Getting Our Footing

After some, scratch that, a SERIOUS amount of walking on Wednesday (which may or may not have included figuring out public transportation in the wee hours of the morning) my feet are dead.

My poor poor pinky toe on my right foot is obliterated... its a mess. Probably TMI here but already had to pop 3 nasty blisters.

SO, yesterday the roomz and I decided eff it, we are going to look like Americans and wear workout clothes and nikes today to give our feet a break... Best. decision. ever.

Lulu for the win

All 7 of us got up and out the door early to go to Campo de Fiori, the outside market. I had the most delicious peach for 80 euro cents. Amazing. We also scouted out the grocery store and got free coffee coupons from a rep that works for Bus2Alps tours all over europe. Score.

We met up with our tour guide and student group (go team red) for a walking tour of Trastevere. We met in Piazza de Santa Maria in Trastevere for a guided tour of our neighborhood that included where to eat, where the pharmacy is, how to get to the train station, blah blah blah.

We continued the walk to campus (a good 25 minutes) and toured the facilities. The CEA campus in particular is real small but all you really need. Most students decide to split time between CEA and other universities, but since I am ahead in credits, I opted out. (For example, my roommate has a class at the CEA campus 9-10, lets say, and then has to be at the John Cabot University Campus at 10:30) Aka she HAS to use public transportation, which can be a little bit iffy at times.

ANYWHO, we had a break after this and got Piadines at the shop across from school. SO GOOD. The place was kind of set up like subway, where you can pick what you want in your sandwich or wrap (piadine). Got proscuitto, mozzarella, artickoke, tomato, lettuce... Killer.

Next we had an SOS Italian Class.

After already taking two semesters of Italian at USD, I felt like I definitely had the basics down and even went so far as to explain verb structure to my fluent french speaking roommate. Ambitious. Out of all 7 of us, I am the one who can speak the most italian, which I thought never in a million years would happen.

From there, we had yet ANOTHER tour of St. John's University. Since CEA is small, we are also registered as students at St. John's and can use their facilities (student lounge, computer room, etc). 

Once we were free to go, we made the trek back to the neighborhood to do some grocery shopping. I got proscuitto, yogurt, arugula, bread, shamp and cond, toilet paper, a Milka bar (European version of hersheys bar but a million times better) and paprika pringles (my other european obsession) to share with the roommates. All of it was only 23Euros. Sweet. 

From there, we made it back to the apt and were exhausted. So much walking, so little sleep, a considerable amount of jet lag all amounted to apartment wide nap time. I tried taking a shower before hand and practically froze to death. We had NO hot water whatsoever. ugh.

After napping, we all hung out, made dinner in our place, coordinated with friends and had our water heater (and various other broken things in the apartment) fixed. 

It was time to parrrrtaaaayy... A la Kris Jenner of course. 

Because of the location and size of our apartment, we decided to invite everyone over to have a few drinks before we dropped upwards of 20 euros at the clubs/bars. Danielle and I bought a fifth of Bacardi and some Coke at the store for {ourselves} but also for the girls in our apartment. Sure enough, the entire thing was gone by 10:30. 

Zoo was an epic fail #rhinosfordays

Luckily, everyone that came over was super nice, respectful (except for drinking our alchies) and loved our apartment. We have more people in our apartment than any other in the program, and at the end of the day, even though we don't (well, didn't) have hot water, have a 1960's vintage kitchen and mismatched IKEA furniture, our location is hard to beat. If I have learned anything from watching HGTV all of these years it would be: Location, location, location. 

We seriously did luck out. We all (like 20 of us) made way for the bar/club scene together and were quickly amongst at least 200 other American students from all over the country, which was super awesome. 

The seven best roomies that anybody could have

We made way to the infamous G Bar and got wristbands for a Great Gatsby theme bar scene tonight. Totally game for that. 

Eventually, we made our way back towards our apartment (stopped for 2am pizza of course), said goodbye to everybody and finally went to sleep. 

This morning, half of the roommates have orientation at the JCU Campus so the rest of us will wait up for them and find something fun to do before ANOTHER orientation tour tonight at 5. 

So far so good!

Ciao!

Devotissimo Suo, 

M

Benvenuto a Roma: Day 1

Ciao from Roma!!

Today is the first day in la città eterna and it was a great one so far. 

After dinner and a freezing cold shower last night, I crawled into bed and slept like a rock (if rocks really sleep). Besides our room being a little on the warm side, I almost the whole night through. The only hiccup was around 5am which was like 9pm San Diego time. But after some tossing and turning I was back asleep.

7:30 am: Dressed, prepped and ready for an entire day of orientation. Danielle and I were both ready to go so at 8 we left the apartment and decided to walk to find our meeting spot the Hotel Cicerone. 

And we were off... walking the streets of Trastevere which are strikingly similar to Florence. We stumbled across the open air market at Campo de' Fiori and our inner foodies got way too excited. Fresh tomatoes, peaches, apples, oranges, garlic, arugula, candies and pastas were all set up by vendors under tents for the morning's sales. We are going there first thing tomorrow to get fresh groceries for the room. 

Next, we had to find our to Hotel Cicerone. No such luck in that department. We met up with our other roommates and as a group struggled to get oriented on the map. Using the river as our point of reference, Caroline and I found out where we were headed by counting how many bridges we had to pass before we had gone too far. 

In total, the walk was a solid 25 minutes in the already boiling heat at 9am. We made it to Hotel Cicerone (right off of Piazza Cavour, which has a bunch of palm trees in it...odd) and had just barely missed breakfast. 

nooooooooooooo....

We went through each of the orientation segments about Academic Integrity, Personal Conduct, Housing Contracts blah blah boring. STARVING at this point.

1:00pm: Lunch time at the Hotel consisted of pasta and some sort of salad with a mystery meat on top. The pasta was delicious, though its kinda hard to mess up pasta... The mystery meat was some kind of tuna, so naturally I didn't eat it. Fish are friends not food. With a piece of tiramisu down, we went back to the conference room and had two more lectures. Travel and Safety.

The travel lecture was led by no one other than Andy Steves, Rick Steves (Travel book empire Rick Steves)'s son. He too studied abroad in Rome and now runs his own business called Weekend Student Adventure which is super awesome. Basically, in one lump sum paid to WSA, your weekend trip to --Insert city name here-- is booked. Hostels, tours, excursions, tour guides and other accomodations are already figured out in 8th Grade Washington D.C. trip type fashion. Danielle and I are looking into the Amsterdam and Budapest ones. 

Here's the link: http://www.wsaeurope.com

 Next was the Italian Police Chief of Florence to talk about safety. He was totally stereotypical Italian looking guy who spoke English well enough to understand with few goofs. (Like saying "guy" instead of "guys." "So, ehh, what do you tink guy?"). His completely animated but realistic approach was entertaining to keep most of us from falling victim to impending jet lag. 

We were finally released for the day and followed our newfound San Diego friends to check out their apartment in Prati which was GORGEOUS and way nicer than ours. Oh well. 

Wandering our way back from the river and already venting about people on our program, Danielle and I turned right on a side street and could see St. Peter's dome. To turn the corner half distracted by a trivial conversation and be confronted by something as majestic as St. Peter's is an experience I feel like will happen very often while in Rome. Love it. 

Naturally, we had to go check it out. 

Drop dead gorgeous. 

So we trekked back to the home land and now are catching up on some sleep before another big italian dinner out and checking out the bar scene later tonight! Ciao!

Devotissimo Suo,

M

The Airport Chronicles

Sad Mommy

And off I went! To the airport at 9am Monday Aug 26th to start the adventure of a lifetime! But not without a few travel stuggles along the way. Here's the play-by-play of what went down...

SAN --> LAX

52 dammit52 lbs

The overweight fee for a heavy bag on Air Berlin is $134... they are not messing around. I scrambled to pull out heavy things from my suitcase to shove in my already full carry on and get under that 50 lbs.. I settled on my maxi dress. (weighs more than you would believe) 2 pairs of pants (they were in the side pocket) and my nikes. which weigh approx .02 lbs, but i pulled them because I can throw them in the bungee cords of my backpack. Now my poor jansport is bursting at the seems and I have all of these extra clothes I don't want to lug around all day... great. 

The nice thing about this commuter flight from SD to LA is that the gate is uber small. With only 1 person in line behind me, it was a lot less embarrasing to use 4 (yes 4) plastic bins for all of my shit. I only got one TSA person remark "wow you've got a lot off stuff today." Isn't traveling grand??

Boarded the little tin can for the plane ride that takes less time than it does to go to the grocery store. I took my window seat next to a little old man who kept completely to himself the entire flight (hallelujah). I love it when people are perfectly content reading SkyMall and have no interest in sharing their life story with you. It. is. wonderful.

The takeoff put us in the perfect position to clearly see all of San Diego one last time. (I was on the right side and not the left thank goodness..) I like the San Diego view way better than the daunting endless ocean). As we took off, I had the most beautiful view of USD. Remarkable, really, that my decision to go there has gotten me to where I am now. Even crazier, I have made a life there. My friends will be starting classes in just about a week or so. So weird. 

As we continued on, I could see down to mission beach. Following the Jetty north, (Thought I could make out the Beachcomber) I took a bird's eye tour of the spots I have grown to know so well. Mission Beach, the Coaster, North Mission, PB... My eyes followed Garnet and Grand inland to the 5, north to what I am pretty sure was Black Mountian. Checked my references by the coast, La Jolla, Torrey Pines, Del Mar, the racetrack; inland and south a bit, I could see Ranch Penasquitos. And up over the hill, I guesstimated: Home. So humbling to see from up above. So surreal to see how small everything is from up above and how the next time I will see it will be December. Wow. 

I followed my geography the best that I could but kind of lost track around San Clemente (ish) and I think picked back up around Santa Monica.

Lo and behold, LAX. I had in mind that I would be on mad celebrity watch (with all the stars coming home from the VMAs),

*NSYNC Forever

but was quickly ushered to the international terminal. After a seriously bonking my head coming out from my commuter flight (like people saying 'ooh, ouch') I was off to my typical clumsy traveling self with way too much stuff to carry.

I was sweating like a whore in church (to use a Mama June reference); carrying my heavy backpack and schleping around to find damned air berlin. As soon as I hit the international terminal or should I say Asia, (but really though).. I had to go through Security AGAIN. ugh. I like to tell myself the nicer you are to TSA, the nicer they will be to you. That would quite possibly be my hell job (along with high school teaching, pest control, truck driving and criminal interrogation.. Sorry Daniela) and I like to think that if I am super nice and use all my manners and don't bitch to these people it might work out in my favor. So, I did.

"Hi! How are you doing?? Busy day today, huh?""uh-huh"Yeah nice talking to you too lady.

Thankfully, I made it to where I am supposed to be. Thank the holy lord. I narrowed down to a managable range of gates and made way for the bathroom to rearrange all of the stuff I randomly shoved in the purse/backpack as fast as possible to make it out of the security line. Once readjusted, I found my gate and was on the visual hunt for an electrical outlet. None. 

You have got to be effing kidding me. 

Not like I really needed it; all of my electronics have 89% or more battery life, but c'mon!! Haven't all of the airports made the rows and rows of stupid black leather benches with outlets in them yet?? I thought this was old news!! So, I turned the corner, followed the wall space around and found a spot with one lonely electrical outlet. Bingo. I zeroed in on the spot and made camp. I brought a handy dandy outlet splitter. It has 2 USB outlets on the side so I can charge my phone and my ipad. Perf. 

Refueled with some almonds and now just playing the waiting game. Boarding at 13:55 which is about an hour from now... then I am in for the long haul. Dun.dun dun. 11 hours, 5 minutes. In economy. And that only gets me to Berlin. 

LAX --> TXL aka Berlin

Made it... Phew. Now time for the recap.

I made a friend!! I have been playing the people watching game of deciding whether hot 20something guys are American or European. So far my track record is spot on. If they are carrying a nice leather carryon or duffel, they are for sure not Americans. I bonded with a guy at my terminal over the fact that we got there so early and hoarded the outlets. Turns out he was a study abroad student from Germany studying at CSULB for THE WHOLE YEAR. He was heading home from America for the first time in a whole year. dang. Meanwhile, we waited and waited and waited of course and I found my seat next to a german couple. 

"I think that's my seat right next to you." I said, again going with the whole friendly thing... "Lucky you." He replied. 

I honestly feel bad for the guy though. He must have been at least 6'5" pushing 6'6" and was crammed into that tiny little seat with his knees actually not able to fit. The only thing I could imagine as a comparison is my lanky skinny sister Lindsay trying to fit in to a childs car seat. His wife was the Harley Davidson Doppleganger of Red from OITNB (with frameless glasses and everything) and insisted on putting her hand on his inner upper thigh the entire flight. yuck. 

So I strapped in, prepped and ready for the 11 hours. As soon as we hit cruising altitude, the guy in front of me slammed his seat back as far reclined as humanly possible. His chair back was probs 8 inches from my face. Lovely.

Regardless, I started my movie marathon of sorts. 

1. Broken City - Marky Mark (I love me some Marky Mark) plays and ex-drunkard who ends up killing someone, only to be saved by a pal in court. Said pal 7 years later is mayor of NY and needs a favor... blah blah political corruption blah. boring.

2. Anchorman - Never seen it, rented it on iTunes. Worth the $3.99 for a few chuckles.

3. Mad Men - Tried watching Mad Men, but right off the bat, there were back to back sex scenes so I switched it...

4. Before Sunrise - Swoon. This might be the sweetest movie. All about an American guy studying abroad who meets a french girl on a train and asks her to spend the whole day/night with him in Vienna until his flight back to US in the morning. The main drama being, how will they ever see each other again?!?!? Facebook. Facebook does that. A lot less romantically than, "I will see you on this train platform six months from today! I will love you forever!!!" I'll add.

5. Funny Face - I haven't seen this one either. Classic Audrey Hepburn. Flawless. 

By this time I was so movied out. It was the equivalent of 2 am my time and I was exhausted. I tried to settle it but was so uncomfortable... The lovely gentleman in front of me decided to super recline AGAIN. This time I pushed back with a modified pigeon pose that gave me some gnarly calf cramps. After breakfast (aka a bread roll) was served I finally got some shut eye. 

Currently sitting in front of my terminal for the last leg of this travel extravaganza. Start boarding in 2 hours... THEN TO ROMA

TXL --> FUI aka ROME!!!

I sat in the terminal for this flight for.ev.er. Forever. Like 4 hours forever. Not much to report on the flight aspect, slept through it like a big baby.

Alas, we landed in Rome and the next battle was to find my suitcase. And it came!! Hallelujah!!! I toted off to find the checkpoint for CEA students and noticed only one schauffer in a suit with a CEA Sign. He gladly carried by bags for me to the car (blacked out mercedes coupe, traveling in style) and brought me to our apartment. I was the last girl in our pack of seven (well, not really there is one girl who missed a flight or something and isn't here) to arrive. Everyone is super nice. Our apartment on the other hand, is hotter than hell. 

Here is my quaint little bed:

Suh Cute

After unloading, the roomies and I went for a walk through Trastevere (our neighborhood) and then went to dinner. I had exactly what I was craving: Vino della Casa, fresh tomato bruschetta, a hot italian pizza and a coffee/coconut gelato for dessert. 

Cheers to being done with traveling! Big orientation day tomorrow. Will write again soon.

Devotissimo Suo,

M

I'M GOING ON AN ADVENTURE!

Leavin tomorrow!! I can hardly stand it! So many of my friends are already abroad or in-route which makes me more excited than words can possibly express! 

Flight leaves tomorrow at 10:45 am! WOOOOOOOO!!

I have officially completed all of the packing/prepping... now just the waiting. Of course I browsed pinterest for tips and tricks for beating the dreaded economy seating and jet lag that comes with it.

Here's what I found, starting with the most ridiculous:

Airplane Yoga
http://travel.cnn.com/sydney/visit/plane-yoga-18-exercises-healthy-flying-910157

Don't get me wrong, I love a good Yoga sesh as much as the next girl, but the tips they give in this CNN article would not fly (hah punny) on an airplane. 

Really?

Yes, let me bend over with my booty in the air in the middle of an AIRPLANE full of people in the middle of a flight... Sounds good to me. 

Well hello neighbor

I do like the suggestion of getting up every two hours to walk or stretch out your legs. Cramps are a major issue when you are crammed like a sardine in a tin can in the sky.

Staying hydrated helps. Avoiding alcohol and caffeine (dehydrate-ers) helps you drink the good ol' H20. My filtered water bottle means water whenever I want it.

Hopefully I have an aisle seat.... hmmm...


Sleeping on your Luggage

Ok this isn't actually suggested, but check out this little girl in Russia who is so exhasuted she takes a nap draped over her dad's suitcase... too funny.

LESS THAN 24 HOURS!!!!

Devotissimo Suo,

M

Christmas in August

It's the most WONDERFUL time of the year!! Xmas came early today with the addition of my newest tech toy: iPad Mini. (and this super handy dandy Logitech Bluetooth keyboard/case combo...) Thanks Mom and Dad! I mean Santa.

It is so dang cute I can hardly stand it.

Hehe :)))) it's so small :)

I also downloaded a bunch of new apps for the trip. Check out The Study Abroad Blog for 50 recommendations specifically for study abroad students.

Alas, the packing and preparing has not stopped.....

I had to double check that ALL of my airlines to check for baggage restrictions. When I first weighed my suitcase, it was 60lbs. woops. Only 50 lbs allowed.... I also had t check to make sure they allow for carry-on luggage. For instance, both British Airways and AirBerlin allow for one carry-on (max. 40 cm x 30 cm x 10 cm; 2 kg) (my backpack will fit if i squish it and take out my laptop) AND one personal item a.k.a. "laptop bag, women's purse or men's purse" a.k.a. murse.

British Airways Carry-on Rules Here

Air Berlin Baggage Restrictions Here

So here's everything!!

ta-daaa

HOW TO: Pack the Perfect Carry-on

The Bag: Jansport Skagit

*Super cool keychains of course. I have my handsanitizer keychain, my mini flashlight; soon to add my Gamma Phi Beta one and my mini Rainbow sandal as a reminder of home! If you're gonna be that girl that is obviously a college student because of her backpack, might as well go all out. 

Electronics:

You always want to make sure you have your electronics with you at all times... NEVER check them.. More often then not I pick up suitcases from the rounder and an entire wheel has busted off... I can't imagine putting my camera or laptop in one. 

1. iPad Mini :) hehe
2. Laptop w/Charger :: Perfect for updating your blog during a 3 hour layover in LA! :D
3. iPhone w/Charger & Headphones :: Music, apps, games, texting, social media, the universal i-have-my-headphones-in-so-i-won't-be-listening-to-your-entire-life-story-while-on-this-flight move. Some people can be really persistent though. I hate those people. 
4. Smallish Travel Adapter :: I put mine in the bungee pocket for easy access for an inevitable dead phone upon arrival.
5. Camera w/case and extra batteries :: my bebe. My Nikon CoolPix L820 has 30x Optical Zoom and runs on regular batteries. 

Documents:

1. Passport :: Duh.
2. Student Visa :: Double Duh.
3. ALLLLLL of that Visa Paperwork (double photocopies)
4. Boarding Pass :: Super Duh.
5. Printed Photo of your bag and the inside of it :: makes it so so much easier to explain to Baggage Claim what they should be looking for if they lose your bags. 
6. Photo copy of the FRONT & BACK of your credit/debit cards :: if they get lost or stolen you'll have the number to call and the account numbers.

Books:

1. Real Books (??) :: Ehhhh... I think I'll download some audiobooks (Eat, Pray, Love and DaVinci Code) Real books are too heavy. 
2. Rick Steve's Italy :: Quick phrases, maps and hints for easy reading.
3. City Walks: 50 Adventures on foot Rome :: I looooooove walks... Each of the 50 cards has a map on one side and a short written history on the back. Love it. 
4. Erin Condren Life Planner :: SUPER OBSESSED!!! This Life Planner does exactly as advertized. 18 months of beautifully color coded, stickered, color pen-ed awesome organization. I highly recommend this planner. It is worth the investment. (It's quite the investment....Thanks Mom!!!) Mine has my monogram on the front. What's not to love about that...
5. Sketchbook :: I am an Art Major and Art History Minor so I take my sketchbook with me places. Dorky to the maximum. I like this one I picked up from Michael's because it is small enough to fit in my purse and doesn't advertise 'sketchbook' across the front. Having a sketchbook scream "sketchbook" means you get a lot of this:
   
   
   
   But I do enjoy good art jokes, like these:
   
   
   
   ANYWAY:

Toiletries: 

Remember the 3-1-1. Less than 3 liquid oz., 1 quart ziplock bag, 1 per passenger. Solution? Sample Sized everythings. 

1. Kiehl's Chapstick
2. Shamp&Cond :: So you can wash you hair without having to track down a pharmacy first. 
3. Makeup :: Liquid Eyeliner, Mascara and solid Blush (means no blush brush)
4. Face Wipes :: A small package of Pond's face wipes holds about 7. Perfect to make you feel fresh after flying.
5. Cottonelle Wipes :: why not?
6. Travel bottle of Wrinkle Release/Fabric Freshner :: Smell like a fresh load of laundry? Ok!
7. Marc Jacobs Roll on Perfume 
8. Aquaphor :: Emergency lotion, eye make up remover, lipgloss, etc. Five Things You Never Knew You Could Do with Aquaphor
9. Mini Toothpaste & Toothbrush
10. Ibuprofen
11. Ziplock w/ extras :: Dental floss, Qtips, Hairties, cotton balls, tissues. 

Sustinance: This is how I feel about my water bottles... I become very attached. 

I got a Brita Filter Water bottle for instant filtered water without having to tote around those HUGE ones for 5 Euros. This means any water fountain, stream or river is mine to consume. FOR FREE. 

I am also going to go to the grocery store to bring some healthy snacks (the ones that won't get tossed by TSA): 

Peace of Mind:

Even if my bag is lost AGAIN, I won't have to wear the same nasty travel clothes for four days straight. 

1. Clean Undies/socks
2. Extra Dress :: It is going to be hot hot hot when I get to Rome so this dress if perfecto.
3. Denim Shorts :: I can these with the top I wear on the airplane after it gets washed. 
4. BORN Sandals :: I laugh everytime I put these shoes on because they look like total grandma shoes to me. they even have butterflies on the bottoms.. hahahahahhaha. BUT, they are SO SO COMFY. I hate wearing real shoes all the time. My feet need to breathe, man. Having these sandals will be super helpful post flight. And they were $12 at Marshalls.
5. Money Belt/Necklace :: Prevent theft by wearing one under your clothes. The alternative to one of these:
   
   This can't be real hahaha
   
   
6. Microfiber Towel :: Perfect for when I want to wash off that post-flight grunge.
7. Ray Ban Club Masters and glasses case :: Pretty prescription sunnies 

Not pictured is my actual purse where I will keep my wallet, monies, and paperwork so I don't have to dig for them in my backpack. 

Bleh so there you have it.

SO READY TO GO!!!

Devotissimo Suo,

M

#tbt

Major Throwback Thursday to the first time the Wintersteen Clan went to Europe. These pictures are too good to keep to myself...

Backstory: In 2008, my entire family including my grammie, aunt, uncle and two cousins, went on a two week cruise around europe. I was at the end of my freshman year of high school and truly knew that I was going to go to whatever college allowed for me to come back and study abroad. (USD just happens to be ranked #1 in the country, no big). At the time, I was 15, Sarah 14, Catherine 11, Lindsay 9 and Grace was only a little bebe at 5. So crazy to think 5 years feels like yesterday.

Florence

This picture was actually taken in Rome. I was all too occupied with my point-and-shoot. Gotta love the highlights and the awkward side bangs. 

:: This picture is too good for words ::

Venice (look at those little munchkins!!!)

That being said, all of us at CEA got our rooming assignments for the fall semester. I will be living with 6 other girls... which is fine. I know how to live with girls. I am a veteran at that. 

We got our street address also: Lungotevere Farnesina. A total mouthful. Of course I had to GoogleEarth it...

Lungotevere is direct translation of the Tiber River. Our hotel in Florence was almost ON the Arno so it makes it easy to find your way back home. My roommate and I would always ask directions (in Italian) to get back to the river, because once we were there we could find our way back. I feel like this might be a similar situation. 

Just to get an idea of scale, I mapped out walks from my address to the major landmarks in Rome: Pantheon, St. Peter's, the il Coloseo, Fontana di Trevi, etc. 

AHHH!!! Only 33 minutes of walking will get me to the Colloseum!!! SO WORTH EVERY STEP. I cannot wait to people watch up the yin yang.

16 minutes walking to St. Peters and the Vatican! Too stoked! The last sunday of every month is free admission so I will be spending as much time with the Sistine Chapel as humanly possible. 

Lastly, only a 20 minute walk to the Pantheon. I have loved this landmark since I first laid eyes on it in Mrs. Talle's AP Art History class. The history and significance for paganism, catholicism, and christianity is astounding. My Dad's cousin Laura who lived in Italy says all of her favorite restaurants are in the same Piazza. I have a feeling I will be spending a lot of free time there. 

I also got my schedule (!!) and I could not be happier. Mondays and Wednesdays I take Theology: New Testament and Catholicism (UD Theology Req.) and Italian 201 (Lang. Req.) and I don't even start til 10:30!!!! (Which means I can get up and walk in the mornings and still look presentable for class!!) Tuesdays I am taking (brace yourself for the awesomeness): Art History: Angels and Demons of the Renaissance and The Culture of Wine and Food in Italy (yes, it's a real class, Dad.) Both of these I get to take for fun!!! I am so ahead in credits that all I needed to accomplish academics wise was my religion and language!

AND... the best part is: drum roll please...... NO THURSDAY CLASS!!!!! Holla for an extra day of traveling!!!!

As of now, it hasn't totally set in that I will be there on Monday (well Tuesday). Everything (roommates, apartment, classes) still seems so other worldly and intangible through all of the technology. But in 4 short days it'll start feeling really real!

Devotissimo Suo,

M 

ROME: Study Abroad Packing List

5 MORE DAYS PEOPLE

SO SO SO SO SO SO SO EXCITED! Non posso aspettare andare a Roma! Here is the entirety of my packing list!

Here's a final packing list:

TOPS:

3 tank tops

4 short sleeves

5 long sleeves

2 button ups

5 sweaters

2 workout tops

BOTTOMS: 

5 pairs of shorts

2 skirts

3 pairs of jeans

2 pairs pants

3 pairs Lululemon Leggings

3 Pajama bottoms

DRESSES:

1 Maxi Dress

1 LBD

3 Sundresses

1 Going-out Dress

SHOES:

2 pairs of boots

1 pair of tennis shoes

1 pair of Converse

1 pair of sandals

1 pair of ballet flats

1 pair of shower shoes

JACKETS:

1 rain coat

1 trench coat

1 wool coat

ACCESSORIES: 

3 scarves

3 necklaces

3 watches

earrings

2 pairs of sunglasses

glasses/glasses case/cleaning cloth

Headscarves

3 Belts

2 purses, 1 backpack

1 grocery bag

bathing suit

ALL UNDERWEAR I OWN

ALL OF THE SOCKS I OWN

TOILETRIES:

toothbrush/toothpaste/dental floss

perscription medication&vitamins/ibuprofen/allergy meds

hairties/headbands/bobbi pins/hairclips

shamp&cond

Qtips/cotton balls

makeup/moisturizer/sunscreen/makeup remover

deodorant/perfume samples

bandaids/neosporin

sample size everythings

laundry detergent, wrinkle release

trashbags/ziplocks

mini flashlight & swiss army knife

microfiber towel & face towel

EXTRAS:

travel books (my 50 walking Tours of Rome)

sketchbook/journal

pens and pencils/art supplies

camera/extra batteries/extra memory card

computer/charger cords

outlet converters

wallet/credit cards/at least $200 Euros already exchanged

planner

lady things

iphone/headphones/charger

external hard drive/flashdrive

DOCUMENTS:
(make 3 sets of photocopies, one for you, one for your room and one for your parents)

Passport

Visa (and all docs)

Driver's License

Credit Cards

Picture of luggage (in case it is lost at the airport)

address/arrival info

Still going to attempt to make it in one suitcase. Fingers crossed!!

Devotissimo Suo,

M

Top Shop

ONE WEEK

I REPEAT ONE WEEK

Only one week left until I leave for Roma, Italià!!! I can't even contain my excitement!! 

Today was my last day babysitting for the family I have been babysitting for for over a year now. The two boys are just 2 and almost a year old and are so so much fun. They are going to be so so big when I get back and I can hardly stand it. Mental note to send a postcard from Italy....

Too Stinkin Cute

Finishing up packing (and repacking and repacking) and finally pulled together all of the tops I am bringing with me.

If you don't like this song who are you and why are you reading my blog

If this song (or Beyonce in general) doesn't get you excited and happy all at the same time I seriously don't know what will. Beyonce is a Goddess. End of Story. 

Tees and Jewels

That's it. 13 shirts to last me 4 months. Gulp.

1. Converse Black Button Down :: Target. Classic. Simple. Effortless. With pants, shorts, skirts, leggings, aka anything. 
2. THE MOST VERSATILE SHIRT YOU WILL EVER OWN aka a Chambray :: Mine is from Forever 21 which means it was super cheap. Chambray is so so cute and casual. The light wash denim also goes with my dark skinnies. Yup, I do it, denim-on-denim. Also works as a lightweight jacket of sorts. 
3. Vince Tank :: (Disclaimer: I did NOT pay $48 for this... Marshalls... $12. Let's be real) So long and such a great color. This tank is going to be perfect for layering.
4. Cynthia Rowley Tank :: Another basic in an awesome color.
5. Yellow Lace 3/4 Top (Similar) :: Forever 21 is so great for tops like this. The yellow is sunny and bright.
6. Your basic black Vneck blah blah boring
7. Short Sleeved Sweater :: My mommy got me this one from Anthro :) hehe and the texture is so interesting. This thing is seriously warm, but will be good for class and weekend walks around the city. 
8. I love love love this long sleeve flowy green Tent Dress/Tee. Not totally sure where I got it... But it is my cold weather go to. 
9. AE Teal Peplum Top is the perfect combo of tshirt feel without looking like a slob. The color is so so pretty and the cut is super flattering. 
10. PARIS/LONDON/VIENNA Shirt (Similar) :: This is the perfect study abroad shirt. It is simple, different, black and white, long and soft. The end. 
11. Vince Fisherman Stripe Tee :: The softest shirt ever. I <3 stripes. 
12. JCrew Ruffle 3/4 sleeve :: More than your average black tee, the ruffles (which you can't see) help camoflague pasta-bloat. 
13. Again, another striped long sleeve :: Yet again another purchase from Italian H&M. Every time I wear this one it reminds me of this photo: 

I'm comin for ya Italy. 7 days and counting...

I also included the majority of my jewelry in the picture above. Watches are an essential when traveling. I am bringing 3. The two I have in the picture above are knock offs my mom bought me in LA for less than $5 so I won't be completely heartbroken if anything happens to them. The third one is totally dorky and has a blue plastic strap. But hey function trumps form here. 

I am not a huge jewelry person, so I only packed 2 necklaces.. The first a long chain that looks layer-y but is really all one piece and the other statement necklace I got at Nordstroms rack. It instantly makes things look fancier which I love. Although I'm not big on jewelry, I love other accessories: scarves (bringing 3), belts (one teal, one cheetah print and one brown) and HEADSCARVES/headbands. They are the smallest and easiest thing to pack that hides a bad hair day (I think I am bringing a zillion)...

So so so so beyond stoked to be going in less than 168 hours. I know that the nerves will kick in undoubtably the day or so before, but it helps to make little accomplishments each day.

Documents? Gathered.

Passport? Affirmative.

Suitcase? Picked out and 89% packed.

Shoes? Collected.

Pants? Packed.

Sweaters? Stuffed.

Airplane outfit? Picked.

Shirts? Laid out.

Coats? Decided. 

Credit Cards called? ................. not so much. 

Perscriptions picked up? .....ehhhh...

Laundry done? HA!

Mentally prepared to leave the country for four straight months??? ....We'll see..

CHEERS TO THE LAST WEEK IN THE U.S. of A.!!!!

Devotissimo Suo,

M

Summertime Sadness

It is for sure Summertime Sadness in the Wintersteen household as it is the LAST WEEKEND of summer vacation! Boo!

But not for me... heheh. And it will definitely feel like its not over in Italy!! I just checked the weather and it is hotter in Rome than it is in San Diego.

I can deal

I was a tad bit worried that I wasn't packing enough warm clothing... but I guess I am right on track!! I have been googley eyes all over the beautiful pictures of Rome on Pinterest and it is making me really excited. I said "Au Revoir" to my best friend on Friday (She's studying abroad in Paris) and "see ya in January" to my sorority big sis. The omg-lets-get-dinner-before-you-leave's are making it seem really real. ONLY 9 DAYS UNTIL I LEAVE for the semester of a lifetime and I am beside myself with excitement. I know that I am really looking forward to something when I start having anxiety dreams about it like I did last night...Let the travel-mishap, getting-lost, wake up in a cold sweat dreams begin!

With the weather in mind, I pulled together all of the dresses I am packing on my trip.

Calm being the key word here... p.s. sorry for the wrinkles. 

OK! SO... from left to right I have packed:

1. Max Studio Striped Maxi Dress :: (Similar) This dress is so flattering on. The stripes and jersey material makes it feel like you are wearing pajamas all day. A Marshall's find of course.

   

   With Porter-muffin at the Getty

    
2.  Lace Sheath Dress :: (The American Eagle Version Here) I went to Marshalls again on this one. So so cute and really slimming cut. I love wearing this dress with a pretty statement necklace and sandals or with my new cheetah print skinny belt. The neutral and high neck are perfectly chic. 
3. Black Ruffle Sundress :: Target. My sista lent me this dress for my trip (aw so nice) because I didn't have a casual LBD! The goal is to pair with scarves and boots for the colder seasons...
4. Blue Print Dress :: (Similar) I love this dress because it is such an interesting pattern that you don't need much else to make it look good. Marshalls again on this one... (or TJMaxx, I can't remember) This will be perfect for hot days touring the city and going to classes. I wore it for my sister's 8th grade promotion back in June.  

   

   Not totally sure why I am not wearing shoes

5. Lace A-Line :: This is my go to cover-up/pool/beach dress. The best part is that I don't necessarily have to wear a bra with it. (holla) and it looks super cute dressed up or dressed down. This will also be one of my hot-to-cool-weather transition dresses because it would be killer with tights, boots, tall socks and a sweater for fall. 
6. Finally, the pièce de rèsistance, my ASTR Faux Leather Cutout Dress :: I bought this baby at Nordstroms (on sale of course, for $40) for Gamma Phi Beta Spring Formal and my roommate conviced me that I HAD to bring it with me to Italy on the off chance I am feeling super ballsy. This dress is so fun to wear and would be so awesome for a special occasion (or maaybee for going clubbing in Paris...hmmmm). I've got the space in my suitcase, so eff it... its coming. I love that it reminds me of my beautiful roommates and how much fun we all have together. 

   

   Cheers to you beauties... can't wait to see you (in Paris, Florence and Prague) !!!!!
   
   

   Looking back at the pictures over the last summer really does make me sad. The time has flown by, and I know that being abroad will be equally as exhilarating. I cannot wait to make memories all over the world with you ladies. Safe Travels and see you abroad. XOXO

Devotissimo Suo (Seriously),

M