One Year Ago...

Wow.

Has it really been a year? Was it really one year ago today, on August 31, 2010, that I boarded a plane to Florence and began the greatest adventure of my life? It positively blows my mind. I remember arriving at the airport, tearfully saying goodbye to my parents (with a special guest appearance by Vince!), and getting to know my future roommates. I remember FINALLY landing in Florence, and taking a cab to our apartment. I also remember a homeless man asking me for money on the cab ride over, and thinking, "Ah, I have arrived!"

I remember walking into our apartment on Via Sant'Antonino and thinking:
1. 5 girls one bathroom, this should be interesting
2. We need to go to Ikea
3. I'M IN FREAKING FLORENCE

I remember my first breath of Italian air, my first sip of Italian wine, my first taste of Italian pasta. I remember thinking I was on a Hollywood movie set, because every building in Florence was thousands of years old and oozing with history. I remember first seeing the Duomo, and literarily having the wind knocked out of me at the sight of its majestic facade. I remember the smell of the leather markets, and the giddy feeling I got when I bought my faithful brown purse. I remember walking to the top of the Piazza della Michaelangelo, gazing at a gorgeous view of the city, and thinking, "Oh my goodness. I get to live here for the next three and a half months. How lucky am I?!"

It's been a year. And, oh, what I'd give to go back.

Stranded

So remember when I said how much I loved Florence, and that part of me never wanted to leave?

Well, apparently Florence listened. The city had its first major snow in 10 years this weekend. The odds of it snowing this hard in Florence are just as great as Los Angeles's, hence the city did not know how to handle such conditions. With that, ALL flights out of Florence were cancelled. Ours to Zurich included.

This news was not recieved well. We had been up all night, praying that our flight would not be one of the ones cancelled. We had called a cab around 3:30am to pick us up out of paranoia that a cab wouldn't be able to come due to blocked roads. We arrived around 4:00am to have our flight cancelled around 6:30, three hours before we would have taken off. Feeling helpless, we got in line to wait and see what Swiss Air had in store for our fate.

We stood in line for...wait for it....

SEVEN HOURS.

Seven hours of standing on our feet. We had not slept that night. We had not ate anything. We had all of our luggage under the watch of some other stranded travelers. Oh, and did I mention that we were at the front of the line for three of those hours? Finally, we practically assaulted a representative to get an answer as to how long we would have to wait. And do you know what he told us?

"Let me get a number for you to call Swiss Air."

Oh. Hell. No. Homie. Do you not think that us and our loved ones had been on hold with Swiss Air for hours? Oh, and do you know what Swiss Air told us?

"Stand in line to wait to reroute your flight."

So once I told this guy that this answer wasn't good enough, we FINALLY got somewhere. So at this point, IF the weather stays good, we will be flying to Zurich tonight, spending the night there, flying out tomorrow afternoon to Munich, and then flying straight to LAX from there. If all goes according to plan, we will be back in Los Angeles at 7:10p.m.

I am sitting in a hotel lobby in a city outside of Florence. I am tired. I am bored. I am exhausted. I am running out of Internet minutes (6 euro for an hour?! REALLY?!).

I just want to go home.

Hopefully the next time I blog to you will be from California. Keep all of us in your prayers! Everyone had a rough day yesterday. Ugh.

Love,

The Stranded Traveler,

Kara

Kara's Top 10 European Moments

My experience in Europe has been full of amazing memories. But there are just some that stand out above the rest. Here are my top 10 most epic moments from my time abroad!

1. Climbing to the Top of the Duomo
Florence, Italy
439 steps ascend to the top of Brunelleschi's Dome, which leads to the most stunning view of Florence. I am really glad that I did this at the mid-semester point, because I was able to recognize all of the sights in Florence. It truly felt like "my town." I loved sharing this moment with my parents!



2. My night at Copper's
Dublin, Ireland
This was probably my favorite night of going out, not only in Ireland but in all of Europe. From the fireworks-filled Dart ride, to my Slovakian stalker Tibby, to being hit on more times than ever before, to dancing to the Riverdance song with my Knott's coworkers, to waking up in a leopard-print onesie, the night was fantastic to start to finish. And was an indicator as to why I love the Irish so damn much.


3. Oktoberfest
Munich, Germany
Sometimes, I dream about returning to Germany's biggest party. The beer was amazing, the atmosphere unmatched, and no hangover in the morning. I will be back someday. Or who knows...maybe every year.


4. Seeing the Trevi Fountain at Night
Rome, Italy
Before I came to Italy, one of the only monuments I desperately wanted to see was the Trevi Fountain. I had seen it in movies, in my history book, in photos...I had to see this piece of art in real life! The way it lights up at night makes even the most cynical person's heart melt (ahem). And best of all, I ate some amazing gelato in front of it with two dear friends. Could life get any better at that moment? Now to see if my wish will come true :)


5. Playing Tourist in London
London, England
When I see a famous building or monument, I get starstruck. It's as though these places were a figment of my imagination beforehand. So being able to see the London Eye, Big Ben, Parliament, and Buckingham Palace all in one day absolutely blew my mind! It wasn't too shabby doing it in a double decker bus with the amazing Jenny Driver either!


6. Hiking Through the Swiss Alps
Trento, Italy
Okay, so maybe it was the Italian side of the Swiss Alps. But still, for someone who loathes hiking, and is not really the outdoorsy type, this experience was incredible for me. I mean, how many people can say that they have hiked even close to the Swiss Alps? Or have even seen them? Yeah, that's what I thought.


7. Daytrip to Venice
Venice, Italy
It was never in my original plans to go to Venice. I was set on my last trip to be to Paris. But when that fell through, I knew that God was telling me to go see the sinking city instead. And oh my goodness, I am SO GLAD I did. Venice is INCREDIBLE. It is exactly what I pictured the city to look like: canals everywhere, beautiful architecture, and sexy gondolier men taking lovers down the river. I had a fantastic seafood lunch, watched a Murano glass blowing demonstration, and explored what I now consider to be one of my favorite cities in the world.


8. Bistecca di Fiorentina
Florence, Italy
When I came to Italy, I promised myself that I would not fall in love. But then the Bistecca Fiorentina walked into the room on a wooden platter and life was never the same. The steak appears to be rare, but in actuality is cooked to perfection. It was the most amazing meal of my life, and I literally teared up when it was over.



9. Cinque Terra
Cinque Terra, Italy
"The Five Lands" of Italy was an awesome experience. The hike was worse than that of the Swiss Alps, but was so fulfilling and worth it. We had excellent weather, despite the rain pouring the day before. Laying on the rocks in Vernazza and floating in the salty ocean was just as close as I came to paradise on this trip.



10. Biking through Lucca
Lucca, Italy
I think the reason I enjoyed my day trip to Lucca so much was because it was simple and easy. There was no stress caused in terms of getting there, the whole day was relatively inexpensive, and I travelled with two very easy-going people. Riding bikes was a blast despite the gloomy weather conditions, and Lucca in itself is such a cute city!




Honorable mentions: Seeing the Statue of David; "One Night in Bristol 2010;" Club Flo; Graduation Night in Galway; Glendalough; The Colosseum Tour; Field Trip to San Gimignano; Piccadilly Circus; Piazza della Michelangelo; The Bermuda Triangle; Austrian Christmas Markets

Oh, the Places You'll Go

In continuation of my "Rutkin Recap" photo series (yeah, just came up with that right now), here is the next part for all of you who don't want to go back and reread my entire blog:

Places Kara Went in Europe
(Specifically, outside of Italy)

Munich, Germany (Oktoberfest!)
The Principality of Monaco

Nice, France
St. Paul de Vence, France
Cannes, France
Eze, France

Galway, Ireland
Dublin, Ireland
Dalkey Village, Ireland

Glendalough, Ireland
Bristol, England

London, England
Vienna, Austria
Salzburg, Austria

Man, there are so many places I wish I could've gone! I guess I have to develop a bucket list for places I absolutely MUST VISIT when I come to Europe again: Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Prague, Amsterdam, Berlin, Capri, Switzerland...you will be mine someday.

Next Entry: The Food of Europe

I cannot believe this is my last week here. Life has changed so much in the past three months. Heck, I've changed in the last three months! While I miss everyone back home, the idea of returning to what I now consider the "ordinary" makes me want to vomit. Florence has been so good to me, and now I have to just up and abandon it? Not cool.

Well, I guess I better get to studying for finals. I am obviously dreading this finals week for more reasons than usual. Wish me luck!

See you in a week, America.
-Kara

Italian Dreaming

My time in Florence is tragically coming a close. Emphasis on TRAGICALLY. I still cannot fathom that I have been here for over 3 months, and I board a plane to the United States in 9.5 days.

With that, I thought it would be fun to do a photo recap of some of my travels for those of you weren't paying attention :) And that way, I can give a lazy response to that question I'm really looking forward to answering when I come back: "Hey Kara! How was Italy?" Cause honestly...How am I supposed to sum up the absolute time of my life in a conversation with my friends and loved ones back in the states?

Each entry from here on out will feature photos and memories that I never put on the blog, just in case you haven't been Facebook stalking me religiously. The first entry in this series is going to commemorate all the places in Italy that I visited. Let our journey

begin!

Cities in Italy Kara Visited

Florence (duh)

The Italian side of the Swiss Alps/Trento

Garda Lake

Verona

Pisa

Cinque Terra

Sorrento

Pompeii

Positano

Perugia (for EuroChocolate)

Siena

San Gimignano

Chianti Region

Lucca

Bologna

The Vatican City

Rome

Venice: Sorry for not doing a full entry on my trip there. It was only for a day. But I will say that out of all these cities, with the exception of maybe Florence...this was my absolute favorite!

I love this country.

Next Entry: Places I've visited in Europe

Today is Immaculate Conception Day, so no school! And then tomorrow is my last day of classes before finals. So weird. I don't think I've ever been this sad for a semester to come to an end :(

Peace and buh-lessins...

Kara

20 Things I've Learned in Florence in Three Months

1. Wearing heels on cobblestone has to be one of the Top 10 hardest things to do in the world.
2. November=rain almost every day
3. Once a year, they put grass in the Duomo and Baptistery area to recreate the miracle of San Zanobi.
4. Florence decorates almost every street for Christmas, and puts a tree up in front of the Duomo.
5. Florentine shop owners take great pride in their window displays.
6. Along with being the place where Michelangelo is buried, Santa Croce is home to a great bar scene.
7. Everybody smokes. Everybody.
8. Italians obviously do not celebrate Thanksgiving, but are more than happy to provide the foods Americans might need to have their feasts.
9. Order two flavors when you get gelato. I recommend combining a fruity one and chocolate flavor.
10. Rome is unlike any other city in Italy. In fact, it almost doesn't feel Italian.
11. Siena, Pisa, and Luca make for great and inexpensive day trips from Florence.
12. The streets are ALWAYS clean, and street sweepers are out and about all day and all night.
13. If you are a study abroad student, and want a good leather jacket, go to Massimo by the San Lorenzo Market. 50% off for all students! Ask for Igor :)
14. There is a German Christmas Market that comes to Florence for the first 3 weeks of December.
15. The Dublin Pub on Faenza is a great place to sit and chat with your friends over a pint of Strongbow cider or a Guinness.
16. H&M in Florence > H&M in America
17. Apparently, they are building a Hard Rock Cafe here. I do not approve.
18. Pairing Food & Wine is the greatest class I have taken in my 17+ years of education.
19. Pesto has become a staple of my diet.
20. After a weekend away of exploring Europe, it is so cool to be able to walk into Florence, and say, "I'm home!"

Roman Holiday

So I finally made it over to Rome! Geez, it seems like I've had tentative trips fall through about a million times this semester. Okay, not really. But my excursion into the ancient city couldn't have been better! My friend from LdM, Carissa, and I took a train over there on Saturday, where I was once again reunited with the fabulous Jenny Driver! Jenny had been to Rome when she as 13, but was excited to see the city with older eyes.

It is safe to say that Rome is one of my favorite cities in the world. Yes, it's dirty. Yes, the metro system smells like pee. Yes, the weather sucks. But otherwise...what a city! It is so full of life and history. It almost didn't even feel like Italy to me because it was so much more cosmopolitan than that. One minute you are strolling down the street, and then the next...BAM Colosseum. Amazing!

Here are some highlights from the trip. The only thing we didn't get to see was the Vatican Church because the line was MONSTROUS. But otherwise, this was one of my favorite weekend excursions thus far.

St. Pietro Basilica
The Vatican Museum (This painting is called "The School of Athens," and its by Raphael. One of my personal favorites.)
The Sistine Chapel (Another successful forbidden photo taken by yours truly)

The Trevi Fountain at night (my favorite site in Europe to date)
A visit to the Ice Club...a bar made completely of ice!

Arc de Constantine
The Colosseum
Pizza (duh)
The Ancient Ruins
The Spanish Steps
The Pantheon (which was under construction. Lame.)
And the best gelato I've had to date.

Thanks for a fantastic time, Rome! And of course, Carissa and Jenny :)



Whoa...it's December! I only have 2 and half weeks left here. Anyone know how to slow down time? Let me know.

Until then...
Kara

PS: Venice on Saturday :)