“If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere.” - Frank A. Clark

My trip has been paid for!! Today was the final deposit. What a load off my chest...besides that I have to pay back what loans I got. It isn't horrible....about $700. I am still waiting to hear back from local business about donations. The letters were sent out awhile ago, so now it is just waiting. Hopefully I get a good response and am able to payback the loans.
Now I have to get money to spend in Italy. They said a high estimate would be $2,000. This would be for food (we have to feed ourselves for 6 weeks), traveling (we get weekends to explore where we please), souvenirs (duh!! It's Italy!) and emergencies (I hope there are none of those). I also will need money for classes and books. Not sure how much that will be. This trip is putting me in a hole but how many chances do you get to see Italy??
I have been reading through the handbook they sent us. It says Italians are very fashion forward and always look nice. I am thinking of getting a lot of flowing skirts and bike shorts to wear under them...who knows where I will be exploring. The skirts will also be lighter to pack. Also, in order to go into any of the churches or religious sites, legs and arms have to be covered. SO if my skirts are knee length, I can carry around a shawl to throw over my arms.
50 Days until I leave for Italy...ahhhhhh!

On another note, my teaching has been going well. I taught a spelling lesson yesterday for my kindergarteners and it went well. Tomorrow I am teaching at a preschool. It will be my last day there :( I will miss my students. I only have 6 more days with my kindergarteners. I can't wait to have my own class someday. Maybe I will start a teaching blog after Italy :)

Until next time!

By the way, my Mom started her own blog about making awesome food while living a busy life style with a big family! She wants to get published someday. She has talking about it for as long as I can remember. Check it out! http://achaoticcook.blogspot.com/

"And I won't look back, I can go the distance. And I'll stay on track; No, I won't accept defeat. It's an uphill slope, But I won't lose hope, Till I go the distance, And my journey is complete." - Disney's Hercules

Hello all. I am back from Father's Night at the Preschool I intern at. It was so beautiful and so precious. Here at school we thought spring was finally here....until we woke up to a few inches of snow this morning :(
As for Italy. My LAST deposit is due the 31st. Thanks to family loans and working at school, I will make it. However, I still need to make the money to pay back my family for the loan and the plane ticket (I will pay back every cent) and I need to make some spending money for classes, food and gifts. It is coming so fast! There hasn't been another meeting yet, but we were sent the study abroad handbook that I haven't had a chance to read yet. The next meeting will be in April.
Thanks for the comments and questions. I am more likely to post when I know people are reading and are interested. School is just so busy, blogging is in the background. Plus, this is my first blog so I am not sure what a proper amount of posts is.
Let's see....what else.....
I will be a University Senior in a few months....it is freaking me out.
I'm going to be a senior + my boyfriend graduates + Italy = Roller-coaster of emotions.

Well.....I feel like I am boring you. Anything you would like to know?

"Woah, we're half way there. Woah, living on a prayer." - Journey

Well I made it through the blizzard and am back at school. I got my first check from Amazon for $90! Thank you to everyone for clinking through using my site! Please keep it up! I did not get a chance to send out the letters to local businesses....I was doing homework all break, ask my family. But I will get them out as soon as possible. I am expecting another meeting soon and when I have one, I will update you right away.
26 days to make 2,340. *cue dramatic music*

"Have you ever thrown a fistful of glitter in the air?" - P!nk

My scholarship application is in! I wrote the papers, met with advisors, mailed transcripts and answered countless questions about my life. Now it is time to wait. Unfortunately, my advisor told me that even if I get the money, they do not award it until the beginning of June....I will be in Italy. So I have to find a way to come up with the money and then hopefully I will get the scholarship and get paid back for the trip. I am not sure what to do. March 31st is my next dead line of $2,600. I have about $200 of that. I will be sending out a letter to local businesses soon asking for a donation. Even if they are able to lend a little bit, it will help. I hate asking for help but I am not sure what to do. I have been working so hard and was able to make the first two payments. But this last payment is scaring me.
As for school, it is going well. I am teaching now. Monday and Wednesday I am in a Kindergarten and on Friday I am in a preschool. Tuesday and Thursday are still full with classes and work. I have taught a few lessons for the classes....nerve wracking but so rewarding. It is amazing watching the students learn and have fun doing it.
I hope all is doing well. Any advice on how to make a quick cash? Any stories? A joke? Witty comment? :) Thanks all!

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!