So long for now

Well today is the day. I fly back to Europe tonight. This trip is a bit shorter...just three months.

Honestly I'm not wanting to go right now. I have loved being home with my family and friends. It's tough to leave them again. I also know what I'm going to be doing when I get back. Which makes me want to just stay here and get started on my life. It's a weird feeling I have right now. Of course I want to go to Europe. I mean, I'd be stupid not to take this awesome opportunity. But it's tough to leave. I never thought I'd be sad about going to Europe, but I guess there's a first time for everything!

On a related note, I hope we can even make it to the airport. Atlanta interstates are gridlocked. My flight leaves at 9:30 tonight but we're planning to leave my house a little after lunch. Would I be sad if I missed my flight? Nope. Buttttt I don't want to deal with the hassle of finding another. So let's just pray we make it to the airport safe and on time!

**Update: I'm safely at the airport and my parents are safe at home! Those Atlanta roads are crazy!**

America, you've been good to me. Can't wait to get back to you. 90 days. I can do it.

Driving in Scotland

Mom and I flew into Glasgow late Tuesday night. We originally planned to get a taxi to Luss, where our bed and breakfast was located. It was about 40 minutes from the city and we planned on staying in the town the whole time we were there. But when we got to the airport, we decided to rent a car. It's a little nicer knowing you have freedom to go somewhere if you really want to.

Driving in Scotland. That was an experience. Fortunately we knew how to drive a stick, so that wasn't a problem. BUT. They drive on the opposite side of the road. Which means the steering wheel is on the opposite side of the car. Which also means you're changing gears with your left hand instead of your right hand. So. Weird. There was definitely a learning curve. I should also mention that my mom had never driven through a round-about before. I was very accustomed to them since I've been living in France for a while. (The French really love their round-abouts.)

We started going without any problems. But then we hit our first round-about. I was trying to coach my mom through it but she was freaking out. There were three round-abouts just in the first five minutes. My mom was so worried she was going to have a wreck and I was just laughing the whole time. By the time we got to Luss, our abs were so sore from laughing. I really wish I had a video of this ride. It was a sight to see for sure.

The thing I love about driving through Scotland is the amazing scenery. I had experienced it before when I drove through the Highlands and around Loch Ness. But it was my mom's first time. The land is just so untouched. The first time I drove through Scotland, I wasn't able to take many pictures. It was a driving tour and there are only so many shots you can get through a bus window. This time, however, we were able to stop whenever we wanted.

If you ever visit Scotland, or any other country with beautiful landscapes, I HIGHLY recommend renting a car. That extra freedom makes the trip so much more memorable.

Florence, November 2013

After Modena, we took a quick train to Firenze. I wish I could say the weather was beautiful but it just wasn't. It rained the entire time we were there. Fortunately it was more of a sprinkle, which didn't stop us from walking around. We were only there for one full day and one half day, but we packed it full.

It was interesting visiting this city again for the third time. Of course it's still beautiful to me, but I wasn't so clicker happy with my camera. I guess that's true of all places when you think about it. Once you've seen something, it's not quite as special as the first time. It also didn't help that the sky wasn't the beautiful blue I was used to seeing.

Our first stop was the San Lorenzo Market. We bought purses, scarves, and journals galore. I was looking for one specific stall with a lady who I've seen the past two years. She sells these perfect clutches and leather gloves. But she was no where to be found! I was so disappointed but I guess the bright side is I saved a bit of money??? I'm still on the lookout for some good gloves, though. Winter in Geneva is brutal for this Georgia girl.

We just stumbled around the city for most of the day. Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo, beautiful side streets...my mom loved it all. And I was so glad. It's still my favorite city so far. We ate dinner at Ciro and Sons. My mom had gnocchi alla sorrentina and I had margherita pizza. It was delicious. I highly recommend it. The staff was so friendly and the food was great. They even have a lot of gluten free options (you just have to call ahead if you want gluten free pizza).

The next morning we had breakfast, walked around the market a little more, and then hopped on our train to go to Milan, where we caught a flight to Glasgow!

Beginning of Mother/Daughter Travels!

My mom came to visit me in Europe back in November. Over two months later...I'm finally writing about it!

She flew into Geneva on October 31. Happy Halloween to me! Since her birthday is October 24, we ordered a cake to celebrate. We spent the rest of the night talking and packing for our week-long trip. I was so excited to finally see her after six months. It's awesome having Skype to communicate, but being with her in person was so much better.

We started our trip in Modena, Italy. I was able to introduce her to my host family from two years ago. It was awesome to combine those two worlds. Sadly, I have no pictures of us all together. That just means we have to go back again! While we were there, we took a bike tour around the town, had dinner with Nonna, went to the new Ferrari museum, and ate a lot of really delicious food. I went to Ski Pass with my "siblings", which is a huge ski exhibition hosted by Nissan. It was a lot of fun and there was even a huge party that night. Italians sure know how to party. I got to hang out with a lot of people I had met the year before, and I met some of their friends that I hadn't previously met. I even impressed myself with the amount of Italian I could understand. We were out until 4 am, and I was exhausted the next day, but it was fun.

While I was at Ski Pass, my mom went around town with the parents. I was a little nervous about leaving her alone but they all got along great. Further proof that these people are just the sweetest. I'm so glad my mom was able to meet them after hearing so much about them.

After Modena, we hopped on a train headed to Firenze!

2013 in Review

I realize I'm a little late to the year recaps, but 2013 was a big year for me. A LOT of things happened. I want to make sure I have it all documented so that I can look back years from now and remember the highlights.

January

I chose a word for the year, which I'm proud to say I worked on for the entire 12 months. I started my last semester of college, which ended up being my favorite. Student teaching was the best part of my college career. Loved my mentor teacher, my team, and my students.

February

I really started getting in my teaching groove, celebrated Valentine's Day with my first graders, and got a few love letters in the process. I started planning my trip to Europe with Rachel. I began my two full weeks of teaching at the end of February. They were essentially the most critical weeks of my entire college career. And I passed the GACE to certify me to be a teacher in Georgia.

March

I finished my full two weeks. And rocked them, if I do say so myself. During that time we celebrated Dr. Seuss day and Amelia Bedelia Day which gave me an opportunity to brush up my artistic skills. I traveled up to Tennessee to my childhood best friend's wedding. My family celebrated the miracle of my mom's life...praise the Lord! I told the world that I was living in Europe for 7 months. And so began the countdown!

April

My student teacher team tried out a lot of fun ideas for our first graders, one of which involved aliens. I finished student teaching! Which also meant I was finished with college. So weird. I spent a week relaxing before I got back in the real world. I had a little creepy moment one night. The last weekend was spent in Anderson, SC visiting one of my best friends.

May

Phew! May was a big month. I participated in Jenni's Blog Everyday Challenge. It felt really good to write a lot, even though I didn't do it everyday. I started packing for Europe...much more difficult than I anticipated. On the 10th day of May, I graduated from the University of Georgia! I got a brand new camera! Seriously the best graduation gift I could have asked for. Exactly a week after graduation, I said goodbye to my family and hopped on a plane headed to Europe. Traveling with Rachel this month included Dublin, Edinburgh, London, Amsterdam, Brussels, and Brugge.

June

We started June in Paris. Took a little day trip to Versailles which was stunning. My favorite part of the month was reuniting with my Italian family! English Summer Camp in Modena lasted two weeks and ended with another earthquake. We had a great girls weekend in Florence to break up the two weeks. I also spent a perfect weekend at the sea with my Italian family. After Italy, Rachel came with me to Geneva before going back to America. The family I'm currently working for graciously allowed us to stay with them for a week. I held a hedgehog for the first time. At the end of this relaxing week, I headed to Madrid for the rest of the summer.

July

Not going to lie, July was a tough month for me. I was in such a beautiful place but so so so stressed. I got a lot of good advice and support from family and friends. I realized how tough it was to be away from family on holidays. I met some new Spanish friends. I explored Madrid on my own, which was a cool experience. Traveling alone is much different than traveling with a friend, mostly in a good way! One of my childhood friends studied in Madrid for the summer so we met up a lot and saw The Lion King...which was amazing.

August

The first three weeks of August were spent on Spanish beaches. It sounds so glamourous but it wasn't  unfortunately. At the end of it, I was just so glad my time in Spain was over. And I so hate saying that. But then life got better! I made it to France and explored my little village. We went to the circus and I rode an elephant. I thought a lot about my future and how this time in Europe fit into it.

September

Lots of people asked how I got to Europe, so I explained. I like to please. I cheered on the Dawgs from the highest point in western Europe. And I started experiencing life in a small French town. I was making new friends and was finally settling in to my new life.

October

There wasn't anything really major that went on this month. It was mainly just day to day things. I traveled to some new cities including Annecy, the Venice of France. For the first time since May, I got a haircut and it felt amazing. (Sidenote: Getting a haircut in France, where you don't speak the language, is a really interesting experience.) I went to Milan for a weekend with the family. And on the last day, my mom came to visit!

November

November was big! My mom and I traveled to Italy so I could introduce her to my Italian family. We also went to Florence, Scotland and Paris. It was such a wonderful time. Blog posts to come soon! I finally made the decision to come back to France after Christmas. Daniele and I went to Central Perk in Geneva. Rosalie and I spent a lot of time together in Geneva. We also went to my very first Christmas market in Montreaux. The family took me to Italy the last weekend in November. And I spent my birthday in Rome!

December

The first ten days were spent in France. I hung out with my friends a lot and spent a lot of quality time with the family. Then I came back home to America!! I went to Savannah with my best friend to visit our college small group leader. There were many dinners with friends, a surprise retirement party for my uncle, and a trip to Greenville to see my cousins. Daniele came to America to spend the holidays with us. We went to Atlanta on Christmas Day to feed the homeless. We also went to Savannah, Rome, Athens, and Atlanta (for touristy things) while he was here. I have a lot of posts to write for this month. Bare with me...they're coming. I promise!

Wow. Just writing that out was exhausting. It's no wonder I was so tired so often!

2013 was a good one. But I have a feeling 2014 is going to be even better!