Real World

I am very happy right now. For the first time I am watching something American! (other than 7th Heaven and Discovery Channel). I have been able to watch online episodes of Real World so I can finally catch up with the episodes I have missed. I love it!!

It's the little things in life.....

Take 2

So I am currently working on booking a train for the next part of this so called adventure...I am now leaving for Turin, Italy (pretty much as far as I could possibly go while still staying in the country), which is about a 15 hours train ride. I will be leaving tomorrow (Sat) evening and arriving in Turin Sunday morning. So hopefully I will get some sleep on the train. It should be an experience in itself, as I have never been on a sleeper train before, let alone in Italy.

I am sad to leave my family but have been ready to leave as I am getting more and more frustrated with the ways these children are raised. So, as of now, I will arrive in Turin and spend the day on Sunday with one family. Then I will stay the night either in a hostel or an apartment that my agent has available. Basically for the next week or so I will be homeless in Northern Italy. I am kind of excited because this is something that I would never do on my own (not exactly a "fly by the seat of my pants" type person) but it should be interesting and I have my agent to help me so I am not too worried about anything happening or being on my own.

I will still have my same cell phone until I get settled somewhere else but who knows when or where the next time on the internet will be. So now I am off to continue my research and train reservations and I will be seeing most of Italy tomorrow through my train windows...

Ciao!

Pictures

Here are all of the pictures that I have taken so far.. I have labeled most of them. I Hope you like them.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/13137851@N02/

hopefully that works...because my battery is dead...i will hopefully be back on tomorrow...Enjoy!

Disappointed

Well, there has been quite a change of events since my last post. I went to the doctor last week and she said I had an infection (dont think she really looked, but thats ok). She gave me antibiotics and I am actually 90% better now. I would be 100% because I have no more ear or throat pain but it still feels like my left ear is completely blocked and I am now getting a little worried that I am losing my hearing, as the pain is all gone and I have one more day of antibiotics and I still cant hear anything at all out of that ear.

On another note, after endless thought and consideration, Claudia and I have decided that this situation is not going to work out. The kids and I do not have the connection that she would like us to have and I think that our expectations are just too different. She expects me to be more of a creative kindergarten (English) teacher for the children and a babysitter on the side, while I was expecting to be a nanny and teach some English as well. It is just too different for me to live up to. Also, there are too many things about the children and then situation (really the "servants") that will not change and I can not deal with without being miserable.

I am extremely disappointed (not really in myself) but in the situation. Unfortunately this is something that I couldnt have known before coming so I just had to learn it on my own. I am sad to leave because the situation is actually perfect except for the children. I mean it is more than I could ask for. I have people cooking and cleaning after me, I have my own room with a balcony 3 houses from the beach and a bathroom, and then family speaks English and has been very accomodating and very nice. So that part I am sad about and I wish things would have worked out. But neither Claudia or I wanted either one of us to be unhappy.

So now we are spending the week trying to figure out who will come to the house and where I will go. I am pretty much still working the week but also trying to figure out where I am going. I havent decided yet if I will go to another family in Italy (it depends on what type of families my agency has to offer, as I now know more of what I do and dont want) or if I will come home to America and go from there (either find another aupair job in another state or get started with nursing).

So basically I have a ton of things to think about and it has been really difficult but I am happy with my decision and excited to see what I have in store for me next. I want to make this a positive experience, however I can.

Yay!

I am happy to say that I am writing from my own computer! I wil lnow work on posting pictures on another website and then placing the link here...

My dad

Today is the day of my dads surgery (for those of you who dont know he is donating his kidney to his neice, who was very sick last year). I have been thinking about him all day and my being sick and him having the surgery might be a big reason for me missing home. I wish I could be there with him and for him. I am very proud of him for doing this and hope everything is going well (as I am writing this I think they are both out of surgery and in recovery, if everything went as planned, which means Meagan has a new kidney! I know she has been waiting for this surgery for a long time so I am also very excited for her!)

More later as I have been on here for a very long time and my ear is really starting to hurt...

PS. Brett and I have been officially dating for six months yesterday!! =)

Ciao

Sick :(

So this whole adjustment thing isnt exactly going so well for me. Now I am sick and have for about 4 days now. I am so sick that I am on my way (hopefully) to see a doctor tonight.
I have a sore throat, which is actually slightly better now but before was the worst pain I have ever experienced! And now I have developed an ear problem and seem to be going deaf in my left ear.
I really hope the doctor can make things better and next week turns out much better than this one did because as of now I dont know if I will be able to make it out the rest of the year. I am not exactly having the time of my life yet and am starting to wonder what I am doing....

I am sorry that all of my posts have been so negative lately and despite all that I am really really trying to be positive! But like I said before I am waiting for the day when I fall in love with this place and this job and that day doesnt seem to be coming anytime soon.

I was reading Julies blog today and it made me very sad an am wondering why I didnt just decided to be an au pair in another state in America. At this point that seems like a much better idea to me.

I hope all is well with everyone else.