Thanksgiving

My Thanksgiving was quite different then it ever has been before. Yesterday I woke up at 630am and studied until 10am when I had my final for Italian. So I am now finished with my Italian class for the semester. That is just so strange to me! Cause it means that my time here is almost finished.

Then I went and sat in a bookstore for an hour and read books and ended up buying Little Women. I have actually never read this book. I have seen the movies but I can not recall reading it. So I bought the book and went to Piazza Signora and read amongst the many tourists. It was really relaxing.

Then I decided to hike up the Hill/mountain side to get to Piazza Michaleangelo. I did not go the way that tourists go. Instead I went on the hill along a side road and then into just a part of woods (italian style woods) and walked up the the piazza. It was Amazing! You can see the ENTIRE city! The mountains, the river, the tuscan countryside. I ended up spending 3 hours up there! My friend Kiyomi came and joined me and we went walking up more of the hill thing and then looked at some churches. I had my first Italian hot dog. It was very good and served like the italians only would. But you will all have to discover this secret for yourselves!

Then we walked down ALL the steps that all the tourist were walking up. And we went to Angela's cafe for what ended up being my thanksgiving dinner, it was an italian casserol. It was very good and nice to just chat in Italian for an hour. Then Kiyomi and I went to my apartment and failed at finding a Ballet to go watch. Then around 11pm here my family called and I got to talk to my mom, dad, brother, sister-in-law, and niece. It was a great end to the day!

That was my Thanksgiving. And even though it wasn't the fun cooking at home with my mom, and setting the table, bickering with my brother, etc. It was new and enjoyable. I never thought it would be okay not being home for a holiday. But now I am learning how to celebrate my own ways in my own time. That is something entirely different to be thankful for. I am thankful for you all who read this. And I am thankful I can share a few of my experiences while I am over here.

I also found out today that my friend Kezia (from Scotland) is leaving in less than a week and that she is going back to Scotland. So I might be making a last trip to go see her in Scotland in 2 weeks! But I will be very sad to see her leave! And then Rebecca (from London) is leaving on the 13th of Dec. and we are already making plans to see eachother again! It is sad to see my time here slipping away and the friendships I have here slowly facing the end. Not the end of contact but the end of time to spend with each other in Itlay. So this made me realize this:

My mom and dad will be here in 20 days, I will be leaving Florence in 22 days, and I will be leaving Italy in 32 days. I will be in Ohio in 33 days and in TN in 37. Now to make each day count a little more. Hope you are doing the same!