Middle of January... WHAT?

Okay I have been meaning to update for awhile. Sorry ya'll.

First I'll start off with the New Year. It was probably the most epic New Years of my life by far. My Italian boyfriend had been in Israel for 9 days before, and he was expected to arrive at the party I was at later that night. Right as we were popping the champagne for the New Year he busted through the doors. I was so happy and it was a great way to ring in the New Year!!

My Italian Stallion and I -------------->>

After January 1st we still had a week left

of vacation from school. So I hung out with my friends, my boyfriend, and these two cool American guys I met about a week before. I love this about exchange, randomly meeting amazing people by chance, and hanging out with them, even though you don't know the next time you will ever see them again.

When school started again, it was nice to get back into routine, but I do miss vacation so much! But it didn't take long to get back into the normal swing of things. Just now time is going by way

to fast. Soon I'll be halfway through my exchange. This is not okay, I don't want this exact time in my life to end. At some points during this exchange I have thought "I just want to fast forward to the part where I go home and I can speak Italian fluently. And I'll have all my experience." but now I have stopped thinking

that. It's more like "Oh no. No no no no no. I don't speak Italian yet, and I am almost to the halfway point. Oh no no no. Time is going to fast. Way way way to fast make it stop."

To the right is a picture on the street of my city. Middle of winter ya'll. And above are two of my darling classmates (:

Anywho that's about it.

Does anyone have any questions or something? Comment please and I will answer.

not a normal post..

Ciao a tutti.

Okay, today I will update you on something that usually isn't in other AFSer's giddy little blogs. This will be about the emotional rollercoaster that exchange puts you on. I've spoken about this a little before, but not really in depth.

First of all, there is a ton of pressure from everyone for me to learn my host language. Teachers, adults, students, friends, sisters, and random strangers like to lecture me about how I suck at Italian and how I need to learn it. I know this, I came here to learn Italian. I study Italian in my house.

Host family relationships. Okay, I've grown up a lot since I've came here. I realize that not everyone is going to want me living in their house. It's just something that you have to accept. So, you might have a host sibling that gives you the cold shoulder or sneers at you every time you say something. Also, it's something that I constantly have to work at. Now I am trying to be in the living room more often. If I am just reading a book or on the computer or something. This is sort of new to me and outside my little man-cave-like room. My security blanket.

Also about family, the way everything works in this one is different from my American family. In America, the members in my family are more independent. Like, I make my own lunch, I wash my own dish, I do my own laundry, I clean what I am supposed to, and I get paid an allowance for it. Here, someone makes lunch for everyone, everyone cleans up afterwards, I put my laundry in with everyone else's, when something needs to be done, I should do it without being asked, or if someone needs help, I should help them without them asking and even if they reply "Noooo" to my question of "do you need help with that?". The children get money whenever they ask for it really also. Not better or worse, just different from my American family. Takes some getting used to.

Other relationships. Friends, boyfriend, and other exchange friends. These are my social groups. There are little subcircles, but thats the general idea. Basically I am trying to hang out with new people, anyone, all the time. Just my only problem now is thinking,' yeah this is fun now but, when I'm gone in 7 months I won't see them ever again.' I have to stop thinking this. Because if I was going to think like this, what was the point of going on exchange anyways? I know I'm going to come back to Italy a lot. Because, what, I'm going to learn Italian, and never visit Italy?

Okay, I will have a more practical and happy post soon.

A presto.