The End of an Era

As I sit in my London Hotel room, all I can think about is how bad I want to go back to Paderno. With a blink of an eye, three months in Italy have come and gone. In 90 days, we have traveled half of Europe, actually attended class for an entire semester without a single absence, became addicted to Tabacchi sandwiches and proseco, and formed lasting relationships. 

This past week was bittersweet. We were all busy studying for finals but wanting to enjoy our last bits of time together in a little town we called home for a while. At this point, many of my friends are off traveling Europe: Berlin, Barcelona, Amalfi Coast, Amsterdam, etc. Others are on flights back to the US. It saddens me to know that I may never see some of these people again. 

Last weekend I ended up staying in Paderno instead of traveling. And I have to say it was my favorite weekend of the semester. Elena and I watched The Masters in the Simpson Room with the boys on Thursday night; we all went to dinner and bars in Bassano on Friday night; we went to Mount Grappa on Saturday; and hung out at Al Sole and on the Jesus field on Saturday night. Getting to spend time with my favorite CIMBites on my last weekend in Italy was a treat. 

I arrive in Raleigh tomorrow at 2:45 (8:45pm Italy time). As excited as I am to see everyone, a little bit of me wishes I had more time in Europe. However, I know I will be back soon enough. Anyway, I need to see all my dogs and Mercury! And get to Harkers for Easter!

Ciao!

Italians are awesome

"You may have the universe if I may have Italy." --Giuseppe Verdi

Last Saturday morning mom and I left Venice to meet our friend Mariano Venzo in Bassano. He took us to his ceramic factory, VBC Ceramics, where they sell their products to Neimen Marcus, Tiffany and Co., Vietri and Williams-Sonoma. All of their ceramic collections are beautiful and so unique. In fact, we loved it so much that we picked out several pieces to be sent back to the US. After giving us a tour of the factory, Mariano drove us to Marostica for a quick drink. The town is part of a castle that hosts a live chess match every other summer. The piazza has a huge chess board made of tiles and people dress up in costumes to mimic the pieces in the game. Mariano then took us to a restaurant  in Bassano that is famous for it's white asparagus. The pasta, scallops, and asparagus were to die for. 

Marostica 

Mom and I went to the market in Crespano on Sunday morning to get some fruit and a couple gifts. It was bittersweet because it was my last time at the market since my next 2 Sunday's will be spent traveling. We had a lazy Sunday resting, packing my extra suitcase and working on homework until going to Mariano's house for dinner. All three of he and Agnese's children and their families were there too. The three grandchildren were absolutely precious. We had delicious pizza and fruit salad for dinner. It was nice to have a casual meal and just hang out in their lovely home.

Mariano's Grandchildren

Since my mom was leaving on Tuesday, Mariano and Agnese wanted her to see Asolo before she left so they took us to a trattoria near the center of town. I love going to the pizzeria in Asolo but this trattoria was superb. I have had such a great time getting to know the Venzo family over the past couple months. They have been so kind to me and I can't wait to return the favor when they come visit us in North Carolina.

Me and Francesco

My mom left to go back home on Tuesday morning. I was sad for her to leave but I knew I would be seeing her again in two and a half weeks. My Business, Culture and  Society class had a field trip to Trieste on  Thursday.  We went to Redipuglia, a WWI memorial site where 100,000 Italian soldiers are buried but only 40,000 were able to be identified. We also went to Castello di Miramare, beautiful castle just outside of Trieste as well as the Piazza in the center of town. Elena and I did a some exploring to find a little antique shop where we each bought a small, hand-painted decoy before indulging in some gelato. Overall, the field trip was fun. The sack lunches were pretty terrible but that was to be expected of the CIMBA cafeteria ladies.

View from Castello di Miramare

I had a great day on Friday. I went to early yoga at 7 am then went back to a clean room since the maids come on Fridays. I did a little homework and LEAP stuff before going on a winery tour since BCS was cancelled. The winery was absolutely beautiful and the proseco we tried was delicious.

Bellagio

Elena and I went to Lake Como yesterday to meet some of her family friends. Unfortunately it was pretty hazy because of the unseasonably warm weather. Como was nice but kind of crowded abnd touristy. We took a ferry to Bellagio which was just gorgeous. With two hours to kill until the next ferry to Varenna, we did a little exploring. The Grand Hotel Villa had a swing set in a secluded garden so we hung out there for a while enjoying the view of the lake. If I come back to Bellagio, I will definitely  be staying at that hotel. Once we got to Varian, we met up with Claudio and his wife. We went back to their house for dinner and  hung out with their two children, Susanna (25) and Andrea (22). From the experiences I have had with Italian families, they are very hospitable and are great cooks!

Me in Bellagio

This morning Claudio cooked us scrabbled eggs for breakfast before taking us into Milan. We caught the metro to the Duomo. After about 45 minutes waking around and being harassed  by creepy street vendors we were ready to get out of there. I have a lot of homework to finish so it was a good idea to get back go Paderno early anyway. This is the last full week of classes so I have several presentations and papers to turn in. 

Varenna

The weather has been warm and sunny in Paderno all week so everyone has been spending a lot of time outside together. It's hard to believe 2 weeks from now I will be back in NC. I won't be able to knock on a neighbors door at any hour of the day just to chat, run to the tabacchi for a sandwich and chips, or do the PDG bar crawl consisting of the sports bar, hotel bar, and pizzeria. The past three months have been unbelievable; I have gotten to know so many great people, been to tons of amazing places, and experienced lots of different cultures. As excited as I am to get home to friends, family, and free ice water, I am going to miss Italy so much. If I could do it all again for another semester, I would. Paderno may be a tiny town, but it has become home. 

Duomo in Milan

Roma, Barcelona, and Venezia

On Friday afternoon, Elena and I started off travel week 2 by taking the train to Rome to meet my mom! Since we didn’t get in until late, we just hung out in the room catching up with mom. The hotel we were staying at was close to Trevi Fountain, so after breakfast on Saturday we walked there and to the Spanish Steps where we happened to meet this nice man from Rome. Franco is an art professor at a 7 year program that concludes with a month in the United States where he takes the students to art museums in NYC, Washington DC, Charleston, SC, and Savannah, GA. When we asked him about good restaurants for dinner, he told us about this fantastic place called “C’era una Volta” which translates to “Once upon a time”. Franco even called the restaurant and made a reservation for us! When we went to dinner that night with Vanessa and her mom Linda, all the waiters were so happy to see the “friends of Franco”. Our waiter Ricardo picked out a fabulous meal of fried vegetables, pasta, pizza, and an assortment of deserts.

Sunday morning we slept in a little bit before walking to the Colosseum. The Rome Marathon was going on all morning, so thankfully we missed most of the congestion around Ancient Rome. We met up with a tour group that took us through the Colosseum then to Palentine Hill and the Roman Forum. It was incredible to see the old styles of architecture and the views of Rome from the Hill.

We loved our tour guide Fi so much that we booked a tour of the Vatican Museum with her for Monday morning. The artwork in the museum was amazing to say the least. From paintings to marble statues, this huge museum offered a glimpse of thousands of years of Roman history.

Tuesday morning Mom and I left Rome and flew to Barcelona. Emmita met us at the airport and helped us navigate the train and metro stations to get to the apartment we were staying in. She had to go to work at 4 so after Emmita left we had a late lunch at a mediterranean restaurant before taking a siesta. Once Emmita was back from work we went to the Gothic Quarter to look around and get tapas. The culture in Barcelona is vibrant yet laid-back; it just has a cool vibe to it. Walking around the Gothic Quarter was really fun because, like Venice, there are so many narrow alleyways to explore. Before going back to the apartment we stopped by a bar to get a drink and chat.

Emmita took us to a cafe for breakfast Wednesday morning before showing us around the city. The first stop was La Sagrada Familia, a large Roman Catholic church designed by Gaudí and began construction in 1883. It has progressed slowly over the years and should be completed in 2026. It is astonishingly huge and definitely the most unique and interesting churches I have ever seen. After a quick metro ride we arrived at the Port where Emmita had to leave us and head to work. On our own, Mom and I walked to the water and just enjoyed sitting by the shore. It wasn’t warm enough to swim but there were a few surfers braving the cold and wind.

After a delicious lunch at an Irish pub, we rented bikes and peddled around the port before visiting the Picasso Museum. While he is very well known for his abstract art, his early work is absolutely breathtaking. As a child he painted scenes of Barcelona seascapes, Málaga landscapes, and portraits of various family members. The museum itself is really neat since it’s set in 5 palaces on Carrer de Montcada. 

Mom and I had an early flight back to Italy on Thursday morning with Ryanair. Their customer service is awful and it was by farm the most miserable flying experience I have ever had. Once we landed in Treviso, we went to Paderno to drop some stuff off and get re-situated before taking the train to Venice. Prior to now, I had only been to Venice one day for Carnevale. It was less crowded a much calmer atmosphere this time.

I have a lot more to update on from this week but I’m headed to Lake Como tomorrow morning, so the rest will have to wait :)

Ciao!

Verona

Sorry for the delayed update, I have been very busy this week with papers, presentations and tests! Last week I was officially certified in Kepner-Tregoe Problem Solving Decision Making Skills. It was a long and sometimes boring process but I’m glad I did it.

Last Thursday we had out second formal dinner. It was held at Hotel Belvedere in Bassano del Grappa. Elena and I, pictured below, had a great time.

Friday night was Add a Seat to the Table night. I was expecting to be paired with a family, but it ended up being a little different. Susanna, Kiara, and Marco are three students at Instituti Filipino that Elena, Ben and I were paired with. Along with Susanna’s boyfriend Luca, they took us to our favorite Pizzeria in Asolo. We all got to know each other over some delicious pizza then headed to the Cafe Centrale for gelato.  They are all such nice people and I really enjoyed getting to know them.

Saturday morning a group of us headed to Verona for the day. Verona is most well know as the home of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. We stopped by Juliet’s wall (above) to sign our name and touch her sculpture for good luck. Verona is the birthplace of Leonardo DaVinci as well as the home of the Verona Arena, the most well-preserved arena in Italy. 

We explored all around the city, even crossing the river and hiking to an old church at the top of a big hill. The views of Verona from the top were absolutely breathtaking.

Tomorrow, Elena and I are taking a train to Rome where we are meeting my mom!! On Tuesday, we fly to Barcelona to see Emitta for a couple days then head back to Venice until Saturday. I am so excited to see my mom and have some homemade chocolate chip cookies!

Ciao!

To turn a corner in SIENA is to be presented with a gift...

This weekend was an extended weekend so Elena, Keith, and I went to Tuscany. We stayed in this cute guest house in Siena. After our house mom made us breakfast Friday morning, we headed into the city to do some exploring. It is such a beautiful place. First, we climbed to the top of the Torre del Mangia. Although it was rather windy up there, the views were epic...

Then we did a little shopping (I bought a pair of adorable flats and a purse) before continuing our explorations of Siena. According to our travel book, "to turn a corner in Siena is to be presented with a gift" so we were in search of as many "gifts" as we could find. And it was surprisingly easy. Within this walled city, there are amazing views of the Tuscan rolling hills, hidden streets with lush garden patches, and quiet parks full of sunlight. 

Saturday we thought it would be fun to visit Montepulciano (Piazza Grande pictured below), a nearby city that Twilight: New Moon was partially filmed in. Turns out that was a terrible idea. The train station is 20 Km outside of Montepulciano in a city called Chiusi. I know that the busses in Italy tend to run a little late but in Chiusi, sometimes they just don't show up. After over 2 hours in Chiusi, and being told by each subsequent bus driver "10 minutes" until the next Montepulciano bus, we finally managed to get a ride to Montepulciano only to be dropped off at a bus depot at the bottom of the mountain that Montepulciano is atop. At this point, we are hungry, cold, and still not in Montepulciano. And it has started to rain. Sounding fun yet? We decided we just want to get our picture taken in the town square then take a  bus back to Siena so we avoid Chiusi, the city we loath, all together. But busses from Montepulciano to Siena don't run on Saturday's. Great, right? After a minbus ride to the town square, we take some pictures (in the rain, mind you) and stop by a pizzeria for a late lunch. We are cold and wet so we catch a minibus ride back to the bus depot only to find out the next bus to Chiusi doesn't leave for another hour and a half. But then the barista at the cafe tells us great news: there is a minibus going to another Montepulciano train station in only 30 minutes. Hooray, we dont have to go back to Chiusi! After being dropped off at the most pathetic train station I have ever seen, Elena and I were about ready to cry. There was no one there, the automated ticketing booths were all smashed, and we had no idea when the next train was coming. In all honesty, it looked like a deserted train station. Finally we saw a train coming, but of course it was on track 2 so after a quick dash down the stairs and to the other side we made it on the train with only minor injuries (Elena had a little faceplant incident but her bag took most of the fall). The train then arrived in Chiusi. We weren't happy about that, but at least we were able to buy tickets for a train to Siena that was leaving in only 15 minutes. Once back in Siena, we took a cab to our guest house after grabbing gelato for dinner.

Thankfully, transportation was much more in our favor on Sunday. We checked out of our guest house then caught a train to Empoli and then one to Pisa. We just wanted to see the Leaning Tower, get silly pictures with it, then get back to PDG by dinner. Pisa isn't a pretty town at all but the Leaning Tower and Duomo were phenomenal. 3 hours there was plenty of time to see the sights and get back to the train.

In all, it was a fun weekend. Siena was absolutely beautiful and we all look back on the Montepulciano adventure and laugh. Pisa was definitely worth the couple hours there but not anymore than that. Next time in Tuscany, I want to visit the Chianti region and tour a winery or go back to Montepulciano on a prettier day and with a rental car! 

This week is going to be filled with LEAP requirements. I have Kepner Trego Certification on Monday and Tuesday, Leap coaching on Wednesday, the 2nd gourmet dinner on Thursday, and "add a seat to the table" on Friday night. This is where we are paired with local families and go to their house for dinner. This weekend Elena, Lauren and I are taking a day trip on Saturday to Verona. And only 6 weeks left in Italy! These 3 months are flying by so quickly.

Carnivale

Yesterday, I returned from Venice where I was immersed in the true Venetian culture during the first weekend of Carnivale. Carnivale is a 10 day long celebration leading up to the start of Lent. I went in expecting Mardi Gras but quickly realized this is less of a party and more of a sight-seeing event. The entire island was packed with people, some dressed in elaborate renaissance costumes with masks adorned with feathers and jewels and others wearing typical Halloween costumes (including one family of ducks and duckings). This was my first trip to Venice and I have to say it is one of the most fantastic places I have ever been. While I didn't enjoy the huge crowds of Carnivale, the city is absolutely beautiful so I will definitely be planning a trip back in the future. Katie and I enjoyed taking little adventures down random small back alleys and finding secret canals. We would break off from the group just for a minute whenever we spotted a narrow alley we couldn't see the end of. Below is a picture of Louis, Katie and I on a bridge over one of the larger canals. 

Once we reached St. Marco's Square, Elena and I had to get to the water (us below with our masks on); the view was unbelievable. After taking it all in from a bench by the docks, we found our group and made our way back to the Grand Canal to find a place to eat dinner. Since Elena and I wanted to eat on the water, we went to Ristorante Florida while everyone else went to a pizzeria further away from the canal. Since the host thought we were from Florida, we were given free Bellini, a delicious aperitif. We had a great time eating by the water and enjoying the beautiful scenery of Venice. After dinner, we were waiting for our group when several gondola captains approached us offering to take us on a ride for 50 euro each. We chatted with them for a minute and ended up haggling a deal for 15 euro each when Jackson and Louis showed up. Even though we had never planned on taking a gondola ride this weekend, we thought it was a decent price for a 25 minute ride, so we had to do it. It was awesome to see more of the city from the canals and to ride under the Rialto Bridge. I was even able to pick out a couple apartments that I liked for when I live in Venice, which needs to happen one day, even if for only a year. Elena, Ari, and I then headed back toward to the train station so we could catch a train to Mestre and walk back to our hotel.

Sunday started off great. We were just on time to catch a train to Bassano at 11:30. However, after about 5 minutes on the train I realized I had left my phone at the hotel. Thankfully, Elena is such a good friend and decided to accompany me back to mestre. We got off at Maerne di Martellago which is basically in the middle of nowhere. Since the next train back to Mestre was not coming until 1:15, we decided to walk into the closest town and find a bus stop. After several failed attempts at hitch hiking and even more failed attempts at finding someone who spoke English, we finally found a bus stop that ran on Sundays and headed to Mestre at 12:30. We had no idea where we needed to get off the bus so when we thought we were close to the train station and a large group if people exited, we made a run for it. However, right after I jumped off the door closed with Elena still on the bus. I ran alongside for a minute and the bus driver quickly realized what had happened so he stopped to let Elena off the packed bus. But then we realized that we had gotten off about 8 blocks too early then had to walk another 10 blocks from the train station to our hotel. On a better note, it was all worth it when we picked up my phone and then only had to walk back to the train station. Since we still had an hour until the next train to bassano, we had cheeseburgers at McDonald’s. So delicious. 

This weekend we have Thursday afternoon and Friday off for extended travel time. We haven’t officially booked anything yet, but I believe we will be going to Tuscany.

Ciao!

Back to Paderno

Budapest 

After nearly 12 hours on the bus, we arrived in Budapest Saturday morning around 9. Vanessa, Lauren, and I checked into our hostel and immediately left for a free walking tour. Our guide Agnese did a great job of telling us the history of budapest (which is actually pronounced buda-pescht) and giving us advice on places to visit while there. We walked all over the flat Pest side and the hilly Buda side. After a little rest, we went to a hummus bar for dinner. It might not have been traditional Hungarian food but it was delicious. 

On Sunday, we started off with a trip to the Kiraly bath house. It is one of the smaller bath houses on the Buda side with only 3 baths in it. Since it is so small there were less than 10 people there, including us! The water was so warm and relaxing. If I ever visit Budapest again, I will definitely go back to Kiraly. Sunday afternoon we went to the cathedral and the hiked up Gellert Hill. From the top, the views were amazing! After a nice long walk back to our hostel we got ready and headed to dinner at Cactus Juice to meet one of Lauren's friends studying at the central European university in Budapest. With the exchange rate in our favor, we were able to score big, juicy steaks for around $12. 

Vienna

We arrived in Vienna around noon on Monday. It was very cold and snowing which made walking around the city miserable. We opted to purchase transportation passes since Vienna was so big and the weather was not in our favor. With this being my first experience with public transportation, it took a couple wrong tram rides to get the hang of it. But in the end, I absolutely loved the metro system. We visited the Sigmund Freud museum and a vintage store before meeting some CIMBA friends for a valentines day dinner. I had a wiener schnitzel and shared potatoes with Elena. 

Tuesday we all met at the Spanish riding school to watch the Lippizaner's morning practice. I absolutely loved every minute of it but it made me miss riding so much. After the practice, Vanessa and I went on a tour of the facility. The barn and both riding rings were really nice. We then went to the Albertina Museum to see the staterooms and their abstract art collection.  Overall, I loved Vienna. The city was so clean, historic, and beautiful. I didn't get to see or do everything I would have liked since we had such a short time there so I want to go back in the future. 

Prague

We arrived in Prague around noon on Wednesday. After checking into our hotel we headed to the Old Town Square for a free walking tour. Our guide showed us all around the Old Town and New Town districts. The architecture in Prague is absolutely beautiful. Vanessa, Lauren, and I then went to Palladium Mall to warm up and do a little window shopping. We walked by the river before grabbing some dinner at a  traditional Czech restaurant in Old Town Square with some other CIMBA girls. 

Thursday morning we visited the castle district across the river. The hike up wasn't too bad and the views of Prague were amazing. Once inside the complex, we walked around and went inside the cathedral. It was even colder inside the cathedral than outside, but it was so pretty. Upon the recommendation of a friend we went to Bohemia Bagel for lunch. I have been missing my Brueggers since coming abroad so it was a special treat to have a fresh bagel. After lunch we headed to Charles Bridge which was so cool. There were bands playing and a lot of little booths selling souvenirs. Once across the river we stopped to take pictures at Lennon Wall. It reminded me a lot of the free expression tunnel at State, except that it's a wall of course. Vanessa and I then went back to Old Town to go to the Chocolate Museum. It was really neat to learn about the origins of chocolate and actually see it being made. We then met up with Elena, Kailyn, Megan, Kate, and Eric (Kate's brother studying in Prague this semester) at an Irish pub. There was a Prague vs Liverpool soccer game that night so it was fun to be there watching the game. 

Munich

When we arrived in Munich at 1 on Friday I was starting to feel a little sick. Once we checked into our hotel I decided to stay and rest rather than walk around in the cold with Vanessa and Lauren. Once they got back we headed to dinner at a little Italian restaurant and walked around Marienplatz, the main shopping district in the center of Munich before going back to our hotel. 

Saturday morning we took the S-bahn to the Dachau Concentration Camp. Our tour guide Franz was from the area and gave us a good overview of the horrific things that happened there from 1933 to 1945. Dachau is special because it was the first concentration camp to be opened and was in operation until liberation at the end of the war. It's hard to imagine how people survived the winters in Dachau working outside and sleeping in bunks without heat. The whole camp was converted into a memorial sight after the war with many monuments reading "never again". Once back in the city we did some sightseeing in Marinplatz before picking up some fresh fruit and going back to the hotel to watch movies. 10 days of travel was catching up with us; all three of us were exhausted and I was still sick and running a fever. 

Sunday morning Vanessa and I walked to a hotel around the corner to have breakfast; it was probably the best meal we have had since leaving the US! We then walked to Marienplatz one last time to discover all the stores are closed on Sunday's. Since we wouldn't buy anything, we did some window shopping and sightseeing in a nearby park before going to meet the bus. 

I am now back in Paderno and I have never been so happy to be here! As much as I loved Budapest, Vienna, Prague, and Munich, I am worn out! I am looking forward to a nice nights sleep in my own bed before going back to the grind of classes, homework, LEAP commitments, and travel planning. Next stop: Venice for carnivale this weekend! Also, pictures from travel week will be posted soon.

Ciao!

It's break time...

Buongiorno! Just a quick update before I head to BUDAPEST, VIENNA, PRAGUE, and  MUNICH!! This past week has been filled with presentations, quizzes, and way too much homework. But none of that matters now because its travel week! I will have a lot to update once I’m back next Sunday. So goodbye to Paderno for now...

Ciao!

Firenze

This weekend was my first free weekend in Italy, so Katie, Elena, Kailyn, Megan, Liz, Emily, and I took advantage of that by spending it in Florence. After an early wake up call at 5 AM Saturday morning, a taxi ride and two train fares later, we arrived in Firenze (Florence) at 10:30. We were immediately greeted with warmer weather and a beautiful sunny day.

 First, we headed to our hostel to drop off our backpacks then went to a local Trattoria for an authentic Italian lunch. My spaghetti was absolutely delicious! We then took in the leather market and started our way toward the Duomo (pictured above with Katie and Elena). I didn’t go into any museums, but there were plenty of beautiful churches to visit and marble statues everywhere! My favorite part of Florence was visiting Ponte Vecchio (Florence’s oldest bridge) and looking at all the gold stores. It was built in the 15th century and was Florence’s only bridge spanning the Arno left intact during World War II.

 By the bridge, we found these railings full of locks. Apparently couples come to Florence, write their initials on a lock, attach it to the railing, and throw away the key. The “love padlocks” are supposed to signify locking one’s soul to another.

 For dinner, we went to Pizzeria Yellow based on the recommendation of a nice lady we met. It was absolutely fabulous; best pizza and prosecco I have had so far! After dinner, we went to a bar for drinks then to Club Space. It was an interesting experience to say the least. Late night McDonald’s on the way back to Plus Florence Hostel was a great way to end the night in American Style.


Sunday, we had to check out of the hostel, buy train tickets, and find lunch. We stumbled upon this fantastic little sandwich shop on the eastern side of Florence while looking for the Oil Shop. After an incredible roasted turkey, brie, lettuce, and sun-dried tomato sandwich we did some last minute shopping before taking the 3:30 train to Padova then Bassano.


Once in Bassano, we had an hour to kill until the CIMBA bus was picking us up so we decided to find some dinner. After an intense search, we found Shanghai Chinese. SO GOOD! The sweet and sour chicken was even better than from home!

Also, last week we had our first formal dinner. It was hosted by Hotel Fior in Castelfranco. The food was great and the company was even better. Getting dressed up and practicing the etiquette we learned in Business, Culture and Society made it a very special occasion.

Ciao!

Asolo

 On Friday afternoon my CAP group went to Asolo, a nearby town built on top of a mountain. It’s name means “into the sky” and it literally is part of the sky. The view is amazing from any spot, hence why it is also called the city of a hundred horizons. Unfortunately we didn’t arrive until 5:30 pm so I wasn’t able to get any pictures of the view. We were given a tour of the CIMBA MBA campus which is housed in a former convent. There are 20 full time students, with 12 from the United States, and 20 part time students. Since it is so small, they only have 2 classrooms and all of the full time students live in dorm rooms on the second floor. It is a really nice facility, but I don’t think I would like being in such a small program. Also, they only offer a general MBA so no specializations (like Entrepreneurship or Finance). 

After visiting the MBA campus, we went to the Caffe Centrale (pictured above) to have spritz, an Italian before dinner cocktail comprised of Prosecco, Aperol Orange Liqueur, seltzer water, and an orange slice. Megan, Kailyn, Elena, and I decided to stay and have dinner in Asolo since we didn’t have any other plans. After window shopping at some very high-end boutiques and picking up a couple postcards at a Tabacchi, we went to a Pizzeria where  they made us heart shaped pizzas. Our cameriere (waiter) absolutely loved us!

Saturday was filled up with the Da Vinci Challenge, a group activity where we scaled walls, crossed lava pits, and climbed through spider webs (all metaphorically, of course). It was all very exhausting. Saturday night I was invited to dinner with Mariano and Agnese Venzo, a couple that lives in Nove and knows my family. I brought Vanessa along with me. We went to this fabulous restaurant called Alla Torre (the wine cellar is pictured below) which is situated atop a mountain right next to a beautiful church. It had the most amazing view of the valley. Mariano said that during the summer they have seating on an outside patio that sits right on the edge of the cliff.

After dinner, I rode the CIMBA bus to Asolo. We went to the Epoca pub and the Caffe Centrale. There isn’t a huge nightlife in Asolo but with 50+ American students there, we made it fun. Here is a picture of Megan and I at Epoca. A few of our friends ordered cheese burgers there so I was finally able to have a bite of American food and it was delicious! We met a couple of Italians that were very friendly and helped us with our Italian.

I am now a graduate of LIFE...

Now that my first weekend in Paderno has passed, I think I have finally adjusted to living in Italy. Don’t get me wrong, I still miss everyone back in Raleigh but I have fallen in love with this quaint little town.

On Thursday afternoon, I began LIFE (Leadership initiative for excellence) training. I can’t go into much detail, but it was 36 hours of the most intense leadership training I have ever been through. While it could be called a boot camp, the connections I made with my teammates will never be replaced. Saturday afternoon I graduated from LIFE with a Life Breakthrough Achievement Certification after passing both of my final exams. To celebrate, we all went to the Pizzeria for dinner and drinks.

On Sunday, I walked to the Market in Crespano del Grappa with some of my friends from LIFE and neighbors in La Salle. The market was a lot bigger than I expected and had everything from fruit and raw fish to jeans and leather boots. While there, I picked up a lamp for my room, a pair of slippers, and some fruit. There were puppies for sale that were tempting, but I knew it would be impossible (and probably not allowed by CIMBA policy) to keep one in my room.

Last night was probably the most fun night I have had since coming to Italy. After dinner, I went to the Cafe in Paderno with a few girls that live in La Salle. We were going to get some gelato before going to the sports bar. When we got to the Cafe, it turns out that they don’t serve gelato during the winter but instead we met a nice man named Julio who bought us a bottle of Proseco. We sat and talked to him for a while. He is a businessman who grew up in Asolo and has lived in Milan but now lives in Paderno. Later, we went to the Sports Bar (pictured with Mike and Keith), Hotel Bar, and finally the Pizzeria. At the Pizzeria, Kirsten, who is in my Italian class, and I started talking to three older Italian men, just to practice our Italian. We ended up having a glass of wine with them and talking to them for an hour! I just can’t get over how friendly and welcoming the people of Paderno are; in fact, we were invited back next Wednesday for their weekly dinner and drinks at the Pizzeria!
Ciao!

Arrivederci America

What a few weeks it has been. Since getting out of school in December, I have been busy getting ready for my semester in Italy. Everyone has told me that it will be a life changing experience. While I am so excited to live in such an amazing place for 3 months, I’m going to miss home a lot.

I arrived at RDU at 4:30 Sunday afternoon with way too much luggage in hand. After saying a tearful goodbye to Mom, Dad, and Lori, I headed to my gate where I met up with Tim, a student also studying at CIMBA. Our 7 hour flight to London-Heathrow left a little after 6:00

We arrived in London at 6:30 AM their time and were immediately in a rush to go through security again then make it to our flight to Venice. As we were walking to the gate, we heard “Final call for Venice” so we sprinted through the terminal and got their just in time.

Once we landed in Venice at about noon, the journey was not even close to being over. We had to take a bus to Mestre Train Station, then a train to Bassano del Grappa and finally a bus to Paderno del Grappa. Five hours after landing in Italy, I finally made it to the CIMBA campus. Lugging two huge suitcases, a backpack, a Longchamp purse, laptop bag, and a pillow through out this journey (including up and down stairs at both train stations!) was not easy. Thankfully, I found friendly Italians and boys from CIMBA to help me 

Once at school, I checked into my room in the La Salle building (pictured above) and headed straight to the cafeteria for dinner. My first orientation was at 7:30 that night. After that, I met up with a few girls to go to “The Sports Bar”, the on-campus bar. After a few drinks I headed back to La Salle to get some rest.

Tuesday morning started off bright and early with Travel Orientation. After learning ways to travel Europe on a budget, I went back to my room and met up with my neighbor Vanessa. We went on a walk around Paderno then headed to lunch. After a quick nap, I went to another program orientation and got to meet my teachers. They are from all over the United States, with one from the UK. With 2 hours to spare until our mall trip, I decided to go on another walk, this time with my camera. I found a pastry shop near campus and had to try a nutella filled sweet roll. It was even more delicious than it sounds.

After a quick Skype, I got on the bus to go to the mall, which was 30 minutes away. I shopped with Karen and Nicole then had pizza for the first time in Italy. It was even better than expected! Shopping at an Italian supermarket was quite an experience. Absolutely nothing was in English, so it took us a while to find what we needed.

Once back on campus, I was finally able to hang up all my clothes with the hangers I bought. Also, I was so excited to use my new European hairdryer! After a quick shower it was time for bed since classes were starting the next morning.

I woke up just in time for a quick breakfast with Danielle before heading to my first class at CIMBA, Italian for Travelers. It was interesting to say the least. My teacher, Angela, told us, “I am not very proud of my English and will teach only in Italian.” I’m not sure how well this class will go…

After Italian I had a break until 1, so I had time to check my email and start planning for the travel breaks. I then headed to lunch and Journalism Ethics with Vanessa followed by Marketing and Topics in Management: Business, Culture, and Society.

Ciao!