GARDALAND - 13 June 2013

On Thursday a group of my friends and myself headed off on a 7am train to Gardaland, after more then 3 hours of travelling we finally got there. I had never been on a rollercoaster before so I was more then scared, but with the peer pressure I did it, and by the end of the day I had been on nearly 10. It was one of the funnest days I have had in Italy and I am so grateful to have gone with such gorgeous girls, an amazing memory to have as my exchange is ending!

8th June 2013 - School Is Over

I had convinced myself that I had accepted the fact that I was going home and these people would no longer be apart of my daily life, that was until the bell rang 1 hour earlier then expected and I sat in my school for 1 1/2 extra hours, I let 3 buses pass and still did not take one of them. I just couldn't bring myself to get up and walk out for the last time but as the hunger sank in my Italian teacher offered us a ride home and my host sister and friend Gianluca got tired of waiting, I set off with my Italian Flag Cape draped around me with pride and exited for the last time!

But this day all began at 6:50 am this morning....

I was late as usual but this morning it was easier to jump up out of bed, as Giulia followed me to the bus complaining that she didn't want to go I spotted the bus and made Giulia run, luckily we had a nice bus driver today who waited for us unlike every other bus driver in Italy. We got on the empty bus and for once found a seat to sit on the boys up the back played sad songs with their guitars and mumbled the english lyrics, not one word was spoken this trip, I was preparing myself for the day to come.Today wasn't a normal day it was an "Art Conference Day" as the Italians like to call it, a day merely devoted to sitting around with your friends doing nothing! 

I found my friend Debora and we went with some others and watched our Italian teacher rock out to ACDC and Beatles infront of most of the school! Many photos and selfies were taken and I certainly left my mark in Italia by writing my name in permanent texta all over their bodies but strangely enough everyone wanted me to write something on their shoes! Coryn an exchange student found me in the afternoon and together we set off with no shame into the disco that was occurring in the middle of the oval, but of course no disco was quite complete without our other third Sophie we stayed here for the next hour dancing with our Australian and American flags! 

After the heat stroke had set in and it was 5 minutes to the bell I quickly ran up to my class, and as my happiness from the dancing quickly wore off the tears start to fall as the last goodbyes were said and one by one they left the class and I was left their crying to myself (until of course they tore me away). 

And my last day was gone just like that, just as fast as the past 142 days that I have been living here have gone.....

I have sat here for an hour staring at my computer contemplating how I could describe a day that meant so much to me in so little words, the tears kept falling and Giulia played the piano in the background, just like a movie, and now I realise, my life is like a movie, I am living a dream and everyday I am grateful because these memories and the changes I have made will stay with me for a lifetime <3 <3 <3

7 June 2013

At the moment I can not fully comprehend what is happening! I am trying to pack clothes to ship home to Australia whilst listening to sad music and reflecting on my day!

I now have my italian flag covered in words that do not make 100% sense to me! But they all of something in common: they all say "Don't forget me". How could I forget these people that have had such an impact on my life? My friends are now my second family and I miss them already, today was difficult many tears and laughs were shared and I can't even bear the thought of walking out the doors of Liceo M.G. Agnesi for the very last time as a student apart of 3^e and tomorrow instead of complaining that I want to go home, and the bus is to late, I will wish the day would continue and the bus number D70 would be 3 hours late just so the words goodbye don't ever have to be spoken!

I will wish that I can go back to the very first time I walked in those doors scared and nervous not knowing anybody, that I can remember so clearly, and trying to memorise all their italian names just so I wouldn't get them mixed up! I will wish that I could get up at 6:30am and run for the bus everyday just so I can see my friends everyday!

Debora,
Martina,
Sydney,
Michela,
Beatrice,
Samuele,
Gianluca
Letizia,
Giulia,
Laura,
Silvia,
Beatrice,
Debora,
Eleonora,
Douae,
Chiara,
Alessia,
Erika,
Marta,
Silvia

Vi voglio bene, grazie mille ancora e ancora per tutto, uno giorno tornerò a mia preferito classe!

See you tomorrow for our last day <3

6 June 2013

The only way to describe what I have been doing these past months is "LIVING"! I feel like every day I'm trying something new and challenging myself and to me this is life, getting out of your comfort zones and discovering, new and exciting things!

It is 11:58 pm on the 6th of June 2013, I just arrived home from my class 3^e  party for the end of the year! It was during this whilst I was understanding bits and pieces of their italian that I realised, I only have 2 days of school left with these people that have not only become some of my best friends in the world but people that will be with me forever! I realised how difficult it will really be to leave the people that took me in and did everything they could to make me feel welcome and only hope that one day I will be able to see their faces again! And I realised that I am one of the luckiest people in the world to have met such amazing, inspirational and energetic people, and when the time comes to say our final goodbyes it will be one of the most difficult things I will ever have to do, but I have to remember:

Some of my amazing family:
Debora, Gianluca, Martina, Samuele

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened"

To say I have been busy would be an understatement - I am travelling to and from different towns here and there - sightseeing and spending the little time I have left with friends, and when I am not doing these things I am either at school, eating or catching up on some much needed sleep.

People say a photo says a thousand words - so heres a bunch of photos for you to imagine the stories yourself - because this is one of those times where I will be catching up on much needed sleep as last night only a few hours was slept.

exchange students don't go school  

i love my italians

walks with marielle 

walks with marielle

lecco  

lecco

lecco

my sisters 

we conquered milan

It has almost been a month since I last wrote about my most recent adventures, and I would do anything to relive this month over and over ago- as a matter of fact I would do anything to relive the past 5 months the difficult times do not even begin to compare to where I am today and the happiness that I constantly feel,

I don't believe there would be one exchange student out there that stood at the airport waving their families behind them thinking this exchange is going to be easy, or even for a split second thought why are they doing this - but in the end your the one that gets the satisfaction. You're the one who will wake up everyday and learn new words, try new foods, talk to strangers everywhere you go. You're the one who is going to walk into a strangers home and soon leave knowing they're your second family. You're the one who is going to meet friends that will soon mean more to you then people you could have met at home. And you're the one who is going to find yourself, realise what you want out of life, discover new pieces of you that you never knew because you have always been to scared to try.

To be able to share the aspects of your life with a person you haven't met before and in return get a story or two out of them are memories you will have forever. You may not remember every person you stop to take a photo for, or to help them with directions - but that one person may be forever grateful of what you have done for them even if they themselves do not remember who you are - the little things can help anyone!

When on exchange your mind changes, you realise that the world is a bigger and better place then just your small town you may have come from - you realise that even though the personalities from person to person may change immensely all over the world people really aren't all that different. You look and listen to the small things like a person's handwriting or a strangers laugh everything soon becomes interesting to you and you realise you have 1 life, you have 1 chance to live your exchange so your going to live it.

And that's what I love about exchange - your never to old to set a dream, to make a new friend, or to explore the world!

"If it wasn't hard everyone would do it.  It's the hard that makes it great"

22 Aprile

Life has been continuing on like normal.. if normal even exists for an exchange student! Italia is amazing and each day its becoming harder and harder to realise that I will have to leave! I have been attending school like normal and meeting some amazing girls, eating lots of pizza and gelato of course and shopping is definitely occupying my time! Host sister Giulia and I made cupcakes the other day!  Im off to the discoteca on Wednesday night and hopefully will go to Milano with Giulia on Saturday! I have been in my host family for just under 3 weeks but already it feels like I have been here forever and know them so well, I have settled in so quickly and just enjoying every minute now!

pizza con patatine- certo

cupcakessss