Assisi and Perugia

So Yesterday was a fun trip. We went to Assisi and Perugia.
I was so excited to be able to have that religious interaction in Assisi that I have been missing in the trip. It was very relaxing.
Assisi is my favorite city in Italy, and I have decided that if I lived in Italy that I would much rather live in the Umbria area than anywhere else I've been. It still is Etruscan towns, but the structures of the towns are different. Things are a little bigger, and spread out. It's a little more comforting and like home. I think it is a nicer area, because the homes are larger. However, once you get to Perugia, which is still in Umbria, there are apartment complexes as far as the eye can see!!
At any rate, the area in and around Assisi is beautiful.
Last night some good friends invited me to go to the Cowboy restaurant! It was so weird. Its down the hill outside of town, and had the best Italian food. (weird huh?) We sat and talked for three hours and enjoyed ourselves, and the Johnny Cash music.
This morning after walking around town and getting some groceries, we all sat out and had lunch on the lawn out in front of the Educational building next door. We made daisy chains and wore them in our hair like we were kids, and had some serious conversations about the war, and all of that. A rather interesting and funny situation if you ask me.
We talked about how sometimes we forget where we are. Even if you go into town every day. Its becoming a part of our daily life so it isn't foreign to us anymore.
At this point the only thing I have left as far as being sick is a slight cough in the evenings.
I'm getting better, but sometimes I just need my alone time, and I try to get that through journaling and getting out of the Kehoe Center. (The building where we live)
I have been talking to Lukas, and I am hoping to get the trip to Germany finalized soon. I'm thinking I will be able to take a trip and Leave April 23rd in the evening on a train and arrive early morning in Munich on Easter Sunday. I would meet the family in Munich and spend the day with them. We would drive back to Augsberg and then on Monday return home. Its a short visit, but Its hard to manage more than that with both of our schedules. I am looking forward to getting out of Italy, and seeing the Shillings! I was very worried that I wouldn't be able to get to Germany, because it is one of my very favorite places. :)
 This week is going to be very busy, but I think it will be good. Our painting class may be taking a trip to Rome. I also have to start working on my Art History 8 page Caravaggio Paper. I will have to have that finished before I go to Deutchland. I think I will be writing about Caravaggio and Religion, and how they interact. I think that I may be pulling out a B in my Art History Renaissance class, but I found out that my teacher is a rather tough grader, so I am pleased with my grades.
We dont really have Art History this week anyway because she is in Canada teaching something. So, I'm hoping I can get some stuff done while she is gone.
I miss everyone! More updates soon!

Looking Up

So, this morning I woke up to a brilliant sunrise. Our home on the hill felt like it was floating in clouds. It reminded me of Miazaki's Movie "Castle in the sky".  Things are looking up.
I recently moved into a different room in order to give me and my old roommate a chance to recover from our illnesses..... we were thinking it was some form of strep. At any rate. Things got blown out of the water by miss-communications and he said she said crap. Things are cooling down, and I'm feeling myself relax. I'm hoping for even more friendships and good times.
I can't believe its already halfway over. That I have been in Italy for over a month and a half!! I'm getting a trip planned for myself, hopefully a friend too, to go see the Shillings in Augsberg Germany. It would be quite a  and really only last through the weekend, but at the same time I can't let myself come to Europe, be so close, and not go see them. To be honest when I first got to I missed German food and their lifestyle more than the American lifestyle. The bread in Germany is so good! And I was surprised and depressed to find out that it wasn't the same here in Italy.... the bread is rather tasteless.
I got to watch the NCAA basketball tourney opener yesterday at the Lion's Well in town! My friend and I skipped dinner, got pizza, and went and watched the games in the pub. It was amazing how when local's came in they started watching too and got somewhat invested in the game. My friend was satisfied with Kentucky winning, he goes there, and Louisville losing to another team. (Louisville is UK's big rival) UGA is playing at a time when I can't watch so I need someone to fill me in..... JENNY MOSS I CHOOSE YOU! ha I hope she reads this.
So, we saw the weirdest ballet in my life. It was of the play Giselle. Ok.... take classical music.... which makes sense its a ballet. Then add breakdancers..... yes.... breakdancers.... and then a prima ballerina. SO STRANGE. 
I have to go into town today and get some laundry detergent. I'm hoping the weather stay's fair so I can dry my clothes outside!
I got to talk to my Nana and Papa on skype yesterday! It was so nice to see their faces.
All I have left from my illness is my cough and even that is starting to go away.
Things are looking up.

Sick.... again

So most people in my family can tell you that I don't really get sick. I have my once or twice a year cold and I'm done. So why is it that when I spend three months in Italy I spend half of it ill?
When you are the sick person in a group of 50 crammed onto busses, classrooms, and coffeeshops no one really wants to be around you. Now, I'm not saying that I have no friends here and I'm not whining that no one wants to hang out with me. Hell, I don't want to hang out with me if I'm this sick. But after a couple of days you get antsy and homesick. Don't get me wrong, I love it here and probably wont want to leave when the time is up, but its the comforts of home and people that truly love me that I miss. There isn't anyone here who has the same level of care that a family member or loved one has when you are sick. Its a strange experience for me. I miss the space to spread out and be sick in your room so you don't infect everyone around you. I have basically been hiding in my room for the past few days because I don't want to get everyone else here sick. And for the first time I had a teacher tell me not to go to class because I was feeling so bad. Weird.
I wont bore you with the gory details of my illness, but I'm excited about going to the doctor and getting some better medicines. Thankfully I had some good advice from Dave about vitamins. They seem to be helping a lot.
Thankfully the weather is starting to heat up, and soon I may not have to wear long underwear on windy days. Its neat watching the process of growing things here, and things starting to bloom. Maybe I'll notice things more when I get back home. Maybe its just because the agriculture is right in our back door.
So, this weekend we went to Orvietto. I'm just going to come out and say it. I was miserable. I shouldnt have gone because of how sick I was. At any rate. I was heavily medicated, and I did enjoy myself by stuffing my face with pain au chocolat, hot chocolate, pizza, a glass of wine, and gelatto. So I'm not saying I didnt enjoy myself. hahahaha
Here's hoping tomorrow goes better for me at the doctor's office, and a road to recovery.

Update!

Hi Everyone!
So I realized it had been a long time since I posted a blog, so here we go!
Lots of things have been going on, and as all of you probably know by now my hair is something crazy. I had a special opportunity to get my hair cut and colored for free by an italian stylist for a hair show in Arezzo. However, I had no choice in either cut or color. So long story short I ended up with an orange faux hawk. Not going to lie, I'm loving it and having fun, but I'm thinking I may cut it to a more managable state before I leave, and maybe get it back to a blonde. My only problem with the hair is that I dont really have any clothes that go with it..... hahahaha dont worry Mom, I'm not going to go buy a whole new wardrobe!
I have realized its been getting harder to keep journaling as life goes on here. You get in a groove. Thats why I love sundays because I can sit, relax, enjoy a cappuccino in the sunshine, and get some studying done. Its really wonderful to go through Cortona and grab a slice of pizza and maybe some gelato.
This week is going to be a busy one. We have a midterm exam in art history and I have some painting stuff that I need to work on. I'm doing some intense color exercises which are little paintings, but I'm excited about studying color more in depth and then incorporating it into my portraiture near the end of the semester. My teacher does almost all figure paintings, so I'm looking forward to painting portraits again.
Book making is a ton of fun, and I'm trying to make as many as I can while I have access to the materials and the equipment. We will have an opportunity to bind books in leather soon, so I'm super pumped about that. I'm thinking about making a big leather bound book for my final project.... maybe do some research in leather tooling.... who knows!
My Italian is getting a whole lot better passively. I can ask for most daily things like wine and coffee, or a slice of pizza. I can understand a whole lot more than I used to. I feel a little more ingrained in the culture, even if I look like a foreigner I feel comfortable in Cortona walking around.
I want to give a shout out to my parents and the Connors who are celebrating Mardi Gras in Mobile, and say that I miss them!! Eat a Moon Pie for me!
Ciao ya'll