Allora... I have had many dreams in the last week from desires about my future to nightmares. I'll tell you about some of these in a bit. I've done a good job avoiding thinking about reality up until now. It was easy when I was oblivious to what was going on in the world and didn't even know when I'd return to America. But now, I'm catching up with people and news, and my return date and all the responsibilities I will face after then are slowly creeping into my thoughts... But, that's my only complaint. Everything else here is just [View Full Entry]

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Today is Sunday, so I'm not supposed to work, but I've been such a lazy bum for the past week or so that I insisted on some hard manual labor this morning. I weeded around raspberry bushes for 3 hours, in the shade, and while I was working near the pear tree it said, "Sara, you've been working hard and you seem hungry." I was hungry. Then a perfectly ripe fruit fell at my feet and I ate it. Okay, so the tree didn't really talk to me, but the pear did offer itself to me, and life is that beautiful [View Full Entry]

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I am on another agrotourismo for 2 weeks, but this so is very different from that previous hell hole. The scenery certainly isn't as beautiful, but everything else is better. I was worried about coming here, but after one day I was sure I would have a wonderful stay. Check out the website: http://www.boscodelfracasso.it/ There is a husband Maurizio and wife Anna. She speaks excellent English, and he speaks a little. They have 2 sons in their 20s, who are like the guys on the other farm in that they are into American rock music and don't help out much. The [View Full Entry]

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This is the place everyone told me I had to go in Italy. All the Americans, anyway. I am happy to say they were right; it is an incredibly magical and beautiful place. It is in Liguria, on the northwest coast of Italy. Cinque terre means something like 5 towns (earths, or soils, literally) because there are 5 little towns connected by footpaths in this national park. I had been in this region before when we went to the markets, but this was so different. My pictures and words won't do it justice, but I'll try. I arrived in Manarola in [View Full Entry]

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I forget. Well, I forgot a few things in my last entry, but my Italian is not advanced enough to say so. And I also decided to add more... Other WWOOFers They are one of the best parts of the WWOOFing experience. You become instant friends because you can spend so much time together and you get someone to speak proper English with. On this farm I met Hennie from Finland and Tamar from Israel. I learned so much about both cultures and countries, and was able to shed some light on stereotypes of America. I forgot to say that the [View Full Entry]

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Mama mia! Aspetta! Aspetta means wait, and it is the most commonly spoken word in this household. I always intend to count how many times it is said, but then it just seems too daunting. Also aspettiamo (we wait), and many other versions. Everything is happening so fast! I can understand quite a bit of Italian but am not great when it comes to speaking, and bought a book to learn more, and intend to continue my studies when I get back home. It really is a beautiful language and isn't so difficult if you try. My current vocabulary mostly consists [View Full Entry]

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This farm is so wonderful. But real wonderful; I am sure I won't start hating it in a week. I am in the Peidmonte region, in the north west Itlay, a land of white truffles and other good food, mountains, and the Slow Food movement. It started in this very town, Bra, and there is now a university here dedicated to it. The Nutella factory is also close by. This is a real farm, not any of this agrotourismo bs. They grow lots of vegetables and fruits and make bread and biscuits (cookies) and sell them at markets. There is a [View Full Entry]

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Sorry for the delay in updating the blog...I've just been too lazy to write... My friend T.T. flew into Rome and met up with me on June 29th. We'll be traveling together until the 19th of this month. We've been getting around by the Euroline bus pass which is much cheaper than a train pass. They are long trips but it works out because they're overnight so we don't have to pay foraccommodation. Well, there is an exception that I will get to later... I was more than a bit worried about spending 3 weeks in cities, especially when I had [View Full Entry]

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Rome is enormous, with enough sites to keep you busy for weeks. Thankfully, I'm to the point where I no longer feel obligated to see everything on the map and in the guide books. So I'm taking in a few things a day, and leaving time for day trips to escape the busy city. I love my hostel because the staff is so friendly and helpful, you get a free bottle of wine, free internet, free breakfast, and the location is convenient. In the morning, I get my pastry and cappuccino, and go to the market right by my room to [View Full Entry]

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My study abroad trip is over, and I'm in Rome for a while waiting for T.T. to come meet me. I'm sad to leave the comfort of a planned itinerary and the company of fellow UFers, but many more adventures are coming, so I'm also happy! Anyway, I was getting way too fat eating 5 course meals almost every night, and I was starting to itch for some alone time. Here's a brief overview from when I left off until now. Unfortunately, this computer also will not allow me to upload pictures...*Now I can upload pictures, but I forgot to bring [View Full Entry]

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