Italy

Hey followers! I have another blog that I update more frequently it is http://jasonwaterfalls.tumblr.com/ so please follow that! Thanks.

This year has been one full of many different things: traveling, emotions, friends and family.

Traveling: I was fortunate enough to visit and/or live in 12 countries. Visit  loads of different cities full of all new culture and sights.

1. The United States: Rochester, Buffalo, New York City, Albany, Syracuse, Ithaca
2. Jamaica: Kingston, Treasure Beach, YS Falls
3. Ireland: Dublin
4. Scotland: Edinburgh, Perth, Dundee
5. England: London
6. Italy:  Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Via Reggio, Rome, Cinque Terre, Trento, Verona, Venice
7. Germany: Munich, Berlin
8. France: Paris, Cannes, Nice, St. Paul de Vence, Eze
9. Czech Republic: Prague
10. Vatican City
11. Monaco
12. Croatia: Zagreb, Plitvice Lakes
13. (I also was stopped at a train station in Vienna, Austria for about three hours, I don’t officially count it)

Friends: I have been extremely fortunate enough in my travels and in my everyday life to have met some amazing people. I met one of my best friends in Jamaica and Im so happy for him to be studying abroad too. I also met some wonderful people studying abroad that I look forward to keeping in touch with and visiting while home in the United States. During Study Abroad and being away you realize who your true friends are. This played into the emotions and losing friends along the way. Its unfortunate but something good always comes from it. Like a new boyfriend per say. I know the people I will strive to be friends with for life and I know the people that are not worth my time. Working on me and knowing who I am is something that I have been shown this year.

Family: Where would anyone be without family. I am truly blessed with a great one. I have two amazing dogs too!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

• Stars
• The Dog Alarm
• A Closet Full of Clothes
• Heels
• A Conversation through the Phone
• In-house Christmas Decorations
• Colored Walls
• Personal Decorations on the Walls

Three surprises down and no more to have. I think the best reaction would have to be my grandmas this morning(sorry mom and Dan). She was sitting in church and saw me walk in she was so surprised. Her body jumped in her chair. I walked over and was like “surprise, happy birthday” and she was so happy. I was really glad I waited to tell her I was home it was really nice to be able to surprise her too on her birthday. And to think I would still be on a flight home right now if I didn’t switch my planes.

Since my aboard experience is done I probably wont write on this blog much any more, and my daily challenge thing kind of fell through :( I guess one should have been to not let it fall through. Life is going great and I cant wait to see what these next few weeks have in store.

ALSO please follow me on my other blog that is filled with nonsense at http://jasonwaterfalls.tumblr.com/

Overview: SURPRISE! I came home Thursday night. I spent the entire day traveling and surprised my mom. Her reaction was less that what I expected. I wanted the waterworks and all I got was a “what?”. Any who its been amazing being home. The dogs have yet to leave my side. Yesterday I spent the entire day adding my patches to my blanket. I realize that I have many years and travels until it is full. Today I went to the market to get food and supplies to make a dish to pass for one of my best friends annual Christmas party. At this Christmas party only 2 of the 30 some odd guests know I am home and coming. It also was part of my surprise. Most importantly I am surprising the guy (Dan) I have been talking to over my entire semester. He has absolutely no clue and I am going to have the host of the party make him come outside to help “someone” get stuff out of his or her car and its going to be me. Im hoping for a much more exciting reaction from him (sorry mom). Tomorrow morning I will also be surprising my grandmother for her birthday. She has no clue Im home and I plan on showing up to church with the family and surprising her too.

Im just full of surprises. I look forward to posting Dan’s reaction to the surprise that I have in store for him.

NO INTERNETS FOR ONE DAY. SEES YOU ON FRIDAY.

CHANGE UP ROUTINES AND FINISH STRONG.

Tonight instead of studying I erased my entire iPod and added about five movies. Its going to be a long flight.

The list of movies include:

• The Breakfast Club
• The Dark Night
• Slumdog Millionare
• Tommy Boy
• Toy Story 1 and 2 

Overview: I had a productive day, went shopping in the morning and now I can say positively that I think I have all the gift I want to buy. Sorry if I forget anyone. I went out to lunch at a new restaurant with a friend I met at the beginning of the semester. I got Ribolitta which is a famous Tuscan soup. It was really nice to just sit and have a nice meal with good conversation. After I went to my first exam, while taking the exam the first 30 minutes in our teacher gets pulled out of the classroom and returns to tell us there is a killer on the loose in Florence. We were not allowed to leave the classroom until we got more word about the condition outside. As we were taking the test you could hear helicopters flying. Thankfully the situation cleared itself out before I finished the exam. For some reason I stayed really calm with the lack of information we had, must be the years of living in the murder capitol of the US aka the ROC and hearing about murder every other day. I walked home after my exam and studied for my second one. After about 45 minutes I went back into the streets of Florence and took a second exam. I heard every ones different take on what had happened earlier in the day. Some people saw it happen, some were stopped by the police, some just missed it and some couldn’t leave their apartment. Any how, one more exam and one more practical and I am done for the semester!

HERE is the article link about the shooting: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/8953863/Florence-street-vendors-shot-dead-by-lone-gunman.html 

Overview: Wow its finals week and I will be home in a week. I cannot believe this experience is almost over two more days and I will be free sailing. I usually do good over finals week I have motivation and take steps toward studying. This weekend and all of today I have had none. The tests sound “easy” to me so Im not putting effort into them. I know going home in the end is motivation but its not enough. I unfortunately have no motivation. There is too much going on and I cannot focus. I am basically packed and I have no clue where I am going to put the rest of my stuff that I wear this next week.Well I guess I should get back to studying.