Too cool for school

Ciao ragazzi :)

So as you can probably guess, the title of this post is referring to the fact that I'm not in school!!!

While my sister, along with about 1500 other sleepy kids around the district had to catch their busses around 7 am this morning, I got to sleep in and not worry about it, because I'M GOING TO ITALY!

Since I leave next Wednesday, it doesn't make any sense for me to go in for only 5 days of junior year.. and they don't want me being a "disturbance" to the rest of the kiddos stuck in school for the next 10 months so I get to just chill out until I leave :)

Sadly, "chilling out" in my case means finishing 2 more lessons on Rosetta Stone, getting copies on copies on copies of every document you could think of, shopping for last minute supplies, packing everything, and then quadruple checking every friggin' detail.

And now all of that is going to be a million times harder after being temporarily blinded from watching Miley Cyrus's VMA performance last night..... *shudders*

Any who, although I'm getting down to the wire (9 days until go time) it really hasn't sunk in yet for me, but honestly I think I'm going to have to be hit with a giant cinder block painted like the Italian flag for that to ever happen :P

I'm sure once I'm saying goodbye to my family for the last time in 10 months that it will all really start to click, in a weird melancholy sort of way, but for now I'm just doing my thing in PA...

To be honest, the entire month of August has felt like waiting in line for that new roller coaster that looks super amazing. Of course, the line is huge and you're waiting FOREVER! At the back of the line, you're not excited at all because you have too much standing time before you get on to actually feel excited (beginning of August) but as you move through the line, slowly but surely it dawns on you that you're about to ride the coaster you've been dreaming about riding all summer long (mid-August) and then FINALLY you can see the people in front of you being loaded into their seats and you know that soon enough, you're turn is actually coming! This is what you came to do, and it's all you've been looking forward to for the last 3 hours.... you're a little scared and nervous, but also really excited because you know that it will be the ride of your life! (now)

Another thing I've really been thinking about is everything that I am going to miss here in PA. This state is all I've ever known and it truly is my home. This is where I feel safe and secure and I know that I have friends and family who love me. Don't get me wrong, I was born to be an exchange student and see the world, but as my friend Kara once said: "You can't fall in love with another country until you've learned to love your own home".

A brief version of my master "I will miss" list...

1.) The food. Of course, anyone from anywhere will tell you that their native food from _________ is the best in the world, and I am certainly no exception. PA Dutch food is totally THE BOMB and I will miss it dearly. Sticky buns, chicken pot pie, shoo fly pie, my stomach will never forget you </3 In addition, I'm also going to miss a lot of American food in general. Hershey's candy, hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, you're always in my heart too </3

2.) The scenery. On Saturday as I was running a 4 mile loop that I have run many times before, I happened to look up. At that moment I was running down a hill in between an open field and corn stalks that were about 8 feet high. I could see the expanse of the Reamstown/Denver valley in front of me, and the sun was streaking through the corn like something out of a movie. The coolest thing was, there were about 20 black birds flying right over my head just chirping away. It doesn't sound like much, but I really had a moment, and that's all it took for me to get all teary thinking about leaving my beautiful home for a year.

3.) Junior year. The saddest thing about leaving for me is the fact that I will be giving up my junior year of high school. From homecoming to sir valentine, prom to those amazing Friday night football games, I will deeply miss it all! Junior year is supposed to be your year to really find yourself - think about who you are and what you want your future to look like. I chose to use my exchange as a tool to help me do that, but still, junior year is an American right of passage that I just won't ever have. That being said, I wish all of my amazing friends and fellow juniors the very best of luck in everything that you choose to do this school year, keep on making the class of 2015 proud guys <3

5.) Running. As most of you know, I am a running freak! I live and breathe for it, and although I am going to do my very best to run in Italy, it's not the same as running around through Cocalico, where I know exactly how far and where I am going. In addition, I am missing my wonderful cross country team's season... but I will be thinking about you guys every second and I hope you kick major LL League bootay this year. ONE MORE!

4.) Family and friends. Naturally, this is the biggest thing exchange students tend to miss, and I completely feel the same way. I've had the same group of friends since at least 6th grade, some even since 1st! I love you all so much, and I wouldn't be the girl that I am today without you! Maegan, Alicia, Emily, you three are my sisters from another mister - we have seen each other at our worsts and certainly at our bests. To you three and to all of my other amazing friends, over the years, you have picked me up when I've fallen down, held my chin up high when I didn't have the strength to on my own, and supported me in whatever I chose to do. I will always keep you in my heart and thoughts, and know that every time you miss me, I miss you a little more. I know 10 months is a long time, but being apart will just make spending senior year together that much more fun!! <3

My family is just that - family. Like it or not, I'm stuck with them for the rest of my life, and honestly I don't think I would ever want to be stuck with another group of people :) To my parents and grandparents, thank you for loving me unconditionally, allowing me to go on such an amazing journey when other kids parents would have a heart attack at the mere thought of it, and always believing in me and my dreams. I can't wait to share my journey with you all when I get back and for you to see the lady I've become over the past 10 months <3 To my sister Alison, we may fight over the stupidest little things, and we may get annoyed with each other too easily, but know that I am so proud of the lady you've become. Have an amazing year in 8th grade, and keep being the intelligent, classy, gorgeous girl that you are! Never settle for anything less than you deserve, and keep chasing your dreams!


To my dogs, Maxwell and Gabby... I WUBB YEW MY WIDDLE CUTIES AND I WILL MISS YEW SO MUCH BABIEZ PWEEZE DONT FORGET ME!

I needed to have a sappy goodbye post, and I figured this was as good a time as any! Sorry for the walls of text and lack of pictures, but I'm thinking I will have TONS  over the coming months, so thanks for reading anyways :)

Ciao ciao :)