america the beautiful.

hello from the glorious United States of America!

i realized i hadn't written an update about leaving Cortona and heading to Rome...but really...it's not too worth it. the only 2 lovely things about Rome were the really helpful guy at my hotel, and the "Roma Termini" that led me to the airport! i couldn't wait to be back in the States.

not to hate on Europe, but 2 1/2 weeks is quite enough :)

i flew into Orlando to meet my family to go to Disney World (i was pretty delirious, but it was a lot of fun!) and have started taking pictures immediately after getting back into Savannah...yay!

i have made a video (of pictures) of my trip, so i will post that very soon. it was a very inspirational trip, and i'm more pumped about photography.

i had the opportunity to take photos of some beautiful children these past 2 days, so i will be adding some photos to the "little people" section of the site soon.

peace out, fellow Americans :)

day 14.

ciao from Cortona, Italy!

today was probably the best day i have had so far in Italy :) i woke up and headed to the internet cafe (because i procrastinated on getting a Rome hotel, and needed to book one). Michaele met me at the cafe and we headed to a store to do some gift-shopping, then out to a REALLY cool place for lunch. it was almost as if we were going into a dungeon, but it was surround by wine bottles, rocks, and really cool lighting. it was a really nice place to eat and the waiter brought us out a free appetizer as sort of a “welcome”. we had awesome conversation, then i headed back to start packing up for tomorrow. i got finished soon enough to walk back down into town and to the park...oh man. there were lots of people walking, and i got to sit in the stadium area and just listen to the ipod and write. it was my favorite...

then Mike and Lindsey came into town to get pizzas and drink to take up to “the fortress” that is basically the highest point of Cortona, and we watched the sunset with a group of people. i almost DIED on the way up there, but it was well worth it when we got to the top. we all just sat around and talked, watched movie trailers (ha...i had my computer), then we headed down when it had been dark for a while. we also all went out for a bit, and it was a good way to end my Cortona experience.

a few things i learned today:

1. i like buying presents for people :)

2. do not wear dresses that tend to be brighter than a shade of black...ha. people will stare....

3. a good song will change your mood and outlook

4. i wish i knew a little more Italian rather than just greetings...

5. i am making a video (of pictures) of my entire trip and i am so pumped about it...it’s half-way completed

6. i met a girl while i was here that is in the lyrics of Taylor Swift’s song “Tim McGraw”...as she says, she was “dissed on a platinum album”...(however, this girl is AWESOME)

7. i really did almost die on the way to the fotress...i said words that don’t usually come out of my mouth...ha

8. i can’t believe that i will be gone from Italy in just 2 days..

9. there have been loads of good quotes while i have been here, and i really wish i had taken them all down

10. i am so thankful for the experience of meeting new people, gaining friends, and experiencing God’s creation

here is our Tuscan sunset...

 <- click to view larger

my playist :)

ok, so here is a playlist of songs that describe my trip.

if you listen to these, then you will know where i am...

1. “hoppipolla” sigur ros

2. “the funeral” band of horses

3. “andvari” sigur ros

4. “a falling through” ray lamontagne

5. “screaming infidelities (acoustic)” dashboard confessional

6. “come pick me up” ryan adams

7. “world” five for fighting

8. “ride” cary brothers

9. “white daisies passing” rocky votolato

10. “lose you” pete yorn

11. “fall at your feet” magnet

12. “track 4” sigur ros

13. “a beautiful world” tim myers

14. “sailed on” landon pigg

15. “lucky” jason mraz / colbie cailat

day 13.

good evening from Cortona, Italy!

i headed over to Siena today with Michaele and Ashley’s entire study abroad group, and it was a lot of fun! Siena is a very pretty place with loads of amazing old couples :)

we went to a few cathedrals, and also went to an art museum to see some Van Gogh and a LOT of asylum painting/drawing/photographs. it was kinda scurrrry :/

i enjoyed seeing all of the film students with their video cameras...it made me happy.

a few good quotes and things i learned today:

1. “rarely - and i mean RARELY, do stain glass windows pump me up...and those stain glass windows pump me up.” -michaele maddox (referring to the windows in the Basilica Cateriniana Di S.Domenico)

2. Mary (Jesus’ mother) was a big deal in Siena.

3. “it’s like a giant cheese grader!” -ashley curry (referring to the museum walls)

4. i feel like i have been called as a photographer to document things/place/people to raise awareness about particular subjects (hunger, AIDS, mission work..)

5. “i can’t decided where i want to go until i know where i am.” -annie chapman (quote in michaele’s journal book

6. Van Gogh’s makes me so excited every time i see it.

7. goodwill shirts are priceless

8. Jacob (Mike and Ash’s RA) informed us that the last time he was in Siena, they were filming the James Bond movie...(gasp)

9. riding around Tuscany is beautiful...

10. i saw a field today with a very old brick building (it was beautiful) and Michaele even turned to me to say “you know what that reminds me of?”...and i said “The Count of Monte Cristo” (it was crazy how much it did)

we had loads of fun today and had some gelato! :)

i can’t believe i leave in a 2 days :/

(pics coming soon!)

day 12.

ciao from Cortona, Italy!

today was very chill...Michaele decided to have a picnic in the park today! she, Ashley, Holly, Erin, and i headed on over to the lovely park and sat down with a gilatto (before lunch, ha) and sandwiches that Mike made. a lovely time was had by all :)

they all headed back to class, and i headed out in the desperate search for internet...much to my chagrin, it was “siesta” and everyone was closed :/ i did, however, get to sit down with some guys and the photography teacher from Mike’s school.

i headed back to the convent and took a glorious nap, then headed up to the school to watch the sunset with Michaele and Blair (a cool guy that Ashley teaches with). all of the colors were insane, and i had the chance to take some photos.

we ate at the school tonight (they serve full Italian meals at every dinner), i met some cool people, and we headed to the “common room” for internet (happy sigh) and fun. we also went down to the park with 2 guys afterwards to sit and talk about the coolness of
Italy.

a few things i learned today...

1. it feels like there are so many courses in an Italian meal...(in order: pasta w/ bread, meat and side, salad, and dessert)

2. i have been able to experience something new every day :)

3. at night, the park in Cortona smells and reminds me of Capon Springs (where i worked over the summer) and it made me miss it a lot :(

4. i guess i kinda just realized that i will be in Disney World the day i get back...

5. don’t mention Chickfila when you are around the students here (or at least Mike and Ashley...ha). they can’t have it for another 2 months..

6. i have a lot of photos to take when i get home!!

7. i am PUMPED about going to Siena with everyone from the school tomorrow...should be awesome.

8. i am excited to give friends/family their presents :) hopefully i’ll find some more tomorrow!

9. parks are fun at night

10. this is the perfect place for portraits...(though i haven’t really taken any yet)

anyways, i am headed to Siena tomorrow!

not too much picture taking today...

day 11.

hello from Cortona, Italy :)

today was a good day! Mike gave me a small tour of Cortona so i will be able to find my way around. i spent the day typing all the things i wanted to remember from this experience...(for the record, i have typed my blog every night, i just haven’t been able to post it on the internet...so it’s all as it has happened) ha

i also had the chance to sort of help/watch Michaele with a photography project for class. it’s insane to think that you can open the window to your classroom and you see an entire city below you and how the light hits everything...it’s miles and miles of homes and vineyards. i guess i’ll have to take some pictures to better explain the amazingness!

later, we all got dressed up and headed to dinner and the Italian ballet. it was pretty awesome...i kept finding myself leaning back in my seat, but completely leaning forward by the end of each dance. very cool.

we headed out with a bunch of people afterwards, and it was nice to meet all of the American friends that are over here :)

couple things i “learned” today:

1. there IS a nun who speaks english at the convent! :)

2. it’s nice to have this time to branch out and meet a bunch of people (but i also really miss home)

3. i saw a Tuscan sunset today. oh my...

4. the people of Cortona are very proud of their city, so it makes them happy to see you with your camera

5. gilatto will change your life. (in particular: chocolate, coffee, and chocolate chip)

6. they drive on the right side of the road in Italy! yay!!

7. the dorms that UGA has provided for the students here are amazing...it’s really cool and the lighting is fun

8. everyone here makes me smile..

9. coca-cola is a lot cheaper to buy at a grocery store.

10. i’ve probably mentioned it before, but they don’t give you ice in your drinks in Italy :(

no photos today! maybe tomorrow...

day 10.

ciao bella from Cortona, Italy!

if you don’t know where Cortona is - it’s in Tuscany...and not to far from the house where Under the Tuscan Sun was filmed. yay!

today was one of the happiest, hilarious, and most adrenaline filled days i have had...ha. i met up with Michaele in Florence (after i successfully took a water boat and train) and it was AWESOME. she was waiting with a sign that says “Lafawnduh” like the one in Napoleon Dynamite. (literally, i died laughing..) Florence was gorgeous and really fun...and it was so nice to spend the day with Mike! as for the adrenaline part...we were leaving Cortona and only had 5 minutes to make our train (so we thought..) and ended up running to the train (which wasn’t the right one), hopped on, showed the lady our ticket (before it started moving) and she tried to open the train door (which was now locked) to let us off the train. unfortunately, there was NO WAY to stop the train (that was headed all the way to Rome), so we put on our sad faces while an attractive older Italian train fellow told us how to get back to Cortona after we got into Rome.

let me just put it this way...Michaele and i rode first class not once, but TWICE...and basically hopped three trains (with adrenaline going and God watching out for us) in the course of about 5 hours.......all for 7 euros! haha (technically, we could have been charged 50 euros just for not having the proper ticket..)

did i mention we were waiting to get to Cortona for dinner?? haha...we had to settle for McDonalds at the train station.

there’s actually a bit more to the story, but luckily we were greeted by 3 lovely people (Ashley, Erin, and Jacob) from Mike’s school who drove us up from the train station and into Cortona at 12:30 in the morning....did i also mention that i am staying at a convent that has nuns who speak zero english? this is a fun time :)

i have realized that my “stuff i learned today” section is just random information, so here’s some more of it:

1. i sat across from a guy for a bit on the train today who disliked Venice as much as i did :) he said he loved Florence, though. (he was American and he was pretty awesome)

2. an Italian woman kept talking to me on the train, despite knowing that I didn’t understand her AND had headphones in (she was also super loud...)

3. scratch that - ALL Italians are super loud

4. i’m a pretty unprepared traveler :/

5. there’s a lot of graffiti along the walls during the train ride...who knew?

6. if you want a good deal and great food, go to the Italian restaurants that don’t have any English menus in the windows...

7. Florence is amazing...and the marketplace is really cheap and there’s cool stuff

8. Florence is also known for their leather...

9. i saw the David statue today...that thing is SO tall and really cool. Michaelangelo just straight up made is out of the some marble that noone was using, and even today noone knows how he did....it was very detailed, even down to the veins in his hand

10. Michaelangelo was a gangster. he did EVERYTHING. (i also got to see the gold doors on a building that he used to sit in front of and sketch pictures from, and now that same building has HIS working inside....insane.)

i took some photos in Florence closer to sunset, so here you go...

day 9.

ciao from Venice, Italy!

today was hectic! being that Italy isn’t really my best friend right now, i decided to get all my train and water bus information today. i leave tomorrow for Florence to meet and spend the day with Michaele...we will head to Cortona afterwards. YAY! it’s sad that i have spent my entire time in Venice figuring a way to get out!

however - i did get a chance to take some photos at St.Mark’s Square and a little around Italy :)

things i learned today...

1. you have to push most of the doors in Italy

2. don’t let a man selling roses hand you a rose like he’s giving it to you...cause then you have to buy it :/

3. God bless America.

4. i am the only guest at the beautiful B&B i am staying at...which means that the people that work here 5. are only here in the morning for breakfast and hard to get in touch with :/

5. stores are cheaper farther from St.Mark’s Square

6. the jewelry is pretty :)

7. go to La Canonica (in St.Mark’s Square) for a pizza...

8. up until today, i had no idea what the date was...haha

9. Italians answer the phone saying “pronto!”

10. there’s a LOT of adorable older people and they look just how i imagined...all walking around arm in arm smiling and speaking pretty :)

if you see me when i’m home, ask me about the particular man in St.Mark’s Square that creeped me out. (ladies, if you go to Italy, take someone with you...preferably a large person...) ha.

i was able to get some photos of San Marco (St.Mark’s Square) during the day and mostly at night, so here you go :)

day 8.

buon giorno from Venice, Italy!

today was...interesting. i got to fly over loads of snow-covered mountains today (and it was insane). i arrived at the airport, took a water bus all around Venice till we got to San Marco (St. Mark’s Square), and proceeded to walk up and down Venice streets (and steps) with all my luggage for 2 hours searching for my hotel. i think i started crying about 9 different times - even after an English-speaking Italian couple and an art seller told me where my hotel MIGHT be...ha. i then stumbled upon an angel (ok, a man..) who had been following me pretty much. i’d have to tell the whole story later, but he left his shop and came up to me and asked if i needed help (he spoke English). he then made a phone call and spoke to the person in lovely Italian, then told me where to go. i told him he was my hero and he said that if he was my hero, then i was his princess. i don’t know what that means, but i didn’t care, cause he saved my life! i actually saw him later when i headed out for dinner...

anyways, i literally collapsed when i got in my hotel room...then headed out for dinner at 6:30. i have fully decided that i will be eating as cheap as possible tomorrow so that i can spend money when i see Michaele and Ashley in Cortona :) yay! 

i am pumped to take a bunch of photos tomorrow! Venice is gorgeous...i literally have water right outside my bedroom window! (happy sigh)

anyways, a few things i learned today:

1. i think Italian people are just as frustrated when they can’t speak English (for example, the adorable lady that checked me in to the hotel could only say “sorry, i don’t speak english” and you could tell she wished she could say more, but....she was really nice)

2. Luca, that works at my hotel, has a dog that is literally a (Czech?) Wolf. kinda scary, kinda awesome..

3. lots of people speak English, you’d just never know...

4. if you are in doubt...ASK SOMEONE.

5. St. Mark’s Square is beautiful...and huge! everything is very tall

6. there are English and Italian menus at restaurants (don’t be fooled, they’ll probably charge you twice as much as the little stores on back streets)

7. i hate asking questions about directions...but i also realized that if i ever see anyone with luggage in Savannah, i will ask them if they need help

8. what was i thinking coming to a place that i can barely even greet people in their language??

9. some restaurants charge you just for coming to eat at the store (i.e. my charge was like 2.50 euros tonight...) :/

10. the most rewarding thing in the world is hearing an American talking near you :) ...and, of course, making it back to your hotel...

no pictures today! (after all, i lugged my camera on my back all day and wasn’t about to bring it out for going to dinner)

i’ll see what i can do tomorrow :)

day 7.

cheers from London, England!

today was the best day ever. ok, maybe not the BEST, considering we got caught outside in the freezing rain...but we took refuge in the National Gallery of Art and got to visit with Van Gogh (happy sigh). he's my fave...

a few things i learned today...

1. do not bring ONLY cloth shoes to a foreign country (i.e. TOMS, moccasins..) the weather is unpredictable!

2. prepare to go back to America with a new haircut and dressing differently...you get a lot of inspiration.

3. Big Ben isn't quite as BIG as you think it is...but it's amazing!!

4. everyone thinks the London Bridge is the big, pretty one...it's not! that is the Tower Bridge :)

5. London goes on forever...and everything is so old and wonderful

6. Hyde Park used to be the private hunting grounds for the King...which he later turned into a public park

7. i want to move to London so i can get a dog and take it on the train, buses, etc. (crazy!)

8. i HIGHLY recommend the "original tour" bus...i learned a lot and it was fun!

9. you can't take cameras into the National Gallery of Art...jerks :/

10.oh snap - i'm going to be in Venice tomorrow!

i learned a lot more today, but i have much packing to do!

photos from the day...

day 6.

'ello from London, England.

i think it is official...mom and i are completely worn out! :/

we took the train from Edinburgh today, which lasted about 5 hours...then trains and buses till we finally got to our wonderful hotel (with really comfy beds!). i saw about 2 or 3 castles on the way from Edinburgh, and we got to drive down the English Channel, so we saw beautiful cliffs and the ocean. it made me happy :)

we are headed on the "original London tour" tomorrow, which can basically last all day (if you want it to) and you hop on and off of double-decker buses and view popular places in London.

i will also most likely get rid of some British currency :) i have a little more shopping to do...

my brain is literally fried, so i don't have a list of things i learned today or any pictures... :/

maybe tomorrow!

day 5.

"heilo" from Edinburgh, Scotland!

we went on a 12 hour tour of the Scottish Highlands today! oh. my. gosh.

it had snowed, so half of the highlands were covered in white...probably the most amazing thing i've ever seen...

we also visited Loch Ness (yes, like the Loch Ness monster), but there was no sign of Nessie :(

i took a lot of panoramics so you'd get a better feel of everything..

we also met our first American! he was a man from NC, and was on the tour with us. how lovely :)

i learned LOADS today, so if you're not interested in Scotland - stop reading! these are in no particular order...

1. i saw about 7 castles today.. (from a distance)

2. highland cows is pronounced “heiland coos” (and they look a bit different than normal cows)

3. televisions, telephones, and steam engines were invented in Scotland

4. we passed over a river today that at one time was so filled with dead bodies that you could walk across it without getting your feet wet (basically, there are LOADS of battle sites..)

5. William Wallace is a big deal. (duh)

6. Robert the Bruce is ALSO a big deal.

7. a man’s sword was the length from the ground to under his chin. William Wallace’s sword was 5’7”. (he was 6’5”)

8. according to our amazing tour guide, Angela, the passion for country that was shown by the men in Braveheart was “spot on”

9. the movie was wrong...Wallace and King Edward never met, and Edward died a year or 2 after Wallace (not at the same time, as shown in the movie)

10. Scotland is know for having 4 seasons in one day..ha. (sound familiar, Savannah?)

11. the road signs are written in English and Gaelic

12. in the Highlands, you can’t see where the mountains stop and the sky starts..

13. there’s more water in Loch Ness that all the waters in Scotland combined

14. there are 50 unidentified creatures in the world, and about 20 are in Scotland

15. there’s a lot of green moss in the trees...it made me happy.

16. the Highlands were used for tons of movies...battle scenes, in particular.

17. random important fact: the woman who worked at the desk of our tour company was a body double for Jessica Lange in the movie Rob Roy, and got to lay in bed with Liam Neeson (haha...the women overhere LOVE him..)

we are headed back to London after lunch tomorrow...i finally get to sleep a bit later than usual!

tomorrow i have to say farewell to Scotland :/

here's some photos from the Highlands..

day 4.

<- click to see my panoramic view from the castle

good day from Edinburgh, Scotland!

today was awesome! we went to the Edinburgh Castle...and it started snowing! craziness. there were plenty of opportunities for photos from the view (the castle is very high and on top of a rocky cliff)...it kinda sneaks up on you!

we got a lot of shopping done today! :) we also signed up for a 12 hour tour of the Highlands for tomorrow!! YAY! this was my main reasoning for coming to Scotland. 

things i learned today...

1. i love scotland.

2. everyone seems a bit nicer here...they smile more.

3. also, everyone seems to think that we are from Canada...?

4. wet snow + TOMS shoes = me walking as carefully as possible on cobblestones.

5. Sigur Ros is the soundtrack to my trip ("Hoppipolla" in particular)

6. we are not on vacation, we are on "holiday" 

7. i'm very pumped to give away my gifts when i get home!

8. it doesn't matter where you look...every bit of Scotland and the town of Edinburgh is beautiful

9. i saw a plaid prom dress today...oh man, i SOOOO would have worn it. amazing.

10. other foreigners (Spain, Italy) are just as confused as we are...and that makes me feel more normal.

i took a lot of photos today, but i will only post a few...