I just realize I never posted this so here is a WayBack Wednesday Post :)

I have 17 days left. I'm about to travel Europe with my best friends, than I have to say goodbye, because even though I will tell them all ' I'll see them again,' who knows, that's what makes it so hard! I'm lucky that a few of them live close to me and a good many of us go to Florida during Christmas time, so I know for sure we will see each other again.

This exchange has changed my life in so many ways! I am stronger, more outgoing, adventous, and more worldly. I look at things with a different perspective now, and I also have a different view of my self! I am going home a different person than the girl who left the states 9 months ago. Thinking about saying goodbye to this town, to Italy, to my life here is heart-breaking to a degree I can't put in to words! Today I walked through Urine for the last time till who knows when. Saying goodbye has been and will be the hardest part of this exchange!


So a short recap on recent events...

This past weekend my rotary district 2060 went on a 3 day walking tour. We started in cividale and went all the way to Aurelia, and it was long! We walked about 50 Km (28 miles). It was a good way to end the year off though because we got to talk the whole time, and remember back to the very beginning of our exchange and the memories we made! Rotary gave us some cool little presents that will help us remember our exchange forever! On the third day I had to say goodbye to 3 people, and it was hard! (I am really not looking forward to saying goodbye to the rest of my district in a few weeks!)

Time out!
Where is the water?

Ladies Ladies Ladies





After 3 days of walking, we took a very refreshing, very needed swim.

-Thursday, June 4th-
Today I woke up at 4am to go and see the sunset with Abi and Paige. However, once we all got there it began to rain, and so we basically woke up at 4 to watch it ran, but I got some really cool pictures of the castle, so it wasn't a total fail.
Then I joined my tutors wife's family for one last lunch and it was GOOD!
In the afternoon I went to Pordenone with a group of exchange students and all we did was eat popsicles, but it was so hot that's all we could do. But we talked and laughed and enjoyed each others company, which in the end is all that matters!


-Friday, June 5th-

My new email

Hey guys

So I kind of forgot that I have another email and that is where some people have been emailing me questions and I feel so bad for not responding.

But fear not, if you have questions, I am still here to help and more than willing.

I will respond faster to my school email which I have posted below :)

mscvetko@coastal.edu

Wow! 7000 page views and 33 days. Its kinds crazy! My life here is crazy and the only down time I get is when its bedtime. But that's okay!

Lets recap...

A few weeks ago I had my Rotary District Conference in Treviso. We introduced ourselves and had an amazing (almost American) lunch, and we of course took a billion photos! It was a lot of fun! Afterwards we went to Pordenone and went to a food festival, they had Mexican food!!!

Southern chicks do it better!

I also went hiking in Gemona Del Friuli. It felt like home being in the woods surrounded by green, but boy was it a tough hike! But it was so worth the view!




















This past weekend I went to Rome! It was marvoulous. Unfortuanelty, I had to say goodbye to some people, and that always sucks. But we had a great weekend together and made lots of memories, like always.

This is the monument of the unknown solider. It's been standing since WWI

Top of the world, or top of the Vatican?





Because all "tourist"  take family photos at the coliseum  

Running around Rome at midnight with my girls is one of my favorite memories

During exchange you make friends that last forever, the only thing that stinks about it is that you usually live really, really
Far way from each other:(



I'm glad this chick only lives two states away,
cause she's the sweet to my tea!

We saw the pope!!!!
Unfortunately my video wouldn't post on
here, sorry.








Had to say goodbye to my favorite Potato head this weekend!

Yesterday, I had my last rotary meeting. It really made me realize how little time I have left here! Shout out to Rotary Club Udine Nord for hosting me this year and allowing me the opportunity to live this amazing experience! I will never forget the places I've seen or the things I've learned!

So this is my second to last post in Italy. My heart is kind of breaking right now</3
 I will post again on June 7th, and that will be my last post in Italy:(

A dopo...

68 Days to go...

Okay let me start off by saying sorry for this being so late, but to be fair my life here has been crazy!
It's crazy to think I only have 68 days left of my exchange... that's crazy! It doesn't even really feel like I've been here for 7 months! This is the part of exchange that flies by! You speak the language, go to parties, study, tour around the country, and start thinking about how you'll be able to fit everything in your suitcases! People have been asking me if I ready to return home, and I want to say yes, but a part of me is crying on the inside, because I don't want to leave. I've been asked also what I will miss most about Italy and there's 3 things I'll most defiantly miss; the food, the scenery, and being able to walk into town. It's known as the best and worst part of exchange! I can say that, that statement is true. Knowing that I only have 68 days left with my new friends, family, 68 days left in my small town of Udine and all it's magical moments, 68 days left. It's a little heart breaking:'(
There's a quote:
"You build your life for 16 years and leave it for 10 months. You build a life for 10 months and leave it forever. Which is harder?"
The ladder of this is most defiantly the harder one! If you ever go on exchange or have been, you think boarding the plane to your new life is the hardest thing you'll do during your exchange experience, but then you get to your new country, make friends, gain a new family ( or two), and then you have to say goodbye... forever. I'm not really looking forward to leaving my friends and family here.
Exchange is change in every aspect of your life! You suffer, you cry, you laugh, you experience unexplainable joy, and you truly discover yourself all in a matter of a few months. You realize that there's more to the world than what happens in your little town, you learn your strengths and weakness, and you learn how to take care of yourself. Exchange is the best thing that's happened to me! I've gained a new understanding of life, of the world, and of myself. I can't thank Rotary enough for choosing me for this experience! I'm forever grateful!
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!


A quick update of past events:
1. I've moved host families. I know live in the center of Udine and it's wonderful! I can walk everywhere and it's easier to meet up with my friends!
2.My mom came and visited me after 7 months apart! It was wonderful! We went to Roma, Genova, Pisa, Cinque Terre, and Venezia. I didn't realize how much I miss her until she came and left.

Now the present:
Yesterday I went with my host mom to the Rotary meeting of club Codroipo-Villa Manin. My host mom was the guest speaker, and she spoke about violence towards women and it was very moving. The club meeting was held in Villa Manin, which is a post where Napoleon stayed during his travel through Friuli. Its absolutely gorgeous!  Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to take pictures, but I'm going back in May, so I'll be sure to post some then!

With only 2 and half months left I am traveling all over Friuli (and Italy) to smaller towns. I didn't realize how many gems my region had, and I fear I don't have enough time to visit them all, but I hope I can. Friuli is often skipped over by tourist, but it really has some of the most spectacular places in Italy. It also (in my opinion) has the most amazing sunsets in Italy. They never cease to amaze me!

P.S. I'm posting a video (Tomorrow) answering the questions you guys sent to me.
P.P.S. Sorry this post has no pictures, but I had to restore my phone and so I lost a lot of my pictures, but in the next one there will be pictures! Promise!:)

Time Flies...

I can't wrap my head around the fact that I've been in Italy for 6 months! It honestly feels like a month. In these past six months I've done more than I've ever imagined! I have Rotary to thank for that! I truly can't say thank you enough!
A special big thanks to Rotary districts 7750 and 2060! You guys have truly become my family! I knew the first time that I meet you that I was welcomed! Thank you !!!

When I first started this journey, 10 months seemed like such a long time. Now I'm six months in and have a little less than 4 months left. Time flies. I've seen more of Italy than I ever dreamed of, I've meet life long friends, and tasted delicious food! Thinking about saying goodbye is heartbreaking! I've been blessed with an amazing host family and an amazing district! These next four months I hope to make many, many, many more memories with you guys!!! I love you!

Ti voglio bene e grazie infinite!!!❤❤

Napoli/Pompeii

Two weekends ago I had the amazing opportunity to go on a trip to Napoli and Pompeii!

This trip was most definitely one for the books!

Let me start from the beginning...

 

So we left Udine at 8:30 to catch the bus, which was waiting at Palmnova. We got on the bus at 9 o'clock. At around 1 o'clock we got the news that the road we had to take was closed due to the "Big Snow." So we took a detour. The detour was all good, just a little rain and a lot of wind. It was all good till we got to the longest bridge I've ever seen in my life! It was a bridge that a lake on both sides. Now had it been a nice sunny day, there would've been no problem crossing this bridge, however that was not the cause. It was pouring the rain and windy as ever! So we waited for at least 20 minutes before the bus driver finally decided to cross it. It took us 30+ minutes to get across this bridge. There was a tractor trailer that had flipped over on the bridge into the water. It was bad. However I think the driver was okay.

Once we finally got to Bologna around 3, we saw the snow...

I'm from the south, so to me 6 inches of snow is A LOT of snow! Never in my life have I seen 3 feet of snow! I was like a 5 year old child! We had snowball fights and made snow angels.



 

We hit another accident on the way, but this time we stopped for 2 hours! We finally arrived in Pompeii at 2 in the morning! Got checked-in and in our rooms, and then we realized that no one was tired, so we went for a walk. We finally went to bed at around 3:30ish.

This is a 139 year old church
in the main pizzia of Pompeii

 

The next day we were up early and off for a day in Pompeii. It was spectacular! We only had about 2 and half hours inside. So we didn't get to see very much. However what we did see was beautiful!

This was Pompeii's arena. Where people fought against people
and animals.

The city of Pompeii is an ancient Roman town-city near modern Naples. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area, were mostly destroyed and buried under 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) of ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
Researchers believe that the town was founded in the seventh or sixth century BC by the Osci. It came under the domination of Rome in the 4th century BC, and was conquered and became a Roman colony in 80 BC after it joined an unsuccessful rebellion against the Roman Republic. By the time of it's destruction, 160 years later, its population was approximately 11,000 people, and the city had a complex water system, an amphitheatre, gymnasium and a port.
The eruption destroyed the city, killing its inhabitants and burying it under tons of ash. Evidence for the destruction originally came from a surviving letter by Pliny the Younger, who saw the eruption from a distance and described the death of his uncle Pliny the Elder, an admiral of the Roman fleet, who tried to rescue citizens. The site was lost for about 1,500 years until its initial rediscovery in 1599 and broader rediscovery almost 150 years later by Spanish engineer Rocque Joaquin de Alcubierre in 1748.




 The objects that lay beneath the city have been well-preserved for centuries because of the lack of air and moisture.


























During the excavation, plaster was used to fill in the voids in the ash layers that once held human bodies. This allowed one to see the exact position the person was in when he or she died.

Pompeii fun fact: The reason that they had sort of stepping stones in between the streetwise because back in the day, they didn't have plumbing systems, so all there waste went straight to the streets. So they put in stepping stones, so people didn't have to step in waste.

 

 

 

 

 

Finally made it to the top! Me featuring the famous Mt. Vesuvius

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

The next day we were off at 9. Our first stop was Napoli. We only had till 12 because we had to go home that day too:(

Napoli is a very peculiar city. For some reason it reminded me kinda of alley ways in New York.  

 

 

Okay so here are just a few group photos from that weekend...

We found a Rotary Tree!!

 

 

I've taken a liken to yoga.

 

 

 
 
 
I also turned 17! Best birthday ever! I had my favorite pizza for lunch, and my host mom made hamburgers and potatoes for me:)

 

Carnival

So Carnival is a huge festival in northern Italy. It's like the Italian Marti Gras. We had a carnival day at school and tons of people dressed up for the occasion. It was an interesting day!

 

 

Then on Saturday after school I had the opportunity to see carnival in Venice! It was amazingly beautiful! Everyone had on costumes and mask.

Of Course we had to dress up for
the party! We all decided to be
mimes

 

The next day for lunch we decided we would eat healthy. We had chicken salad with apples, and pasta pomodoro! It wasn't gourmet, but it was good!

 

 

 

Then it was time to depart.

 

 

Just a few more photos from carnival in Venice

 

 

~Future Exchangers~

 

By now you guys know which country your going to and some of you may even know which city. I'm so excited for you guys and can't wait to meet some of you guys! I hope you guys are prepared for the best year of your life! I hope you're prepared to change and gain a different understanding of the world.

Since I only have 4 months left here in Italy, that means your guys exchange is right around the corner. So if you guys have any questions, or something you'd like to know email ( baberuthgirl@gmail.com )  me and I'll be glad to talk to you!

Get ready your adventure is about to begin!

 

Ciao Ciao Ci vediamo a presto !

Bye bye see you soon!