lexi-in-italy-2017

[lexi-in-italy-2017]

(5/27/17) This morning we went to the biggest site for catacombs in Italy. It was like 12 acres of dead people. I was expecting to love it, but it was low key scary. I did not enjoy myself. It was like as dark underground maze and it smelled bad and I was claustrophobic and I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen if there was an earthquake. I just kept my mouth shut though because I didn't wanna freak anyone out but later I found out that that's kind of how most of us felt. Next we went on a three hour walking tour through like fields or something. It was really pretty but I was unbelievably tired that I'm not really sure what we were doing lol! During free time i finally found fettuccine alfredo with Kim, Alex, Chris, Heath, and Jaycie and I packed which was sad. The trip is coming to an end and I am excited to be home, but I'm gonna miss being with so many friends at all times. After packing some, I went and shopped for some gifts for people back home and then we went to our last dinner as a big group! The dinner was average, but the humans were LIT!! I sat with Kim, Gillian, and Evann and I love them so much. We talked about zodiac signs a lot which was funny. We all said bye to Dr. Watson (worlds best professor). It's becoming real that we have to leave each other really soon :( After dinner we went to scholars lounge which is apparently a place that Americans that are studying abroad all go to hang out but in reality it was a bunch of old dudes?? They had nachos though so I was excited, but Italians don't understand Mexican food so that was kind of a bust too. But Kim, Kaleigh, and I had really good talks so it was definitely a great night!! When we got back to the hotel everyone was saying goodbye before we all go our separate ways in the morning and catch our different flights and trains. There were tears. I've never seen a group of people love each other the way that the 56th PLC loves each other. I feel so lucky that I get to be apart of the most loving and accepting group on campus! This trip was so full of love and happiness and growth and I could not be more grateful.

[lexi-in-italy-2017]

(5/26/17) This morning we got to go through this tunnel of literal BONES!!! They were out in the shape of crosses and they were all stacked on each other. It was so cold in the tunnel thing and it was so gross and creepy, I loved it hahaha! There were like some sections for femurs and then there were jaws stuck on the ceiling and stuff. So strange. They even had this weird music playing to contribute to how weird this was and I thought it was hilarious. Next we headed over to the trevi fountain, but on our way we walked past this boy on the street who was singing and playing piano for some money and he was SPICY and had the voice of an angel so naturally everyone flipped out and started calling him Paulo (from Lizzie McGuire). So funny! At the trevi fountain I made a wish which I can't share because it won't come true and my friend Isha got some cute candids of it! I've wanted to make a wish in this fountain since 2003, literally. Lizzie McGuire does it in the movie, so this was a big moment for me. I was so happy! Maybe a little too happy. The fountain is beautiful though! Next we went to the pantheon and learned a little, it was so gorgeous. I don't understand how they built these things. Next we walked alllll the way to Vatican City which is technically a different country so that's cool! We split for lunch so I got pizza and gelato and then we headed to another museum. The museum was really cool. We eventually made it to the Sistine Chapel where The Creation of Adam was and I loved it! I can't believe that we saw the ORIGINAL if this! I've seen replicas a hundred times, especially in Michelangelos (the coffee shop) in Norman, but this was literally painted by MICHELANGELO (the human)!!!! What!!!! After our day was over we had our very last family dinner :( sad stuff :( I'm gonna miss my friends so much. Everyone got so close on this trip!

[lexi-in-italy-2017]

(5/25/17) This morning we got a bus and went on a tour of some more modern art than what we've seen in the post few days. It's was graffiti (legal). It was impressive, but I like the art on the sides of buildings in Norman more. A lot of it told stories about different parts of history though so it was cool. After the graffiti tour we got free time for lunch and (in desperation) I went on a hunt for a McDonald's with Mike Tom, Isha, Alex, Jaycie, Kin, Marissa, Kaleigh, Riley, Lance, and Chris! We found one, don't worry! Best McDonald's I've ever had and the McFlurry I got was SO GOOD! I don't know if I just missed American food or if the food is just made differently here, but it was sooo much better than normal. I really miss fried food!!! After lunch we went to the colosseum and the forum! WOW! It was soo big and overwhelming and great! I can't believe I saw one of the seven wonders. Absolutely bonkers people. After a lot of walking around the forum and learning about the history of it, we went to group dinner and they served baby cow :( if you didn't already guess, I definitely did not eat it. If no one had told me it wouldn't have mattered but I just can't deal. So sad. After dinner everyone went to a place called the Drunken Ship. I know, it sounds super classy. IT WAS LIT! They let us play American music again and everyone was dancing and it was so much fun! There was a group of dads there though and they were being creepy, but looking back it was so hilarious. We all just avoided them and they kept like dabbing and trying to rap and it was so embarrassing. Shoutout JPeezy for being a cool dad!!!!

[lexi-in-italy-2017]

(5/24/17)

[lexi-in-italy-2017]

(5/23/17)

Today was really crazy and I was honestly so tired that I don't feel like I got as much out of it as I could have. BUT I got to see the statue of DAVID!!! It was amazing! So much bigger than I'd expected. The details in this sculpture are crazy, I really enjoyed learning about this masterpiece with our professor today. The rest of the tours today were really hard though just because I can't keep my eyes open. After all of our tours Jaycie and I walked around and this random dude targeted us because "he likes blonde" which was funny but weird. For a little bit, we went to this bar to say hi to some of our friends and went back to the hotel to work on our papers for the class! Everything is becoming a blur. I've never been so tired.

[lexi-in-italy-2017]

(5/22/17)

Today our group left Arezzo :( We took a train to our hotel in Florence and met with one of our professors for this half of the course. We got a short tour around and he told us a little bit about the different churches which are so beautiful. There's also music everywhere which I've miss d. Arezzo was really quiet. Florence reminds me a lot of New Orleans so I know I'm gonna love it here! We got a little free time so I went and got snacks with Jaycie, Zack, Riley, Alex, and Chris. Then we got to see some people form the other PLC group which was exciting! After free time we went to a museum and saw different art pieces which was cool. The stories behind each one (especially the sculptures) are really intriguing. Again, I can't believe how old this stuff is. Next we went to the Cathedral and it blew my mind. It was by far the best thing that I've seen so far. The colors were astonishing and the structure and detail of this place is unbelievable. The perfection in these buildings is incredible, I don't understand how they did that so long ago because of how little technology they had compared to now. After looking at the outside of the cathedral and learning about the meanings behind each part, we climbed up 463 stair steps to the top of the dome! The inside of this part of the cathedral was tiny and I felt like the walls were closing in on me. About half way through the climbing I had a moment where I did not think I was going to make it. I hate small spaces and I panicked a little, but there is no way out because of there are hundreds of people behind you going too up and there's no room for two people to pass by each other. Once we got to the top though, it was completely worth it. It was the best view I've ever seen and it was so rewarding and worth 20 minutes of stairs! So much fun. After this we had a little free time and then we got the BEST DINNER EVER! It was a 4 course meal and we got pasta and MEAT FOR ONCE and this wonderful strawberry dessert. At night a big group of us went out and we just walked around and explored! No offense to Siena and Rome, but I don't know how anything will top this day.

[lexi-in-italy-2017]

(5/21/17)

Early this morning, this group in the picture (plus Isha, Heath, Philo, Neil, Mitchel, Natalie, Sarah, and more) woke up super early to catch a train to Pisa!!! On the train I met this girl named Sofia who is from Arezzo, but she was on her way to Milan to audition for the X Factor!!! We talked about the cultural differences between Italy and America, music, and school for about two hours! She was our age and we all enjoyed getting to know her, it was so cool.��

Once we got to Pisa we all walked to the Leaning Tower!!! When we were able to see it, I couldn’t believe it. It’s something you see in the movies and on social media so often that it didn’t feel real. I loved it! I tried really hard to get a good illusion picture but I gave up and took that disaster of a photograph with Addy instead. It fits us better lol. We of course all got our funny pictures and some food before catching our train to Viareggio!

The ride to Viareggio was only 15-20 minutes. Once we walked from the train station to the beach, I was so shook. I’ve only been to a beach once and I was pretty young. There were literally mountains and the Mediterranean Sea in one view. They were side by side! It was gorgeous. The weather was perfect and we all just chilled and laid out and ate Paprika Pringles (see a trend?) in the sand. It was so nice! After being on the beach we went and got sea food down the street. I got this rice plate that was really good, but once I got to the center of it there was a LITERAL OCTOPUS! Eyes and everything. After seeing this I got really nauseous and stopped eating, it was disturbing. 

We got back to Arezzo around 6 pm and Nan and her family was here to say hi! We all ate BBQ which I’ve missed and then I ate an ungoldy amount of ice cream. Oh well. I watched some of a movie that they had set up in the garden and packed up my things because we are leaving Arezzo (aka home) tomorrow morning! I’m so excited for Florence though!

[lexi-in-italy-2017]

(5/20/17)

This morning Addy and I woke up a little bit late and missed the group leaving for the market, so we decided to try and find it ourselves with Bailey. It didn’t go well. We got lost with no data for a good two hours. Eventually we gave up on trying to find everyone and bought a bunch of Paprika Pringles and sat down and talked for a little while. Eventually we ran into some people and found our way home!

This afternoon I went to the pasta making class and Kim was my partner! We made a bunch of different kinds of pasta, but the ravioli was my favorite. It was so much fun! We all listened to music and learned how to make Italian food from scratch! I’m not much of a chef, but I felt pretty fancy. I also took a video of us doing it so I think that I could do it at home too! I’m excited to try if mother will allow it.

After eating our pasta Addy, Kim, Heath, and Bailey and I went shopping a little bit and then got dinner! THE WINE WAS AMAZING! It tasted like sparkling cider and it was little to no alcohol, but I finally felt fancy and enjoyed my drink at the same time. We talked a lot at dinner and we all got a lot closer. It has been so much fun to learn about people on a new level this week! I love humans, especially PLC humans. On our walk back we really got to see Arezzo. Everyone apparently goes out on Saturdays. The people watching was great! There were people of all ages eating gelato and everyone was so dressed up, it felt a little bit like Norman during art walk or Norman Music Festival.

When we got back I did some laundry and chilled. I pretty much just hung around and talked to different people for a little bit. It was an awesome day. I love my friends more than I can put into words! Ugh!

[lexi-in-italy-2017]

(5/19/17)

This morning after going on a tour of some archaeological thing that I can’t bring myself to be interested in, I ate more croissants with Mike Tom, Kayleigh, and Mitchel. Then I went back to the Monastery to sleep, oops. 

Later in the afternoon we went to this place that people from all around the world go to for grad school. They learn how to compromise with people from anywhere in the world. Their goal is to show that anyone can build a relationship through finding common ground regardless of their differences. It was a beautiful place with an even more beautiful message. The idea of common ground is so important, especially right now. I really enjoyed learning about it! We need more programs like this in America.

Tonights dinner was easily the best one yet. I went with Riley, Kim, Alex, Chris, Jaycie, and Isha. I had ravioli that had cheese and spinach and the sauce was BUTTER AND SAGE!!!! Wow. I loved it of course. We had good talks, mostly about our love languages which actually helped me to understand these friends on a new level which I really enjoyed. Riley told the waiter to call him “Nero” which is “black” in Italian and the waiter got really uncomfortable. Pretty funny. These people are weirdos and I love it. All of us are getting os much closer and I’ve learned so much about them and myself already! YAY!

After dinner we walked around and Chris, Alex, and Riley decided that I was going to be a celebrity and they were going to be my body guards. This explains the picture. They called me Lexi Audashian and wouldn’t let anyone near me or take pictures with me and I was laughing so hard. I think we’re all getting delusional haha!

Later I got gelato with Sarah, Kobe, Dr. Watson, Mike Tom, and Hannah Perry. I got raspberry and lemon, SO GOOD! We talked for a little while. I love Sarah and Kobe Harrington so much!!! After finishing my gelato I walked a few doors over to meet the rest of the group at the KARAOKE BAR!!! I of course sang Fergalicious and Sweatpants by Childish Gambino. I only stayed for a little while, but it was fun! Everyone was having a great time.

When I got home I talked to humans about life even more, shocking I know.

ANOTHER GREAT DAY!!! I feel so lucky.

[lexi-in-italy-2017]

(5/18/17)

I SAW A NUN!!! It was so cool! I don’t know why, but I was so into this. I think its because I love The Sound of Music and like also its not every day that you casually see a nun walking down the street.

After class this morning I got a strawberry croissant and a cappuccino, lit! It was so good. 

In the early afternoon we went to these tombs. It’s amazing how old everything is here. I’m super exhausted and I don’t remember exactly how old they were, but everything is old here. We even went to the underground part of this church and there were ACTUAL HUMAN BONES??!!!?!?!? Crazy stuff. It was fun.

For lunch I went to a place called Crepes De Lune with Kim, Heath, Isha, Jaycie, and Kayleigh. I actually want to date these crepes. I got ones with dark chocolate and strawberries and I genuinely can’t think of anything I’ve ever eaten that tasted better. Honestly. Some of the other girls got ones with meat and stuff too, it was really cool. The drink in the picture with my crepe was a spritz. DISGUSTING!Apparently they’re a thing in Italy and I was trying to be cultures, but it tasted like nail polish remover. Notice the coke in the corner that I ended up drinking instead. Overall though, best meal so far!

During free time I took a nap because I keep staying up until ridiculous hours because I love talking to humans. At dinner I finally found a wine that I like and I shared with with Michael. Tonight was our last family dinner. I’ve enjoyed this group of people so much! I’ll miss this.

After dinner we went to some underground bar (I really am not paying attention to the names of places I’m realizing). I’m pretty sure that all 40 PLCers were there and it was so SO MUCH FUN! Our professor even showed up, lol. Italians don’t go out on Thursdays so we were the only ones there so the bar tenders let us have the aux cord so we finally got to hear some American music. We just danced and had a great time until curfew.

Today was the best yet, but I’m sure I’ll say that every day.

[lexi-in-italy-2017]

(5/17/17)

This morning was very rough. I should not have stayed up so late. It was our first day of class and I was having a hard time staying awake. I can tell that the class is going to be really fun though! Professor Watson is extremely passionate and personable which will obviously make the class a lot more fun! I’m excited to learn about the rise and fall of the Roman Empire!!!

After class we walked to an Archeological Museum (on the way there I noticed that the mannequins in the stores wear lipstick which is funny to me). The museum was really interesting, I am just so exhausted and I wish I’d slept so that I could have enjoyed it more. We learned about the violence that people used to use for entertainment and most of the boys loved it, but violence really freaks me out. It’s astonishing that people would watch prisoners die for entertainment. It’s kind of gross. The art that we got to see was beautiful though!

During our free time I really needed a nap so I spent most of my time doing that. Before that though, we got some pizza and on my walk back to the Monastery I heard someone playing the piano. I don’t know where it came from, but it was beautiful. I brightened my day! There isn’t much music here, so it was nice to be able to hear that. It sounded like it was coming from the Cathedral and it was one of my favorite parts of the day. Oh, also Dominos and Papa Johns have better pizza than Italy (unpopular opinion).

Next we went to a vineyard for wine tasting. IT WAS GORGEOUS! I cried again of course. The wine was okay. I’m sure it was good because it’s a vineyard in Italy, but it tastes gross to me because I’m not used to it. We took some cute pictures (like the one above) and just talked for awhile. It was very calm and nice. Again, I love my humans.

At dinner I got pasta for the first time and WOWEE WOW it was yummy! Afterward, we ran into some Americans from North Carolina who are musical theatre majors and I could tell. They were CRAZY, but hilarious! They were really happy to know that we were there. Arezzo doesn’t tend to have tourists so it’s not common to meet people who speak English very well. After talking to them for awhile, we went to a place called Cremi and ate gelato. I got raspberry and lemon! SO GOOD! The food here is going to turn me into a brat, oh well. After hanging around for awhile, we all walked back. At home, I talked to Jaycie, Heath, and Addy for awhile and just talked (until 5 am again). So yeah I’m exhausted. But again, I am loving this place and these people and that’s all that matters! #sleepwhenyouredead

[lexi-in-italy-2017]

(5/16/17)

I’m writing this a day late. But yesterday I woke up around 7 am and got ready for breakfast which was AMAZING! We had eggs, lemon cake, the best grapefruit juice that I’ve ever had, and some weird cereal. It was so peaceful and our group is already getting along really well. I’m not much of a morning person but when I do get up, I really enjoy them. We ate in the garden and talked for awhile before we had to go to our orientation.

At our orientation we just went through safety procedures, the details traveling away from Arezzo during the week, and how Italian meals work! It was exciting, but slightly nerve racking. I love how much this experience is going to push me out of my comfort zone and hopefully teach me to be a little more bold because I am currently terrified to order food. Oh also the man working a part of our orientation was Italian and he said “take a sun bath”. I laughed.

After the orientation we went to lunch with a small group of people. I believe it was Kim, Zack, Mike Tom, Heath, Gillian, and the Italian guy named Lucco! I honestly have no idea what I ordered, but it was great! It was like a ball of doughy noodly stuff with cheese? I don’t know honestly but everything here is amazing and you can really tell how authentic it is because it doesn’t make you feel bloated or sick after eating it even though it’s all heavy carbs. It’s wonderful. Also the portion sizes are much smaller but they still fill you up which is nice. That’s probably why literally NOBODY is overweight here. I think this trip is going to make me realize how much America is doing wrong. The dessert was a bunch of different cookie types sweets and they were so so good, they melt in your mouth (insert heart eyes). My favorite part of lunch was getting to eat outside and people watch. I really starting notice the cultural differences and it’s so interesting. First off, people stare so hard and I don’t think that it’s perceived as rude. I have felt like people were relentlessly looking at us since we arrived, but Lucco said that that was normal because Italians like to “observe beautiful and interesting things so that they can better understand them” which is kinda cool I think? Another thing is that there is some serious PDA. People literally suck face on the streets and it makes all of the Americans so uncomfortable, but the people who live here don’t even notice. Like not even the kids? So strange, but I like that everywhere has little things that that set them apart from other parts of the world.

Next we got a tour of the town of Arezzo and it was really confusing, but it is such a beautiful and cute place. For the most part, it is extremely peaceful and not too crowded. It actually reminds me of Norman so it makes sense that they’d have an OU Campus here. I also got to use my new snapchat spectacles for the first time while I’m here and it was fun, everyone thinks they’re so cool, lol! One thing that our tour guide told us was that there have recently been a lot of immigrants coming to the area from Africa and Syria. It was really casual and she didn’t act like anyone cared. I wish the US was more like that right now. Again, this country is making me want to come home and bring light to our mistakes... 

After our tour we went to a Cathedral to look at the art of ___. It was crazy. When we first walked in there was a small issue with the dress code because we had to cover our shoulders and knees and we didn’t know that ahead of time. I think that it is kind of strange that that is such a strict rule here. I could be wrong, but it seems like in the United States we would have people rebelling against a dress code that is so conservative. I understand the respect aspect of it, but it still seems a little bit outdated to me. When we walked in, the art painted on the walls took my breath away. I have never seen anything like it. You could almost hear the paintings. Everything was so colorful, but calm at the same time. The shadows were painted as if they were real and they were shadows from the real window near the paintings. Details like this are astonishing to me just because I would have never thought to pay attention to them. The talent of __ is amazing. Apparently it took him 8-15 years to complete it. So far, it is one of the coolest parts of the trip.

After our tour of the cathedral, we had a ton of free time. First I went into this weird store with Jaycie, Riley, Michael, Zack, and some others I’m sure. They sold random stuff like rubber octopus legs to put on your fingers. Why? I have no clue. It was funny though. Next we went into a book store but that was kind of boring because every book was in Italian and I didn’t recognize anything. After walking around for awhile some of them wanted to go into a grocery store and buy champagne for our picnic. They got some and when we were all near the checkout and they started playing American Pop Music, so “Forget You” by CeeLo Green came on. The issue was that they don’t know English, so little did they know, they were not at all playing the clean version. We are all waiting in line when all of the sudden we are CeeLo Green sing “fuck you” over the blaring speakers in a family grocery store. Jaycie and I looked at each other and we were so shook, but no Italians noticed or cared. It was funny though, like in America people would have thrown a fit. NEXT, we went to get gelato and I got the cookie flavor, it was average. I usually like fruit flavors though so I planned to get a different kind later. THE CONE WAS GOOD THOUGH WOWEE! 

Okay so for the last part of our free time we went to a park that I put a picture of above. I know I’m super dramatic and goofy, but I mean it when I say that I began to cry when we walked up to this view. I never understood what people meant by being at a loss for words until this day. Of course, the picture doesn’t do it justice, but there was just something about it that made me want to look at it forever. We say on the ledge (my biggest fear but I’m daring greatly these days) and I tried a little drink of champagne which was surprisingly really yummy! Realized later that drinking in public is probably illegal but YOLO??? Anyway, it was amazing. It was me, Heath, Kim, Lance, Michael, Zack, Riley, and Isha. We all just talked for awhile and bonded. My favorite thing to do! We left after about an hour and we got some pictures there and on our way back for dinner.

At dinner my family group went to a place called Miva. I hate myself for this, but I got a steak and fries... such an American. It tasted really different from those foods back home though. The steak was ridiculous and the fries were almost like chips! I loved it so much. We have meal vouchers too so it feels super free even though it really isn’t at all lol. 

After dinner everyone went out to this bar, but it’s Tuesday so nobody was there except for FOURTY of us, hahaha! I just kinda sat back and let everyone else have their fun and it was truly entertaining. I love these humans so much!!! We had our entire PLC group with us and everyone was being so sweet and fun. There is so much love surrounding this trip and I could not be happier. This one Italian boy waved me over to him and it was so weird? Boys here are way more assertive. I just kinda awkwardly was like “uhh I’m good thanks!” (queen of awkward).

When we got home I just walked around to different rooms and talked to people about life. This ended up lasting until 5am, but I am building relationships so I’ll survive. Everything is great!!!

[lexi-in-italy-2017]

(5/15/17)

After ten and a half hours of flying, we finally made it to Rome around 7 am. Unfortunately, we were the first flight to get there out of the rest of our group, so we sat in the airport until 2 or 3 pm. It wasn’t as bad as it sounds though. There were thousands of people hustling back and forth and it was truly fascinating. There’s so much beauty in culture. I don’t believe that I’ve ever been somewhere that has so much diversity in one place until today in the Fuimicino Airport. Everyone was speaking different languages of course, but even things like personal space, clothing, or facial expressions differed between every person. I think that everyone knew that we were Americans because of how much we smile, lol! Riley and I went into the stores to look around and eat and that was really fun too. Ordering food is interesting, people look at us like were dumb and I don’t think that it necessarily benefits me that I’m one of the only blonde people around here, oops.

Once we had our whole group together we loaded up the bus and drove for about 3 hours to Arezzo, Italy! Once we got here around 6 we pretty much went immediately to the Monastery (where we are staying) and we haven’t been able to leave since. So I haven’t yet seen much of the town, but the Monastery is easily the most beautiful place I’ve ever stayed. I mean, I don’t have much to compare it to since the nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed in was in Texas, but it is breathtaking. We got a tour of the entire facility and learned some of the history behind it and I truly can’t believe that I get to be here for the next six nights. My roommate is Addy Bell who is one of my favorite people in the world, so things are working out so well! Not only does our room have a perfect view of the hills, but everywhere you turn there is something new and amazing to see no matter where you are. I think I’m going to spend a lot of time near the paintings that were left here by the nuns that occupied the Monastery before OU. I’ve always loved art, but I can already tell that I will be obsessed after this trip. The history behind it all is what truly blows my mind and some of them are HUGE.

After our tour, we had a little pizza party and now everyone is just hanging around and trying to get some rest before tomorrow. THE JET LAG IS REAL! Goodnight friends, thanks for reading :)

[lexi-in-italy-2017]

(5/14/17) 

 I’m currently very nervous, but they say that the best parts of life are the things that scare you so here we go!!!