memories of a lifetime

Went to the lovely country of Italy for the week. Went through every kind of emotion possible; happiness, excitement, anger, annoyance, tired, awake, etc. etc. Here's how a play by play on what my trip was like.

April 2nd/3rd- Woke up, took a shower and did a load of laundry. Packed and unpacked all my clothes at least 10 times. I am far too paranoid about not having everything or not having enough of something. Hung out until about 9pm then went to Heathers to help her bring her stuff here. Ordered some disgusting pizza and watched The Family Stone. At 2.15am on the 4th we walked to the bus station in Wolverhampton to catch our shuttle to take us to London Stansted airport, which is about 5 hours away. I can't sleep on buses or planes anymore, so I was up the entire time. Watched the sunrise. Not excited yet... just kind of like "whatever". Get to London airport, check in and wait an hour or two for our flight. The flight is about an hour and a half, and everyone fell asleep besides me. We get to Venice and take a bus to the Mestre station where all the buses are and to get to the hotel. Get to the center and ask help on how to get to our hotel. I do the asking... I ask for help now if I don't know what the hell I am doing. Very big accomplishment on my part! Anyway, we get to our hotel, check in and just all drop on our beds. Took about an hour nap... I had been up for 38+ hours. Unpack some of our shit and put our passports and stuff in our little safe and went to go get food. After food, came back, took showers and passed out.

April 4th- Wake up early and go to the breakfast buffet our hotel supplied for us. Hop on the #2 bus and go to Venice. We were not staying on the island, so we had to take a 30 minute bus ride, but we didn't pay for it. They don't really care about you paying or not. We get to Venice and as soon as you walk out of the bus area, you see the grand canal. Now, I am not going to lie, I wasn't all that excited. I mean, I think I was, but I just didn't feel it. I was in shock that I was actually doing this. But I started smiling and just trying to look at everything and walk at the same time. The first day we made our way to Piazza San Marco, where they have San Marco Basilica and a bunch of Museums like Doges Palace and such. We waited in line for about 30 minutes maybe and paid to go inside. The Basilica was amazing! I wish we could have taken pictures. It was covered in gold chips and was just huge. I love going into churches because they are all so different. We walked around, but every little section wanted more money, so we stayed away. We did however spend money to go to the top of the Basilica that looks out on Piazza San Marco. There was a little museum on top as well with material that was in the Basilica at one point and paintings from the old times. It was really amazing. After that, we went over to Doges Palace and did that museum. That one was mostly columns that used to hold up the building. Some art, but not much. It was huge though. It took us about an hour to get through it all. We got to see some apartments, were just ridiculously big, and extravagant. We even saw the prison cells where a certain Casanova was held. Once we were done there, we went to another museum on the other side of the Piazza that had a lot of art in it. It sucked that everything was in Italian, but it was nice just looking at the pictures. Obviously most of the paintings were about Jesus and Madonna and such. Italians take much pride in their religion. After that, we went and got some Gelato and hung out by the water side. We got to see another island, and I can't remember what it is called. It just had a huge church on it. Heather was telling me after ten years of being dead, they dig you up because there isnt enough room to bury everyone. So don't get burried in Italy! We did a little window shopping on our way back to the bus place. So many cute little stores. Murano glass is a huge thing there, obviously, because the island where they do all the glass blowing it right there. It was pretty cheap in Euros, but as soon as you convert it, it isnt so cheap. But the Euros are better than the pound, which makes me really happy. After going into a few shops and just looking around we went and grabbed something to eat before we headed back to our hotel. The island itself had a better selection of food than that was near our hotel, which didn't have anything. So we ate dinner on the grand canal and just watched the sun start to set. We didn't want to stay out there too long because we didn't want to ride public transportation at night, especially with the weirdo's. So we got on the bus after dinner and made our way back to the hotel where we all took showers and layed on the beds. The island is so beautiful. I can't emphasis that enough. The water through out the canals are so warm and inviting. I wanted to jump in at times because it just looked so friendly. The little streets were cute, and almost all the apartments had little flower boxes over the windows. The island is so quiet. The only thing you hear are people and the occasional motorboat. It was so nice not hearing cars or horns honking... There were a lot of people though, but that was ok.

April 5th- Woke up early again, and repeated the process of the morning. The first thing we did today was go to the Galleria Academia. More art, I love it. Jackie is not a fan of art so she didn't like it too much, but Heather and I had a blast. Being an artist requires so much talent, especially when it comes to paintings! I wish I could paint like that, but the only thing I am good at when it comes to paintings are abstract. haha. Anyway, it took us awhile to walk through that, and then we made our way back to the Piazza, where we sat and soaked up the sun again. Then Heather and I decided we wanted to shop, so we start walking the main little roads to all the cute shops. Jackie left us to go do her own thing, so Heather went and got some Gelato and walked around the streets by ourselves. Went into a lot of little shops. I bought myself a Murano blown glass ring which is wicked cute. Heather bought one too, but hers is green and mine is purple with silver. We then ventured on the other side of the Grand Canal to find a church thing that was in Heather's travel book. So we went, we saw and we turned around. haha. There is a little canal that was on the road that we were walking on, so we went and sat down next to it on the steps and just talked and soaked up the sun. That is when I started to get a sunburn. It was so nice though. No tourists just locals. It was really nice to just be there with Heather and talk. We then had ourselves a little dinner before we went back to the hotel. On our way back to the hotel, we got on the bus, and there was a group of about 5 teenage boys. Well, Heather and I were talking, and as soon as they heard us they started whispering among themselves. One of them just kept asking information and touching my hand and trying to talk to us and pick us up. Finally Heather said "STOP IT!" so they stopped. I was a little worried that they were going to follow us because they asked if we were going to the Mestre station. But they got off there and we rested easy. We got back to the hotel and just hung out. Had to get ready for leaving early in the morning to catch a bus to take us to the Mestre station to catch yet another bus to take us to the airport.

April 6th-Woke up at 4.30 to catch the bus. Got to the Mestre station and waited for the other bus. Got to the airport, checked in and caught our plane to go to Rome. We got into Rome probably around 11ish. Our hostel was just up the street, so that was nice. However, our hostel was not that nice. I mean, it is great to just sleep in, but if you wanted to just relax, you couldn't/wouldn't want to go back and hang out. After we check in and dropped our stuff off, we got a map and started walking. My feet were killing me by this time because we had walked the island of Venice loads of times. We made our way to the Coliseum. We didn't go into it, but we looked around and went into the Roman Forum. It is so crazy how there was a society before and that the remains are still there! There is just so much history to it all and it makes me want to read up on the history of Rome, because I felt stupid. I didn't know what anything was, except the huge attractions of course, but seeing it makes you want to learn about it. After that, we made our way to "the wedding cake" also more famously known as The Vittoriano which seems to have been under some kind of construction because there was construction stuff on it. haha. After that we made our way to St. Peters Square where the Vatican is. It was so beautiful. Although, they had a lot of it blocked off because they were setting up for easter Sunday and the thousands of chairs. We hung out there and the Pope was in, so they were showing what he was doing on the screens. Saw his apartment where he gives his blessings and stuff. Really cool to say that I was there. After hanging out there, we went and grabbed some dinner and went back to the Coliseum. The Pope was there!!! It was really awesome. LOADS of people, but cool nonetheless. After that we went back to our hostel and crashed. We walked the entire city in the first day we got there. We saw a lot more little things that are not famous. Rome is for sure much bigger and more crowded than Venice. And very, very dirty.

April 7th-Woke up and went to the Coliseum. Stood in line for about an hour. Got a really nice sunburn. The Coliseum is just amazing. It is so big and so rich with history. That is the one thing I loved about Rome... there is so much history there. But I don't know any of it, which makes me more interested to learn it because I have been there, and I can picture things in my head when I read them. We walked around the entire thing and took pictures. We then made our way back into the Roman Forum where we got into the Palatino. Don't know much about that either, but it was just filled with grass and gardens. There is a look out where you can see the entire Roman Forum. We layed out on the grass for a bit and went into another museum. The built it on part of a ruin and explained the different rooms and what they found in the rooms. It was really interesting. We also went to Trevi fountain. It was crazy! so many people... it was ridiculous. But Heather and I threw a coin over our left shoulder with our right hand... the tradition. Once done with that, we went to this park, and there is the Galleria Borghesie (or however you spell it. if you watched the bachelor last season, he was the Italian Prince on the show. this was his families little area. it was really cool. i kept relating things to the show!!) We watched the sunset over Rome. The Vatican was in sight, and the entire city of Rome really. It was amazing what a view we had up there. After we were done there, we went back to our hostel to collect ourselves and there was a message from Maria, Heathers friend, who left her phone number so we can meet up with her on Sunday. After Heather get a hold of her, we went to bed.

April 8th- Easter Sunday... Jackie went to Mass at the Vatican while Heather and I met Maria downstairs and hung out with her the entire day. We went back to her place (she is doing studying abroad as well) and hung out. It was so nice to be in a comfortable place and just relax. We had been doing so much walking ALL the time that this was a nice treat. We watched a movie, and then Maria and her friend cooked us easter dinner. It was delicious. We had Ravioli with salad, and then chocolate cake with strawberries after. By the time we were done it about about 10.50 and the metro closes at like 11, so we just stayed at Marias. We made plans to go to the Vatican on Monday, but after looking at the website, it was closed on Monday. :( that was the ONE thing I really wanted to do. Go to the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Museum, and I didnt get to go. But when I threw my coin into the trevi fountain, I made a promise to myself that I would go back there. So I will get to do that.

April 9th-Hung out with Maria all day again. We went back to our hostel around 11am to take showers and get ready for the new day while Maria had lunch with her cousin. After that, we walked around Rome. We went and found the face thing... I don't remember what it is called, but it is in a movie and it is said to say that if you told a lie while your hand was in there, it would cut it off. We waited in line for that, and saw it. It was really cool, and I still have both of my hands!! We went back to Maria's after that and met up with her roommates and went to dinner. It was nice to feel like I was in college again. haha, With college girls just talking and shoving our faces with food. It was nice. We made our way to the metro and back to hour hostel. We packed and got ready to leave.

April 10th-Long day. We woke up at 6.00 so we could catch a bus to take us back to the airport. checked in and got on a plane. The plane ride this time was like 2.5 hours. I decided to sit by the window, even though I dont really like it because I wanted to see the countries we were flying over. I don't know what countries we flew over, but it was still cool. We got off the plane, had some lunch and waited around for another bus to take us about to Wolverhampton. It was so nice being back in England. The trees are finally looking alive with flowers on them, and it was gorgeous outside. Nice weather and no clouds!!! We got back into Wolverhampton and we all pretty much ran back to our rooms. Heather came up with me because she left her computer and stuff in my room because my dorm has security. So after that, she left and I took a much needed shower and uploaded all my pictures.

The trip was amazing. There were moments when I wanted to shoot myself, or somebody, but it was nice. I never thought I would be able to travel like I am. I never thought I would go to college for that matter, and now I am in college and in a different country! I am so proud of myself for doing all this. I loved Italy, and I can't wait for Dublin, which is in 3 weeks!! and then another 10 days once i return and i go home! This is going by fast now, but I am very thankful for that. I have learned so much about myself and about other people. Going to Italy, and staying in a hostel proves I can deal with not being pampered in a hotel. This is something I will hold with me forever, and I am so happy. I can be your tour guide when you go to Venice and Rome. I know the places like the back of hand. Especially Venice.