Although Mykonos was not as happening as it usually is during the summer, we had a great time relaxing and exploring the town.

The night on Mykonos were usually spent eating a nice meal and relaxing over a bottle of wine. One night we decided to go get some drinks before our dinner and decided to break away from our typical choice of red and get white wine. BIG MISTAKE!




We decided that we wanted to see the rest of the island so on Thur. we rented a car! It was a lot of fun to drive around and see the different beaches on the island. We also found a starbucks that we went to twice!

We spent the next couple of days laying out on the beach. The weather was perfect to just layout and read. We usually packed ourself snacks and drinks and spent the whole day in the sun!

The first night that we got there we found out the U.S. Navy was docked in Mykonos. We ended up going to bars with them that night. These are a couple of our new navy friends Andy and Jesse.

After a day of touring, we decided that our last meal in Athens was going to be a lobster dinner! So we went to this restaurant that specialized in cooking seafood. The meal was great and there were a bunch of different dipping sauces to dip the lobster in. The next morning we woke early to go get on the ferry from Athens to Mykonos. The ferry was four hours long, but we got to layout outside and get some sun. When we got to Mykonos we decided to walk around the village and look at all the cute white and blue buildings.

The next night we went to this restaurant that makes it's own wine. The room that you eat in is surronded by the wine barrels! The next day we woke up and went to the acropolis! It was so much better then I could have ever thought! The weather that day was prefect for walking around and looking at all the ruins!

For spring break we decided to got to Greece! We left friday morning and arrived in Greece around seven that night! I was excited to see the hostel that we were staying in because I found one for only 10euros that looked nice. Well as soon as we got there we knew that this was not the greatest area to be staying in. After walking up a spirl staircase to the hostel we realized that we had made a mistake. When the guy took us to our room there was NO HEAT! The picture above is Clara trying to get warm in the room because it was colder in there then outside! After about 30 min. in our room we decided that we were not going to be able to stay in the hostel! So we snuck out of our hostel and found this other hotel to stay in. The other picture is our room that we found after the hostel. It had MTV...we were really excited to watch american TV haha

Tuesday night was Fat Tuesday so Hope, Clara, Molly and I went out to The Joshua Tree. There were a lot of people there all dressed up in some crazy outfits. Since we didnt get to give Hope's birthday a respectable celebration on Sunday...we also decided to celebrate that as well!

The next stop we went was the following weekend to Paris. Clara and I stayed with her friend Ben. Katie was in Paris too and we got to hangout all day Saturday. The day on Saturday was spent in the cute park drinking wine and eating cheese and bread. That night we went out for Hope's 21st! Our flight didnt leave till late on Sunday so we got to do some more sightseeing before we left by going to the Musuem d'Osay. The weekend was a lot of fun, but we did a lot of traveling from having to take a two hour bus ride to and from the airport to riding the metro all around Paris...we were very tired on Sunday night!

The last couple of weekends Clara, Hope and I have been TRAVELING!! We went to Brussels, Paris and we leave tomorrow for Greece. While in Brussels, we meet up with Hope's friend Claire and all of her friends. We had a great time exploring the city and trying all the different beers. During the day on Saturday we went to Burge which is a small medieval town about 30 minutes outside of Brussels.

Last night Clara, Hope, Jasper and I went to a buffet style place to eat dinner. It was actually pretty good! Then Clara Hope and I met up with Dan, Molly, Alisha to go to the Jazz Bar... After that Clara, Hope and I decided to leave and met up with Jasper and Mark at the House of Sizzle. Clara and I of course had to get our favorite strawberry margarita!

Hey mom...this is the boot that I like, but in black. What do you think about them? They have fur in the inside of them too!

Clara, Tracey, and me at Michael Collins watching Brenna and Annie singing some karokee!

On Saturday, we went to Siena and San Gimignano with Helen and our early Renaissance class. It was very tiring, but Clara and I loved both places. That night we had a party with some of our friends at SACI at one of their apartments....everyone brought food and drinks. After that we decided to go to sing some karokee at a bar called Michael Collins. Of course, Brenna and I had to represent the South with singing Sweet Home Alabama! We basically took over karokee and closed down the bar...all in all it was a great night!

This is the place where we buy our grocceries...it is very close to our apartment.

This is the front door to our apartment. There is a lot of construction going on next to it as you can see. Recently the noise is so bad and wakes up at early in the morning. Hopefully the construction will stop soon!

It has been raining in Florence for the last four days...I am getting really tired of it! This week had been pretty laid back because Clara and I both have started to get sick. On Tuesday we went out to eat for our one month anniversary to a restaurant called Giannino. It was good, but our waiter was very strange and keep asking us if we were drunk yet. haha The rest of the week we have just tried to stay out of the rain. Clara and I found a baguel place called Anna's and it has become our favorite spot before class. Tonight we are thinking about going out to eat to one the restaurants that Rachel Ray suggests... For some reason the last two days I have been extremely sick and have not been going out with Clara and Hope :(

This is Clara and me at our apartment one night before we went out to a bar that is close to our house.

Tuesdays and Wednesday I dont have class so most of those days I just lay around the apartment and watch movies as well as just catch up on the lack of sleep that I have been experiencing while Florence. This week it wasnt any different...I ended up sitting around and watching movies. I feel that if I keep this up I will probably run out of movies to watch by the end of the semester. Today is Thur. so we will be going to Lion's Fountain tonight for fun and karokee! We have slowly but surely started planning our spring break trip to Greece as well as our weekend trip to Nice for Mardi Gra!! This weekend, we are going to the top of Florence and see the city!

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO WITHOUT HOPIE THIS WEEKEND??????

Hope is leaving Clara and I this weekend to go to Rome, so we have to think of something fun to do in Florence this weekend. This is the first weekend that Clara and I dont have to go on a school trip so we are def. going to be sleeping in! Tonight we are going out to eat at a mexican restaurant and then try some new bars called Lochness and Angies.

We have started making a tradition on Thur. nights to go to a bar called the Lions Fountain. They have karokee on that night and we love to listen to others. Sometimes after some liquid courage we get up there and sing, too. Friday night we ate at our apartment and went to a bar right behind our apartment with some friends from school.On Saturday, I took a day trip to Pisa and Lucca. It was so rainy and gross the whole day which made the trip not that enjoyable! On Saturday night Clara, Hope, Vicky and I had a dinner party and invited over some of our new friends. Then Clara and I decided to take everyone to the House of Sizzle because we LOVED the Strawberry Margaritas the last time we went there. This weekend Florence was having a Chocolate festival so on Sunday we decided to get some brunch and then go to the festival. There is a place called Angels that has an American brunch so we decided to try it out. It wasnt exactly like the States, but close enough!

Last Saturday, we decided to go on an adventure to a small town outside of Florence. When we got to the town we found a Etruscan tomb and decided to go inside of it. It was a great and relaxing day full of steep hills and beautiful views of Florence.

If you cant tell....Hope is a bird face and Clara is a dog face.

My Art History teacher once told me that there are two types of faces in this world dog and bird...of course I had to tell Hope and Clara about this theory! After I told them which type of face they were we decided to take a picture to capture their type face.

Most nights my roommates and I like to stay in and cook! I have really enjoyed trying foods I have never had before as well as just being lazy around the apartment. We have found that we are already tired of pasta and it is only week two!

This week my BSC friends were in town. I have had so much fun hanging out with them. I am going to be very sad when they have to leave on Friday.

So I havent been able to post since I have been in Florence due to not having internet in my apartment. Hopefully, I should have internet by today or tomorrow. Since I have been here, I have been so busy trying to find my way around the city as well as getting necessary paperwork and what not for the school. During the weekend, we had orientation that was basically walks around the city showing us where everything was and showing us the main buildings. I have also been consumed with adjusting to the time difference as well as the culture of Italians. Everything here is more simple from the appliances in the apartment to way things are handled. Although there are many differences in the culture of Italians from that of the US, I am loving my experience and cant wait for what is to come. I should have pictures of my apartment and what not soon!