Carnival

Carnival is a big deal here in Italy. The biggest one is in Venice and it last for about ten days before Fat Tuesday (the day before Lent). It is a big deal and you can read more about it here.
I will be going there on Sunday and I am really excited. Andrea and I are going and it is a trip organized by the company he works for. So there will be some other people (I don't know how many) that work for the company too, including some Americans. It's cool because it is like a company trip but I get to go too! It is a whole organized event, with a boat ride, drinks and lunch on the boat, and some time to walk around Venice and take in the Carnival scene.

On Sunday I went to the Carnival in Montebelluna, which is small but it was pretty cool to see. It's mostly for kids, there are little rides and games for them, and they also dress up in costumes, like Halloween in America. The traditional Carnival costume (in Venice) is masks and old fashioned clothes, but tradition tends to get lost along the years. So kids wear all the same kinds of costumes that we wear in America on Halloween, some scary, some cute, some funny. And they have confetti all over the place and Silly String, and there is a parade with floats made from a bunch of different people, with different themes. There was a Cars float that I really wished I had Chicco with me to see because he is obsessed with that movie. They had giant cars that moved up and down and back and forth and also were playing the music from the movie. It was a really fun day.

Andrea

So, most of you know by now but for those of you that don't, I have some news over here in Italy. I have an Italian boyfriend now. It was very unexpected and I never really thought it would happen while I was here but I am very happy it did. He is 24, and is actually Manuela's brother, Chicco's uncle. I am happy and we are really enjoying our time together. This is a picture of me and Andrea, taken last weekend at a friends birthday party:

Blah

I'm sorry I haven't posted in awhile but I really have had nothing to report because life has been pretty much the same for the past week or so. Chicco's morning nanny has had a fever all week (she got it from Chicco because he has pretty much been sick since I got back here- I have yet to catch anything serious so hopefully I won't). So I have had to fill in for her and I have been working double this week. It's still not too bad considering how much I normally work but I'm not used to it and it was early mornings so it has been hard on my sleep. I have been really busy with him and really tired all week so it will be really nice to finally sleep in tomorrow morning.

I am also hoping to learn to drive a stick shift tomorrow afternoon. Most of the cars here are manual and I have never tried and am interested to learn. I am a little worried because of how extremely graceful I am and, even though it doesn't take much, I am sure I can screw it up. Andrea has offered to teach me and he is getting a new car soon so I obviously need to learn before then because I won't be allowed to touch the new one. Anyway, it should be interesting. We will see how long it lasts because I know for sure it will be testing his patience to the extreme, so we will see how long he can deal with me.

That's about all the excitement going on. We are going to try to go to the cinema tomorrow because we haven't been in awhile, and even though the movies are in Italian, I miss going to the movies all the time.

The big carnival in Venice starts next week and I am looking forward to taking a day trip there to see what it is all about and be able to say that I experienced it. Unfortunately it ends the day before my mom gets here (her birthday), so I will be going with Andrea sometime in the first week of February.

Looking forward to possibly watching the Superbowl on Italian satellite TV and then the arrival of my parents in three weeks!! :) I can't wait!

Back in Italia

So I am back here in Montebelluna. I have been back for almost a week now and things are back to normal again. It is really weird to think about the fact that I won't be in America again for almost nine months! Saying goodbye to my brothers and friends was really weird and sadd because this is the longest I have ever been away from home, or my family.



I am very happy here though and really looking forward to this next year spent here. I have a lot more traveling to do and a lot more to see and learn so it should be exciting.



The next thing I have to look forward to is my parents visit in the beginning of Febraury. I can't wait! I am so excited for them to meet everyone and see what my life is like here. That is in about three weeks so I am very excited.

After that, I just have to look into dates for a few more visitors and enjoy life in Italia!!