Still love you all!

I will have a real update soon! It is midterm week and I am planning lessons for my class all over the place. Running nonstop everyday! I am finishing up the scholarship application. It is due in a week! I will up date you this coming week (it is midterm break)

Peace and Love!!
Sarah

“It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward.”-Old Chinese Proverb

I had my first meeting last night. I am ahead of the game in most fronts. Most people don't have a flight or plans. So last night was just a quick meeting. We talked about classes. The Grand Tour which I wanted to take is no longer being offered. So the two classes I will be taking are: Modern Italy (which is a class on the history of culture, food and living the "sweet life") and a class on the history of art and sculpture (this class includes trips to museums and other sites). Both of these classes have an additional fee because of the trips offered. That means there is more money to come up with...but this is a once in a lifetime trip! One of the classes comes with a weekend away at a farm house in Tuscany! I would love that!!
We also discussed living conditions. I will be living with up to 6 people. Rooms usually hold 4. I have one friend who is going so we are planning to room together and then the university will place us with another pair.
We also talked about phones. Apparently, the University in Italy offers us phones to rent for 37 cents a day. Calls to anyone at the University are free and international calls are more expensive.
I am working on my scholarship bit by bit. I hope to get a lot of homework done during the week so I can work on the scholarship over the weekend. I never realized the work load that came with Junior Year!
I am still working 6 hours a week. I have not found a possible way to work more.
I will let you know if I hear anything else!
Thank you for the comments!

"The air up there in the clouds is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious. And why shouldn't it be? - it is the same the angels breathe." ~Mark Twain

I have made my flight plans! I know I went on and on about making it a non-stop flight. They had many of those available but it was much cheaper to make a layover. So I will be making a layover in Ireland (which is so cool). We have our first meeting with our professor about the trip on Monday. So expect an update either Monday night or sometime Tuesday!
Thank you for all the questions and comments!

"Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need." -Voltaire

Well I just made my deposit of $2,500. No turning back now....not that I would!
I need to make $2,600 by March 31st along with between $1,000 and $2,000 for my flight and then an additional amount for food and expenses while overseas.
I hate that this is all about money; I'm sorry.
But! Once the meetings start and I learn more about the class I will be taking and the trips that will be available, the site will spice up!
This weekend I will be working on my scholarship: filling out applications and hopefully writing some essays.
Thank you to all who are staying with me!
On a different note, I have started in the classrooms with my education classes. On Mondays and Wednesdays I am in a Kindergarten all day and on Fridays I am in a Pre-school. It is so great. I cannot wait to have my own classroom and my own students one day. I have wanted to be a teacher since I was in second grade and I can't believe that it is beginning to happen! These past two weeks of classes have been hard; I don't ever remember being this tired. Last weekend I spent 20 hours in the library. But it is all worth it! I want to learn everything I can and be the best educator I can be!
Best wishes to everyone :)

"If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it." - Jonathan Winters

So far, no meeting on Italy. But I did go to one about a scholarship for study abroad. It is the Gilman Scholarship. According to the meeting today, I can earn between $500 and $5,000. If I earn the $5,000, that would cover my next payment, my airfare and some of my expenses overseas. It would be such a blessing. However, if I can win the $500, it would help. I need to fill out an application and write two essays by March 1st (if I remember the date correctly). If I won, I also need to do a "follow up" project when I return from Study abroad.
Also, my mother and I found another great possibility of a direct flight to and from Italy.
I have until March 31st to make my $2,600 and honestly, I am scared I won't make it. I am working a job while at college but am only able to work 6 hours a week, which doesn't add up to much. Even if I put every cent to Italy, it wouldn't be possible. I need to find a way to do this.
I am very sorry for such a long time between posts. School has gotten pretty intense. I am in an elementary school from 7am to 4pm Mondays and Wednesdays, in a Pre-school on Fridays, have classes all day Tuesday and Thursday, work afternoons and then do homework at night. This past weekend I did homework from 10 am to 10 pm on Saturday and from 9 am to 4pm on Sunday. Don't worry, I am not complaining. I love being busy and hate sitting still. So this is a good thing...as long as I have time to get everything done. Thats the life of a Junior in college.
I hope everyone is doing well.
Any comments on how to raise money?
Fun stories that happened to you recently?
A joke you want to share?
Anything! I love getting comments even if I can't respond right away :)

"A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds." - Francis Bacon

I feel so close yet so far from my deadline. I need to make about $300 more dollars to make it. Unfortunately, I did not get called in to substitute teach over break. Which is a real bummer because it wouldn't have only been good money, but it would have been great experience for school. Oh well. I did get odd jobs around town. Today I went to a neighbors house and stained their French doors for them. I have babysat, helped clean and do housework for others as well. We got a lot of snow today and will have even more tonight...maybe someone will take me up on the shoveling job.
I will let everyone know about the meetings our Italy group has once we get back to campus. I love my family but I am ready to be back at University.

Love to you all

"To reach a port, we must sail—Sail, not tie at anchor—Sail, not drift." - Franklin Roosevelt

So I have spent the last two days getting things organized for the trip. Yes, I know I still have 5 months but I am so excited. I have created an Italy Binder to organize everything. In this binder I am keeping track of my money, what I have, what I need, and my list of vocab words. I have been studying Italian. It's a slow process but I think I can do it. My friend at school is very good at the language so he said he will tutor me this coming semester.
My mother and I have also been looking up fights. We have found a few options but are trying to find the best one.
I am working odd jobs around my town until I go back to school. My first big payment is due January 31st and the final payment is due March 31st. I am pretty sure I can make both of these payments on my own. My parent's have offered to help me with my plane ticket but I plan to pay them back when I return from the trip and get a summer job. I will also have a month and a half of work between the last payment and the trip. This money will be used for food in Italy. I am very excited to get my daily meals from street vendors.
Don't forget my link to Amazon at the bottom of my page. Even if I get a few cents from you purchasing something by clinking through, it's a few cents more than I had and a few cents closer to Italy.
Also, I plan on doing another fudge sale later this year, probably for Valentine's Day or Easter. My question is, what else should I sell? Is there anything you would be interested in buying? Or something you think would sell well?

Thank you everyone! Don't forget to comment!!