This morning, we began classes. There was a little confusion about schedules, but no big deal - it's a good learning experience to realize that they should always follow MY schedule, not a different schedule given by others. :) Everyone had a good dinner, a good night's sleep (I think a few of us were excited about today), and came to the school bright-eyed!
They have already been placed into their classes, and are laughing . . . a lot. So, I thought I'd share with you the excitement of today.
June 29th is a holy day everywhere in Italy, first of all. It's the feast of SS. Peter and Paul, when the Pope inaugurates (right word? inducts?) the new archbishops. Seriously - in the Vatican Piazza (Piazza di San Pietro), throngs of people crowd in to see the Pope and all the excitement! In Siena, it's an important day, too, as it's the first day of the Palio. The city is set up for the festival - everyone has their flags and lamps up, decorating their contrada, and the track and all the important regalia is all placed around the Campo. The dirt track makes it fun on years like this - it has rained for a week in Siena, and it's supposed to rain a little every day. Which Rose and I don't mind, at all.
ANYWAYS, this morning, everyone is out, wearing their contrada's scarves (which you receive when you're little) and excited about today. Today, at 9 AM, they let the 30 chosen horses make a few laps around the Campo, just to let everyone see the potential of the horse (as if it really means anything - without a jockey, an excellent horse could just stroll around). THen, at 1, is when they do the selection of the horses. If you don't know what's going on, it means nothing. Numbers are matched to colored balls (each, the color of each competing Contrada), which sets the jockey with the horse for the next four days. The BIG event today is at 7 PM this evening, where they have the Prima Prova (first trial-run). This is the first time the jockey gets to publicly ride the horse around the Campo. Even though they've had quality time already - from the minute the selection is made, the jockey and horse are together. Eating. Sleeping. Bonding. There are a few myths surrounding the Prima Prova, one especially that, if something goes wrong during this one, the Palio is CURSED. A few years ago, a horse got tangled up in the starting-line ropes, and broke a leg. The owner of the horse promised to honor the horse (he, the rider, and the Contrada didn't get to compete) by not putting it under, but you and I both know what happens to horses with broken legs . . .
I just realized - I never said what a CONTRADA is!!! Siena, as tiny as it is, is divided into 17 neighborhoods, or contrade, throughout town. Each contrada is assigned to an animal (usually, but there are a few, like "tower"), and has its own special colors. And people take major pride in the maintenance of their contrada. Someone using graffiti? Some child misbehaving? They can expect to be reprimanded by any random person within that contrada. It's really pretty cool. I wonder what our city would look like if everyone had such pride in their own neighborhood. Anyways, there are actually two Palio events each year, one on July 2, and one in August. They have NOTHING to do with each other. There are ten teams who compete on Thursday, and the other seven are promised a spot in the next July 2 race (and three others who are drawn sometime in October). I haven't heard about anything promising yet, but all the gossip starts while hanging around for the Prima Prova tonight.
If you never hear from your kiddos, keep a big list of questions which may arise from this experience, and from what you read, and you'll have conversation to share for MONTHS following!!!
Hugs,
Laura :)
Monday, June 29, 2009
Siamo in Siena!!!
Buon Giorno, Tutti!
WOW - what a great first weekend!!! And I'd like to thank you, in advance, for sending me such an awesome group of kiddos. Really, this weekend was the best experience I've ever had (not just saying that).
On Friday, the kids arrived en masse into Fiumicino Airport, but not without a little excitement. I know the kids' flight out of Chicago was delayed due to technical issues (thank you, thank you, thank you Moores, for meeting them at the airport and seeing them on!!!), but their flight was comfortable, and I think they slept NOT AT ALL. :) Amanda, fresh from Paris, was eager and excited about arriving first. We were planning to meet Grace and Caroline considerably earlier than the rest of the group, but, responsible young ladies they are, when they were in customs, they decided to stay in there (3 hours) and meet the rest of the group and walk out together. Tony and his mom met us, as well (they had been enjoying Rome for a week already), and we all headed to the bus! The bus ride was very nice, and we had a pretty successful attempt at all having lunch at the AutoGrill. An AutoGrill is like a truck stop, "but SO much nicer" (according to Sara).
Pompeii was actually pretty pleasant. I must admit, I didn't give them a killer death-march tour (due to time limits), and the breeze was nice, so we enjoyed a nice stroll through town, going from the Theatre district, through the Forum, up to the Villa of the Mysteries. Our bus ride from Pompeii to Sorrento was also longer than usual (they were having a "protest" in some small town outside of Pompeii, which blocked the streets - when it's one main street which takes you along the entire coastline, you can have some problems with that . . .), and after two hours of winding along the beautiful coastal road of the Bay of Naples (without any travel sickness - BRILLIANT), we arrived to our hotel in Sorrento.
I must suggest this spot - the Hotel Mignon Meuble is a great hotel, with wonderful service. It might have also been because of your wonderful kiddos being so well-behaved and mature (or my being slower than usual, due to jetlag), but we had no behavior problems the entire weekend. We were all hungry as horses when we got into the hotel, so we quickly cleaned up (10 minutes) and headed to dinner at the Pizzeria da Franco. It's a fave of mine - nice, family establishment, and GREAT pizza. You'll have to ask your own child about what kind of pizza they had - I had the house pizza (yes, Jay, I was indecisive), with parmesan, arugula (which they call "rocket" - the British call it "rockette", I think?), and tomatoes.
We then took a stroll down to the city park, which overlooks the entire Bay of Naples, and returned to the hotel, stopping, of course, by Davide, the best gelateria in town. Ah, yes, that's what real gelato tastes like . . .
Everyone was in their room by 10, and crashed (if not earlier).
Saturday, wake up call was at 6:00 - we had to get to the marina piccola (the tourist marina of the town, near the center of town - all arrows point to calling this the "marina grande", except for the fact that the actual marina grande is a serious fishing spot) for a boat departing at 7:30 for Capri! And what a great day! Upon arrival, we hitched a ride onto the funicolare, which took us into the piazzetta, the main centre of Capri proper. We sweated-grunted-climbed all the way up to the Villa Jovis, the southern summit of the island, then returned, making a stop at my favorite spot for Granite di Limone (talk about refreshing!!!). We strolled through Capri, over to the bus stop, where we took the bus up to Anacapri (ask your kiddos about the bus ride on the cliffside). I invited any willing students to join me on the chairlift to Monte Solaro (the northern peak of the island), and then gave them free time. Lots of fun had in the afternoon on Capri - some students headed straight to the beach, some shopped, some enjoyed a leisurely afternoon lunch, and some took one of the strolls suggested in my Capri brochure (sorry about the whole street-name-changing thing, girls!). Sea-soaked and sunburnt, we returned by boat to Sorrento, then all went out for a nice dinner at Zi'Ntonio's. A little strolling for some, a little more gelato for others, and we were all back in our rooms before midnight!
Sunday:
We had the opportunity to have a little more leisure on Sunday morning. Everyone enjoyed a nice breakfast at the hotel (YAY - no misery from the prior day-evening!), and we slowly headed to the bus around 10 AM to head north. We made another brief stop at an AutoGrill (for the bus driver's break - they get those every two hours or so), where the kids got some snacks and did a little shopping (as much as can be done at a truck stop). We then journeyed 1:30 and made another stop at Orvieto, a beautiful walled town which sits at the top of a hill. With a limited time, they were treated to an hour in Orvieto, enjoying a little walking and visiting the Duomo of the city (BEAUTIFUL!!!). We then journeyed another 1:30 and arrived into Siena at 6 PM, just in time to meet all of our homestay families (and Dana had arrived earlier, too)! I did get lots of pictures, and once I have a computer where I can download all my pics, I'll have them cycling through on this blog! It was raining a little (see below), but no one minded, and everyone headed home for a nice dinner with their homestay families and a good night's sleep.
Today has so much to share that I've got to put that onto another entry . . .
Thank you for your patience with the transportation on Thursday - I'm happy to have my assistant director with us, and until the end of the trip!
Grazie,
Laura :)
WOW - what a great first weekend!!! And I'd like to thank you, in advance, for sending me such an awesome group of kiddos. Really, this weekend was the best experience I've ever had (not just saying that).
On Friday, the kids arrived en masse into Fiumicino Airport, but not without a little excitement. I know the kids' flight out of Chicago was delayed due to technical issues (thank you, thank you, thank you Moores, for meeting them at the airport and seeing them on!!!), but their flight was comfortable, and I think they slept NOT AT ALL. :) Amanda, fresh from Paris, was eager and excited about arriving first. We were planning to meet Grace and Caroline considerably earlier than the rest of the group, but, responsible young ladies they are, when they were in customs, they decided to stay in there (3 hours) and meet the rest of the group and walk out together. Tony and his mom met us, as well (they had been enjoying Rome for a week already), and we all headed to the bus! The bus ride was very nice, and we had a pretty successful attempt at all having lunch at the AutoGrill. An AutoGrill is like a truck stop, "but SO much nicer" (according to Sara).
Pompeii was actually pretty pleasant. I must admit, I didn't give them a killer death-march tour (due to time limits), and the breeze was nice, so we enjoyed a nice stroll through town, going from the Theatre district, through the Forum, up to the Villa of the Mysteries. Our bus ride from Pompeii to Sorrento was also longer than usual (they were having a "protest" in some small town outside of Pompeii, which blocked the streets - when it's one main street which takes you along the entire coastline, you can have some problems with that . . .), and after two hours of winding along the beautiful coastal road of the Bay of Naples (without any travel sickness - BRILLIANT), we arrived to our hotel in Sorrento.
I must suggest this spot - the Hotel Mignon Meuble is a great hotel, with wonderful service. It might have also been because of your wonderful kiddos being so well-behaved and mature (or my being slower than usual, due to jetlag), but we had no behavior problems the entire weekend. We were all hungry as horses when we got into the hotel, so we quickly cleaned up (10 minutes) and headed to dinner at the Pizzeria da Franco. It's a fave of mine - nice, family establishment, and GREAT pizza. You'll have to ask your own child about what kind of pizza they had - I had the house pizza (yes, Jay, I was indecisive), with parmesan, arugula (which they call "rocket" - the British call it "rockette", I think?), and tomatoes.
We then took a stroll down to the city park, which overlooks the entire Bay of Naples, and returned to the hotel, stopping, of course, by Davide, the best gelateria in town. Ah, yes, that's what real gelato tastes like . . .
Everyone was in their room by 10, and crashed (if not earlier).
Saturday, wake up call was at 6:00 - we had to get to the marina piccola (the tourist marina of the town, near the center of town - all arrows point to calling this the "marina grande", except for the fact that the actual marina grande is a serious fishing spot) for a boat departing at 7:30 for Capri! And what a great day! Upon arrival, we hitched a ride onto the funicolare, which took us into the piazzetta, the main centre of Capri proper. We sweated-grunted-climbed all the way up to the Villa Jovis, the southern summit of the island, then returned, making a stop at my favorite spot for Granite di Limone (talk about refreshing!!!). We strolled through Capri, over to the bus stop, where we took the bus up to Anacapri (ask your kiddos about the bus ride on the cliffside). I invited any willing students to join me on the chairlift to Monte Solaro (the northern peak of the island), and then gave them free time. Lots of fun had in the afternoon on Capri - some students headed straight to the beach, some shopped, some enjoyed a leisurely afternoon lunch, and some took one of the strolls suggested in my Capri brochure (sorry about the whole street-name-changing thing, girls!). Sea-soaked and sunburnt, we returned by boat to Sorrento, then all went out for a nice dinner at Zi'Ntonio's. A little strolling for some, a little more gelato for others, and we were all back in our rooms before midnight!
Sunday:
We had the opportunity to have a little more leisure on Sunday morning. Everyone enjoyed a nice breakfast at the hotel (YAY - no misery from the prior day-evening!), and we slowly headed to the bus around 10 AM to head north. We made another brief stop at an AutoGrill (for the bus driver's break - they get those every two hours or so), where the kids got some snacks and did a little shopping (as much as can be done at a truck stop). We then journeyed 1:30 and made another stop at Orvieto, a beautiful walled town which sits at the top of a hill. With a limited time, they were treated to an hour in Orvieto, enjoying a little walking and visiting the Duomo of the city (BEAUTIFUL!!!). We then journeyed another 1:30 and arrived into Siena at 6 PM, just in time to meet all of our homestay families (and Dana had arrived earlier, too)! I did get lots of pictures, and once I have a computer where I can download all my pics, I'll have them cycling through on this blog! It was raining a little (see below), but no one minded, and everyone headed home for a nice dinner with their homestay families and a good night's sleep.
Today has so much to share that I've got to put that onto another entry . . .
Thank you for your patience with the transportation on Thursday - I'm happy to have my assistant director with us, and until the end of the trip!
Grazie,
Laura :)
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Small alteration for Departure
Buon Giorno, Tutti!
First of all, if you're a weather.com fan like I am, you'll have noticed how BEAUTIFUL the weather will be during our first weekend in Italy! (caveat: weather.com almost NEVER posts the right temperature of Italian weather, from what I can tell - it was 55 and rainy, and weather.com said we were 76 and sunny, and vice versa, on the usual day)
As you will hear from Celeste, we've had a slight change for the trip. Instead of Dana Caron coming as the assistant Director, we will have Liz Schnautz for the first part of the trip, then an actual Siennese teacher for the rest of our stay! The one big change for you is that you won't have Dana on the flights with you coming over to Italy. But we're all experienced travelers, and, with a few notes from me, I know this will be SO easy for you!
Kate, with you as our senior traveler (actually, GRADUATE traveler!), I'm going to make you the shepherd for the trip! Please feel free to print off this blog for reference during your travel day. :)
I figured this would be good for those of you who are traveling on your own, anyways!
Check-in
You should be at check-in 2.5 hours before departure, as stated many times before. That means that most of you will be at DFW between 7 and 7:30 AM. During this time, parents will check in their own student, then afterwards take group pictures, have hugs, etc., before you all go together through the security checkpoint.
BAGS SHOULD BE CHECKED ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO ROME – we lose bags almost every year because of this miscommunication.
At the Departure Gate
Set up camp at the departure gate, which means EVERYONE's carryon bags are to be neatly gathered together into one spot. From now on, if you go out in a group, a group is THREE PEOPLE from our SPI group. If you want to get breakfast, eat something like what you’d usually eat for lunch. And to get lots of water or juice. Pick up food, and bring it back to the gate to eat it. Be at the gate, ready to board, at 8:45.
On the Chicago Flight
You all need to stay awake on this flight - talk, play games, share what you're excited about, take pictures . . . and be super-nice to the flight attendants!!!
In Chicago
Here’s where the fun starts. You are supposed to arrive around 11:50 AM. When y’all disembark, find the location of your departing flight, and take the whole group there to set up camp. Again, in groups, go to pick up lunch (dinner), and, with food, return to the gate quickly. Determine a group of five of you (at least) who will camp out with the bags at the departure gate. Then, head out to meet up with later arrivals:
Shannon: AA 2348 from DFW
Abbie and Carly: AA2486 from AUS
These are close-timed flights – if the gates are too far from each other, send Sara and Natalie to meet Shannon (make sure they have your cell phone #), and you can meet Abbie and Carly with another group of HP kids. Again, EVERYONE should have their SPI shirts on, so you'll be easily recognizable. Everyone is to return to the departure gate as quickly as possible – international flights start boarding 1 hour to 45 minutes ahead of time. Try to find out where everyone is sitting, and write it down here, so that you can say hi to everyone during the flight.
On the Flight
Eat ALL your dinner. SLEEP. A lot. However you need to do it. EVERYONE. Whenever you awake and pace around, stop by to visit each other, wherever you’re sitting. Plan to meet as a group immediately outside the gate. And eat ALL of your breakfast (no matter WHAT you're served).
Forms? Last time we flew to Italy, we received no forms entering the country. If they do hand out Customs forms, make sure you are filling everything out (you should have NOTHING to claim), and placing the form in your passports, for easy access. Have your passports in a quick-access spot, because that's the first stop you'll make once you get off the plane.
Disembarking
When you get off the flight, the minute you enter the airport, get the group together. Have any necessary potty breaks happen between there and the passport check.
Passport check: Be sure to get into a NON-EU line, and y'all can wait for each other as soon as they get through there. It’s a quick thing – they just check your passports, and you head to baggage claim. No one in our group has an international passport this year (Gratias Deo), so this should be smooth.
Baggage Claim: With the whole group with you at the end of passport check, just around the corner is the baggage claim. Everyone is to get his own bags, then head over just past the last carousel, to wait as a group for everyone to get their bags. Determine a spot to meet, before exiting customs. During this time, you can stop by the ATM inside the baggage claim if you want to get cash (make sure your bag is secure with someone else in the SPI group), but mostly, wait with the group until everyone has received their bags.
If there is a lost bag, go to the American desk right by the baggage claim. We’re headed directly to Sorrento, which could make things interesting . . . I’m right outside of the Customs exit door (just metres away) if there’s a problem – call my cell phone or have them come and get me.
Customs: You should just pass right through. If someone is stopped, it’s a random search, and shouldn’t be a problem – just let the rest of the group go ahead and stay nearby, Kate.
As soon as you pass through the Customs doors (big sliding glass doors), you should see me and Liz – I’ll have my pink SPI sign and green t-shirt, just like yours! We’ll be ready to load everyone up on the bus by then (Amanda, Grace and Caroline arrive before you – we'll be ready for everyone with the bus, to head directly to Pompeii!!!)!
Can you believe it??? See you in a few days!!! Parents, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me (e-mail is the best) before Wednesday morning, when I depart!
BIGGEST HUGS,
Laura :)
First of all, if you're a weather.com fan like I am, you'll have noticed how BEAUTIFUL the weather will be during our first weekend in Italy! (caveat: weather.com almost NEVER posts the right temperature of Italian weather, from what I can tell - it was 55 and rainy, and weather.com said we were 76 and sunny, and vice versa, on the usual day)
As you will hear from Celeste, we've had a slight change for the trip. Instead of Dana Caron coming as the assistant Director, we will have Liz Schnautz for the first part of the trip, then an actual Siennese teacher for the rest of our stay! The one big change for you is that you won't have Dana on the flights with you coming over to Italy. But we're all experienced travelers, and, with a few notes from me, I know this will be SO easy for you!
Kate, with you as our senior traveler (actually, GRADUATE traveler!), I'm going to make you the shepherd for the trip! Please feel free to print off this blog for reference during your travel day. :)
I figured this would be good for those of you who are traveling on your own, anyways!
Check-in
You should be at check-in 2.5 hours before departure, as stated many times before. That means that most of you will be at DFW between 7 and 7:30 AM. During this time, parents will check in their own student, then afterwards take group pictures, have hugs, etc., before you all go together through the security checkpoint.
BAGS SHOULD BE CHECKED ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO ROME – we lose bags almost every year because of this miscommunication.
At the Departure Gate
Set up camp at the departure gate, which means EVERYONE's carryon bags are to be neatly gathered together into one spot. From now on, if you go out in a group, a group is THREE PEOPLE from our SPI group. If you want to get breakfast, eat something like what you’d usually eat for lunch. And to get lots of water or juice. Pick up food, and bring it back to the gate to eat it. Be at the gate, ready to board, at 8:45.
On the Chicago Flight
You all need to stay awake on this flight - talk, play games, share what you're excited about, take pictures . . . and be super-nice to the flight attendants!!!
In Chicago
Here’s where the fun starts. You are supposed to arrive around 11:50 AM. When y’all disembark, find the location of your departing flight, and take the whole group there to set up camp. Again, in groups, go to pick up lunch (dinner), and, with food, return to the gate quickly. Determine a group of five of you (at least) who will camp out with the bags at the departure gate. Then, head out to meet up with later arrivals:
Shannon: AA 2348 from DFW
Abbie and Carly: AA2486 from AUS
These are close-timed flights – if the gates are too far from each other, send Sara and Natalie to meet Shannon (make sure they have your cell phone #), and you can meet Abbie and Carly with another group of HP kids. Again, EVERYONE should have their SPI shirts on, so you'll be easily recognizable. Everyone is to return to the departure gate as quickly as possible – international flights start boarding 1 hour to 45 minutes ahead of time. Try to find out where everyone is sitting, and write it down here, so that you can say hi to everyone during the flight.
On the Flight
Eat ALL your dinner. SLEEP. A lot. However you need to do it. EVERYONE. Whenever you awake and pace around, stop by to visit each other, wherever you’re sitting. Plan to meet as a group immediately outside the gate. And eat ALL of your breakfast (no matter WHAT you're served).
Forms? Last time we flew to Italy, we received no forms entering the country. If they do hand out Customs forms, make sure you are filling everything out (you should have NOTHING to claim), and placing the form in your passports, for easy access. Have your passports in a quick-access spot, because that's the first stop you'll make once you get off the plane.
Disembarking
When you get off the flight, the minute you enter the airport, get the group together. Have any necessary potty breaks happen between there and the passport check.
Passport check: Be sure to get into a NON-EU line, and y'all can wait for each other as soon as they get through there. It’s a quick thing – they just check your passports, and you head to baggage claim. No one in our group has an international passport this year (Gratias Deo), so this should be smooth.
Baggage Claim: With the whole group with you at the end of passport check, just around the corner is the baggage claim. Everyone is to get his own bags, then head over just past the last carousel, to wait as a group for everyone to get their bags. Determine a spot to meet, before exiting customs. During this time, you can stop by the ATM inside the baggage claim if you want to get cash (make sure your bag is secure with someone else in the SPI group), but mostly, wait with the group until everyone has received their bags.
If there is a lost bag, go to the American desk right by the baggage claim. We’re headed directly to Sorrento, which could make things interesting . . . I’m right outside of the Customs exit door (just metres away) if there’s a problem – call my cell phone or have them come and get me.
Customs: You should just pass right through. If someone is stopped, it’s a random search, and shouldn’t be a problem – just let the rest of the group go ahead and stay nearby, Kate.
As soon as you pass through the Customs doors (big sliding glass doors), you should see me and Liz – I’ll have my pink SPI sign and green t-shirt, just like yours! We’ll be ready to load everyone up on the bus by then (Amanda, Grace and Caroline arrive before you – we'll be ready for everyone with the bus, to head directly to Pompeii!!!)!
Can you believe it??? See you in a few days!!! Parents, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me (e-mail is the best) before Wednesday morning, when I depart!
BIGGEST HUGS,
Laura :)
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Top Ten Final Things
Buon Giorno, Tutti!
This MIGHT be my last blog entry before our departure. Be watching the blog, though - I plan to take pictures at our lunch this Friday at Campania Pizzeria, just to show some of our bright, happy faces from Dallas!
For our final pre-departure blog, I thought I'd share with you 10 things to make sure you've done before departing. Totally giving cred to Mlle. May, the Director of SPI-France - great idea, Morgan!!!
10. Communication: If you want to contact me directly, be sure you're using my personal gmail address.
9. Preparation: Check out the June newsletter (which I'm e-mailing to each of you, but it's also posted on the Google group).
8. Expenses: Keep an eye on the current exchange rate: http://xe.com/ucc
7. Packing: Make sure you're well packed. See prior blog entries for this.
6. Culture: Find one museum/artist/art piece you REALLY want to see, either in Siena, Florence, or Rome, and write it down. Also, in the same place, write down one experience you absolutely want to have as an Italian.
5. Spending: Make sure you know how to use your debit/ATM card (it's Bancomat in Italy) - codes and all - and, if you choose, obtain some Euro cash from a local American Express or other exchange group. Remember: 150E per week should have you set, if you live in moderation. The most we'll spend is during our two excursion weekends, where you will buy your own meals.
4. Exercising: An athlete in Siena has many options available to them. Are you a runner/walker? Head to the Fortezza to get in some laps! Swimmer? There are two local pool clubs to which you can join. I'm sure there are aerobic classes somewhere, but with the sloping hills of the town, you'll get your cardio in, just walking around town and back to your homestay.
3. Packing: Something to ALWAYS remember when packing? ZIPLOCS (or similar bags) in several sizes - you'll be amazed about how you'll use them!
2. Carryon: Make sure all medication is labeled appropriately, and that you have all your travel documents organized and grouped together. I believe I have a copy of everyone's passport, but if there are copies of any other documents you'd like me to keep stored away, I have an envelope for every person attending the trip!
1. Gratitude: EVERY DAY (heck, every moment you see them) - hug your parents, and thank them for the sacrifices they had to make to send you on this trip. Believe me, they're wishing they could be in your place! And promise them you'll get the most out of this experience.
Parents, I'm sending out hugs daily to each of you, too, for giving your child this experience. And I promise that I'll make SPI Italy a wonderful trip for us all!!!
Grazie mille,
Laura :)
This MIGHT be my last blog entry before our departure. Be watching the blog, though - I plan to take pictures at our lunch this Friday at Campania Pizzeria, just to show some of our bright, happy faces from Dallas!
For our final pre-departure blog, I thought I'd share with you 10 things to make sure you've done before departing. Totally giving cred to Mlle. May, the Director of SPI-France - great idea, Morgan!!!
10. Communication: If you want to contact me directly, be sure you're using my personal gmail address.
9. Preparation: Check out the June newsletter (which I'm e-mailing to each of you, but it's also posted on the Google group).
8. Expenses: Keep an eye on the current exchange rate: http://xe.com/ucc
7. Packing: Make sure you're well packed. See prior blog entries for this.
6. Culture: Find one museum/artist/art piece you REALLY want to see, either in Siena, Florence, or Rome, and write it down. Also, in the same place, write down one experience you absolutely want to have as an Italian.
5. Spending: Make sure you know how to use your debit/ATM card (it's Bancomat in Italy) - codes and all - and, if you choose, obtain some Euro cash from a local American Express or other exchange group. Remember: 150E per week should have you set, if you live in moderation. The most we'll spend is during our two excursion weekends, where you will buy your own meals.
4. Exercising: An athlete in Siena has many options available to them. Are you a runner/walker? Head to the Fortezza to get in some laps! Swimmer? There are two local pool clubs to which you can join. I'm sure there are aerobic classes somewhere, but with the sloping hills of the town, you'll get your cardio in, just walking around town and back to your homestay.
3. Packing: Something to ALWAYS remember when packing? ZIPLOCS (or similar bags) in several sizes - you'll be amazed about how you'll use them!
2. Carryon: Make sure all medication is labeled appropriately, and that you have all your travel documents organized and grouped together. I believe I have a copy of everyone's passport, but if there are copies of any other documents you'd like me to keep stored away, I have an envelope for every person attending the trip!
1. Gratitude: EVERY DAY (heck, every moment you see them) - hug your parents, and thank them for the sacrifices they had to make to send you on this trip. Believe me, they're wishing they could be in your place! And promise them you'll get the most out of this experience.
Parents, I'm sending out hugs daily to each of you, too, for giving your child this experience. And I promise that I'll make SPI Italy a wonderful trip for us all!!!
Grazie mille,
Laura :)
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Journaling
Buon Giorno, Tutti!
One great way to remember this trip is by keeping a journal. With technology as it is today, there are many ways to do this:
1. Written in a book - the classic way, one which I prefer (helps me settle in to go to sleep at night), writing out your memories is such a personal and effective way to preserve your emotions at that moment. In my written journal, I don't just write out sappy stuff - in here, with the day still fresh on my mind, I also write out a list of places we visited, things we did, a record of expenses, and things I've heard of which I might want to check out later.
2. Postcards - what a great way to send someone else (or even yourself) your memories! I sent Jay a postcard a day during this experience a few years ago - what great memories for both of us when I returned home! Postcards are sometimes the best gifts for family and loved ones - shows them you were thinking of them during your stay, and that you wanted to share a little part of your trip with them.
3. E-mails - before blogging was available, I would write home mass e-mails to family and friends about the experience. Everyone appreciated receiving them, and it saved me LOADS of time!
4. Blogging - with so many blog servers out there, consider keeping a blog, which you can share with your family and friends (Margaret, I am "following" your blog on my blog site!). Like sending out mass e-mails, this saves you a lot of time, is considerably cheaper than mailing, and you can really personalize the site to your own tastes. Who knows? When you get home, you may want to continue this GOOD habit of writing!
No matter what form of media you choose, please do plan to journal on this trip. Things pass so quickly and busily that you'll blink, and realize that the experience has passed. Journaling is such a sacred thing - we will actually have two of our afternoons in Siena dedicated to this experience! I even like to find a spot to which I regularly return to do my journaling (like the Fortezza in Siena) - takes me away for a moment each day to reflect on what I've experienced that day, and what it means in the overall scheme of the trip!
abbracci,
Laura :)
One great way to remember this trip is by keeping a journal. With technology as it is today, there are many ways to do this:
1. Written in a book - the classic way, one which I prefer (helps me settle in to go to sleep at night), writing out your memories is such a personal and effective way to preserve your emotions at that moment. In my written journal, I don't just write out sappy stuff - in here, with the day still fresh on my mind, I also write out a list of places we visited, things we did, a record of expenses, and things I've heard of which I might want to check out later.
2. Postcards - what a great way to send someone else (or even yourself) your memories! I sent Jay a postcard a day during this experience a few years ago - what great memories for both of us when I returned home! Postcards are sometimes the best gifts for family and loved ones - shows them you were thinking of them during your stay, and that you wanted to share a little part of your trip with them.
3. E-mails - before blogging was available, I would write home mass e-mails to family and friends about the experience. Everyone appreciated receiving them, and it saved me LOADS of time!
4. Blogging - with so many blog servers out there, consider keeping a blog, which you can share with your family and friends (Margaret, I am "following" your blog on my blog site!). Like sending out mass e-mails, this saves you a lot of time, is considerably cheaper than mailing, and you can really personalize the site to your own tastes. Who knows? When you get home, you may want to continue this GOOD habit of writing!
No matter what form of media you choose, please do plan to journal on this trip. Things pass so quickly and busily that you'll blink, and realize that the experience has passed. Journaling is such a sacred thing - we will actually have two of our afternoons in Siena dedicated to this experience! I even like to find a spot to which I regularly return to do my journaling (like the Fortezza in Siena) - takes me away for a moment each day to reflect on what I've experienced that day, and what it means in the overall scheme of the trip!
abbracci,
Laura :)
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
TWO MORE WEEKS!!!
Buon Giorno, Tutti!
Oh, all these e-mails to me - you're getting me so excited about the trip!!! Can I share my answers to some of your recent e-mails with the group?
1. Departure - PLEASE REMEMBER TO WEAR YOUR GREEN SHIRTS - While most students are taking the same flight over as Ms. Caron, a few of you have slightly different itineraries. If you are taking a different flight to ORD or flying out of another airport, a great idea is to e-mail Ms. Caron/SPI your cell phone number (if you're going to have your American cell with you while you travel). I find that it's a great idea to take your American cell with you, to handle all the transfers while in the U.S., then turn it off when you board the international flight. (this way, you'll have it with a little working battery when we return, to let you call your folks at the connection gate)
If you're meeting us in ORD, plan to meet Ms. Caron (or a group of SPI fellow travelers) when you arrive into that airport. If not, please call Ms. Caron when you arrive at the location of your international departure, to let her know you're at your departure gate. We'll do the same thing when we all return to the U.S. - call me on my cell phone as soon as you get to your connecting gate (we'll talk about the fun of customs when returning to the U.S. later).
2. Katerina, we won't get as far north as you were hoping, but, believe me, there is HISTORY everywhere, even what you're looking for! The one thing that always strikes me, wherever we are, whether strolling during the evening passegiata, or in one of our tourist stays, is the reminder that, for centuries, people have been doing the exact same stroll as I do then. When we tour through the Forum, think of how many people have placed their feet exactly where you are. When we visit the Vatican, consider how many pilgrims visit - and have visited - this place, a once-in-a-lifetime experience for so many (and so many more who don't even get the chance). You can almost feel people of past ages passing by, smiling, as you experience the same path as they had. What a great connection with history and humanity!!!
3. Margarita, how inspiring it is to see everything on your blog - just shows me what this trip means to so many of you this year (and it certainly means as much, and more, to me!). You had mentioned that you'd like to see a daily agenda. Out of personal inspiration, I'm designing brief devotionals - just 10 - 15 minutes at the end of each of our touring day for anyone who is interested. We will read the passages, however, from the Italian bible and the Vulgate (no meager English translation for us), and discuss topics related to whatever place we visit that day. I'm going to see if I can post the devotional (and events) calendar on the blog, but general schedules for each day is also posted on the SPI Italy Google calendar (linked, I hope, to this page). :)
4. Shannon, I appreciate your wanting to work in advance to make the most of our brief time on our last weekend!!! No need to buy any tickets in advance - the Musei Vaticani lines should be moving at just the right speed when y'all get there, so that you can just enter directly and head to the ticket booth! If you've never been to Rome, I must insist that you go to the Musei Vaticani, and if you've already been there, another group will go to Villa Borghese (we'll meet in the Piazza di San Pietro a few hours after we divide up for a tour of the Basilica itself). Again, as I mentioned before, please inform me if you plan to go to the Villa Borghese - we need to book a reservation before we depart!
One last time to meet before we depart? See you at Campania Pizza for lunch at noon on Friday, June 19! Please feel free to e-mail me on my personal e-mail if you have more questions, and I'll make one last posting just before our departure date!
HUGS to all of you!
Laura :)
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Three Weeks, and Counting
In three weeks from now, some of you will have already departed on your first flight! Woo Hoo!!!
I thought I'd chat with you about what to expect during your travel day. International travel is TOUGH on your body, and the more preparation you do, the better your first day of touring will be.
To start with, consider beginning to change your internal clock by an hour a day a few days before departure. Italy is 7 hours ahead of most of us, so if you start on Monday waking up early and going to bed a little earlier, it'll be easier to get to sleep on the international flight on Thursday night. If you're not that disciplined, consider doing something crazy like sleeping very little on Wednesday night, and getting up super-early. You need to be at the airport 2 1/2 hours before departure, anyways, to be sure to make it through all the check-in stuff for international flights. Yes, that's a 7 AM check-in, my 9:30 AM departure friends.
At the airport, stay on your feet as much as possible, and try to get your eating habits on Italy time. That means you want to eat something lunch-ish for breakfast. And drink lots of water/juice. When you arrive into the connecting airport and get to your Italy departure gate, wait to eat anything until you get on the flight - they'll feed you dinner within the first two hours. But keep drinking lots of water/juice. On the international flight, try not to snack throughout the night, but keep drinking lots of water/juice. Sleep as much as possible. If you find you're restless, get up and walk for about 10 minutes, then return to your seat to attempt sleeping again. And have some water every time you wake up. Getting my drift? An hour before you arrive, breakfast will be served to you - eat all of it, whether you like it or not - it'll tell your body that it's morning (and not midnight, American time).
Once you get through passport check (be sure to take the NON-EU lines), get your bags at the baggage claim, and go through Customs (nothing to claim, my friends), you'll see me there on the other side of the sliding doors, with a pink SPI sign and the same Green SPI t-shirt. And we'll be off! No stops until we break at an AutoGrill for lunch right before going to Pompeii.
Again, a list of reminders for fighting jetlag:
1. A few days before departure, start changing your internal clock - wake up earlier, go to bed earlier
2. Force yourself to sleep/be still/rest during the international flight
3. Eat a lunch-type meal at breakfast, a snack-type meal for lunch, and eat your entire served breakfast on the international flight
4. LOTS OF FLUIDS for hydration - water and juice - as often as they offer it to you, and more!
We'll see you in three weeks!!!
Hugs,
L :)
I thought I'd chat with you about what to expect during your travel day. International travel is TOUGH on your body, and the more preparation you do, the better your first day of touring will be.
To start with, consider beginning to change your internal clock by an hour a day a few days before departure. Italy is 7 hours ahead of most of us, so if you start on Monday waking up early and going to bed a little earlier, it'll be easier to get to sleep on the international flight on Thursday night. If you're not that disciplined, consider doing something crazy like sleeping very little on Wednesday night, and getting up super-early. You need to be at the airport 2 1/2 hours before departure, anyways, to be sure to make it through all the check-in stuff for international flights. Yes, that's a 7 AM check-in, my 9:30 AM departure friends.
At the airport, stay on your feet as much as possible, and try to get your eating habits on Italy time. That means you want to eat something lunch-ish for breakfast. And drink lots of water/juice. When you arrive into the connecting airport and get to your Italy departure gate, wait to eat anything until you get on the flight - they'll feed you dinner within the first two hours. But keep drinking lots of water/juice. On the international flight, try not to snack throughout the night, but keep drinking lots of water/juice. Sleep as much as possible. If you find you're restless, get up and walk for about 10 minutes, then return to your seat to attempt sleeping again. And have some water every time you wake up. Getting my drift? An hour before you arrive, breakfast will be served to you - eat all of it, whether you like it or not - it'll tell your body that it's morning (and not midnight, American time).
Once you get through passport check (be sure to take the NON-EU lines), get your bags at the baggage claim, and go through Customs (nothing to claim, my friends), you'll see me there on the other side of the sliding doors, with a pink SPI sign and the same Green SPI t-shirt. And we'll be off! No stops until we break at an AutoGrill for lunch right before going to Pompeii.
Again, a list of reminders for fighting jetlag:
1. A few days before departure, start changing your internal clock - wake up earlier, go to bed earlier
2. Force yourself to sleep/be still/rest during the international flight
3. Eat a lunch-type meal at breakfast, a snack-type meal for lunch, and eat your entire served breakfast on the international flight
4. LOTS OF FLUIDS for hydration - water and juice - as often as they offer it to you, and more!
We'll see you in three weeks!!!
Hugs,
L :)
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