We went and saw Grasses which is world renound for perfumes and we visited the perfumery called Fragonaurd there and my host Dad offered to buy me some perfume.  The only thing I got there was a big headache. 

 Then we saw Monaco and monte carlo and I got to see the house that Grace Kelly lived in which the thought of being a princess kept me occupied for the next hour in the car.  It was really amazing to see a place that you had read about in a book and only
lived in your head and to see you minds fantasies right before you is an incredible feeling, one that has me hooked on travelling. 

We went to Nice where I was introduced to the new love of my life: croissants!  I practically lived off those things there and the car was filled with the precious flaky little crumbs.  And nice will always hold a special place in my heart because that is where I first saw the sea, or any large body of
water for that matter.  It was much too cold to go running into a wave, so I ran up to the edge with my host dad, stuck my finger in the water, and tasted it!  And yes, I can say from experience that it is most definitely salty.  I also toured a castle in Gordon, but the guide was in French, but I
did decently following him because the words were somewhat similar to Italian, but not a lot of them of course. 

 Christmas day was awesome, except that my host sister spent the entire night violently throwing up, so she was bed written the entire day.  I got to cook with my host parents and steal a few recipes, which I have started a little cookbook, I have stolen so many, haha.  We also returned to Nice for our last day and I got to tour a modern art museum, which was breathtaking, just thinking about it makes me want to go back.  France was amazing!  Can't wait to see Paris in June!!

For New Year's Eve, I went to San Remo and danced the night away, it was incredible!  I got to play around on the seaside with some friends too!  I think I started dancing at 9:00 and ended at about 3:00, I was needless to say the first and last person on the dance floor; what can I say, dancing is in my blood!!  It was also interesting seeing how 30 kids sleep in a one bedroom apartment, especially these itty bitty European apartments. 

Next we went to Sestri Levante to visit the grandparents of my host family, my god!  The grandmother can cook like no one I have ever met before!  Everything she has ever made for me I became addicted to.  I think one of my favourite parts about travelling is the food, I am so happy when I eat food!  But no worries, I still weigh the same as I did when I left.

Since then I have changed host families, which ended up being a better thing than I thought it would be.  It is so strange leaving a host family, the feeling is so mixed, thank god I only have to do it one more time.  My host parents shed a few tears when I left, I was really close to them and love them to pieces!   

I have now been with this family for almost 2 months which the environment is a flip flop from the last family.  The first was communist and from the north and this one is conservative and from the south.  I was a bit uneasy coming to this family to be honest, because of my liberal thinking and such.  But I really like this family and adapted immediately. 

I have a cute little host sister named Fedderica who I love to pieces.  She is actually home sick today, so that means ITALIAN DISNEY FEST!!! YEAHHHH!!!  I have practically worn her out with Disney movies and Barbie's.  I love being a kid again!

With this host family I went up to the Swiss alps and went skiing.  Well, I sledded, I could just invision myself walking around with a cast for the rest of my time in Italy and so I opted on not attempting skiing for my first time in a foreign country.  It was really beautiful and I had so much fun.  I have also experienced teaching English to 10 year olds for two weeks for eight hours a day.  I had a lot of fun and got to spend time with a child from an abusive home and being around her really puts you in your place, she was very sweet.  I had a lot of fun doing that with my friend Ceceilia and I will never forget my experience there.

For my usual life in Milan, I am doing belly dancing, tango, yoga, and gym.
  I also finally found a group of friends to go out dancing with!  That was a big thing I missed back home was dancing and here it is so expensive and everyone has homework and the fact that it is freezing in the winter time, and I mean FREEZING, no one really goes out dancing.  But the people that I met like cheap places (hooray for the sudden existence of cheap disquoteques!) , and go almost every Saturday.  My friends Laura, Barbara, and Tizia live close to the disquoteques and so I spend the night with one of them, so I don't have to catch an expensive cab home.  Last time we went to a Latin bar and I had one of the most fun nights here ever.  This week is hip hop night!!!  I have also joined a church theatre group which they are performing Joseph and the amazing Technicolor dream coat, but it has already been casted unfortunately, but I fill in when someone isn't there and I am going to help work on stage props and such.  I really like it!

Okay, I am off to belly dancing, write back and let me know what is going on in your lives, I really miss you all, and forgive me for the stinkiness of not writing.  CIAO!

 

1/17/04