Cogitate

Ciao ragazzi :) I hope that everyone is clinging onto every last ounce of summer 2013 that they have left, just like all of my friends and I are doing!

That's actually kind of the reason that I haven't been blogging a lot recently *drumroll please* I've actually been pretty busy!!

Compared to last month, where I had some days that I literally had to keep myself from blogging twice in one day because I was THAT bored, this month is quite a turn around :P

So as mentioned, I had my going away party on the 10th, and although not a lot of people showed up due to work, vacation, etc. the people who did come made it an absolutely amazing time :) My cousin Emily came over Friday and we basically spent a day and a half cooking for it!

Coming from the girl who considers microwaved ramen noodles a delicacy, this is BIG.

I don't really have a lot to say about my party, other than it was so touching and I strongly urge anyone who is going away on a long trip (whether it be exchange or vacation) to have some sort of farewell get together with the people you love! I got to see friends that I haven't seen since the last day of school, and I finally had an excuse to practice dressing fancy, because pretty much everyone in Italy is permanently at model status 24/7.

Some going away presents, my friends are simply just the best <3

 

My party cake that I got to design :) Also it tasted pretty delish too ;)

 



 

Although believe it or not I do have friends, the main event that has kept me busy this past week has been CXC!!

For anyone who isn't a sporty person, or just despises acronyms, CXC stands for Cocalico Cross Country. Cocalico being my high school and cross country as in the sport of running for fun.

........I can bet money on it that 97% of you just dry heaved at the thought of running for fun :P

Well, my little couch potatoes, let me just explain something to you about CXC

1.) It is a co-ed sport, meaning guys and girls both participate, which basically eliminates drama.

2.) We have undeniably the best coaches/ most fun program of any school in the league

That brings me to the title of this post - COGITATE. That is my XC coach / former geometry teacher's favorite word, and it basically means to stop and really think about something on a deeper level. Not only is it fun to say, it really relates to being an exchange student. AFS has made me cogitate about myself, Italy, my future, and what it really means to be a worldly person!

3.) I have met most of my current best friends through CXC.

Don't get me wrong, it is WORK, and it takes a lot of dedication, but it is also the most rewarding sport I think you could ever do.

Anyways, since I just love it sooooooo much, I have chosen to do preseason up until the day before I leave for New York with my team, so that includes waking up at 7am for the next week to go run/sprint 3-8 miles a day. Call me crazy, but it's probably the most fun I've had all summer :) Nothing replaces the bond you have with your teammates!

Taken this morning before we went to go run the trails and stream of a local boy scout camp. My lovely XC ladies and I took it upon ourselves to dress as the rainbow ;) I was blue!

 

Pretty much what we all looked like after LSD day (long slow distance, not the drug)

 

 

Besides cross country in the mornings, I'd say the place I have been to the most in the past week is definitely the Courtyard Café. It's a local coffee shop in my school district that I may or may not want to get married in, I just love it that much! They make chai tea lattes that are so good, next time I go there I might just ask if they can hook me up to an IV drip and just serve it directly into my bloodstream. Going through latte withdrawal once I leave in 18 days will undoubtedly be the hardest thing I've ever had to in my life :( </3

 



Behold the blended chai tea latte, or as I like to call it - nectar of the Gods

 

On to AFS related things, finally! Remember how I told you that AFS can make the world feel so small you could fit it in your backpack? Well, the other morning I was chatting with my fellow Italy AFSer, Ko, who happens to live in Tokyo and is my JBF (Japanese best friend) and he sent me a pic of a Japanese talk show that he was watching! The guests that day were none other than our favorite band, Imagine Dragons!! It just goes to show how being an exchange student will bring people into your lives who you never even fathomed existed before, and bond you together! 

 



Imagine Dragons in Japan!!!!!

 

 

Yesterday I received my official AFS luggage tags :) Although just thinking about packing for 10 months in only a 44lb bag and 17lb carryon gives me a panic attack, it's pretty surreal to actually see the luggage tags sitting on my desk.... holy crap, I'm really going to Italy for 10 months, aren't I?

 

 A friendly reminder from AFS that being a girl and owning lots of clothing and makeup and shoes sucks.

 Finally, I drew this for my host sister, Federica, because she is such a sweetie and I didn't want to write a super long letter in English to her :P

 

 Tomorrow is my NYU tour and then back to Cocalico for the last week of summer vacation :O

Ciao ciao :)