ONE DAY MORE!!

Tomorrow I board my flight from Rapid City to Chicago then from Chicago to Rome. From Rome I take an express train, a taxi, then a bus to Siena, Italy. I then walk through the streets of Siena, carrying all of my luggage, until I find the IES Abroad Center. I think this might be difficult for anyone, but keeping in mind that I have no sense of direction, I’m really just hoping for the best and will keep my compass close by my side (hey thanks, Dad!!).

Whatever happens, I know it will all be worth it in the end when I am in Tuscany getting ready to spend my next nine months in Italy. (Although I am coming home for Christmas.) I’m getting so excited for the cappuccinos and the wine, the cypress trees and the sunflowers, the architecture and the mostly the history! (I never thought I would be saying that.) I’m also thrilled to be starting classes again, and that the classes will all be somehow based upon Italian history or culture. Yippee! I can’t wait to meet the Italians, because as of now I have not met an Italian I do not like (I think I know two.).

As most of you know, this is a very hard time for me to leave my family as my mom was just recently diagnosed with breast cancer. I wouldn’t still be going if my mom, all the doctors, and all the relatives hadn’t insisted I go. I’m happy I got to go to my mom’s appointments with her and ask the doctors all the questions I wanted. I loved all the doctors and feel very confident that she has the best doctors in the entire world and will recover very quickly from surgery! Still, it will be very hard to be away from my family and I am just happy that Skype and airplanes exist.

Here is the song that inspired the title of this post:


And here are some photos documenting all of the very exciting things I have been doing with my final days in the states:



Having lunch with my mom

Hiking with my sister and her boyfriend (and my mom)

Watching large cats try to fit themselves into small boxes

Finding neat plants


Participating in conversations with my dad and relatives


Eating chocolate (!!!!!!)


Watching this dove fly around our house and sit in our birdbath and trees

Next post will be from other side of the Atlantic. Ciao!!
Hannah