L'anno d'oro

Some photos from this week. The first one in Alberobello, a city made up of these little tinny traditional houses thats famous all over puglia. The second while Im at the beach with some friends playing with the volleyball.


I read this on another exchnge students blog and i felt like it really got down to some of the feelings that i think we will have in the next few months.

L'anno D'oro


Un anno è passato e ora sei sull'orlo di ritornare dove sarai circondato dal paradosso di tutto ma invece niente sarà lo stesso.

Fra poco abbraccerai controvoglia e, combattendo contre le lacrime, saluterai le persone che un giorno erano solo nomi su un foglio di carta
Per tornare dalle persone che hai abbracciate combattendo contro le lacrime al momento di salutarle
Prima di partire.

Lascerai i tuoi migliori amici per tornare dai tuoi migliori amici.
Ritornerai da dove vieni e tornerai a fare le stesse cose che facevi l'estate scorsa e tutte le altre estati prima.
Arriverai in città da questa stessa strada familiare, e anche se sono passati mesi, ti sembrerà appena ieri.
Quando entrerai nella tua vecchia stanza, tutte le emozioni ti attravversaranno mentre rifletterai su quanto la tua vita è cambiata e la persona che sei diventata.
All'improvviso capirai che le cose più importanti per te un anno fa non sembrano più così importanti oggi, e che le cose che ti importano di più ora, nessuno qui a casa le può veramente capire.

Chi chiamerai per primo ?
Che cosa farai del tuo primo fine settimana a casa coi tuoi amici ?
Dove lavorerai ?
Chi ci sarà alla festa sabato sera ?
Che cos'hanno fatto tutti questi ultimi mesi ?
Con chi parlerai ancora a scuola ?
Quanto tempo prima che le persone che facevano irruzione senza chiamare né bussare ti manchino ?

Allora inizi a capire quanto le cose sono cambiate, e capisci che la parte più difficile dell'essere un intercambista è di saper trovare l'equilibrio tra i due mondi completamente diversi in cui vivi ora, provando disperatamente di tenerti a tutto mentre cerci di capire quello che devi lasciare dietro di te.

Conosci il significato della vera amicizia.

Sai con chi sei ancora in contatto dopo un anno e chi ha un posto così importante nel tuo cuore.

Hai lasciato il tuo mondo per affrontare il mondo reale.

Hai avuto il cuore spezzato, ti sei innamorato, hai aiutato il tuo migliore amico a superare i suoi problemi, la depressione, lo stress, la morte ...

Hai acceso candele nella grotta e sei rimasto in piedi tutta la notte solo per parlare con un amico che ne aveva bisogno.

Ci sono stati dei momenti in cui ti sei sentito impotente essendo così lontano da casa mentre sapevi che la tua famiglia o i tuoi amici avevano tanto bisogno di te, e ci sono dei momenti in cui sai di aver fatto la differenza.

Fra poco te ne andrai.

Fra poco toglierai tutte le immagini, e metterai i tuoi panni nella valigia. Finite le ore a passeggiare senza fine. Lascierai i tuoi amici di cui gli indirizzi mail e numeri di telefono ti faranno piangere quest'estate, e magari anche i prossimi anni. Prenderai i tuoi ricordi e sogni e li metterai da parte per il momento, tenendoli per il tuo ritorno in questo mondo.

Fra poco arriverai a casa. Fra poco disfarai la valigia e cenerai con le tue famiglie. Andrai dal tuo migliore amico e non farete niente per ore, senza fine. Ritornerai dagli stessi amici di chi lei mail e chiamate telefoniche ti hanno fatto piangere durante l'anno. Tirerai fuori vecchi sogni e ricordi che avevi messo da parte quest'anno.

Fra poco andrai fino in fondo a cercare la forza e le convinzioni per aggiustarti al cambiamento e per stare vicino a tutti. E così, in un certo modo, troverai il tuo posto tra questi due mondi.

Sei pronto !

So in english;

The Golden Year

A year has passed and now you stand on the brink of returning to a world where you will be surrounded by the paradox of everything and yet nothing will be the same.

Soon, you will reluctantly give your hugs, fighting back the tears, say goodbye to the people who were once just names on a sheet of paper
to return to the people that you hugged and fought tears to say goodbye to before you ever left.

You will leave your best friends to return to your best friends.
You will return to where you came from and you'll return to doing the same things you did last summer and all the summers before.
You will arrive in town on that same familiar road, and even though months have passed it will seem like only yesterday.
When you step into your old bedroom, all your emotions will pass through you as you reflect on how much your life has changed and the person you have become.
You will suddenly understand that the things that were most important to you a year ago don't seem to matter so much anymore, and that the things you hold highest now, no one at home will completely understand.

Who will you call first?
What will you do your first weekend home with your friends?
Where are you going to work?
Who will be at the party saturday night?
What has everyone been up to in these past months?
Who from school will you still keep in touch with?
How long before you actually start missing people barging in without knocking or calling?

Then you start to realize how much things have changed, and you understand that the hardest part about being an exchange student is knowing how to find a balance between the two completely different worlds in which you now live, trying desperately to hold onto everything all the while, trying to figure out what you have to leave behind.

You know what true friendship means.

You know whom you have kept in touch with over the past year and whom you hold dearest in your heart.

You've left your world to deal with the real world.

You had your heart broken, you fell in love, you helped your best friend overcome their problems, depression, stress, death...

You lit candles at the grotto and stayed up all night just to talk to a friend in need.

There have been times when you felt helpless being so far away from home, knowing your family or your friends needed you, and there have been times when you know you have made a difference.

Soon you will leave

Soon you will take down your pictures and pack up your clothes. No more endless hours walking around aimlessly. You will leave your friends who's random e-mails and phone calls will make you laugh and cry this summer, and hopefully years to come. You will take your memories and dreams and put them away for now, saving them for when you return to this world.

Soon you'll arrive at home. Soon you'll unpack your bags and eat dinner with your family. You will go over to your best friends house and do nothing for hours on end. You will return to the same friends whose random e-mails and phone calls have brought you to laughter and tears this year. You will unpack old dreams and memories that have been put away this past year.

Soon you will dig deep inside to find the strength and conviction to adjust to change and still stay close to everyone. And somehow, in some way, you will find your place between these two worlds.

Are you ready?

The Ending of School and the Beginning of Fun!

This is gonna be a short post but I just would like to say that my last day of school will be this Wednesday the 1st, and then I'll go back for an assembly we have where students do funny dance numbers. =) My friends and I are all making plans to go to the ocean, and I can't wait because its been super hot lately!

I'd like to update you all on my Italian skills..well I have to admit that I'm not quite satisfied that I havn't learned Italian perfectly and that I see where I can still improve greatly and know I would if I were to stay here for a few more months. The vocabulary I've never really worried about because it's impossible to learn all the words of a language in 10 months, especially cus I dont even know all of them in Enlgish after 17 years. But I still have some troubles with the grammar occazioanlly and the confidence to speak infront of a large audiance. After speaking with my cousin Noah who is also learning Norwegian this year, we agreed that it's impossible to learn a language perfectly in 10 months, even though it seems very possible before hand.
But then I think of where I was in my first months, compunicating with google translator with my host family and I feel really proud of myself and how far I've come along. The fact that I understand everything is really great and it makes me feel great! And also that I have the confidence to talk to everyone, and that I get compliments on how much I've learned.

Ok well today is my father's 43rd birthday and I'd like to send him all the love and light there is in the world to make up for me not being there! I promiss it will be the only year I'm not present because I feel that birthday's are incredible important to celebrate for your loved ones.

I Love you so much dad! Happy happy birthday!!

Ok said it'd be short!

Love and peace to all!
Thank you all so much!

Kali

Easter!! Spring!!!

I can't even start to explain how different and wonderful the Easter holiday is here! I'll just give some basic details and then youll have to wait till we talk to here everything haha. Our break lasted from the thursday before to the tuesday after easter, and almost every day or night there was some kind of church tradition or event, and I'm far from Catholic but I really enjoyed them! I learned all about their history behind Easter and Pasquetta (the monday after, the celebration day after Jesus was resurrected).
Thursday:In the morning and afternoon I went to the sea to go swimming for the first time, which is always a big deal here. Everyone laughed when I told them I went cus its still so "cold" haha. Then that evening I went to mass with my host mom for Jesus' last supper before he was crucified, it was really beautiful, they sang and there was a biblical history to everything they did. I learned a lot of church "rules" or traditions as well, like the fact that I cant eat the wafer because Im not baptized, neither could my host mom cus she hadn't confessed in a year and that almost everyone goes the saturday before easter to confess. At the end we were then given each a loaf of bread we were supposed to take home share with our family. During the mass at the end they could Jesus' remains in a golden box and a scene around it, different for every church in the city. Then later that night around 930 we went out to visit this scene of all the churches in Mesagne, about 7 or 8. We finished around 1130 and it was beautiful, and for the first time I entered and saw all the churches of the town, which were amazing! I also learned how to do the cross on my head and shoulders (I finally asked how cus i always felt really awkward when the others did it and i didnt).
Friday: In the night there was a parade through the city called the " Misteri" of them carrying the cross and the dead Jesus through the street in a funeral like precession, with complete silence from everyone participating and observing. I personally thought it was kinda scary/creepy looking but interesting at the same time. Everyone was dressed in black and the children and women carried candles while 8 men carried two giant heavy statues through the streets for about 3 hours. Interesting. Never seen anything like it! In other towns close by it was a little different, in every town it is, bigger, smaller, but always pretty much like this one.
Saturday: Traditionally were not supposed to eat this day (and were not supposed to eat meat the whole week, except Sunday where its traditional to eat rabbit or lamb, because its written in the bible). We're not supposed to eat because we treat these days as if someone we knew really personally had just died, and normally we dont cook or eat much the few days after someone dies and thats why. But we ate anyways because in our family there are small children. Then that night there is another mass for the resurrection of Jesus, which I didn't go to because it ended at 2 in the morning and we had to get up early the next morning for Easter. For this day we also went to Mesagne's graveyard which is much different then those in the States, most commonly the bodies are in house type buildings, sometime a family owns one of these houses and puts all their family in it when they die, or there are the houses with families mixed, they are really amazing, walking through the graveyard feels like walking through a mini city. Some of these are really ancient as well, from hundreds of years ago. Here we visited as the deceased family members and friends of my host family.
Easter Sunday: We got up at 9 because we had to go visit family at their houses to wish them a happy Easter, we do these rounds for Christmas and then for Easter, to the family members that we dont see a lot, usually the older ones. We finished there, after us kids getting a few Euros and some kisses from great aunts and grandparents and went to an aunt's house for lunch. I don't even know where to start with the food! We ate mozzarella, prosciutto, eggplant and other little things for appetizers (already was getting full after this). Lasagna for the first plate, mine just normal and theres with meatballs. For the meat I had DELICIOUS salmon (VERY full after this) and they ate rabbit, lamb, and sausage. Then there was fruit, then pastries (what ill prolly miss most about Italy hahah) and then a lot of chocolate from the eater eggs, and then the traditional Easter cake in the shape of a dove (I didn't see the shape and neither did they haha) with chocolate type sauce. Im sure I'm missing something that we ate but I think thats pretty much it.
We then went home and chilled, I slept for two hours and then went out with some friends.
The next day, Pasquetta: Pasqua con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi, or something like that haha That I know of we don't have this day, at least not like the Italians. It's historically the celebration day after Jesus is reborn. For this day everyone goes with their friends to the ocean or to the countryside to have picnics and just have a nice day outside (even though they say that every year it rains this day). I went with my friends to Torre Regina, which is a big field where they play music and dance and its basically just like a hippy fest, so I felt at home right away! hahaha. It was my friends 18th birthday and we all had a really good day!:)
Tuesday: Then the last day of break! My AFS leader, Mr. Bianco, invited me and my family, the student volunteers from ym school, and the family of the Chinese student who also lives in our area (the girl from Norway wasn't able to come) to his house in the countryside close to the ocean. First of all Federica and I had an adventure getting to the house with the other teenagers with one of their cars and it was really fun haha and then when we got there we all played with the soccer ball a type of monkey in the middle, when my little host brother really got into it and annoyed everyone with his controlliness hahahaha :) We ate pasta with tomato sauce, the standard Italian lunch and then they BBQed meat and then we at some cake made by the other exchange student and some pastries. Yummy yum yummm!! After a bit we went to a cafe for an expresso and some crepes with nutella. Federica and I drove back with the same people and yet again laughed a lot and got home very tired.
The whole vacation and holiday was a great new experience where I really did learn a lot about this culture and I really enjoyed it. I've never followed organized religion, especially Christianity, but I can definitely appreciate the traditions and community it creates. I don't ever intend on start practicing any organized religion but I think what is really important to do, for everyone in the world, is to accept the different people, cultures, religions, and ideas other people have. We don't have to agree but I don't believe that we need to make conflict in order to change other people.

Yesterday I had an argument with a friend about the difference between Christians and Muslims, him not liking Islam and saying that Christianity is much more peaceful, and I argued that all religions are violent and that we can't generalize a religious group by only a few people, the dangerous out-of-control ones we here about on TV. This argument made me realize that I really need to have sources, information, and facts to back up my thoughts and beliefs, its not enough to just say what I think if I was people to actually consider what I have to say.

This week really was something ill remember happily and with great appreciation for what ive learned, and lots and lots of fun!

I hope everyone is doing wonderful! Thank you all and love you!

Kali

Spring!

The beautiful Italian spring has arrived with the summer close behind:D When I leave to walk to school in the morning the sun is shinny (not that its ever not shinning here) and a warm breeze blows behind me on my way to school. And then when we get out of school around 12, Im sweating after my short walk home:) Che bellooo:):) haha. Im surpressing my urge to run outside in my shorts and tank top in my very seattlish-girl way at the first trace of sun. Im already the strange girl who sits on the ground, wears t shirt when its not sunny and who dances in the street, ill stick with those and just wait till everyone else puts on their shorts and we go to the ocean, which is BEAUTIFUL here! The water is clear and smooth, the sand pale, and once they clean up after the high waters of the winter and set up all the bars along the beach it will be amazing! Ive been told that during the winter the beaches are deserted, including the bars, completely empty, and then in may when it starts getting really warm they make everything like new; they bring in new sand for the beaches, paint the bars, plant new grass, set up the sitting areas, and clean up all the garbage, stones, and shells from the beaches. Can't wait for the summer! Which pretty much starts in the middle of may here, when well go to the beach with our train of mopeds all day everyday, 90 or 95 degrees.

I look out my window now at the blue, sunny and warm sky and I'm just so blissfully happy as I listen to Brett Dennan, theres no better feeling then this. I want to be in the sun shine every moment that is possible! THIS is why I wanted to come to Italy, I wanted to have this feeling in me that I get with this sunshine :D

Last week we celebrated 150 years of the union of Italy, who knew "Italy" was so young! It was very exciting and chilly though, my host brother and a friend of the family participated in the middle school parade through Mesagne and we went to watch them and then during the day we had a big 4 hour lunch with some cousins, aunts and the grandpanrents.

We also discussed the new war in Libia and all the possibilities and fears we had of how big the war would become. Ive thought about my safetly of course, being so close and all, but Ive talked to my AFS adviser and we both agreed that their really is nothing to worry about! If theres any sign that something is threatening us, ill being immidiately ivacuated with the other AFS students.

My good friend Claire is about to leave Paris after 7 months there on exchange to work in a Waldorf preschool in Egypt! Im so excited for her, and it makes me think about how also I am ready to do something a little more..out of the lines..(can I say that?)..a little more..risky,exciting, grown up. I know Im already doing something that most people my age wont be doing for several more years, but it really seems like Ive gotten as much out of this experience as I can. Of course I would continue to learn things if I stayed here forever, but of course I would continue learning! Because thats how life is! We learn! We learn from everything of our surroundings, thats what it means to be alive and healthy and happy! :) But im ready for a new environment! Something more exciting!

College..is stressful, and im not even in it yet! but im in the process of looking for one, but there are just so many! Im interesting in teaching english and global studies. If anyone has any ideas please contact me! I also am really interested in going to California because i live it so much! I want to keep that blissful feeling that i get from the sun as much as possible!

Thank you for all of your support!
Kali

5 months gone, and 5 more to come.

So today is exactly my have way point, wow, thats crazy to think. In a way, half of my year seems to have gone by super fast, and then when I think of my first weeks here it seems like AGES ago! This weird time continuum is a good and a bad thing I guess, good because of how excited I am to see all my friends and family when I get home and see how much ive grown over this year outside of my regular environment. But then I also dread the day where I have to leave my amazing new friends and my host family that I honestly DONT KNOW how im going to go through leaving them. In a way I feel like Im just really starting to get comfortable here, Im starting to really like school and my friends, things are finally smooth with my host family most of the time, and I really feel like Im learning a lot this year, and have so much more i will learn in the next half. Thats another reason I dont want to leave, is because I know that if i were to stay longer i would learn so much more and faster about myself and who i am in the world then i would comfortably at home.
Home is a wonderful place, I really have learned that these months. Being home, with my parents and dogs, really is the best feeling there is that ive ever experienced, the feeling of just being completely content and comfortable, without the pressure to be anyone but you.
I wanna write and reflect about the challenges Ive experience while here..but I honestly dont know if i can really express them to people who hasnt been an exchange student..There are obviously the obvious ones of not knowing the language, the culture and the family, but it goes so much deeper then just that! When i say the language Im talking about how my capability in school shoots way down, how I couldn't go out alone cus I wasnt able to communicate with anyone if i needed to, I couldn't have conversations with my family like I was used to, i couldn't express my opinion, and then from those things came even more consequences. Then a different culture and family has about the same or even more effects on my behavior, thoughts, feelings, and attitude to this new life of mine.
I don't deny that I've been critical of the people and culture here, that I've had my moments of depression when I would like nothing more but to go home, that Ive hated the fact that I chose to do this year away from all I know. But I can say that I know I've now accepted most everything about my new home and that I am truly loving (almost) every moment! But for all those future students who are thinking how amazing it will be to go to ITALY, or FRANCE or SPAIN, all I can say is that after a month it doesnt matter where you are, but this experience is HARD!!!!! Im sure it helps that im in one of the most architecturally beautiful countries in the world, thats famous for family and romance, but honestly after the first few weeks I got past all that I realized, WOW, I'M HERE and this IS WAYYY DIFFERENT THEN IM USED TO! SHIT!
Im happy about how much I've done and am still going to do this year, traveling wise. Ive been to Rome, Florence and Perugia, and am going to Venice and Sicily later this spring.

I'm sure I'll have lots to talk about with you all when I get home thats for sure!

Ok, ho visto mentre stavo leggendo i altri posti i errori che facevo prima..ma ogni posto divento meglio.. Quindi dovrei continuare..pero' non lo so di cosa devo scrivere. C'è una ragazza dalla scuola mia chi e' andata all'Austria per sei mesi quest'anno, Chi e' tornata oggi! Quindi domani a scuola le conoscerò! Yay! sono contenta per questo:) Ok va bene, basta. Buona notte!
Love you all!
Kali

Turning 17!!

Yes I figured out how to put pictures up again! Well Sunday was my birthday and I urned 17! as many of you know. And it was a nice festive day with lunch out at a restraunt and then cake and desserts with friends and family in the evening. All in the the feste were very nicely put together by my host mom!! And my cake was amazing!!!
But I have to admit the day was accompanied by some pretty harsh home-sickness that dampered that day a bit. Which has continued a bit into yesterday and today, but im starting to feel swell again because everything really is perfect!

The language is coming along really well, people keep complimenting me on it which makes me feel good. I am pretty confident, able to speak correctly most of the time grammaticly, but i still need to work on vocab because if i get stuck ever its when i dont know a word or verb. And im trying to work on more difficult tenses now that im getting the hang of present simple, passato prossimo, futuro, imperfetto, condizionale and passato remoto (still working on that one tho). And I swear Im learning way more about English grammer and sentense structure here then i ever learned in school in seattle haha.

Im exciting to be getting around Italy this year. Already Ive been to Rome, Florence, and Perugia and then smaller cities down south. Then at the beginning of March Ill be going to Belluno which is close to Venice, where Ill take a day trip to (during the time of Carnevale!!!) with AFS. Then in the middle of May Im going on a school trip to Sicily to see a play which Im really excited for! Ive also had the chance to go to Vienna, Florence or Rome again, Auschwitz and other smaller trips with the school but ive decided not to go for different reason.

This experience is amazing and Im learning so much about myself and my beliefs, obviously along with the culture and people of Italy:) Thanks again to all the people who helped get me here! Love you all!!!!

Love, Kali

The Holidays
Ok, devo scrivere della vacanze, pero' non so come posso spiegare tutto perché tante cose hanno passato.. proverò comunque! Natale era più meno come facciamo a Seattle, con i parenti e gli amici, tanti cibi italiani, giochi, e cosi. Mi piaciuta molto! Era un bella esperienza!
Poi per Capo D'anno andavo alla casa della famiglia di Gianluca, vicino Perugia, e vedevo mia cugina Ilaria per 6 giorno! Il migliori regalo del mondo!! Per il 31 siamo andate con Chiara a una festa nelle montagne per tutto la notte, era freddissima! Poi siamo andate a Firenze! Oddio! Firenze e' sicuramente mia città preferita!!
Quando sono andata per prendere il mio volo comunque.. ho perso lo! Mia prima volta! Ma poi Roberta e Mauro mi guidavano da Roma a Mesagne, loro sono simpaticissimi!! Ok, adesso Inglese!
I should write about my holiday, but i don't know how I can explain everything because so much has happened! But I will try! Christmas was pretty much like how we do it in Seattle, with family and friends, lots of food, games and so on. I enjoyed iit so so much! It was a great experience, seeing this important holiday from different point of view.
Then for New years I went to the family of Gianluca, nearby Perugia, and saw my cousin Ilaria for 6 whole entire days!! The best gift in the world! For the 31 we went to a party in the mountains for the night that was super fun and it was so funny counting down to midnight in another language, with all these people, in a big old house, with Ilaria. I loved it! But it was freezing haha. We also went to Florenc, which is definitely my favorite city so far in Italy, maybe that I've ever visited.
When I went to catch my plane I ended up missing it, due to many things (too long of a goodbye with Ilaria, thinking my plane was at a different time then it was, and a wrong estimate of how much time I needed before my flight, for baggage and visa check). It was my first time missing a flight! And it sucked! But luckily Roberta and Mauro were waiting for me to get through, just in case I didn't make it, so I rushed out and caught them and they drove me all the way home! They are such wonderful people!

Thank you all for your love and support, I appreciate you so much!
Kali