Sister Bonding in Venice and Florence

Allow me to preface this post by saying my sister and I are still alive. Whatever you may read in this little blog here, neither of us has committed a homicide.

Now. Let’s get down to the details of this memorable experience with the sister unit. To start with, Kara is my best friend, although she may not self identify as this, she is. When we are in Gainesville, Tampa, or any place really, we revert back to the role of our 10 year old selves but with a 20 year old’s vocabulary.. so in other words, we have some issues. Despite our inherent sisterly problems, I like to believe that we are compatible friends.. but even the best of friends can make bad travel companions! This trip was a stark reminder that we can fly halfway across the world, but we will never leave behind our Tampa bedroom fights.

Despite the bickering and arguments, the trip was a smashing success!

To start with my train was a teensy bit late so Kara was in line at the baggage place at the Venice train station and that’s where we had our little reunion! Right in front of a bunch of grumbling Italians upset with us for skipping the line. Oops.

Then we headed out! We first stopped at a restaurant.. Where we proceeded to sit down right before Kara insisted we yelp something and made us get up from our seats to go in search of a new shop!

The problem with Venice was that the street signs were virtually nonexistent and it was the furthest thing from a grid system you could possibly imagine. So all of this led to a little bit of confusion when it came to following the yelp instructions to the restaurant. In the end though we found our little place and it was a cute spot that spoke very little English.

 

After we ate Kara knew that she absolutely wanted to see the big Piazza in the heart of Venice so we headed that way. Again.. Maybe directions really aren’t a Halfaker thing because we could not for the life of us get there in a timely fashion. However when we got there it was definitely worth the view!

Kara came all the way from Madrid and was insistent on finding gelato so we grabbed some gelato and sat down for a little while for a Rachel nap and so Kara could read her book. This is how the Halfakers travel.

After we went to the piazza it was my turn to pick something.. And boy if I didn’t want to go on a Gondola. I dragged our butts all around Venice in hunt of a Gondola. Approximately 3 hours later (I really, really wish I was exaggerating with that number) we find a Gondola hot spot, just to realize that it’s going to cost a whopping 80 euro to catch a ride. Nobody around us seemed to be alone and looking to split the cost with strangers so Kara and I had to settle with taking pictures from bridges.

After we dismissed our gondola fantasy we poked our head into a music museum. Correction. A violin museum. That was it.

People, I am a fan of museums. Love ‘em. Spent my whole summer in them. Let me just say this once: This was a silly museum. It was hot as all hell, so dark you could barely make anything out, and the only thing on display were these violins with the date they were created. This museum was just not doing good things for me.

So I insisted we make our way out of there and move on.

It was at this point that Kara and I had already had our little moments of sister sass. She wanted to race walk (she’s the fittest person you’ve ever met) to the piazza and other such places, and I’m a fan of the walk-and-sit ratio. Meaning for every 5 minutes you walk, you take a 10 minute breather.

Kara was a fan of the walk-and-run ratio so I was always trailing about 5 feet behind her at any given time.

We had a sit down meeting and said LOOK. Let’s get our ‘ish together. Where do we both want to go? Venice is stupid expensive and hotter than Tampa on a bad day.. we need to start making some executive decisions here.

Rationally, we both decide that we need to go check out a park on the opposite of the island. Honestly, I wonder about my decision making abilities sometimes.

   

That was the sweatiest walk of my life but we ended up in this really cute park where Kara peed in a bush and took a nap on the grass. Meanwhile I was wide awake and reading my book.

Random anecdote time! I love the Italian gestures and I think the language is beautiful. What’s better than an Italian speaking rapid Italian and throwing his hands around? An Italian toddler speaking Italian and using hand gestures! While Kara was passed out I watched as this little boy is looking at his friend in a meaningful way (as meaningful as a 5 year old can get) and motioning with his hands. Before I died of cute overload I watched the other boy respond with emphatic gestures and it doesn’t stop there, my little guy PUT HIS HAND ON THE KIDS LOWER BACK. Visualize that for a minute. Soon his friend reciprocated and we’ve got this awesome Italian culture wrapped up in two little bodies. It was maybe the greatest interaction I’ve ever witness.
/anecdote

  

Anyways. After our freaking 20 mile leisurely stroll to this park we headed back to to grab a bite of dinner at this cute little restaurant on the water, ordered our pina coladas, and headed back to catch the bus to our tent hostel.

Yup. A tent hostel. It was pretty great.

I’ve just realized this is about to break records in terms of blog content so I think I’ll split up Venice and Florence!

Venice was a beautiful place for a day trip but in the grand scheme of things I’m happy to have just spent one afternoon. It was heavy on the tourism but the view was stunning and I’m glad I could share a little piece of Italy with sister.

More on Florence in the next post!

The London Experience

I could live in  London. Aside from the fact that I paid 1 buck 80 for a pound, things could not have gone better! I’m a fan of the cold so the weather is ideal, I’m a fan of british men so the dating field is spot on, I’m even a fan of really cool museums and big cities so London may or may not be my perfect place.

The last 4 or 5 days have been some of the most fun in my life and I’m so happy to share my London half of my 9 day vacation!

To start with .. I thought Rome’s public transportation was confusing. Turns out 2 lines are a breeze compared to London’s million. By the end of the trip I can happily identify myself as a master of the tube system. On the first day we were utterly exhausted. Our bus was late pulling in, we struggled to find the apartment, and we were an hour late checking in. During all this time I was messaging my youth minister from Tampa who now lives back in England! 30 minutes after we settled in I had to brave the tube to go meet up with him! It was really great to catch up with him.. over my first English Guinness! It was a great evening and I was happy we were able to meet up.

I got back in the evening and the door to the apartment was locked and nobody was answering – Michelle and Renoli (my roommates) had fallen asleep and left me sitting outside in the freezing cold London air for an hour and a half. I was displeased. However once I finally got in by tailing behind another family staying in the apartment I passed out right alongside them. We woke up at around 2 am and for some reason we were craving some McDonalds. So at 2:30 in the sketchy streets of London we braved the cold to get a 20 nugget pack, fries, and a milkshake. Along the way we saw a drug deal go down, someone snort something at a bus stop, and a fox. Yup – this was my introduction to England!

That big pile of eggs? That quickly became our morning routine. We saved $$$ and got more protein in 4 days in London than we had in a month in Rome.

 

Our first full day in London was incredible! We stopped at Haagen Dazs for coffee and ice cream at approximately 8 a.m. When in England, amiright?

Then our group of 6 went by the National Gallery and saw some beautiful paintings. I’ve become accustomed to the statues of Italy so it was refreshing to see some paint for the first time in a month. I especially loved the National Gallery because it was heavy on the religious art, which I find to be the most interesting. I loved seeing the same scene depicted differently by different artists and I spent a lot of time just speculating on what must have been going on in the artists’ minds as they managed to convey something so intangible into something captured by paint on a canvas.

Afterward we split up (surprise!) because Michelle and I bought the London pass which granted us access to unlimited public transportation and free entry to all the “big” places in London. First up? Westminister Abbey.

So I’ve been in Rome for the past month. I thought I was immune to stunning churches and breathtaking architecture by now – Good thing I was wrong.T o start with I don’t think I’ve ever seen gothic style architecture and if I have, never like this. The church was incredibly calming to stand in and just be a part of for an hour. At some point there was an hourly prayer and it felt so nice to just take a moment out of all the craziness of this summer to stand in such a holy place and offer up a prayer with people from around the world.

I didn’t get any pictures because I’m super lame and boring but we went to something called the London Bridge Experience which was crazy. Take my word for it – It was one of the scariest haunted house experiences that managed to educate me on the London Bridge history and construction. No big deal.

Afterward Michelle and I stopped at a pub and I’m slowly learning to breathe deeply and just order a stinking drink. I don’t think I’ll ever be completely comfortable in a bar but hopefully there will come a day that I don’t break out in hives when a bartender asks me what I’ll have.

Our first real night in London saw pasta, McDonalds, and a healthy dose of sleep. We were absolutely exhausted.

There was a lot of discussion amongst the three roommates. How could we utilize all of our time in London to see the most attractions? Well of course we decide to visit caves an hour away from where we were staying!

Best. Decision. Ever. For starters, I got to take my first train in Europe which was pretty much a phenomenal experience because I felt a little like Harry Potter. Then we found ourselves in the sweetest town that had homes lining the streets and this tiny pub right next to where we were set to explore caves.

Once in the caves I immediately recognized how freaking cool the whole experience was going to be. It was freezing cold and we all had to carry lanterns to see in the caves since the lighting had been removed after the caves ceased to be used as World War II bunkers. Oh, did I mention the caves were dug out thousands of years ago by the Druids, Saxons, and Romans? No big deal.

They were used as bunkers during the World Wars and at one point housed over 15,000 people. My two favorite parts were touching a stone stage where The Who, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, and countless other artists played during the time and sitting on an altar that was previously used to sacrifice children for the sun god as we sat in complete darkness as our guide banged on a druid drum. It was such an amazing trip and I’m happy we went there versus another museum or London-type attraction.

More cave adventures.

  

Afterward Michelle and I went on a British Navy ship, the BMS Belfast. It was fun to look at what life must have been like on a ship at the period in English history and once again I just mostly enjoyed the fact that I was able to share in another culture’s history after mostly just being exposed to my own culture’s stories and legends.

   

Since we were on a roll we then went to a small medical museum called the Old Operating Theater and Herb Garret located in an attic above a huge church. It was unique and gave me a whole new appreciation for modern medicine. It was once used as Florence Nightingale’s nursing school and is hundreds of years old!

We were in the neighborhood and heard about a small chapel outside of a medical college so we peeked our heads inside. This was a favorite little random moment of the trip I enjoyed because they had prayer intentions lined up and I was once again reminded of the universality of faith and how it moves people from all backgrounds. We quickly wrote our own prayer intentions and then we were off!

  

We went on the London Bridge Exhibition! So we got great views from the top of the bridge to end our day and we finished with some Chipotle, because we have our priorities straight.

 

That right there in the background? That’s McDonalds. Because it became a nightly event. We have been seriously missing our meat supply in Rome.

Those were just the first two days in London.. More to come in a separate post!

Pompeii

In my defense I am in Rome, Italy so at least I have a valid reason for not updating the blog! However at the request of my mother I am uploading my travel pictures on here because I absolutely hate Facebook albums. There is a big pressure to have great lighting and pretty hair. And let’s be honest.. I just got bangs so the pretty hair thing is out the window. So here are some pictures from my weekend trip! Our group from St. Johns and the University of Florida went on a 3 day excursion to Pompeii, Paestum, and Naples.   I think the easiest way to separate these pictures are just by places visited – So up first, Pompeii!

Please excuse the formatting on this. I’m not a professional blogger or even remotely competent when it comes to WordPress.. so please bear with me. LOOK HOW COOL THIS IS. We started off our weekend trip with Pompeii and it. was. amazing. I’d never heard the story of how Pompeii was preserved over thousands of years and it was simultaneously heartbreaking to hear of the horrific death of thousands of residents and amazing that nature could preserve the color and structure of tons of art despite the age.

We were fortunate enough to have a tour guide and as we were walking through this entire village that used to house 20,000 people I found it was relatively easy to envision the lives these people lived. It was crazy to be reminded that people still had relationships, “fast food” vendors, art, and an idea of what happiness was. It really made history “come alive” in a way I’ve never experienced and I absolutely loved it!

 

I mean look at this scenery! Absolutely breathtaking. I’ll be posting pictures sometime today or tomorrow from Paestum and Naples so stay tuned!

 

 

Books for the Plane!

For the lovely plane ride I can’t seem to shut up about I’ve picked a couple of books I think would help me make it through the long haul.

      

I don’t even feel bad for admitting that Elizabeth Gilbert initially sparked my interest in travel and Italy. She definitely romanticized Italy and the other places she went to but hey, it’s her book. I know she received a lot of negative backlash for divorcing her husband and deciding to leave her conventional lifestyle in favor of her own happiness, but I loved her book and admire Gilbert for doing what she thought she needed to do. I’ve read this book once before but I think it’s only appropriate to re-read it en route to Italy.

I’ve read a little bit about House of Leaves. I don’t know too much about this book, only that it’s a cult favorite. It sounds like one of those books that , even if an uncomfortable read, will be captivating. Which is important on a 10 hour flight. I looked through some of the pages and it is by far the most unique writing style I’ve come across; the author uses footnotes within footnotes and breaks the page up in writing chunks.. I look forward to getting my hands on a copy.

I’m a shameless YA fan. I’m finishing up the Divergent trilogy and I have Allegiant lined up in my Kindle queue.. All I can say on this book is that it better end well because Tris deserves a happy ending.

So a horror, YA, and a memoir would be incomplete without a “self help” book. You’ve probably heard of the book “Lean In” by the author Sheryl Sandberg, the woman who kicks butt in the tech industry. She’s an advocate for women in the work place and writes about the challenges and hurdles women will face when entering into any career and she offers strategies for overcoming these obstacles. This is at the top of my list!

So those are the books I’m interested in reading either on the plane ride or in the weeks leading up to my trip. Do you have any book suggestions?

The Dreaded Plane

When I was younger I always claimed the window seat. I loved pressing my forehead against the plastic sheet that made up the window and I would watch the clouds fly by until my breath fogged up my vision. I was a kid that was fascinated by the terminal – I loved seeing all the different kinds of people. The women who looked so chic and professional; the men who wore pajama bottoms; the kids who looked friendly and approachable. The terminal was like a playground. I loved the takeoff, the landing, the flying, heck – I even loved using the tiny little bathroom.

I don’t know that it’s necessarily an unexpected thing to no longer have the same enjoyment of flying as I used to. I think after it became a source of transportation for me, instead of the destination, it lost a little bit of the thrill. I’m coming up on a roughly 10 hour flight in about a month. And I need all the thrill I can get to survive this one.

Rather than research Rome or surrounding European countries, I have spent the last week looking up survival tips for long flights. My number one concern is that it will be smack in the middle of the day which will probably lead me to be more wired than tired, and more irate than drowsy. I’m a student.. in college.. which means I’m on a budget. I can only dream of flying first class but, alas, it wasn’t meant to be. For half a day I am going to be wedged between two strangers with not enough leg room. However I’m determined to stay practical and positive!

Here are a couple tips I’ve read online for flying across the world:

1. We’ve all heard it, but it bears repeating: Don’t wear jeans. Or tight tanks. Or tight shoes. Or just about anything that has a button on it. I am the hunt for some long, comfortable pants that aren’t so baggy that I’m drowning in them, and aren’t too tight that I questioned that last cupcake I ate.
2. Layers, Layers, Layers. One of the worst feelings in the world is being too cold or too hot. Worse is when you are stuck feeling like that for 10+ hours! I’ll probably end up bringing a cardigan over a t-shirt over a tank.. Hopefully that’s not too excessive?
3. Compression socks. You, like me, might be wondering who puts any kind of word like “compression” in front of socks. After tireless research (Ahem. A google search) I learned that compression socks are just a fancy name for keepin’ yo feet happy. That’s all I really needed to hear. I added those to my never-ending online shopping cart.
4. Moisturizer and hydration is apparently a thing. After I went on an 8-ish hour flight to San Francisco I felt sick, dry, and dirty. After looking into it I realized it’s because I wasn’t looking after my poor skin and I was drinking next to no water on the flight. Definitely filling up a bottle before I hop on the flight.
5. Finally – This is probably the only time in my entire life I will be forced to sit down with no where to go. Knowing me I will still find a way to procrastinate but how great would it be to get a jump start on some of my course work so I can focus on Rome the minute I get there?

So there were my 5 takeaway tips from what I’ve read online. Granted I am a student with no professional travel experience, so feel free to disregard everything I’ve written.

Do you have any travel tips?

The Details

So approximately 3 days ago I learned about all the different reasons this summer is going to be better than the one summer I spent hanging out in my backyard or the summers spent babysitting 10 different families and walking 3 high-energy dogs. 

I went to my pre-departure session my school requires us to attend and I heard from two guys who had gone to Rome in previous semesters and spoke with an advisor who oversees our program. For starters – the drinking age in Rome is 18. I’m not saying this because I’m one of the kids in college who already drink and am looking forward to the easy access.. the reality is that I’m terrified of breaking laws and I’m so excited to go somewhere that has “suggestions” as opposed to stringent rules and regulations. I’m looking forward to being able to enjoy a glass of wine and feel adult-esque for the next 3 months.

Another thing that sounded a lot like a Lizzie McGuire movie was the fact that I will be taking Italian 1 and am being encouraged to go out and actually apply my newfound language ability in the streets of Rome. This is simultaneously terrifying and exciting. I’ve never actually learned a language, unless you count the one year of spanish I took, which I don’t. I don’t know the first thing about learning a language and the farthest I’ve got in preparing for Italian is going through lesson 1 in Rosetta Stone. So this is probably going to be both the hardest and most rewarding challenge of this trip. 

My geek moment came when we received our official schedules for the classes we are enrolled in. I’m taking Survey of Art and Architecture, Italian 1, and Principles of Management. The way it’s set up is that I will be taking Management online through my home university and I will take the other two through the school I’m attending in Rome. The first one will be Italian and will be for the first 6 weeks. Then it switches to Survey of Art and Architecture, at which point the city becomes my new classroom! I cannot begin to express my excitement for my art class. At the beginning of this year my mentor through the Catholic Church had me read a book that analyzed a painting of the prodigal son parable in the Bible. For the first time in my life I was prompted to consider art as a form of education in and of itself and I am so grateful for this opportunity to learn more about the historical art and architecture that is everywhere in Italy! 

The last thing that has gotten me the most excited about this upcoming journey was meeting my peers that would be traveling with me. The program is small, with under 15 students participating. I anticipate getting to know these girls and guys better and from what I’ve heard from my brother’s abroad experience in spain and my friends who have traveled elsewhere, it’s the new relationships that make these trips so memorable!

Tomorrow I hope to write a little bit more about Haiti because as a part of this summer’s travel plans, I’m going to Haiti from May 3-11. When I first traveled to Haiti I realized how incredibly important it is to me to expose myself to cultures vastly different from the western comfort I’m accustomed to. For the past two years I’ve visited a small mountainous village called St. Suzanne and this year I’m excited to visit Jacmel!