Update!

I have discovered a new snack! Ringo cookies!! To die for! They come in a long tubular package almost like cookie dough. They just hit the spot!

I haven't blogged lately because I've been SO busy with school and traveling! It's insane! I dont even have time to write in my journal which is upsetting.  

Since my first school trip to Naples the first weekend of February, I have traveled EVERY weekend! So fun, exciting, and amazing experience, but SOO exhausting!! Is it bad that to say that I'm sick of traveling? those words came out of my mouth yesterday afternoon.  I just got back from Amsterdam yesterday morning and Brad, my friend from auburn skype messaged me and said "Im so ready for florence this weekend" I literally was like again?! I have to travel again? I just got home!! and I really couldn't believe I said it! Im getting sick at the moment so Im just sick and tired and school wears me out because we only have 4 days to pull out these great designs they want to see and it makes me nervous because obviously everything I've done they hate...which doesn't make me want to push harder! We have mid-term reviews next week which makes me want to jump out of a window because they compare me to all these architecture students when I have NO idea what the architecture students are talking about....could it be because I dont care?, Im not interested?, I have no focus in school?

.....All day I thought about what I could change my major to next.  I would love to hang from a rope in Switzerland and take pictures of people canyon jumping...I mean I do have the exact same camera as her.. I was waiting to do a blog post on switzerland when I get my canyon jumping pictures in the mail! Im still waiting on them so hopefully Ill get them soon! 

So my first trip was to Naples, then I went to Interlaken, Switzerland, then to Venice and Verona, then to Milan and Amsterdam!!! Wow that is a lot of places in one month!! This coming weekend I'm going to Florence then the weekend after that I go to Barcelona!! Then it's Spring Break! I have plans for spring break as I think but I cant tell them until there booked! Im really excited though! 

I have learned so much about myself already and a huge part of that was this past weekend when I traveled with 4 girls from the new york, new jersey area.  I cant explain on here so ill explain in email to those of you who even care! haha 

Everyday I walk to and from school alone which gives me some good thinking time... I dread the walk more and more each day.  Its gets longer everytime and you would think it would get shorter.  

The food gets better and better everyday and every trip I take...Ive gained so much weight its not even funny! 

I miss my friends and family so much! I think about you all everyday!!

xoxo,

Jess

 

Random Thought

I've been awake almost all night starting and finishing a paper and presentation that is due today for my history of Italian design class. That is my excuse for my random, delirious thoughts. It's about dogs. Can dogs really understand us? Yesterday on my walk to school I heard a lady talking to her dog, in Italian of course. I thought to myself if I can't understand her how can the dog? Hmmm

Ciao a tutte!!

I'm off to ski the Swiss alps tonight! We leave on a bus from termini at 8 and have a 12 hour bus ride all the way to switzerland! I'm excited there is about 9 of us going! Life is molto bene at the moment! I just had my first review I guess you could say on a site analysis I had no idea what I was doing!

Random thoughts
I just went 4 days without washing my hair, thought my friends would be proud! Haha
Ive had mcdonalds 5 times and burger king once....probably about to make it 6 since there is two mcdonalds in termini! Ridiculous I know but it's crazy how when we see mcdonalds our mouths water. pizza and pasta get old after awhile!!

I'll hopefully get to post pictures soon of Napoli and Switzerland! School is keeping me busy!

Arrivederci!

Love you all
Jess

New Project!

Ive started a project....a picture a day for a year! Instead of 365 it might be 334 starting feb. 1...not sure yet! keep up with my flickr account to look at them! http://www.flickr.com/photos/jesslaurwoo/

thissss is the way I live...

I wouldn't say I am high maintenance I can get by with having simple things buuuut I like to have dry feet when I step out of the shower onto a rug! I just wanted to tell you all a little about my stay in italy cause it is very different from what I have back home....life changing!  I have never recycled so much in my life we have bags for certain things! organic waste, paper cardboard cardstock, clean paper, metal glass, plastics...So many different things and they all have to be taken out on certain days! I bought a water bottle on my first day and I still have it!! just refilling it with sink water and the water that runs on the streets! I know pete will be proud of me! 

the toilet is always brown....this is a bad pic you cant really tell here

to flush you push the button on the wall...that's everywhere 

My bathroom floor is always full of water

Can you read this? laundry takes exactly 2 hours to wash clothes then about 15 to hang them up!

yes this is my food! hahaha

Recycling! 

Bought this water bottle on the first day and I still have it!

The night I fell in love...

The night I fell in love with the city was at this little restaurant called Casa & Bottega.  The other night we got out of class an hour early and we had a meeting an hour and a half later so me and my new friend, Jeanny wanted to get a bite to eat and drink some wine.  We walked out of school and down the street was the cutest place I've ever seen! I've walked by it many times and I mentioned to people I was walking with how cute it was! Anyways we decided we would see what they had on the menu and it just happened to be time for Aperitivo! Aperitivo is the time for a pre-dinner drink and you usually get discounted drinks and free appetizers! We first ordered Caprese which was amazing, first caprese at a restaurant since I have been here, got free appetizers which were also delicious.  Jeanny and I sat and talked for over an hour about each other lives while we sipped on wine and ate delicious food at the cutest place ever! The best part is the cute italian waiter gave us his number! I was so happy when we left I couldn't stop smiling!

Jeanny

Jeanny and I 

The inside of the menu!

They serve potato chips with wine its amazing!!

Our Caprese! So delicious!

Ciao from Roma!

Buona Sera

Ciao Friends! Welcome to Roma, Italy! I cant even begin to describe the experience ive already had and ive been here one week! I chose to come to Italy to study architecture, well to be technical interior design with the architecture program (so I don’t make anyone mad) but to also have a life experience that would change my life forever.  My life has already changed so much from living with people I didn’t know in a tiny studio apartment to making all new friends and to learning how to be on my own in a city I cant speak the language (not well enough yet anyways)   I have not been out adventuring myself yet because Im not brave enough, I will be soon.  I have walked by myself a few times now only to the guys apartment and back the latest Ive walked is around 11pm. I wasn’t scared I was very aware of my surrounding and my roommate let me take her pepper spray with me.  I hear pepper spray is illegal here and I would most likely be the one getting arrested for using it! I’m learning something new everyday I cant describe all of them but most importantly I have learned not to take anything for granted I realized how lucky I am at home to have so much stuff available to me! For example, a dishwasher  and roommates who do most of my dishes,  a clothes dryer,  more than one towel,  more than one outlet in my bedroom, a big room with storage, and much much more! My room here is shared with one other girl and it is about a 10x12.  Definitely smaller than my dorm room I had freshman year! Im still living out of my bag because I have no where to put my clothes. 

Food here has been different than I thought.  My friend Khol told me before I left I wouldn’t find Italian food like I like to eat for example (Noodles in Fayetteville) I thought he was crazy and didn’t know what he was talking about but it’s true.  Now don’t get me wrong I’ve only been here a week and I’m trying to save money by not eating out 1. Because it is expense and 2. I don’t want to eat alone.  Most of the people I’m here with are all trying to spend as little as possible so it really helps my excessive stupid spending habits also because I cant find anything I need!  My first purchase was an Italian cell phone and my second was a European hair dryer! I still cannot find a curling iron so I’ve been braiding my hair for some kind of something in my hair! Haha  Everyone from Arkansas gets along really well we stick together.  We have all been taking turns cooking at night, the guys have a big apartment so we always eat there (they have fine china, great wine glasses).  I would have to say those are the best meals I have had! My roommates cooked the other night I didn’t know they were cooking because I mostly stick with the guys but they invited us over for homemade spinach ravioli and more.  There is a lady near by who makes her own pasta it was sooo good! Ill be buying some before I leave here to bring home!  We stuck some candles in wine bottles dimmed the lights and listened to music Its been great! Very Italian of us!

I have been grocery shopping a few times there is about 3 grocery stores and a fresh market in the mornings all within about 3 minutes of my apartment! Grocery shopping is an adventure especially buying sandwich meat…I have no idea what I bought it tasted ok.  I bought tomatoes and fresh mozzarella balls Ive been eating that a lot with olive oil mmmm good thing I like tomatoes! I made my first dinner by myself a few nights ago, just pasta with marinara that is what I make at home! It was delicious! I have had only pizza when I eat somewhere it is the cheapest and it is good!  It is easy to order in itailian too! Haha Ive walked so much Im not worried about what I eat anymore atleast not now!  I realized I was getting home sick the other day at the grocery store when anything American I recognized I grabbed it my roommate even said “Oh, way to get all the junk food!”  haha it was great! Its crazy how much I have realized how much junk I eat at home and how easy it is to get it! The first two days I was here I had one meal a day I had no idea where to go and didn’t speak a lick of Italian.  My Italian is getting better  ha! Better than it was Im learning off the guys I hang out with and just by walking down the street and that’s all I hear in the distance It’s really is amazing!

I have met a bunch of people a few girls from jersey, they are fun like to do the things I do they are fashion majors in my school from Philadelphia.  Im slowly getting the idea that I don’t have my friends with me anymore so its time to make some good friends here.  I would do anything for my friends to be here even just one of them It would make this trip completely different.  One thing that has been hard for me is that everyone coming here at least knew one person.  A lot know more because they have been in school together for so many years now. Me, I knew 3 guys and I had never even really hung out with them before.  I have stuck with them the whole time they are being very nice to let me tag along with them, there is never a dull moment when Im around them they are so much fun to hang out with! I know I will leave here having friends that I will keep in touch with forever!

School started today!! my first class was at 12:30 (Italian 1) I already learned a lot but she teaches at a very fast pace! Should be interesting!  Then I had my studio class from 3-6:30 we just learned about what we were going to be doing, they told me and Danielle (my roommate and the only other interior designer here) that we would have a different project but they haven’t told us yet!  Nervous! Theeennn for Italian class we had to stay at school for Italian movie night, don’t worry English subtitles. Haha

One great thing is not having my cell phone I love it I haven’t even thought about texting its amazing!

I don’t have class until 3pm tomorrow and it seems everyone else has it really early so Im going to get around and venture out alone and make a trip to the grocery store and other places! I hope I don’t get lost!  Its impossible to tell everything through a blog post so if you have any questions about anything just email me!!

Spanish Steps at Night!

Trevi Fountain...Beautiful! My favorite picture so far!

Thank you Kirsten for my new blog header!!! Mi Piache!

Buona notte.

Jess