While I'm here...

so, i am home, and i am just happier than ever. in fact, i think i am happier than i have been in years, its amazing what a few months thousands of miles away from everything can do to a person. my last week in italy was just amazing,,,
on monday we had our recital, which included ridiculous hats, me having waaaayyy too many lines compared to everyone else, and climbing on chairs and peering over chalkboards in an attempt to recreate a climbing of the leaning tower. and then all of our teachers said goodbye and thank you and i of course started crying cause i am just an emotional little girl, it was sad. then we had a little reception thingy at a bar across the street from the school and it was quaint, it was the last time we got to see Monica :(
on tuesday we woke up quite early and had to go to the questura, immigration office, and get our visa thingies we had applied for, then we went and filled out 76 page long evaluates of the program. fun. afterwards we went and finally climbed the tower, which was just beautiful. then later we went on a boat ride, like the one we went on that first saturday, except this one include about 6 glasses more spumante for me... and that was just the beginning. then we went to dinner at this tuscan restaurant and well, that was a riot. lots of randomness, me bonding with my like 40 year old teacher about men and commitment, which was beyond humorous. to me. clearly this was because i had consumed another good portion of wine, a very good portion, and i was about in the best of spirits i had ever been in since getting there. then Kenny, Jeremy, Annie, Sarah and i went out for some drinks in piazza Garibaldi. that only lead to some serious mischief on Annie and my parts. but those are stories for other times... i did manage to climb the staue of Garibaldi in the piazza and put a rose that Jeremy had bought through part of the sculpture in the base of the staue. which looks dandy. looked dandy. we wee out until about four meeting various italians, it was just Annie Kenny and i as usual for most of the night. and oh, poor Kenny.
so wednesdayi shopped with Annie and then we went with Kenny and had wine in this piazza that is always quite hoppin at night, there was also this big leftist movement shindig at the lawschool which we attended and was quite fun. my little sis was there. shes adorable.
on thursday my sisters and my dog drove me to the airport. no, the dog did not drive. and then i was off, i ended up riding to Rome with margot, which turned out to be nice, especially since she was meeting a family friend in Rome, who is the dean of the Loyola Chicago law school. and this woman, this woman was sooo great, and so so so nice to see and be greeted by. after three months of italians, this midwestern genuinely good hearted and warm person was like the most wondeful thing on earth. she reminded me so much of chris's mom, it was so nice. they helped me find my hostel and were so helpful and so amazing. oh. anyway, so Rome was WONDERFUL. on thursday i went out to some pubs and met some really awesome guys from seattle who i hung out with and got a cab back to my hostel with. it was soooooooo nice to be hanging out with Americans. and American music... oh man. it was so fun. then friday i walked Rome, did the Vatican and all that jazz, and upon return home met a bunch of people in my hostel whom were all so cool and nice, i made so many friends. one i even went to the airport with n friday, she was alifesaver with my luggage. then i lived in fiumicino airport for 24 hours, and met two other new kids, luke and robert. luke was just an all around great guy, and robert... well robert was the sobb story of the year. he was from scotland, he had spent the week in Rome with his grilfriend of three and a half years... they got into a fight the day before and she walked out and went to thairport and flew home. leaving him there. broken hearted.... why? because he had a ring in his pocket and was going to propose to her the next day in front of the Trevi Fountain at night... this poor guy. he was so worried about her and her tareling alone... it was like sweetest thing i have witnesses in quite some time. oh man... it really got me. we just talked for hours and hours, both of them were really great guys, its amazing how much bonding you do spending a night in an airport together.
so i eventually got on a bunch of planes and came home. my mom and i cried when i got into to Detroit. it was so unreal. so wonderful. and it hasn't worn off yet. my baggage got letf in Chicago but i got it yesterday afternoon quite promptly.
being home has been great, i just visited Lindsey today which made me so happy, i am so glad i will be home to spend the summer with her. i am looking so forward to another three months of vacation... what an amazing year.
oh man, happiness is priceless. too bad italy wasn't priceless, then i would have money. but instead i am broke for the first time in my life. truly broke. its crazy, but kind of exciting, it makes me excited to think i will be like this for the rest of my life if i pursue teaching like i want to. what's money, anyway? sometimes i wonder why i have been stupid enough in the past not to think like this... oh well, people make stupid decisions. its life.
oh yeah, i had this hour conversation with a random quasi homeless man in Rome one night, in italian, which made me proud, but that's not the point, but rather he was like the only italian i met the whole time whole liked pres bush and Americans. .it was bizarre. he was kind of inspirational really, perhaps had he not been so creepy.
oh creepy men.
oh America.
oh joy :)