3 MONTHS TILL PROGRAM START DATE!

This city. This Boy. This will be my life.

I am in disbelief that time is flying so fast. Knowing that my program is literally three months from beginning and that I will be leaving a couple weeks before that makes me far too excited. Now that I'm home for the summer, all I can do is plan! My Visa appointment is coming up on June 15th, which is probably just about the most stressful thing any human studying abroad could possibly have to go through. After that is complete I will be home free :) The only other thing is I have to save like CRAZY, which is hard for me to do...especially over the summer when all you want to do is buy new things and go just about everywhere. But I know that I'll make it work :) I don't think I've ever been this happy in my entire life, and the best feeling is knowing that it's actually deserved. This whole process, which began my senior year of high school is now just months within my reach. Massimo Zanesco, my amazing boyfriend who is also my best friend and my rock, will be mine for a whole year. After over two of distance. Life really does have a way of coming all together for the better in the end :)

Finals are OVER.....Recap on the past few weeks!

The last few weeks have been incredibly hectic, but it's nice to finally be DONE with finals and knowing that I won't be back at Sac State for over a year makes me ecstatic! Here's a recap on my past couple weeks:

First of all, I had two orientations for Study Abroad on May 4th and 5th. The first one was held at Sac State, and I met a lot of people...it was nice to hear all the different places where everyone will be studying abroad next year! I even made plans to meet up with some of the other ones that were going to Europe :) Then the next day we had our actual orientation at San Francisco State, where we were given basically most of the information that we need to know for our year abroad. Although we had to wake up far too early, it was so worth it. There were SO many people going to Italy! I can't believe the next time that we'll see them is when we will ACTUALLY be in Florence. All in all, the weekend was a great one, and it actually made this whole experience seem so much more real....and a lot closer at that! Now, we just have to figure out the whole stupid visa process as well as everything financially...those two things are the biggest BITCHES of the entire process. But in the end we know that it will all be worth it :)

The next weekend was my long anticipated going away party. I made these awesome shirts for Evalyn and I to rock at the party, and we looked pretty bad ass :) This was truly an amazing night. It started off with going out to dinner with my tight knit group of friends that I absolutely adore. We went out to Buca de Beppo, an amazing Italian place that I had never been to before. Needless to say it was like the real thing! My friends truly spoiled me that night; they surprised me with a giant Italian flag that they had all signed and paid for my entire dinner. I felt so loved and so lucky! I had also prepared a card for each of them with a picture that I wanted them to keep for the year that I'm away...so that way they CAN'T forget me :) The dinner was full of laughs and tears, and without a doubt I could say that it was one of the most memorable nights of my college experience thus far. These guys have become more like family than friends to me, and this last night that we all got to spend together was so incredibly special! Then, we came back to my apartment to have the party. It was awesome literally getting to see every body that I have gotten the chance to know during my past two years at Sac State in my apartment....it was one bad assss party that's for sure :) Although it ended up getting shut down prematurely due to random ass people that came, from what I DO remember of that night, it was so worth it. Great way to end up Sophomore at Sac State and bring in the joy of my upcoming year abroad! Thanks to everyone again for coming and partying with me before I left!

                                   
                                        Love them more than anything!

                                               
                                    Ciao America! Italia HERE WE COME :)

                                 
                          The wonderful flag that my friends surprised me with...
                      woke up to so many more interesting and drunken signatures
                   the next day. Guess that just gives it more character :) I felt so loved!

Four Months!

It's exactly four months today until my program start date in Florence. Time is flying by faster than I thought! Literally just two weeks left on instruction, three days of finals, and I'm done with this semester. I finally got to mail the paperwork, which was a HUGE lift off of my shoulders. Now that I've secured my spot, I 'just have to move onto the next preparation! There is still so much more to do, but it's slowly falling into place.These days are really difficult at the moment, however I know that it will all work out the way it's supposed to. The one thing that can get through the impossible is the power of love. I just have to keep my head held high and remember the paradise I'll be in in exactly FOUR months from today :)

Note to Self

I need to remind myself to take a breath sometimes and remember that it's all going to work out as it needs to! Today is definitely a lesson learned. I have my physical for studying abroad this afternoon and I need my immunization records, which I have trying to find for the past week. I found out that my previous doctor had moved towns and didn't bring any of his previous records, so then I called where he used to work only to find out it wasn't there anymore and that my documents were more than likely disposed of! This made me freak out, and I didn't know what I was going to do in order to prove I have all the shots that I need to leave the country. I gave one last call to my high school to check if they still kept the alumni records but didn't get ahold on anybody, so I just about gave up and was going to hope for the best. Well, when I woke up this morning I had a message on my phone from my high school that she indeed had my records and faxed them over to me! Last minute, everything fell into place. It's just proof to myself that sometimes I let my anxiety get the best of me, when I really need to just relax and remember that there has never been a time when I haven't accomplished what I wanted, and that it will all fall into place as needed. Today is going to be a good day :)

So close, yet so far....

So it's been exactly 20 days since I left Italy and my love. For some reason, it already feels like it's been a lifetime and even though time is passing so quickly, it feels like forever until I'll see him again! This could be a really long break for us, however I know that the next time I do get to see him, there will be NO goodbyes for over a year. We will finally get to live like we are in a normal relationship (although we are going to be traveling Europe together :) ) and gosh dammit we DESERVE it! We have come so far for this and have worked both our asses off together and apart to make this all work the way that we desired, and we have gotten through the thick and the thin together. As these next months pass, I just have to keep reminding myself that I will get to that point...and once I hug him at the airport knowing that I won't have to worry about time will make it all so completely worth it ;)

Deadlines. Deadlines. Deadlines!

I'm officially starting my first blog as I embark into my journey of studying abroad in Florence, Italy! I wanted to keep an easy way for my family and friends to keep track of me and my travels while I'm abroad, and I figured that this would be the best way :) Anyways, my lovely friend Evalyn and I are just four months away from starting our year abroad, and couldn't be more excited! However, this comes with so much work to do in order to make it happen. Our first deadline is coming up on May 1 for all the paperwork, and I just want it to  be over with already. Sooo many things to get done and to worry about, ESPECIALLY financial plans. I can't even believe the amount of money they fork out of you to study abroad. I'm crossing my fingers to get my loan worked out and to get a good scholarship! It seems a bit overwhelming at times but I know that I am motivated to do whatever it takes to get myself to what I've been working towards, and my parents certainly have my back in it as well! With this, I'm reminding myself that it will all work out, as it always does. After the paperwork is in, a huge weight will be taken off of my shoulders...but there is still so much more to go....