The Little Islands of MALTA...Group Trip April 2011

I decided to take a group trip to the islands of Malta April 15-18...which is otherwise known as SPRING BREAK 20-11...MALTA! :) As yet another family holiday was approaching without my family nearby, it was a last minute decision to go on this trip, and how happy I was that I went! I always get homesick around holidays especially, so this was a great distraction from the jealousy of my whole family being together without me.

The Erasmus group from the University of Palermo organized a group trip to Malta. This amazing place is a unique group of islands that is it's own country off of the South Eastern coast of Sicily. It used to be controlled by the UK, but now it is one of the world's smallest and most densely populated countries. I was very excited to go because I have heard that Malta is a really fun island to go to. Turned out to be true! I was also nervous because I only knew a few people in the group going, but it was a great opportunity to meet new people my age living in Palermo.

We had to take a 2 hour bus ride to the Trapani airport near Palermo. There was about 30 of us total. Just from the bus ride I immediately knew it was going to be a fun trip and we had a great group of people to travel with. I had roomates planned (one was the girl on the right, Chiara) and was ready to get the party started! We arrived in Saint Julien, a part of the mainland of Malta, and found our rooms to get ready to go out together. The first night was amazing and everyone in our group had the same intention of just having fun, no drama, and to have a great time! The unique part of going out in Malta is that they have a GREAT deal for drinks...they calls them "Trays." Now, first of all, since the island used to be controlled by the UK, the main language is English (also Maltese, but everyone knows English). It was great because for once, BRITTANY was the native speaker and everyone came to me to order things and translate for THEM! haha it was just a great roll-reversal for a weekend...I loved it :) Anyways, the trays were a paddle-like tray with places for 12 shots- each cost 10euros! So of course, we took advantage of the specialties of the island..you have to experience the culture and traditions! ;) Everyone shared trays and sampled the different shots they offered. That got us all on the right foot for a great night! haha I swear though, the shots were somehow watered down because you could have a lot more of those shots than regular shots and feel less of the response normal shots give. Except tequila- that was the real deal. :) So to say the least, the first night was a success of clubs, dancing, trays, getting to know the group, and fun!

In the next days we visited the capital of Malta, Valletta, and visited a beautiful island off of the mainland called the Blue Lagoon, and another city, Mdina, as well as all over Saint Julien. They were all so beautiful but my favorite was the Blue Lagoon. The sea was just breathtaking and the weather was gorgeous for us on an April day. I didn't even wear my swimsuit because I didn't think it would be warm enough...but I was wrong! I got my first sunburn of the year, along with about 99% of the rest of the group. We couldn't bring suncream on the airplane because of the liquid limitations, so none of us had any. Only a few were smart enough to ask an older lady to use some of her sunscreen. haha The other cities were full of historical buildings and beautiful churches.

Overall, the "Malta Experience" was great. I had a great time meeting some new, fun people. The island was gorgeous and the nightlife was so fun!

AMSTERDAM 2011

In February 2011, three friends and I took an amazing trip to Amsterdam. I was really excited to go to another new country I have never been to before. My favorite part of this trip was experiencing the Dutch culture, the architecture of Amsterdam, the people of Holland, and the great nightlife in this city. My friend found us an apartment in a perfect location so we were in walking distance of everything we wanted to see. It was right above a nice coffee shop, only a few blocks from the Red Light District, and walking distance to many other main attractions and nightlife. Also, with having the apartment, we were able to save a lot of money and buy groceries to cook in the apartment. We did go out to eat sometimes of course! We went to a Thai restaurant (shown on the left 2 pictures) that was delicious and I got to have some Saki, which brought me right back to those days of working at Kaji Japanese Grill...for those of you that know about my work experience there, you know it brought back GREAT memories! :) Holland seemed to be much more ahead of times than Sicily and what I'm used to there because we were in heaven when we saw their supermarket! It felt like I was back in America again! You people living in America now, never take advantage of the amazing supermarkets we have available, because its not fun when its taken away from you! In Sicily I have gotten used to the limited selection of foods and brands, so it was great to see all the selection in Amsterdam again! One huge plus Sicily supermarkets have is the freshness of the produce: fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, cheeses- you name it, its there and fresh! My diet since I have started living in Sicily has became very rich with fresh, good quality foods...delicious!
Back to Amsterdam...the culture here was so unique and different compared to Italy. The architecture is very beautifully unique style to it that I loved. We noticed how a lot of the buildings were leaning and not all the buildings were straight and matching each other. Some were leaning in, some were leaning back- it was crazy! This picture of the street shows an example of how the buildings were. The city is also filled with canals splitting the heart of Amsterdam into streets and sections. We walked everywhere we went in Amsterdam, which allowed us to experience just how beautiful this city truly is. On our way back from the supermarket, we walked past the house of Anne Frank. We didn't wait in line to go inside because the line went halfway down the next block, but we definitely took pictures of the outside to make sure it looked like we went inside- and of course for the memory. haha
We were fortunate to be in Amsterdam on a Sunday because we were able to walk through the Sunday street market. This market was crowded with fresh food, clothing, shoes, accessories, and more. Our groups favorite was the amazing cheddar cheese we miss so much from the States (we only have found a select store in Palermo that sells cheddar cheese and the quality is nowhere near Wisconsin cheddar!!) and the fresh dried fruits- never had better tasting dried cranberries and blueberries! Amsterdam also has many little bars, like the picture shown, filled with amazing munchy snack food....pizza, sweets, burgers, fries, waffle crisps, you name it- all delicious!!
Of course, many people know of the Amsterdam Red Light District...a must see if ever in Amsterdam. It was definitely something unique and interesting to see! And yes, we found out- not by experience of course- that it costs the same for women as it does for men... a random American guy asked my girl friend and I, so of course, I had to find out- to help out a fellow American of course! The District was full of red lights, naturally, women standing in windows, sex show places that look like movie theater entrances..the whole works. It just honestly is a fun experience to walk through and see, even if you're not interested participating in events that take place there.
The clubs and nightlife we found were a lot of fun. There is a variety of places from chill to nightclub dancing. Our favorite place we found is the nightclub Escape. It was a bit pricey for the entrance fee, but it was totally worth it. My friend and I, especially my friend, have traveled quite a bit around the world and have been to some great dance clubs and nightlife, but this was one of our favorite clubs we have ever been! There were two floors with different types of music, both were fantastic, great dj's, a VIP area that we somehow got into and danced at...so much fun! I would love to go back to Amsterdam just to go to Escape again!
Since we were there in February, the weather was of course a bit chilly. It was cold (for us) in Sicily, and Amsterdam had that bite of cold air like the Midwest that I have not missed! It was still bearable and it didn't snow while we were there. It was fun to get use out of my winter hats and mittens. I also bought an Amsterdam winter hat that can go straight into my suitcase for going back home because the weather here in Sicily is getting so beautiful! It definitely is springtime here in March! The weather is becoming sunny and beautiful! I almost forgot how strong the sun is in Sicily. If you're in the shade, you need a jacket. If in the sun, no need! Completely different temperatures. I can't wait for the weather to get even more beautiful so we can begin again our BBQs, beach time, and tanning! :)

*Natale e un Nuovo Anno....BeLLiSsiMO!! - Christmas and a New Year...!!

Christmas, as expected, was filled with a ton of family, friends, fun, and was exactly what I needed. I love the experience of living over here in Europe, but it's always a great time to go home and be with my family and friends I haven't seen in awhile. Some of my friends I hadn't seen for a whole year since when I first came to Italy! Of course, this means a lot of celebrating, laughter, celebrating, fun, and more celebrating. :) I was fortunate enough with weather and everything that I was able to be in Onalaska and also go to Cedar Rapids. I spent as much time with family as possible...you know you have the best family ever when I can go out with friends and also bring along my parents and brother- they only make the night more fun! I was happy I got to go to both sides of the family for Christmas and see most of my relatives as well! Again, I missed my family, so it was really great to be surrounded by them as much as possible when I was home.

I went to Cedar Rapids, Iowa for the time around New Years Eve. After much deciding of where to spend the big night of New Years Eve, we just ended up staying in Cedar Rapids because we realized that it's more about being surrounded by the people you love rather than the place. It ended up being a great New Years Eve and saw many friends I haven't seen for over a year! It was so great to see my good friends from college again...I missed them so much along with my high school friends from home! One of the things that keeps me going in Italy is that I have pictures of all of them surrounding my room so they are still apart of my every day! The two weeks home went so quickly, I have to say that I was not ready to come back to Palermo yet, but I know myself enough to know that I attach myself so easily to places and settle into places so quickly. I knew that I would be alright once I arrived back into Palermo and saw my Italian friends and little kids again...which was absolutely true. Of course, there is nothing like home, but I soon was happy to be back in Italy- ready for whatever was coming next on my journey here!

It took a long time to get adjusted to the time change only when coming back to Palermo- not going from Palermo to home. I needed to sleep during the day and couldn't at night. Eventually, I got adjusted, saw all my friends again, started work back up, and was back in the groove of my Italian life. I noticed that I really love both "worlds" that I live in..here in Palermo and back in the States. It's going to be interesting to see how I feel when I eventually move back to America! I have the want to travel more now than ever, especially since I am planning on going back to the States in July. I know my time is winding down, so I want to do as much as possible while I am here in Europe! It's so much cheaper to travel around once you are in Europe rather than going from America obviously, so I want to take trips as much as my work allows me!

One weekend, some friends of mine and I went on a mini road trip to a city in Europe called Erice. (All the pictures from the at a restaurant with my friends and down are from Erice. At the table are the friends that I went there with.)It's so great to take little trips all over the island of Sicily, the only thing is I have to find a friend with a car to be able to take us! It hasn't been easy adjusting to not having a car here, although I do enjoy not having to worry about gas, parking (which is not easy here), crazy Italian driving (ha), and of course, no drinking and driving for me! :) It is difficult not to be able to take a weekend trip to one of the beautiful cities of Sicily and explore this wonderful island of Italy. Fortunately, my friend had a car for the weekend and 5 of us went to Erice. It is a small town up on the mountains. We literally drove in circles up the mountain into the clouds to the city of Erice! It was a cute little town. The day we went was a bit foggy plus we were up in the clouds so we couldn't see much in front of us. Everyone seemed to be staying inside that Sunday as well, so it felt like a little deserted ghost town! They had some nice shops, good food, and a beautiful castle. It was great to get out of the city for a day and relax in this quiet town with good friends.

~Traveling and Friendships~

I would have to say, my favorite part of this WHOLE experience has been the traveling I have been fortunate enough to be able to do. But also to have met such wonderful people that I trust and find happiness with to share these travels makes each individual trip an unforgettable memory! My friendships I have made here in Palermo are what has kept me here in Europe for more than a year now! Without them, I would not be able to stay such a long time and distance away from my family and friends back home. So a shout out to all my amazing friends I've made here in Palermo....LOVE YOU GUYS!! :) haha.. and then from here, I have made so many more friendships with people from all over the world! Amazing...These relationships have also positively influenced my decisions of places to travel. A lot of my friends have the same urge as me to travel and see as much as they can while they are able to. I swear, the more you travel, the more you want to keep traveling!!! A perfect example: on our way back from Amsterdam, Sabrina, my good friend, and I were discussing where we should go next! :) But I have to back up a bit...skipped some other trips!






Milan has always been a city I have wanted to visit since I have moved to Italy. To be honest, not many people suggest Milan as a top city in Italy to visit. Most people will list a lot of other cities before Milan, but I always knew I wanted to go there.....so my friend Sabrina and I decided to go for Thanksgiving! There's really no reason we chose this holiday, but I did want to do something fun this weekend to keep my mind busy from thinking about how my family will be together without me! Holidays are always hard to miss when you know your family is getting together without you...Family is the most important thing in my life and has been the hardest thing to be away from while being here. If I haven't said it before, thank god for Skype! Anyways, Sabrina and I had the best time in Milan. The city had a different style about it than southern Italy which I enjoyed. The 2 pictures shown are of the Duomo..one of the best things I've seen when we came up from the Subway at night and saw this amazingly lit Cathedral..one of the most beautiful sites I've ever seen..the pictures do it no justice! Another thing I enjoyed was something called an aperitivo, which is like a happy hour in America sort of, originates in Milan, so they are known to have the best aperitifs. Basically, you buy a drink and then you get all the food they have out for free. The thing is, they can range from little snack foods to being an actual dinner with pasta dishes and hot plates. One aperitivo right next to our hotel was the best aperitivo I have ever scene. It was basically an American buffet only you just pay for your drink...so much amazing Italian food kept coming and coming! We also went to some amazing dance clubs (disco tech as they call it ..I can only image Americans these days calling clubs disco techs haha).
We were really lucky to find some really great bars, clubs, aperitifs, and people! Below is one place we found that had a nice aperitivo, a great club scene and dancing, and met some nice people! It can be really difficult to go to a large, new city and find the best places to dine or for entertainment. The BEST thing to do I have learned is to ask locals. Most sites on the internet will lead you to the biggest tourist places. If you ask locals, they will tell you the best places to really experience the culture you have traveled to see.

Life is all about who you know and the relationships you make...people can take you in directions you would never imagine going! Another example of this for me, is during the Fall, I had the opportunity to be an Actress in a film!! Of course, I never expected doing this while I lived in Palermo! All about the people you know...one of the mom's I work for is a producer in the film industry and at the time, she was working on a film that was being produced in Palermo. She introduced me to the director, and he decided I would work for this extra part in the film!! It really was nothing, but soooo much fun and what an experience! I still got my hair and makeup done, wardrobe...everything! My part was a girlfriend of one of the main actors in the film. We come on-screen walking and he's yelling at me, basically telling me he doesn't want to be together anymore. I get mad at him, SLAP him, and walk off-screen. HAHA crazy huh? First of all, I've never slapped ANYONE before! I also felt so bad because this actor I slapped wanted me to really do it so it looked real, so of course I did. He was such a sweet guy, and only like 17 years old! Felt bad, but he was great about it....throughout the 10 slaps/takes we did. That's acting baby! :) Overall, it was such a fun experience...I even got paid for my part! The best part about it was meeting the cast and crew. There were some famous people in this film that I was lucky to have met. I really had fun and got to know the Director and some of the actresses and actors. Above is a picture of an actress, Kiera, that I had a lot of fun with. I even got a chance to go out with them a bunch of times while they were in Palermo filming. Great people and I hope to stay in touch with a few of them! We'll see if we some day see a movie out there called Chamber Film! I hope so!! :)

When the Christmas, Natale in Italian, season came, I was very anxious to come home to be with my family! It was strange not to see snow on the ground and I was actually excited to be in some snow for awhile! I've said many times here that I would almost rather have snow sometimes than rain because here in Palermo it rains all the time in the winter instead of snow. I hate umbrellas and snow can really be pretty and fun sometimes..until you start getting into the 4th month of snow, I know...not fun. I just know that Christmas just wouldn't be right without being with my family, so I was very happy I was able to make the trip home..even if it took about 25 hours of traveling and waiting to get there, it was well worth it! :)

Oh...and I also Work During this Amazing Experience!! :)

So once things settled down in September after having visitors, trips, and time at home, I went back to work of course! We moved back from the sea to the city, school started up again, and another chapter of my Italian life began. I started teaching some different students- some new, some the same from the last school year- and began another job more similar to babysitting like I do with Giuseppe. So now, in the mornings for 4 days a week, I watch a 2 year old named Alfredo. He is just adorable and is always making me laugh and smile! On the right is a picture around Christmas time...which is definitely Alfredo's favorite holiday. We still to this day in March read Christmas/Natale books! I really like having time with a baby now as well because they are one of my favorite ages of children to work with. Its a nice break from large amount of 6-10 year olds I have. So now I have been working with him for about 5 months, and he really is learning some English! It really is great to start children while they are young and still learning even their first language. Their brains absorb so much information and knowledge at that time, so its great! It helps a lot that I know Italian and I now know Italian baby-talk thanks to Alfredo (haha) so that I can understand him when he speaks or needs something. He is pretty much at the stage right now of repeating English..although he has started to say some words to me in English without me saying them first! Before I started babysitting him, he had no experience with English, and now, he knows some numbers, colors, and some random words! He now only says the word moon...even when he's speaking Italian, he will say moon, not the italian word, luna. :) Also, the parents of Alfredo are wonderful. They are a fun, young couple that are great to me and are very kind and friendly. I have gotten to know them well and consider them another host family for me here in Palermo. When I first started with them, Alfredo was a bit shy of me..not only for the normal kid reasons of meeting a stranger, but also because, as Alfredo says when his parents ask him 'How does Brittany talk?!', "Bitty (how Alfredo pronounces my name) parla (speaks) blah blah blah blah bah." haha So not only for typical kid reasons for being shy around a new person, but he also didn't understand when I was speaking! Poor kid! But the parents helped him to become comfortable around me by saying to him always, "Brittany e bella! (Brittany is beautiful/good/nice!)" So shortly after I started working with him, my name soon became "Bitty Bella"!! I swear for the longest time, and possibly still, he thinks my first name is Bitty and my last name is Bella. haha He even introduces me to people that come to the house while I'm there as Bitty Bella! :) That is just one of the many sweet, cute things this child has said or done...I could go on forever about him!

I also started teaching English to a girl named Federica (age 6). She is a ball of fire and so cute. From when she started lessons until now in February, she has improved her English tremendously. I'm so proud! I also have kept my previous students Gloria (age 7), and the brother and sister Ginevra (age 12) and Mainaldo (age 18). They have been great students and continue to make my job fun and easy. I enjoy the age differences. Even though it makes more work for me to plan more lessons for the different skill levels, it mixes things up so I don't become bored with the same thing over and over 5 times a week. Mainaldo is fun because we basically have conversation in order to learn new advanced English. While doing this, I've also learned a lot from him about Italian culture when we compare the English/American/Italian cultures!

I also have started with a new student, Federica. She is an adorable 6 year old that Angheli, my host mom, referred to me. Like all 6 year olds that I have had experience with, they can either be angels that are so much fun to teach and play with, or they can just plain not want to learn that day and be slightly difficult. :) I have definitely learned a lot about children ages 6-7 while I have been in Italy because most of my work experience has been with that age.... what can I say.... all I want to know is why do people say the terrible age is 2!?! :) Again, I love working with children and each child I have worked with here in Italy has been a great experience in its' own!

~The time flies by with Memories that will Never be Forgotten...

August was a fun month full of trips, friends, family, beaches, boats, and sun! Before my exciting trip home for the first time in 8 months, my 3 friends and I traveled to an island near Sicily called Ustica. It was one of my favorite trips..besides having to take a boat there with huge waves and wind at the time, it was amazing!!

We got there safely, thank god, rented a house and was able to rent the owners' boat for a day..the water was just the most beautiful color of turquoise I have ever seen! The island was made of volcanic rock, so the beaches were tiny black rocks instead of sand, but it was still sooo amazing! I did get stung by 2 jellyfish, but it was worth it to jump in even though barely a minute would pass without seeing a jellyfish..or 20 float by! I had a great time with great friends ..and then shortly after, I got to fly home for another vacation!

Visiting home was great because it had been 8 months since I had been back! I got to see my wonderful family and some of my friends from home and college! Of course, I took as much advantage as I could of my dad having a new boat! I also celebrated my 5 year high school class reunion and the following day was my 23rd birthday...so we had a lot to cheers for in this picture to the right! :) It was very difficult to leave home again, but what made it easier was that my brother and dad were coming to visit me only a few short weeks later!!

Having my brother and dad with me in September really helped me to be ok with leaving home in August…otherwise it would have been even harder! Having visitors is always fun…it’s like getting a little piece of home out there with me so I don’t get homesick! Of course, if you know my brother, dad, and me, we had a blast. I met them in Rome again like I did when my mom came out in June. Rome is a city I can never visit enough! I have been there about 4 times now to visit, and about I’d say around 10 times at least now to the airport or just to stay overnight as a connection to other places I was going. I never get sick of it! There’s always something new to see, find, and experience in this wonderfully historic country. So first we stayed in Rome for 2 nights…visited all the top spots, did some great tours, went to Vatican City, which was my first time there, and of course found some great restaurants and pubs to experience the delicious Italian wine and food! Then we headed down south to Palermo so I could show them where I live and meet my host family and friends. We only stayed one night/two days in Palermo, but I got to show them quickly what the city is about, the sea, my family and friends, and of course the top pubs and clubs I go to.

Next was Paris!! I was very excited for this trip because Paris is a city I have always wanted to go to, and now was my chance! It was also the first part of our trip that I haven't already been to before, so I was very excited to experience it with my dad and brother. Surprisingly, I could understand somewhat of what people were saying in French because of my knowledge of the Italian and Spanish languages. They are fairly similar, but my semester of French in middle school definitely didn't cut it! Luckily, most Parisians were able to speak English fairly well, so it was ok. They sure didn't seem to like to speak English though! Paris seemed like such a HUGE place (it is, but..still!). We did sooo much walking that I don't think it mattered that we ate soo much as well! The food was interesting for me in Paris because I wasn't sure what to expect. They had many of the things that Italy does with their pastas, meats, salads, and bread/cheese dishes..just with a French flavor to it. They sold crepes everywhere, of course, but at the ONE place we actually ordered it, the waitress took the crepe pre-made out of a refrigerated cooling shelf, probably tossed it on the skillet quick, and brought it to me. It was horrible. I should have tried another one at a different place, but I never did. Unfortunately, my brother ended up getting a really bad viral cold the last 2 days of our trip, and I had really sharp, bad pains in my stomach the last day. I felt bad for my dad because he didn't want to stay in the hotel when he was in Paris (who would!?!), but also didn't want to leave us. We ended up roughing it out and going to the sites we wanted as much as we could. My brother barely made it alive up the Eiffel Tower, but we did it!

My favorite view was standing on top of the Arc of Triomphe looking out at the Eiffel Tower and the rest of the beautiful city of Paris. We made it up to the top just as the sun was setting so we got to see the beautiful view during the day, night, and the sunset. Unfortunately my camera died, but my dad has his camera for us to take memories of this amazing view. Overall, my dad and brother's trip in Europe with me was a great time full of memories we will never forget! :)