Quasi 1 mesi!

---

Ciao Tutti! I am SO sorry I have not written for a month. I can't believe its been a month, time has flown. I kept telling myself, I will write tomorrow, but I guess I never did. Things have been crazy here. I am so busy each day. Each day is a new day for me and I never know what I am going to do. I love that about Italy. Everyday is a new and exciting. Now, I have to think back to everything I have been doing! Prima Maggio (May 1st) was a huge day for Niscemi. No one has school or work and everyone heads to the beach. Prima giorno al mare (First day at the beach) Basically, it is a day that starts the beach season! Marco and I went to our friend Samantha's house about 30 minutes away with all of our friends. We had so much fun. The water was freezing, so we couldn't go in; but we had fun anyway. We ate tons of course and just hung out with eachother! I helped one of my great friend's Simone study for a huge English test. They have this course that the students can take. It is called the Pet exam and it tests the students on English in different parts; speaking, writing, listening, and reading. Simone and I studied for days and I think he actually did good! Lets hope! I know it was hard for him!
I was gone for 10 days. For the first 5 days I went to Rimini with my school. Everyone from school was invited which was a huge amount of students. But in the end, only about 6 or 7 people from each class ended up going. We had so much fun. We left Niscemi at 3 AM, May 18 on two big Pullman buses. We had double decker buses because there were so many students. I sat on the ground level, which was more relaxing, cold, and fun! You dont know half of it though, 18 HOURS! 18 hours on that bus. I really wanted to die. Never have I ridden on a bus or in a car for that long. Also, not to mention I cannot sleep on a bus! Everyone was knocked out, but me. Picture me just sitting there watching people sleep. I hated it! I was so tired. We took a boat out of Sicily across to the actual Italy (can i say that?) People say Sicilia should be its own country because we are not connected with Italy at all. It's a big debate here, lets just say. But so we drove, stopped, drove, stopped, etc. Picture 200 kids at each stop running around. Crazy! But we had so much fun on the bus. These cute 13 year old boys loved me and taught me all these card tricks etc. They taught me how to play Siciliano cards which I will teach you all when I get back! We stayed in a bad hotel crammed in a small room with 4 girls. This room was tiny, but I had fun with the girls I was with. We visited a castle one day, it was beautiful. The rooms were so old and beautiful. Everyone was so well put together and it was just gorgeous. We visited a theme park one day. Everyone went CRAZY. For me though, Busch gardens is so much better. I know I cannot say anything bad, because it is all they have, but still I thought of Busch gardens. But thats okay, we had fun riding all the rides, getting soaked, screaming our lungs off, and getting to know eachother so much better. We also visited Italia Miniatura! It was an Italy miniture. It was SO interesting. I loved it and took so many pictures. Everyone was so nicely made and beautiful. It looked so real! Not to mention the part of Sicily was so cool. There was a gondala ride and everything. It was amazing, I just wish I could actually visit these places! Hopefully someday! We went in a Discoteca one night. I couldn't believe it. We were on a school trip, but in a discoteca. We were all dancing and we were just watching our professors drink and have fun also. I couldn't believe it, it was funny! At the disco, some of my cute Italian girls were trying to flirt with these guys. They were American. I know crazy huh, I didn't think I would see an American at an Italian disco. Jess and I were talking to them just comparing stories and making some friends that speak English. The girls came over and were trying to have us translate EVERYTHING. They were like, "Maggie, tell them were from Sicily. Tell them we think their cute...etc" They are so cute, but its hard translating when were being asked a million questions and being told a million things to translate. We went bowling one night also. Italians LOVE bowling, I am not really sure why. Or maybe its just me, but I hate bowling. I got stuck bowling with a bunch of 13 year old girls. They are cute and were friends but 9 people playing one game, lets just say it lasted forever! I guess thats what it is like being an exchange student, you have to be friends with everyone! I like it though. So we had so much fun in Rimini and I was sad to go home. The girls I stayed in the room with pulled me aside and told me that I was the nicest girl and funniest girl they have ever met. They said everyone thinks so and they said they were so lucky to have a chance to know me. That made me feel so good. But, we got home May 23 around 2 AM.
I woke up at 7 and headed to an AFS Intercultura End of Stay camp. We had so much fun. I was so tired, but we did end up having a lot of fun. I met tons of kids from ALL over the world just like in Rome. Not to mention an American! I was sick one day and it just happened to be the day that they all went to the beach. I can't believe I missed it, they all came back tan, and of course I am still white and probably will always be! Basically we were put in small groups in this camp and just talked about our experiences. It was really difficult for me though because they had all been there for a year and me, only 4 months. They spoke perfect Italian and I don't. I tried though and it was good to hear the experiences of everyone. It was good to hear that there are people going through the same thing I am. We all cried and it was very emotional the whole time. It made us realize we only have a month here, we are going home. Yes, going home is a good thing. I am ready to see everyone and I miss you guys so much, but Italy has become a major part of my life and I am going to miss it. We had fun, but I was ready to go back to my house and get back to school. I hadn't seen most of my good good friends in 10 days and we definatly missed eachother. I go to school the next day and I can't tell you how amazing of a day it was. Everyone was so happy to see me and there were people jumping on me, hugging me, telling me to never leave again. It was nice. But this also makes me realize that I am leaving them too. If I missed them after 10 days, of course I am going to miss them after I go home. Marco sent me a text message one night of the camp saying how much he missed me. He wrote to me and said how much of an important person I have become in his life and that we cannot think about when I leave because it is to hard. And he told me loved me and will always love me as a sister. Sorry, I just wanted to share that with you. I will miss him too.
Last night, I went to Ramacca by the bus with Jessica. We went to visit Belinda from Australia with Mari from Norway. We had SO much fun. Belinda said we could sleep at her house because there was a party of our friend Nicholas from Chile. So Jess and I headed out by ourselves and took the bus right after school. Two exchange students with backpacks and a sack of melons (we bought melons for belindas host family). We were on the bus and we were talking English because there were tons of guys around. They started talking about us and then my phone rang. I responded in Italian and pulled out my Italian and proved to them that we understood and knew what they were saying. That was a good moment! They were embarrassed. So we got to Belindas house and her host mom made lunch for us. It was amazing and they are just great people. We went out later to buy Nicholas's present with Belindas host brother. We walked through Ramacca. And trust me, Belindas host brother, lets just say he was the man of the day. 4 blonde exchange students, I can't tell you the amount of people that "came up and talked to him" 😊 😊 I am kidding, but it was funny. He was like this is weird. Ramacca is just like Niscemi though, it was good to see it. It is cleaner, lets say. At about 9 or so we started getting ready and we headed to the party. It was fun, basically just a time to see all of our exchange student friends, but also Italian friends that have come to Niscemi before. We just ate a great meal and talked. It was nice and we stayed late. I am so tired! Jess and I woke up this morning at 6 and hopped on a bus, because we had to come back for school. We got in at about 8:30 and ran to school! School is going good. We finish next Saturday so that is exciting. I am having to take tests and write letters to get credit for these classes. Well credit in Italy at least, not sure if it will count in America. Next week, I am going to have to study my butt off for a Spanish test and an Italian test. I am not looking forward to that.
It is starting to get really hot here. Well its been hot here but now its really hot. Everyone is wearing shorts and tanktops. I love it, but they don't wear flipflops! I do and trust me I get looked at by everyone. The American girl walking into school in a tanktop, capris, and rainbows. I do love my rainbows, but trust me everyone else hates them! I really have made some great friends here. I finally have that group that I fit into. Before I had tons of friends but never actually did anything with them. They were the aquaintance type friends and they still are. Finally, I am included into a group. I am invited everywhere with them, we talk like great friends, we do things together almost everyday, and we just have fun together. Finally, I know when I walk into Piazza at night, I know people are waiting for me. That feels really good! I am going to miss them. The language, I have hit a milestone I think. Or I thought. One day I woke up and I just understood so much better. I could talk better and it just flowed. I am hoping in the next month that I am here I can speak perfectly (I wish) without the American accent. Impossible, I know. This week we watched two english movies at school. Serendipity and Shakespeare in Love. I think I was the only person in the room to understand. Those are tough movies. Lets just say, everyone kept asking, "whatd they say, translate" haha.
Tomorrow, we are going to the beach! I am so excited! And Monday, we don't have school so that will be fun! I am going to go to my friends house with the group and were going to cook a huge Italian lunch together. They are going to teach me how to make all these true Italian dishes that I can take with me to America.
Thats basically all I have been doing other than of course drinking my coffee, eating my fruit, helping my friends study english, texting, going over in my bank account (sorry mom), eating way to much meat and pasta, making so many mistakes, laughing because I embarrass myself always, meeting new people everyday, listening to my host grandfather sing, trying to stay updated on writing emails back, and getting EXCITED BECAUSE MY MOM AND SISTER AND JOHN ARE COMING IN A MONTH! We are going to have so much fun. They are coming at the end of June right before I go. We are going to travel around Sicily for 2 days. I am really excited to see them, I really miss you guys!
So again, I am sorry about not staying updated. I said I would and I just really have not had time. I miss you guys so much. I am constantly thinking about everyone and I cannot wait to see you. 1 month and 8 days!

---

Photos

Primo Maggio
First day at the beach!

Some of my Favorites
I love this picture of us.

Rimini
On our school trip, the girls at dinner. The European way of sunglasses inside! Always!

Marco and I
At the Italian Minature Place

Exchange Students!
Mari (Norway), Me, Jess (New Zealand), Meri (Finland), Rachel (New Zealand)

3 of my greatest friends!
Conchetta, Gabrielle, e Mario!

My Favorites!
Yes, we bought a whole carton of strawberries

How Cute
Minature Italy