Emozioni Misti

Ciao a tutti!

The real countdown begins as I approach the two week mark for my departure from Denver on September 4th. The last few weeks have consisted of final preparations that are time-consuming (paired with some small and boring tasks), but necessary.

At the beginning of August, I jutted off on a 40 hour mother-daughter trip to Chicago for some good ol' fashioned shoe shopping on Magnificent Mile -- oh, I almost forgot that I got my visa as well. ;) While the Italian consul woman was troppo cranky, she did mention that Sanremo is "a very beautiful city" and that I am "very, very lucky". These things I already knew, but it made me excited to hear that from a native Italian! (Not to mention that it made the two hour wait we had in the waiting room a little less frustrating. I guess a taste of Italians' slow-paced ways was beneficial.)

Since then, my days have been spent running around to various stores buying last-minute essentials. Nobody likes to shop for adapters, undergarments and toiletries, but it has to be taken care of! When I am not running errands, I am pushing through Rosetta Stone (a program that has recently become very mundane), working to make spending money, working out to prepare for the weight I've been told every girl gains on exchange, and spending crucial moments with my family.

This weekend I had my "Arrivederci!" party. While this event was amazing because I got to see many loving friends and family members, it was a loud wake-up call. I had planned this event for a month and knew I would be leaving a two short weeks after my party, but it all seemed like a distant dream. When all the lasagne was in the oven and balloons were being placed around the house on Sunday morning, I knew that my dream was surfacing and joining my reality. I got flashes of these familiar faces becoming images on my iPad screen, or names at the bottom of sweet, foreign letters. Anxieties about my language abilities in Italian and their hinderance on the friend-making process and how much I would miss my family all surfaced and I started to sweat about the experience. But then something came in and swept my worries far away -- a Skype call with my host family.

Just an hour before my party, my mom and I decided to squeeze in a quick yet long-awaited Skype call with my host family. Though we anticipated communication troubles due to language, we made a plan of action. My mom was to speak to them in Spanish (as she is fluent), and I was to use my mediocre Italian and Spanish in any way I could. To our surprise, we could have talked for hours in our total smash-up of Spanish and Italian, because everyone in the conversation knew sufficient levels of both languages! On top of that, my host family was even more warm and welcoming than I could have imagined. (And my host mom can make a scrumptious batch of lasagna, paella and tiramisu... SCORE!) Seeing them in motion instead of reading their instant messages just conveyed their true essence so much better to me. Their love along with words of support and encouragement took away 90% of my nervousness and made me want to hop on a plane the second after we got off the call.  I cannot wait to Skype them again with my dad and brother included. AFS, if ever you have made a correct/perfect match between a student and their host family, I believe it to be this one!

Although I am ecstatic about my host family and the overall experience, my parents and I are starting to feel the pressure of the separation ahead of us. Both my mom and dad have started wondering how they will make it through the year due to our closeness and the amount of time I spend with them on a regular basis. I always denied that I would get homesick because I felt like a child that was meant to travel and be shared with the world, but now I realize no exchange student will be immune to the sadness of being away from loved ones. But do not be fooled. While we are all a little anxious, nobody could be more excited or proud of me than my parents and family members and I am so glad to be supported.

While I can't be sure of the future experiences that lie ahead (no matter how many times I try to play out every possible situation in my head as I lie in bed), I know in my heart that this journey will be unlike anything I have ever imagined. The emotional roller coaster will blast on for the next year, and with it, my knowledge of the world and myself will expand. I can already say, if you have any desire to travel the world, DO IT. And if you have embarked on this journey alongside me, I cannot wait to meet you in a matter of weeks. :)

On a last note, this much has proved true: "When you want something, all the universe conspires to help you achieve it." -Paulo Coelho. So go on and live your lives well, with purpose, drive, and happiness!

Bacioni,
Adriana <3

[More Than] Halfway Through Summer

Ciao a tutti!

I decided to write a blog post as I listen to Italian music and reflect on the times behind and ahead of me! My summer has been jam packed, and I am scrambling to get prepared (mentally, physically and emotionally) for my departure. I just received my visa papers (that includes a letter of school enrollment from Liceo Statale "G.D. Cassini") and it made everything so real!

The closer I get to la mia avventura, the more nervous I get, but I am working very hard to let go of all my anxieties and to just enjoy the ride. As an exchange student, you have to trust your decision to study abroad as the right one, and know that things will turn out just as they're supposed to.

I can't deny a little sadness I have to leave my family and friends here in Colorado. It's the small times when I sit there and watch my life from the outside as I eat dinner with my family, or jam out to John Mayer live with my mom and brother while looking out over the skyline, or cook a feast with my grandparents, or hike with my dad, or watch my niece crawl around while my nephews run rampant around us, or when I walk my dog under the stars and breathe in the fresh Colorado air-- the list goes on forever. It's little moments like these when I feel so blessed in life by the people who surround me.

But I know, I cannot bear to stay either. Wanderlust is "a strong desire or impulse to travel and rove about", and it has a hold on my heart. I watch the Travel Channel or I look at pictures from people's summer adventures, and there isn't one place that doesn't get added to my travel wish list! With all the traveling I want to do, I believe it's best to start early and keep wandering as long as possible. 
I am doing the most to make the best of my All-American summer (including climbing my first "14er" called Gray's Peak, and going to the Luke Bryan concert this week) while preparing for la dolce vita. I have 44 days before I bid my beautiful state of Colorado farewell and I plan to enjoy every single one of them.

Pinch me, I cannot believe it's true! :)

Arrivederci!
Adriana

P.S. Just a friendly reminder that you can still donate to my cause at smartypig.com/loves/AdrianaG :)
And like my Facebook page at facebook.com/ladolceadriana -  Grazie mille!

Preparing for Italia!

Buongiorno!

It has been quite awhile since I last wrote, but I have so much to share! I have been traveling for the majority of June with friends and family (taking trips to Glenwood Springs, California and Hawaii). Within the last few weeks though, I have been learning a lot more about my trip and working hard to make sure I am well prepared to leave in September.

I got in touch with my host family after technology had failed us all for a month or so. We had each sent emails that didn't go through, but luckily I covered my bases and sent them an old-fashioned letter by mail that they received. Now, we have talked on multiple occasions and I am feeling even more excited and comfortable about my trip-- I am really blessed to say that my host family and I were perfectly matched for each other! 

My family will consist of: Alessandro (father), Regina (mother) and Matteo (brother). I am hoping to come back fluent in Italian and Spanish, because Regina is actually from Santiago de Compostela, Spain and both languages are spoken in their home. We will be an active and social family!

Additionally, they informed me that I am enrolled in the Liceo Linguistico (Linguistics High School) of Sanremo. Thus, I will be working on the core subjects along with a few foreign languages; I am very glad because I really love languages and was already working on multiple languages here.

My actual travel plans are set in stone now as well! I will leave Denver on September 4th for New York City (where I will have an overnight "Gateway Orientation") with the other AFSer going to Italy from Colorado, Taylor. From there I will go to Zurich, Switzerland and on to Rome's Fiumicino Airport. I will spend the weekend in Rome with all the other AFS participants I will be sharing the La Dolce Vita experience with before heading off to have a long-awaited meeting with my host family! All flights and hotels booked and ready!

My Italian skills are becoming more proficient as I continue work with Rosetta Stone, listening to Italian artists (including Marco Mengoni, Chiara and Emma Marrone), following Italian calcio (their Confederations Cup run as well as the club summer transfers), watching Italian movies (my top one being La Vita è Bella) and conversing with AFSers and volunteers from Italy.

While I am here in the States, I am enjoying quality time with friends and family and have a busy schedule making the rounds with my loved ones! I still have a mother daughter trip to Cheyenne Frontier Days to see Luke Bryan with my friends Rachael, Lauren and our moms-- which I believe is the ultimate, all-American experience. Following that, I will go to Chicago to get my student visa. One of the most important things I have to do is to fundraise; now that I am home, I am working on organizing many fundraisers that anyone can participate in if they like (I am open to suggestions as well). Donations are also accepted.

I hope this wasn't an overload of information, but I am incredibly excited and wanted to share all my good news with everybody! If you have any questions or comments, I'd love to hear them, and I would also love to see many people before I leave, so don't be strangers!

A presto!

Adriana :)

And the journey begins...

Ciao!

My name is Adriana Gonzales, and I am a student at Legacy High School in Colorado. Right now, I am embarking on a life-changing journey: I am going to live and study in Sanremo, Italy for 10 months beginning in September of 2013. I am a girl who is simply in love with different countries, languages and cultures around the world. I have traveled around the United States, Mexico, and Western Europe with my family and I simply cannot get enough. I am not only attempting to see new places, but to live and breathe the full culture through learning languages as well (my goal right now is to learn the Western Romance languages: Italian, Portuguese, French and Spanish).

Ultimately, my life goal is to make an impact on humankind-- particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where I feel there is a dire need for a change. Traveling now in high school will give me a new, broader lens through which I will look at the world. I will also have a base in many languages as I am studying all four Western Romance languages (though Italian is of utmost priority with my trip coming quickly).  I will be a well-cultured person with the skills it takes to make a new place my home, to connect with people and to understand who I am. My study abroad trip to Italy is a stepping stone in my bigger, life-long journey.

As of right now I am preparing in every way I can: learning Italian, cooking Italian food, working with the program I am going with (AFS USA), and raising money. This program is something that my heart is set on, and I am taking all the necessary steps that it takes to get there. If you would like to help me, I have a donation widget on this blog for anyone who would like to donate to my "SmartyPig" account at https://www.smartypig.com/loves/AdrianaG. My current fundraising goal through this is $10,000 through these donations and all of my other fundraising efforts. Feel free to donate in other forms by commenting with any tips, words of wisdom, encouragement, etc., that you would like to offer-- anything and everything helps! I also accept prayers and positive vibes!  In exchange for your help, I will be updating this blog from this point forward; I will post about checkpoints in my process, how I am feeling about my trip, how my fundraising is going, and all about my life once I am in Italy.

I cannot explain how excited I am to have been given this opportunity, and I am truly grateful for it. Thank you for your time and any donations (spiritual, emotional, physical, and so on); I am forever grateful for your help in making my dreams come true. 


Molto amore!
Adriana

P.S. Feel free to share with your friends, family and acquaintances! Anybody!
ladolceadriana.blogspot.com
P.P.S. Go like my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AdrianaGonzalesExchangeInItaly :)