Film Shots of Italy

 {mom and I in Venice}

 {Florence at sunset}

 {Orvieto duomo}

 {Venice}

{Cinque Terre}

I thought it would be fun to switch it up a little bit with some of the photos from

my parents visit. I love how these turned out. There is something imperfect

and beautiful about film. 

Firenze with my Parents

{my dad just relaxing in the crowded city}

{Pitti Palace}

My parents had never been to Florence before and with two days to roam the city,

we covered a lot of ground. One thing we did which I had not done before was 

explore Boboli Gardens. If you are expecting palace grounds with a lot of green

but not much else, then this is your place. If you want flowers, I recommend you go elsewhere.

Unfortunately, my family wanted flowers. But hey, I got some nice photos out of it

and we got some exercise. One other cool thing we did was visiting this bar called

Volume in Santo Spirito. The decor is artsy and hipster and the drinks are great!

I definitely recommend dropping by on your next visit to Firenze. :)

I'm Home!

Being home so far has been amazing/weird/comforting all at the same time.

Part of me feels like I never left and the other part of me feels like everything

has changed. I went to Safeway for the first time in a while yesterday and that 

was interesting and slightly embarrassing when I pictured how tiny the markets

are in Italy.

I think it will be a slow adjustment back to American life but so far it has

been pretty fun falling in love with my country and all of it's little quirks

all over again. Oh, and the fact that everyone speaks English? Fantastic! 

I have been failing at speaking English without mumbling my words and/or

forgetting that the person behind the counter knows English so I don't need to break

out into a sweat trying to come up with the words in Italian.

The little things make this transition hilarious and interesting. 

{photo from Cinque Terre. This was our view from out hotel room}

On the Airplane

While jetting home from Europe to California, you tend to make friends with those around you

since you are all stuck together for 10 + hours. I just so happened to be sitting next to a man

who had a story to tell...

I opened up to his story because it seemed like one that needed to be told and one that held weight.

He began by mentioning that his wife had passed away a year ago due to cancer, and 

with pain in his eyes, you could tell he was still hurting. He went on to tell me the story of his

wife growing up with her mom and grandmother in Poland during WWII. 

By some miracle, all three women survived the Nazi attack with the help of a friend who

took them in and said they were Christians. Because of that woman's bravery and

courage, all three women survived and went on to live free and beautiful lives.

He went back to the town that his wife stayed in for the duration of the Nazi occupation

and was greeted with a welcome display of affection and love by the people of the town.

There were news crews and newspaper reporters lining up to hear about the Americans

that were visiting to finally meet the amazing woman who saved his wife and 

her family. They were celebrities in a town that had nothing but gave everything.

It was the kind of story that novels are written about. It was a story that could 

change your perspective on life and help you realize that people can be so

wonderfully good. 

He shared this story with me and I wanted to share it with all of you (though the condensed

version). I hope this story gave you a bit of hope in a world that really needs

a good lifting of spirits. 

{The photo is one I took in Lucca that has nothing really to do with the story other 

than it is a public display of love and this story is filled with love}

I'll Be Back

Excuse my absence for a bit while I am running through the Tuscan countryside

with my parents. This girl is beyond thrilled to see them! 

I'll be back in about a week. :)

(Lock bridge in Prague)

A Letter to My Parents

aka two of the best people I know. 

Dear mom and dad,

This letter is mostly to say thank you. This is my last week of studying abroad and words

cannot be strung together to truly show how thankful I am for this opportunity. 

 I could have waited until I see you both in 2 days (!!!) but I felt that a public letter of 

appreciation was in order. Ever since I was little you both have given me the freedom to 

be whomever and whatever I wanted to be. You always make me feel comforted,

secure and ultimately, loved. 

 All of the times I've called one of you crying, the advice on the other line was always honest

and caring. Exactly what I needed. Because somehow, you both always know exactly

what I need. 

This semester has been the largest growing experience of my life thus far and without

the two of you and your involvement and encouragement, it never would have happened. 

You should hear how I brag about you two on the daily here in Italy. :)

God blessed me with the best parents imaginable and I can't wait to show off Italy 

to you in a few short days. Now hurry up! ;)

Love,

Allie 

(or Alley, Ali, Alli etc. as my dad likes to put on his cards)

Under the Tuscan Sun (But Really)

 This is what Spring in Italy looks like. It's unreal.

 Beautiful view of Tuscany.

 Flower boxes are my favorite.

 Putting our feet in the warm thermal water.

 The best sandwich. Prosciutto, peccorino cheese, and the freshest bread imaginable.

Wildflowers galore!

It was a perfect field trip filled with good food (of course), short sleeves, and a 

little Italian boy handing me a postcard he bought for us. His little face was bright

red but after all of us friends were congratulating him and basically lifting him up

on their shoulders. Way too cute. 

We went inside this church next to the wildflowers in the last picture and 

Dominican monks were chanting and I felt completely at peace. It was a

beautiful moment. All of this to say I am very excited to head back to 

Tuscany next week with my parents! 

Somethings I've Recently Learned...

You do not have to be friends with people if it means they are not capable

of being a good friend.

April in Italy is the prettiest time and the weather is perfect.

People interrupting you is never ok. (Unless, you know, they're dying.)

Stick up for your true friends.

Time really does fly when you're having fun.

When in doubt, give a smile. Smiling does wonders for the soul.

(Photo was taken in Tuscany this past week. Spring is in full bloom!!)

{Going Places} Reggia di Caserta

While on our southern Italy weekend getaway (and you thought those posts

were done...) we stopped at Reggia di Caserta. I, once again, had never heard of 

it but our instructor told us it is the Italian equivalent to Versailles. 

After having just seen Versailles, I was a little hesitant but all of that hesitation

went away the minute we walked onto the palace grounds.

It was a perfect day of admiring the palace, biking through the enormous gardens,

and generally having a good time with friends. The bike ride was no joke since

it was all up hill on the way up but the way down was a serious blast.

I would definitely recommend visiting this gem if you're in southern Italy. 

Oh, and definitely don't forget to rent a bike! It's 5 euros per hour!!