in Florence, which my parents did, but I'm thinking we're too short on time, which kind of sucks.
I'm having a great time though, and things are going well. Nothing too crazy or scary yet. The news has been scary lateyl, and we're definitely avoiding obviously foreign american spots (ie clubs that are "swarming with american students", etc.)
Well I'm off, hopefully some resting and food and a good night, then some good city exploring tomorrow.
More later, Grace works for Sparta through message boards and such, so we'll be at internet cafes pretty often. I hope everyone's doing well. Bye!
*****
"And will time never pass, will time never pass for us?"~Morrissey (Boxers)
Monday, October 14, 2002 4:24pm gmt ~ Crazy. It's been way too long since I last updated, and since I last talked to a lot of people, so sorry about that. And lots has happened. My last update was from Edinburgh, which was an amazing trip and is definitely breaking its way into list of favorite cities. I must go back cause I definitely didn't get enough time. That update however, occured right before it all kind of went to hell. So the next day, last saturday I guess, we took a day trip to Stirling, which was also really cool (older more revoluationary Scottish history and very pretty), but things began to fall apart when a member of our group didn't meet us when she was supposed to for the train home. Anyway it escalated until it was 1am back in Edinburgh, still no sign of her, and under the instruction of our program director we made a trip to the Edinburgh police station to file a missing persons report, when halfway through the paper work and describing any distinguishing marks or scars, following many outbursts of sobs, thoughts of death, and a little vomiting on various peoples parts, we got a phone call that she was home. That night was a horrible berading of her after learning it was all because of filling out a credit card application, feeling left out, and meeting a boy. Anyway, a big night of my trip quite ruined, and a lot of tension. So next weeks' trip to Italy over our fall break is now without this girl, which has been awkward and difficult, but is deifnitely a good thing. Such craziness.
Clarke's here right now, which has been so much fun. Caitlin (o' Oberlin and going to school in Ireland right now) was here this last weekend too. So I've been allowing myself to go out a bit more, spend a bit more, and that's been cool. This weekend we went to Westminster Abbey, a bunch of markets, violently devoured crepes in the middle of the street, and found more markets, along with a few trips to the International Student House bar and some dancing, and an outing to a Belgian beer place last night which was interesting. Anyway, lots of fun, and because of a failed visit by my flatmate's girlfriend, Clarke has a ticket to the play we're seeing tonight (The Lieutenant of Inishmore), so that worked out well.
And a happy birthday to Greg, sorry I wasn't able to talk to you last night, I'll do my best and at least write you soon.
So many people I need to be in touch with, especially my parents. So maybe that tonight.
Written a whole new batch of postcards, need to go buy stamps, and exchange more travelers checks, cause I'm quite nearly broke.
Things are going well though, packed adn crazy as always. I'm trying to get one of my flatmates to email me a picture he took of us at the beginning of the semester so I can put that up here, so hopefully that'll work soon. I hope you're all doing well, more later. Hopefully not too much later.
Oh, and an actual moment for thought and not just telling of events. The news of the sniper in DC is really insane. It's so hard to hear about terrible things going on at home when you're not there, too much like last year. I'm pissed, if you're gonna do this somewhere, do it somewhere where it's not already so goddamn scary to live. So part of me's upset I'm not with people, part of me's glad to be here. Clarke's provided some hilarious anecdotes, as always, that made me feel a lot better about it, though all still ironic and scary. Insanity. Also just disturbing how little is known, and how fast it's been happening. And the way the media works over here, it hasn't been too nice to hear about. I've been mainly avoiding it until reliable news comes along, but if there's a trashy newspaper in the seat next to me on the tube I can't help it and always end up regretting it.
Enough of that though. I'll be in touch, you be in touch. Off to exchange money, pick up Clarke, meet Dan for dinner and head off to the play which hopefully won't be too disturbing. I hope everyone's doing well, miss you guys.
*****
"You've got to know to understand"~Whatever the people having a party in this room are listening to (i've become way too uncreative w/ these quotes lately, sorry)
October 4, 2002 11:02pm gmt ~ Greetings from Scotland for a change =) I'm up in Edinburgh, just got here this morning. It's such a great city. Seems much safer, younger, and more handleable. We're only here for 3 days, but I already feel like I've done so much and have had such a good time that that's fine by me. Sorry it's been so long since the last update by the way.
Scottish accents are much more fun now. Today we got up at about 4:45am, caught a 6:15 train, got here at around 11:15. One of the girls in our group of 5 overslept and got here later. But we all got together, checked into the Castle Rock Hostel, which is amazing and so much fun, and right across the street from Edinburgh castle, which is waht we did next. Absolutely beautiful and gives great views. Then we found a great antique shop and a vintage clothing store which was soooooo much fun and where I allowed myself to actually shop. Then we ate dinner at the pub we get discounts at for staying here, then went off and did the Ghosts and Ghouls tour, which was actually cool and led you through the underground vaults, but apparently the ones where they left all the sufferers of the plague to die is closed for repairs. How crazy. That was cool though. Then two went home, and Grace, Karen and I stayed at a pub for a bit, met a few people, and once that got boring, headed back here.
Such a good time. WE haven't been into the new city at all, but the old city is gorgeous.
A quick summary of the last week or so in London. I can't even remember where I left off. We went to Greenwich. We went to see Uncle Vanya last wednesday, which was directed by Sam Mendes who directed American Beauty and had Emily Watson in it. And guess who was in the audience... none other than Kevin Spacey, who I met during the intermission (and got an autograph from and touched, tried not to get star struck but was rather shamefully shaking afterward). that was awesome. But then I stayed out till 1:30 in the morning, went home and called Thoams to report the night but he wasn't home, finished writing my first paper, and then at about 2:30am called Thomas and caught him.
That's probably the most exciting bit. I got really socially frustrated in the last week and had a few days when I was just kind of fed up and got really sad, but right now that seems really far away. This hostel has such an Oberlin feel to it too, it's scary. Especially the kitchen, very much a coop kitchen. Apparently there's a lot of people who live here for fairly long periods of time, so people seem to know each other prety well. They also have nightly movie showings. And themed room names. We're in the "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves Who Failed the Screening" room, each bed assigned a character name. It's funny. I'm pooped though, been awake way too long.
We're hoping to make it to Stirling tomorrow, home of a William Wallace memorial and apparently a really great Scottish countryside view. We'll see though. I'm having a great tme htough, and since this feels like a vacation, allowing myself to spend a little more without worrying so much.
Great times. I've been missing people from home quite a bit though. When I got my train tickets for this week (and I bougt plane tickes to Italy for fall break), I got soooo excited about all the traveling I can do and hope to do. And even if it doesn't happen, it all seems so doable now that I'm sure I'll get it in somewhere, so Sarah and Clarke, Prague WILL happen. I've had moments of wishing I had all my friends here to travel with me htough. But I'm having a great time. There's Scottish postcards and letters on the way. Bye =)
