July 2010

Lesson #4: They Don’t Wear the Pants

July 30, 2010

Growing up in the “American Dream” I always thought that men were the ones who were in charge of the relationship. It was Dad that made the decisions, that drove the car, that asked for help (ha right). Then I grew up. I started to see that maybe in some kind of sneaky way it [...]

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Vada, Italy

July 27, 2010

There is a little seaside town on the Etruscan Coast that few people know about, that is even to say, few Italians know about. It’s called Vada. I have to say how lucky I truly am to have the experience I have in Italy. If I were simply a backpacker, I never would have heard [...]

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ItaliaWave and My Awesome Mixtape (Livorno, Italy)

July 26, 2010

Often times I tell people about my “broken Italian”, and I don’t mean the language. Lorenzo never seems to know when there are festivals going on in Florence or around. I always have to turn to my friend Georgette to know the traditions and the new festivals available. Maybe I’m not giving him enough credit. [...]

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Lesson #3: They ARE Romantic!

July 20, 2010

Ok, I know this section is supposed to be for proving those hilarious Italian stereotypes right and revealing new ones but I can’t really pass this up. Yesterday evening, I returned home from a much needed Monday at the beach; a day full of talking about relationships and the “little things”. Little surprises you know, [...]

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Venice, Italy

July 19, 2010

This past week I was lucky enough to have a chance to spend a day in Venice, a city that I have been wanting to see but never really wanted to commit my hard-earned travel dollars to. Lucky for me, Lorenzo’s dad had a little bit of work to do in Venice so he offered [...]

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Busy Weeks

July 18, 2010

I know I have been really bad about posting, the worst part is that I have a million ideas running through my head. I don’t honestly know why I haven’t written them down. I supposed Candice was right in her post about losing a job and suddenly gaining a million and one other things to [...]

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The Importance of Silence

July 5, 2010

As a teacher myself, I know the appeal of introducing controversial topics and cultural discussions to the classroom. It’s one the best ways to get your students talking, because chances are they all have an opinion. Last week in my Italian course, my teacher did just that. I consider myself pretty open-minded or in the [...]

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Finding America Half a World Away

July 5, 2010

As I approached my second Independence Day abroad, I sighed. I guess it’s time to throw in the towel on my favorite holiday and the traditions it brings. Sure I’ll admit it, I really love the Fourth of July for the lakes, boats, brews and, of course, the fireworks. I know there should be more [...]

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Dealing with the Questura

July 1, 2010

I have only been an expat in Italy, therefore I can only speak about the steps of becoming an expat, well, in Italy. That said, anyone who has gone through the paces of living in Italy (and not studying abroad because it’s a bit different) can really relate to what an ordeal this is. Italy, [...]

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