Ciao Gelato!

I have never seen so much ice cream in my life. Everywhere I go everyone is eating ice cream: women, children, old people, young people, everyone. I am trying not to leave Italy looking like the Goodyear blimp, so I only eat the ice cream 25% of the time and it is still more than I ever have eaten ice cream before. I guess maybe I should be eating the ice cream though, since every time I am on a car trip it could be my last. There is no rhyme or reason to the driving here in Italy. I lose years off of my life everytime I am in the car, sudden stopping, little motor bikes zooming everywhere, goodness gracious!


There is always eating, I feel like that is all that I do. We eat a small breakfast, then a huge 3-4 course lunch, and then dinner. Phew! There is no such thing as a diet here. These little Italian ladies could force feed Ghandi. Seriously. And the language barrier doesn't help either. I have figured out how to get them to stop piling food onto my plate with hand gestures, but that only helps sometimes.

It is unseasonably hot here and all we do is talk about it. Good thing that I got to the weather chapter in my Italian book!!!

Tomorrow, we will go to Pisa. My cousin lives and works there, so I will spend the rest of my time in Italy there. I am very excited to see Florence and other parts of Tuscony. I hope that you all are doing well and I miss you! Arrivaderci!!!!

Ciao Italia!

Italia e' bella!! I have been here for three days and everything is wonderful. My family here is very loving and welcoming. Everyone in my family speaks only italian, except for one of my cousins. So needless to say, my italian is improving at a rapid pace. On Thursday, I went to Rome. It was very crowded with tourists as well as Romans. It amazes me how it is a modern day city and functions as such, but there are statues and buildings that are hundreds of years old plopped in the middle. We walked everywhere and, lucky enough for me, it is unseasonably hot. It was worth the sweat, but I was very glad to be home. On Sunday, we will go to Pisa where my cousin has a house and I will be able to post more regularly and in more detail. Ciao for now!

Full Swing

Getting ready for Europe is in full swing! My tooth situation is much better. My new "boyfriend," the head of the oral surgery department at UTMB hospital, has done some major damage contol and I am on the way to healing. Go team!

I am packing away. I am not the best packer, I always overpack, so I am under close supervision of my Dad, the master packer. Only about a day and a half left to make everything fit. We'll see how it goes!