2 Weeks!!!!!

Hey! Did you know it's only two weeks until I leave! I cant stay on one emotion for more then a few hours! I'm switching from sad, to stressed, to excited, to worried, to even MORE excited! I just said goodbye to my really good friend Claire today...that was really sad. She's leaving to live in Paris for the year. But then I just talked to my cousin Noah who just got to Norway and that made me feel a lot better, because he has been there for less then a week but is already starting to feel alright.
I feel like I've gotten most of the things I need, but there are some small things still. I am allowed to have one checked bag 50lbs, 1 carry on and a purse. Its confusing thought because once I get to Italy my check bag can only be 44lbs, but then I can have two carry ons.
The last few days I've packed up one of my rooms, but I still have one to go.

Ciao!
Kali

Less Than 4 Weeks!

It's been awhile since my last post and since then I have learned a lot about my host family and city. I'm living in Mesagne, Puglia but am going to an art school (yeah!) in the city 6 miles away called Brindisi. I am so so happy that I am going to be going to an art school again, because I've been missing my old one ever since I left.
I have been talking to my host sister on facebook and I like her very much, she is fifteen. She does not go to my school but I will still be with her at home so I am happy about that. I will go to school 6 days a week (ugh) from probably 830 to 130, then church on Sunday. I have never been a part of a family that goes to church, so I am eager to experience a family with new beliefs:)
My Italian is coming along well, I feel like I am starting to get the hang of it, but I am nowhere close to being fluent. But I do have confidence that I could carry on a slow conversation in Italian haha. I found out that you can get up to 16 college credits if I learn Italian this year fluently, so that's top on my list!
I'm getting things ready to leave here, buying all the little things I will need, getting rid of stuff, and packing up my room.
I'm getting soooo excited! I'm sure all of my fellow AFSers know what I'm talking about. My list of "to-do's" is constantly running through my head, so that I always feel that there is something I should be doing. But I'm getting close to it being complete.
Cioa!
Kali

Its funny...

So right after I posted the other blog today, I checked my email and got my host family information! Even more exciting! Turns out I'm not directly in Brindisi but very close, about 10 miles. The place I will live is names Mesagne and I am still very happy about it! It is smaller, with about 27,000 people.
I have a mother, father, a 6-year-old brother, an 11-year-old brother, and a 15-year-old sister! Yea!

Brindisi; My New Home!!

A few days ago I got my placement in Brindisi, Puglia! I was so happy when I found out! The only thing I know about my host family is that I have three siblings...I will have siblings living with me for the first time in my life. Exciting! I am happy but anxious about it, because this family has so much power over how my exchange will turn out (even though I know it'll be amazing either way).
The city is very old and beautiful, dating back to at least 14 b.c., when it was conquered by Alexander the Great. There is a lot of exciting history behind this city that I am eager to learn more about. I've been thinking about how it will feel to live in a place with so much history, Seattle only being a few hundred years old, this old city has thousands of more years to have stories from. And I want to know these stories!
I guess it is known for it's fresh goat cheese (my favorite!) and octopus (I guess I'll have to try it finally!). Brindisi attracts a lot of tourists in the summer months, because it is a nice town and has good access to a lot of other cute little towns. It also has the safest natiral port in all the Mediterranean, making it appealing throughtout history and still now. Brindisi itself is a smaller city, with about 90,000 people, it is known as a sleepy and relaxed place. Sounds fantastic right?? It will be a nice shift from the 4 million of the greater Seattle area.
As you can probably tell, I am very happy with my placement so far. I can't wait to tell you all more things about it once I've actually lived there! I will fill you in on my host family when I know more about them.
Arrivederci for now!
Kali

My New Language!

Hey everyone! There is approximately 16 weeks until I leave and wow, that is really soon.
I've been learning Italian from Rosetta Stone, which is working really well! I recommend it! I've been doing it for about three weeks and have already learned so much. Some basic vocabulary, such as gatto (cat), cappotto (hat), figlia (daughter), and un maglietta (t-shirt). Some verbs, corre (to run), porto (to wear), and nuato (to swim). The un/una's, dei's, la's, e's, il's, and gli's are what are getting to me. They're just so confusing.
Overall I am satisfied with this expensive language program and am always excited to learn more! I love learning languages, it just makes me feel so good!

I don't yet know my host family and city. But I want to know SOOOO bad!!! I want to learn about the city, talk to my new family, know if I'll have any siblings, know my school, and just have an official home! I am just so ridiculously anxious and think about getting the call every day!
Well arrivederci for now!

It is Truly Beginning:)

This blog will be my record of my experiences with AFS from now until I return to Seattle in July of '11. It has been arranged for me to leave the country in the beginning of September. This is when I will experience the grief of leaving most of my loved ones here in Seattle, Washington, which I foresee to be the hardest part. The only thing that's going to help me is the fact that I'm flying to Italy!!!!!! It excites me, yet scares me to bits. I will be living without the guidance of my birth parents, my friends, and the community I have built around myself. It really is a frightening thought to me, but when I think of what I will get out of this year, nothing can compare.

It has been a week sense I was officially accepted to live in Italy for 10 months! One of the happiest days of my life was the following Tuesday. Nothing could break my smile:D When I even think of myself living in such an extraordinary place, it breaks all the dark clouds around me so that I may enjoy the thought of the beautiful blue sky that will surround me in Italy. But I do have to say, I will probably start to miss the dark clouds of Seattle eventually...

Why Italy?

Who wouldn't give anything to live in such a place? It's beautiful, has friendly people and delicious food, but there's more then that. The history of the country is dark, surprising, romantic, violent, elegant, and lavishly magnificent. The art is what appeals to me the most. So many monumental artisans originated there in Italy, their paintings still awed by people today. What was it about Italy that inspired such work? There has to be something in the air, or about the people, the food, or the countryside that sparked these classics. This is why I so desire to go here, because of my love of art.

So, yesterday I went to my required orientation with AFS. There I had a lot of questions answered, about rules, tips, policies, and just how the overall experience will be for me and my fellow AFSers. I met several other students that were either going for the summer, to do one semester or a whole year like me. It was nice to talk with some of them about what they had gone through to get this opportunity and what they were doing in preparation. The whole six hours was worth it and I even got sunburned!

Some things I'm doing now to prepare are taking an online U.S. history class to make up for the one I would be taking here in my Seattle school next year. This class is a pain, a huge one at that. But its worth it! I must remember that. I will soon get Rosetta Stone Italian, which is a well known computer program that teaches language very well (another computer lesson I will need to find time for). I'm really excited to start this though, because I can't wait to learn a new language! I will soon need to get a new passport, because I need one that will be valid for 6 months after my planned return date. I will get my visa once I know the city I'm going to live in. Besides these things I am preparing myself emotionally for the difficulties I may experience, the new people I will meet, the chances I will make over this year personally, and the fear of leaving the comforts of my home and family and friends.

Arrivederci for now!