melissa grace kreider

      How does one find out about a natural disaster that occurs in a neighboring city with no tv and relatively slow internet? I'll tell you: parents.

      Early Sunday morning an earthquake occured in Bologna, a city reachable by train in about 45 minutes from Florence. After a long night out, I entered my bedroom where my roommate was already sleeping to something falling in my loft bedroom above (it sounded like someone or SOMETHING was walking around). She awoke with a start and said her bed was shaking. At this point I was already frozen in fear because me, being me, assumed something Paranormal Activity-like was taking place upstairs in my loft bedroom. I flipped the light on and looked over and her bed, which sure enough was shaking. Thoughts? Haunted apartment. It is Italy, after all.

       I quickly tried to push the extreme feelings of horror from my brain and went to sleep to the best of my ability, waking up late Sunday afternoon. My mother frantically Skyped me around 7 AM EST, asking if I was alright, if anything had broken, was I damaged?! I was still under the impression at this point that our apartment was being haunted by Italian mobsters and the like, so I played dumb until she explained that she had just heard on the news that an earthquake occured in Bologna around 4 AM my time. Needless to say, I immediately understood that what we had heard and felt was not a haunting but shifting of tectonic plates. 

      I had never felt an earthquake before, however faint, and I still can't comprehend that I have now powered through the Earth shifting around me since I spent the better part of the day believing that my new apartment had a permanent tennant. If you've read anything about the quake, a few people died and there was massive damage done to important historical buildings. I now wish that my apartment was haunted and that there wasn't such a terrible disaster...

     So that was my earthquake experience. Terror, superstition, shaking and afterwards, sadness. I wish my tv worked just so I could effectively keep up on the news, but I suppose I have my mother for that. Heh. Summer is in full swing here in Florence, so excuse my lack of updating, but I've been enjoying the sun too much! 

Thinking of some lovely updates for you all, though,

Ciao for now,

-m.

     My first semester in Florence has flown by and I'm now onto my summer semester... c. 109 days living in Italy already? Make time stop, please. Cleaning up my apartment and moving everything I've bought or acquired from one building to another was surreal. 

The cleanest our kitchen has ever been since we moved in!

     It was completely sad to leave Borgo Tegolaio, 9. One by one my roommates left...the girls and I walked one of my friends to the train station at 5 am, and I was awoken two hours later by my other roommate leaving. Heartbreaking, I tell you! My remaining roommate, Becca, and I, did last minute cleaning and hung out until we absolutely had to leave, in which we wheeled her luggage (I had dropped my luggage/leftover apartment-things in my hostel for the night) to Piazza Santo Spirito and sat for four hours with the other girls, waiting for her flight to leave.

     Eventually the time came and all of my roommates from Tegolaio had departed. Definitely still strange that they're actually all gone and back in the States. Luckily there are still some left in Florence, and returning, that were there to keep me company. 

     Sunday was move-in day. I was met by the girls from "the other apartment" and they helped me carry my things up to my new apartment. Good news-it's beautiful!! I absolutely adore my new place.

Stairs to my loft bedroom :]      I was the first one there (of course-there wasn't any flying involved in my journey to Borgo Stella) and able to unpack and kind of get the feel of the place (i.e. learn how to use the washer, locate everything, etc). Our kitchen is massive!

Two of my other new roommates arrived around two. Doubly good news?! They're fantastic! 

      Any of you that have ever had roommates know how nerve-wracking and lucky you are to live with people you usually get along with-and I've gotten immensely lucky. All three of my roommates are completely lovely and, my favorite, adventurous. I love seeing them get excited about Florence because...well, I'M generally excited about Florence and it allows me to be stoked all over again! Ever since I arrived I've wanted someone to visit so I could show them around, and this is ALMOST just as good!

     Tonight we cooked our first "family dinner." One of the girls wants to cook all of the time-thankfully! Even better, she's a fantastic cook!

      Spaghetti alla Limone

       Classes start tomorrow, and I'm actually ready despite only having four days off...I'm getting to the point where I don't know what to do with myself if I'm not taking photo/art classes, so I'm ready to have purpose again. It's sorta what I do. Lame, I know. Judge me! I dare ya.

Ciao for now!

m.

     Traveling is fantastic, and I'm truly lucky that I have the oppurtunity to do so. I typically don't enjoy staying in one place for too long, so weekends where I hit three countries in rapid succession are a dream come true! Being abroad really is an invaluable experience that I wouldn't trade for the world ten times over. I am constantly humbled or taken down a couple of notches and then gently let back up. I am taught my lesson and I learn from it. 

      What I've learned just this weekend?

     1. Being American doesn't carry a negative connotation if you don't let it. Fight to prove the stereotype wrong, and just generally use your damn head. Don't be quick to rebuttle against your country and set yourself apart from "the rest of them." Embrace the fact that the piece of land where you lay your head is called America, and that's it. Don't let the political messiness muddle that. Only be ashamed if you live up to what the world assumes as American. Prove them wrong.

     2. Traveling is like a game that you will sometimes lose. Things will go wrong. Planes will be missed, trains will be late, you will forget things in your hotel room. People in power will try to push you to argue, and snap at you for asking simple questions (this applies especially if you are young...maybe about nineteen..aka, me). Have patience and a sense of humor. Take it slow, don't rush, and just be calm. Let bygones be bygones. Unless you have some magical way to control air traffic or the weather, get over it. 

     3. It is rude and insensitive to assume that everyone speaks English. If you need help, politely ask if they do before firing away with some long-winded explanation about how you're lost and don't understand something. Be humble. 

     I could go on, but I think it's clear the point I am trying to make. I am learning things that I never would have been able to fathom if I didn't take the chance of delving into Europe alone. At this point, about halfway done with my study abroad experience, I want to urge everyone to take advantage of the programs your school offers for study abroad. If they don't have what you want, find a program that does and take the necessary steps to acheive credit transfer. We live in a global market, and having a global perspective doesn't just make you a better candidate for jobs, it makes you a better person. 

I'll leave you with that. It's always a bit of a strange snap when I return to Florence because I also return to schoolwork, budgeting and bedtimes. The long days where I'm traveling and constantly on the move make me forget that such things exist. Florence is my constant and stable home right now, and with it comes responsibility..

...what I am saying is that I have mass finals to study for or photograph, and I'm hardcore procrastinating.

Ciao for now!

-m.

The third thing I experienced that I had never seen before?

Notte Bianca (White Night).

Let me set it up for you: close to 11 pm, freshly off of the plane from Amsterdam, taxi driver having major road rage, getting into the city center near the train station.

People.

Everywhere.

After being away from Florence for so long, I had no idea what had been going on there, and I walked into once of the biggest, craziest block parties in Florence. Right smack dab in the middle. I still have really no idea what was going on theme-wise, but there were people everywhere. Stores were open until 6am, there was live music in every single piazza, and art installations projected on major buildings.

A video on the Pitti Palace.

 Piazza Santo SpiritoIt was hoppin', to say the least. I didn't stick around to do more than take some photos, get the feel of it and of course, buy gelato....no shame!

Ciao for now,

-m.

      Friday the 27th: Milan. Okay, maybe not actually Milan, but a town near it called Assago. It reminded me of Ohio because there was nothing to do there. I took a train from Milan then a subway to Assago, arriving at my hotel around four. I was a bit taken back at how nice said hotel was due to the price. I chose it due to its walking distance to the venue where the concert was. I wasn't expecting it to be that high-end!

The view from my hotel!I took most of that day to soak in the massive bathtub included in that hotel room. My shower in Florence is miniscule. It was such a treat!!

I made my way to the venue and I saw the band by their tour bus (Three guesses who I was going to see. Yeah, Motion City Soundtrack. SO worth it!), and we chatted for a bit. I hurried inside to get to the front. Motion City played so well and the Italian crowd loved them. Motion City Soundtrack hadn't been there for eight years, when they played in Bologna with Blink 182! I'm glad that they had a good show in my current country, and I think it was my favorite time I've seen them...that's out of a lot of times. Let's not get technical, eh?

      Saturday; A day full of exhausting traveling. Setup? Feet-Subway-Train-Shuttle-Airport-Plane-Train-Feet-Done. Every form of transportation! All that was missing was a taxi ride and I'd have it all covered. Once in Amsterdam, I was greeted by one of my best friends from the states who is staying in Arnhem. It was so great to see someone familiar and be with someone I can just hang out with! I missed her so much! We traveled back to Arnhem by train, bought food and hung out for the rest of the night. I loved being around friends! Her and her boyfriend are two of my favorite people. 

Groezrock 2012 Wristband

      Sunday; Train-train-train-bus-feet-GROEZROCK. Once again a too-early-to-be-normal start to travel to Belgium for Groezrock 2012. Groezrock is in it's 21st year of rocking the city of Meerhout to it's core every last weekend in April. Included are the biggest names in punk/hardcore/ska/rock genre on four stages for two days.

I arrived to catch the end of MxPx's set, folowed by Motion City Soundtrack's set, then made a friend and explored the festival until Hot Water Music was set to come on. Groezrock was like nothing I've ever seen. Dirty, unwashed, sweaty punks were everywhere I turned. My people!! I felt at home and very in my element, although a pang of remorse shot through me all day for not smuggling my camera in ("Professional Cameras are Prohibited without a Photo Pass" blah, blah, blah...). I saw Hot Water Music, Alkaline Trio, got some things signed at the Etnies Booth by Motion City (they remember me-hoorah!) and geared up for Anti-Flag. 

      Let's just say I got my face rocked off by Anti-Flag. I haven't seen them in quite awhile and they're just as good as I remember them. I was in the front. I sweated until I thought I would pass out, screamed, and a guy got dropped on my head while crowdsurfing. All in all, successful. After their set I had to catch the last bus back to the train station that would deliver me back to Arnhem safe and sound, meaning I missed Refused and Tommy Gabel. Endless tears. Still an amazing day, awesome festival, and plans to one day return for the entire weekend and camp. 

     Monday; Queen's Day in Arnhem! Queen's Day is a nationwide holiday in Holland to celebrate the (former) Queen's birthday. We (my friend from the States, her boy, his friend) went to downtown Arnhem for the festivities and everything was orange. Orange clothes, wigs, leis, jewelry, decorations-there was even an orange farris wheel! So, why orange? The Dutch flag is red, white and blue. I found out that orange is the color of the Dutch Royal Family-dating back to Willem de Oranje. 

      On Queen's Day, craft and rummage sales line the streets for bypassers to pick at and purchase from. Food stands are mixed in, making it a city-wide block party. 

From the train station to the city center.

All Out.      I've said this three times this weekend: It was like nothing I've ever seen before! 

Drums in the street.     I decided to partake in something Dutch-a fried ball of dough with raisins-before I had to depart and return to Florence. I'm not usually a fan of fried things, but this pastry is the perfect balance between chewy and sweet. I loved it! It's a good thing I don't live in Holland-I would eat one of those each and every day. 

So I hopped back on a train to the airport, waved goodbye to my friends, and flew back to Florence, where I was met with yet another (the third) thing I've never seen before. 

Ciao for now,

-m.

 You know, just hanging out of the window..