Holy shit I'm going to Italy. This is not happening! I'm not ready! I've barely packed! So I'm exaggerating, whatever. Two weeks and I will be on a 10 hour plane ride with Jeff to Italy where I will be living for four months. I still haven't wrapped my head around it. I've been so busy worrying about my job, (thank god I'm leaving that emotionally draining ego trap), and I haven't been able to focus on whats important. My trip, my relationship, my goals. None of it.
Well not anymore! It's happening whether I'm ready or not so here we go lol. I think that's why I did this so quickly. I'm an impulsive person in general so I think I subconsciously knew that I wouldn't be able to process this trip no matter how long I tried so I made the decision and just ran with it. I do that a lot:] I just want this to change me. I want to wake up every morning thinking differently knowing that I lived through things that have affected me so deeply that they've made me grow as a person in ways that I never expected. I want to be forced to grow up, forced to learn and adapt when I'm not ready. Because if I tried to wait until I was ready I would just never do anything lol!
And this is one step closer to the life I've dreamed of . With Jeff, doing archaeology, being independent. I'm so sad to leave my family, excited to start this adventure, nervous to live in a completely foreign place, and pleased to be doing it with Jeff and Co. The people we're going to Italy are worth mentioning I think. Maggie my roommate, Kevin my friend/tutor, Christine my bib arch pal, and Marie my suitmate/bb4l are all amazing and will make this trip so memorable. I would be way more nervous without them and Jeff there to calm me down. I promise lots of pics/posts about ridiculous details that may seem arbitrary to some and valuable to others. So bear with me and my see sawing emotions in the next few weeks. I'm a mess. You'll get used to it:]
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Getting Close!
Soooo I haven't posted in forever and it was bothering me even though I'm not even in Italy yet lol. My computer has been out of commission due to some problems with Dell those evil commie rat bastards. I spent days dicking around with them about this and that and then they kept trying to charge me money without actually fixing the problem so finally I asked my sister's computer geek friend to fix it. Therefore, I am back up and running!
My birthday past and my mom got me a camera so now I can post lots of cute pics of Europe and Jeffie sleeping. I got to go up to Jeff's house near my birthday and meet his extended family! They were so sweet and accommodating, they baked me a cake and wanted me to come visit with Jeff in Bolivia! I will post a couple pics when I'm not being such a slacker.
I'm still freaking about packing for Italy. And making sure everything's in order with the bank, cell phone, etc. I didn't think it was actually happening and now I'm going out of the country for so long and I don't know what I'm gunna do or what I'm gunna wear! Ahhhh!! I've tasked everyone I know with the job of calming me down from any minor or major meltdown I have by telling me I'm overreacting....which I will be. Ugh. Well, I shall post pics soon!
My birthday past and my mom got me a camera so now I can post lots of cute pics of Europe and Jeffie sleeping. I got to go up to Jeff's house near my birthday and meet his extended family! They were so sweet and accommodating, they baked me a cake and wanted me to come visit with Jeff in Bolivia! I will post a couple pics when I'm not being such a slacker.
I'm still freaking about packing for Italy. And making sure everything's in order with the bank, cell phone, etc. I didn't think it was actually happening and now I'm going out of the country for so long and I don't know what I'm gunna do or what I'm gunna wear! Ahhhh!! I've tasked everyone I know with the job of calming me down from any minor or major meltdown I have by telling me I'm overreacting....which I will be. Ugh. Well, I shall post pics soon!
Friday, June 22, 2012
Summer Dreams
Hello! So here's the scoop my friends. My name is Shannon Ells and I'll be going to Roma, Italia for the fall semester of 2012. I'm so stocked to finally be branching out, since going to school in DC just isn't far enough away from my crazy family yet!! I'm just kidding mom, I love you.
So I'm thinking I should do a little intro so we can get to know each other. And by "we" I mean me, myself, and I because this is a freaking blog and no one reads these things! But it should be therapeutic to write while I'm abroad to help me deal with being an American idiot bumbling my way through Europe. Let's start with the facts. I'll be a junior at Catholic U in DC this fall where I'm studying Classical Civilizations and Archaeology. I want to be a classical archaeologist someday so where better to study abroad but Italy? Problem is, I'm a homegrown girl from New Jersey who hasn't been anywhere but the eastern seaboard of the U.S. I'm also pretty terrible at languages so taking three (Greek, Latin, Italian) while living in a different country and traveling across Europe should be interesting.
Luckily I have my secret weapon coming with me, my boyfriend/ best friend Jeff Meyer! He'll be studying abroad as well so we can get the cultural experience together.
He's a bit of a space case though when it comes to things like directions and being street savvy so it should be interesting. I'm kind of uber-excited but I'm also feeling really apprehensive. I've lived a pretty sheltered life and I'm sure its going to be a challenge to communicate with people of different cultures who have different values. But hey, I'm adaptable.
Europe is expensive!! We only get 60 euros a week in food vouchers that can be redeemed at local restaurants, so I'll keep you posted on how well that budget holds me over. Jeff and I are taking a flight out of JFK on AerLingus, an Irish airline. Two other girls from our school will be flying out with us so it will be nice to touch down and already be in a group. The tickets cost us around $1000 each for a round trip. I'm pretty hazy on most of the details of where we're supposed to go and how we're going to get there once we touch down but I'll just wing it. Mom, why are you vacuuming my room right now?! I'm trying to concentrate! Anyway, my other huge concern is packing. I'm a habitual over packer because I was a wonderful girl scout and I'm always prepared. Seriously ask Jeff. So when people are like, "Pack light!" that translates to, "Only bring 10 pairs of shoes!" in Shannon Talk. And I get the over packing from my mom so she's no help (she was coincidentally my girl scout leader). I've decided the best way to deal with this problem is to make lists. Lots of them. Lists of shoes, lists of clothes, list of cosmetics, the works.
Well its still only June so I should stop freaking out, but my mentality has always been to know as much information about where I'm going and what I'm doing as possible. Let's hope Zen Master Jeff can cool me off before I have a panic attack on the 10 hour flight to Italy. Have I mentioned I've never flown before? Oh yeah this will be a fun semester. Ciao for now!
So I'm thinking I should do a little intro so we can get to know each other. And by "we" I mean me, myself, and I because this is a freaking blog and no one reads these things! But it should be therapeutic to write while I'm abroad to help me deal with being an American idiot bumbling my way through Europe. Let's start with the facts. I'll be a junior at Catholic U in DC this fall where I'm studying Classical Civilizations and Archaeology. I want to be a classical archaeologist someday so where better to study abroad but Italy? Problem is, I'm a homegrown girl from New Jersey who hasn't been anywhere but the eastern seaboard of the U.S. I'm also pretty terrible at languages so taking three (Greek, Latin, Italian) while living in a different country and traveling across Europe should be interesting.
Jeff and I in Central Park last summer.
He's a bit of a space case though when it comes to things like directions and being street savvy so it should be interesting. I'm kind of uber-excited but I'm also feeling really apprehensive. I've lived a pretty sheltered life and I'm sure its going to be a challenge to communicate with people of different cultures who have different values. But hey, I'm adaptable.
Europe is expensive!! We only get 60 euros a week in food vouchers that can be redeemed at local restaurants, so I'll keep you posted on how well that budget holds me over. Jeff and I are taking a flight out of JFK on AerLingus, an Irish airline. Two other girls from our school will be flying out with us so it will be nice to touch down and already be in a group. The tickets cost us around $1000 each for a round trip. I'm pretty hazy on most of the details of where we're supposed to go and how we're going to get there once we touch down but I'll just wing it. Mom, why are you vacuuming my room right now?! I'm trying to concentrate! Anyway, my other huge concern is packing. I'm a habitual over packer because I was a wonderful girl scout and I'm always prepared. Seriously ask Jeff. So when people are like, "Pack light!" that translates to, "Only bring 10 pairs of shoes!" in Shannon Talk. And I get the over packing from my mom so she's no help (she was coincidentally my girl scout leader). I've decided the best way to deal with this problem is to make lists. Lots of them. Lists of shoes, lists of clothes, list of cosmetics, the works.
Well its still only June so I should stop freaking out, but my mentality has always been to know as much information about where I'm going and what I'm doing as possible. Let's hope Zen Master Jeff can cool me off before I have a panic attack on the 10 hour flight to Italy. Have I mentioned I've never flown before? Oh yeah this will be a fun semester. Ciao for now!
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