Hello to the nonexistent people viewing this!
Since I am moving to the UK for university next year, my new blog is boricuainbritain.wordpress.com!
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Friday, January 30, 2015
No Real Lows
Hi guys!
First happy new year!!!
So far the new year is treating me really well. I've already self-studied 7 AP's and I'm doing Stats currently! It's so new, so it's gonna take a while. It's easy though. I feel extremely secure and confident about my ACT (which is in 8 days, on February 7th!) and getting into the colleges I want in the UK.
So this will probably be my last full 2013-Italy related post, but I've come to realize something relieving about the interesting time I had there.
Also please excuse the weird whiteness with this text below, I copied this from my Tumblr and edited it to be in context with this blog.
I was looking through my posts on my Tumblr, and I wrote down tons on when i was in Italy because that's when I mainly used it and its so weird to see how many highs and lows I had. and all the lows had to do with school or coming back here. Admittedly when I think of a specific spot where I had a panic attack in Florence (which was a very beautiful main area sadly) it makes me feel weird at first, but when i go back there, I will realize it had nothing to do with the city or it’s people, it was the thought of coming back here, to LA. except for the teachers. But realizing this suddenly has given me peace. Italy treated me so well, and the highs outweighed the lows completely, since none of the many lows i had were about Italy itself. Also I remember tiny little details were in there like my dropping my fries and screaming and getting unusually emotional. It's tiny little things like that that make me laugh, and realized what a weirdly great time I had there. But like I said, none of the lows were about Italy itself now that i think of it, just school and family drama back here. i feel like a weight has been lifted, in a way. I feel better about myself, and better about my time there. I always talk about the positives about my exchange, but there in florence I had the worst panic attack of my life, to the point i could hardly talk to the suicide hotline i called via Skype, and i had a lot of lows because of personal drama with family, it was really bad. but I’d return in a heartbeat, because if it was for no family/school drama, all would have been great. So college will be that 100% time. Admittedly, occasionally when I think of Florence I still think of that really dark day or two I had there. But from what I said above, that weirdness will go away, especially when I go there in the future and realize what a beautiful spot it was, and how it doesn't deserve a bad rep with me. With time. :)
First happy new year!!!
So far the new year is treating me really well. I've already self-studied 7 AP's and I'm doing Stats currently! It's so new, so it's gonna take a while. It's easy though. I feel extremely secure and confident about my ACT (which is in 8 days, on February 7th!) and getting into the colleges I want in the UK.
So this will probably be my last full 2013-Italy related post, but I've come to realize something relieving about the interesting time I had there.
Also please excuse the weird whiteness with this text below, I copied this from my Tumblr and edited it to be in context with this blog.
I was looking through my posts on my Tumblr, and I wrote down tons on when i was in Italy because that's when I mainly used it and its so weird to see how many highs and lows I had. and all the lows had to do with school or coming back here. Admittedly when I think of a specific spot where I had a panic attack in Florence (which was a very beautiful main area sadly) it makes me feel weird at first, but when i go back there, I will realize it had nothing to do with the city or it’s people, it was the thought of coming back here, to LA. except for the teachers. But realizing this suddenly has given me peace. Italy treated me so well, and the highs outweighed the lows completely, since none of the many lows i had were about Italy itself. Also I remember tiny little details were in there like my dropping my fries and screaming and getting unusually emotional. It's tiny little things like that that make me laugh, and realized what a weirdly great time I had there. But like I said, none of the lows were about Italy itself now that i think of it, just school and family drama back here. i feel like a weight has been lifted, in a way. I feel better about myself, and better about my time there. I always talk about the positives about my exchange, but there in florence I had the worst panic attack of my life, to the point i could hardly talk to the suicide hotline i called via Skype, and i had a lot of lows because of personal drama with family, it was really bad. but I’d return in a heartbeat, because if it was for no family/school drama, all would have been great. So college will be that 100% time. Admittedly, occasionally when I think of Florence I still think of that really dark day or two I had there. But from what I said above, that weirdness will go away, especially when I go there in the future and realize what a beautiful spot it was, and how it doesn't deserve a bad rep with me. With time. :)
Sunday, November 16, 2014
1 year later/ A new chapter
Do people still read this? I HOPE SO.
So.. I left early in December 2013. It was strictly school related. The teachers NEVER gave me work so I had nothing to show. I still remember every detail perfectly. They told me two days before I left which was December 21st. I didn't have time to say bye to my friends because I thought I was gonna go back for winter break (I was supposed to come back here to LA then DUBAI with my host family. They went.). I did see my Faenza friends on December 7th, but yeah. Well, I'm depressed that I've been here as long as I have and I miss Italy so so so so much. There's so many great things about that country, I even got myself a phone case of Florence. I wouldn't go back now though because the school system is truly terrible. I really miss my host family, they were truly amazing and I cannot wait to see them again. I would absolutely LOVE to live in Florence again! I'm not sure when though because during college I'd love to see other places too, but I have such a beautiful connection with Florence that I can't explain.
It's so weird that this all ended 11 months ago. Like I can't even put it in words. The best time of my life ended 11 months ago. But it's time to move on, and this blog will take a new direction, of just my travels and thoughts and whatnot. It's a new chapter in the blogging life of Elijah!
So to catch you guys a little bit, it's November of 2014, and I'm a junior in high school. I'm taking 2 AP classes, but 7 or 8 AP exams at the end of the year (Including AP Italian!) because I have new travels on my mind! This time, I'm looking at Scotland! My first choice college is the University of Edinburgh, and I'm also applying to University College London, King's College, University of Glasgow, Franklin University Switzerland, and others. I might head BACK to Europe this summer to tour those colleges and I'M SO EXCITED. I still talk to a majority of my friends from the Milan and Rome trips provided by STS.
I am applying to a few colleges in America, but in all honesty I do not like living here. I really wanna live in either The Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, or the UK. In fact, when I'm a sophomore in college, I plan to study abroad ONCE AGAIN in Amsterdam! Or Berlin. Or Paris. Obviously over time this can change. But other than that, nothing's happened really, this year's been pretty boring.
OH I surprised my friends when I came back. I only told one person to organize a hangout thing with all my friends and I showed up and HA. Also the same day after that, my best friend did not know I was here, so I went from Italy, to Amsterdam (I stayed there for a bit after Italy) and to LA, and hung out twice, and crashed pretty late, it was really, really tiring.
I also went to Chicago, my original home in April and May, but other than that, I've stayed in California :((
I've taken up Dutch, and considering relearning German!
I really, really, hate AP Language. It's the devil's class.
But that's what's been happening this whole year! I'm going to change the name of this blog, because it is no longer a blog about my Italy life sadly, but my life as whole! It won't be updated much this year as Junior year isn't too eventful besides academics, but I'll be posting stuff related to travel, adventures with my many international friends here, how I'm doing in terms of studying, and just life in general, but I won't get TOO personal. If anyone's still reading this, I'm very surprised, and sorry I was so bad at updating while I was in Italy!
Ciao a tutti :)
So.. I left early in December 2013. It was strictly school related. The teachers NEVER gave me work so I had nothing to show. I still remember every detail perfectly. They told me two days before I left which was December 21st. I didn't have time to say bye to my friends because I thought I was gonna go back for winter break (I was supposed to come back here to LA then DUBAI with my host family. They went.). I did see my Faenza friends on December 7th, but yeah. Well, I'm depressed that I've been here as long as I have and I miss Italy so so so so much. There's so many great things about that country, I even got myself a phone case of Florence. I wouldn't go back now though because the school system is truly terrible. I really miss my host family, they were truly amazing and I cannot wait to see them again. I would absolutely LOVE to live in Florence again! I'm not sure when though because during college I'd love to see other places too, but I have such a beautiful connection with Florence that I can't explain.
It's so weird that this all ended 11 months ago. Like I can't even put it in words. The best time of my life ended 11 months ago. But it's time to move on, and this blog will take a new direction, of just my travels and thoughts and whatnot. It's a new chapter in the blogging life of Elijah!
So to catch you guys a little bit, it's November of 2014, and I'm a junior in high school. I'm taking 2 AP classes, but 7 or 8 AP exams at the end of the year (Including AP Italian!) because I have new travels on my mind! This time, I'm looking at Scotland! My first choice college is the University of Edinburgh, and I'm also applying to University College London, King's College, University of Glasgow, Franklin University Switzerland, and others. I might head BACK to Europe this summer to tour those colleges and I'M SO EXCITED. I still talk to a majority of my friends from the Milan and Rome trips provided by STS.
I am applying to a few colleges in America, but in all honesty I do not like living here. I really wanna live in either The Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, or the UK. In fact, when I'm a sophomore in college, I plan to study abroad ONCE AGAIN in Amsterdam! Or Berlin. Or Paris. Obviously over time this can change. But other than that, nothing's happened really, this year's been pretty boring.
OH I surprised my friends when I came back. I only told one person to organize a hangout thing with all my friends and I showed up and HA. Also the same day after that, my best friend did not know I was here, so I went from Italy, to Amsterdam (I stayed there for a bit after Italy) and to LA, and hung out twice, and crashed pretty late, it was really, really tiring.
I also went to Chicago, my original home in April and May, but other than that, I've stayed in California :((
I've taken up Dutch, and considering relearning German!
I really, really, hate AP Language. It's the devil's class.
But that's what's been happening this whole year! I'm going to change the name of this blog, because it is no longer a blog about my Italy life sadly, but my life as whole! It won't be updated much this year as Junior year isn't too eventful besides academics, but I'll be posting stuff related to travel, adventures with my many international friends here, how I'm doing in terms of studying, and just life in general, but I won't get TOO personal. If anyone's still reading this, I'm very surprised, and sorry I was so bad at updating while I was in Italy!
Ciao a tutti :)
Sunday, December 1, 2013
These Past 4 Weeks (General Life)
Ciao tutti!
Wow I did NOT realize time went by so fast! But now it's somehow December and I have so much to write about, so I might divide it in two parts, one about my STS Rome trip, and the other about life in general, the latter being now.
So this family is AMAZING in every way! They're so nice and kind and good-hearted and they make some of the best food I've had in my life. The brothers are really cool too and I like them a lot. I live literally 3 minutes away from the school and if I take the tramvia, I can go to the center of Florence whenever I want, so I go every day.
Schools... interesting? I mean it's better than Faenza but however like when I told some people what my parents do for a living, they started freaking out and suddenly everyone tried to be my friend which was really just... different. I'm not used to that. But the teachers they actually engage me in the classes and I'm not falling asleep all the time (sometimes but that's just because of my insomnia I drink a coffee every morning). But I have new friends and they're wonderful. But if there's one thing I genuinely miss about Faenza, it's my friends. They were some of the coolest, just relaxed people I knew, and they introduced me to a new lifestyle of not caring what others think and just living life trying not to impress anybody, not caring. I took that with me and I apply it here and I'm doing so much better. Also in Faenza I went out EVERY Saturday, here it's more or less, but I just have to make some older friends too because my friends right now are in my Year 2 class and they don't go out much. I think I'm gonna visit Faenza in January or February to see my old friends. Also planning trips to the Cinque Terre, Venice, London, and Volterra :)
My city in general... WOW. I don't go around Scandicci because there's nothing to see, but I live 10 minutes away from the center (what the commonfolk refer to as "Florence" but I do live in Florence but just not in the center). Florence again is the most beautiful city I have ever been to, and every day I go to the center, it amazes me so much. Every time I pass by the Duomo, I always tell myself how I can't believe last year I was here knowing literally nothing about Florence to living here and meeting some of my exchange friends at the Palazzo Vecchio or the Duomo to go shopping and eat gelato. Speaking of which, I have two exchange friends here! There's Amy (18, AU) who had my family last so I started messaging her on Facebook, and there's Charlotte from Switzerland who I think I mentioned previously. I've been hanging out with Amy A LOT though because she leaves next month so we're trying to squeeze in as many things as possible (including the Cinque Terre next Sunday!) so walking around with her is always fun :) We're going to Bologna on Tuesday the 3rd to see Catching Fire in English, I'm so excited!
But Florence is absolutely stunning and I can't believe I can just casually go to the center after school every day, it's honestly the most humbling experience. In fact, tomorrow, I have to go to the center every day this school week to start buying Christmas presents for my friends and family! I have to ship them out pretty fast, but I'm gonna try and get as many people as many things as possible.
(also a strange thing i've noticed here is that they have condom and cigarette vending machines???)
But that's what's been going on these past few weeks, nothing important other than moving and Rome, which I'll write about later. Ciao! :)
Wow I did NOT realize time went by so fast! But now it's somehow December and I have so much to write about, so I might divide it in two parts, one about my STS Rome trip, and the other about life in general, the latter being now.
So this family is AMAZING in every way! They're so nice and kind and good-hearted and they make some of the best food I've had in my life. The brothers are really cool too and I like them a lot. I live literally 3 minutes away from the school and if I take the tramvia, I can go to the center of Florence whenever I want, so I go every day.
Schools... interesting? I mean it's better than Faenza but however like when I told some people what my parents do for a living, they started freaking out and suddenly everyone tried to be my friend which was really just... different. I'm not used to that. But the teachers they actually engage me in the classes and I'm not falling asleep all the time (sometimes but that's just because of my insomnia I drink a coffee every morning). But I have new friends and they're wonderful. But if there's one thing I genuinely miss about Faenza, it's my friends. They were some of the coolest, just relaxed people I knew, and they introduced me to a new lifestyle of not caring what others think and just living life trying not to impress anybody, not caring. I took that with me and I apply it here and I'm doing so much better. Also in Faenza I went out EVERY Saturday, here it's more or less, but I just have to make some older friends too because my friends right now are in my Year 2 class and they don't go out much. I think I'm gonna visit Faenza in January or February to see my old friends. Also planning trips to the Cinque Terre, Venice, London, and Volterra :)
My city in general... WOW. I don't go around Scandicci because there's nothing to see, but I live 10 minutes away from the center (what the commonfolk refer to as "Florence" but I do live in Florence but just not in the center). Florence again is the most beautiful city I have ever been to, and every day I go to the center, it amazes me so much. Every time I pass by the Duomo, I always tell myself how I can't believe last year I was here knowing literally nothing about Florence to living here and meeting some of my exchange friends at the Palazzo Vecchio or the Duomo to go shopping and eat gelato. Speaking of which, I have two exchange friends here! There's Amy (18, AU) who had my family last so I started messaging her on Facebook, and there's Charlotte from Switzerland who I think I mentioned previously. I've been hanging out with Amy A LOT though because she leaves next month so we're trying to squeeze in as many things as possible (including the Cinque Terre next Sunday!) so walking around with her is always fun :) We're going to Bologna on Tuesday the 3rd to see Catching Fire in English, I'm so excited!
But Florence is absolutely stunning and I can't believe I can just casually go to the center after school every day, it's honestly the most humbling experience. In fact, tomorrow, I have to go to the center every day this school week to start buying Christmas presents for my friends and family! I have to ship them out pretty fast, but I'm gonna try and get as many people as many things as possible.
(also a strange thing i've noticed here is that they have condom and cigarette vending machines???)
But that's what's been going on these past few weeks, nothing important other than moving and Rome, which I'll write about later. Ciao! :)
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Let's Try This Again
Ciao tutti!
Last night was an oddly nice way to end my stay here? I was at a piercing shop at 3 in the morning watching my friend get his septum pierced which looks very painful. I'm terrified of needles and watching that was an interesting experience to say the least. I got home at around 3:45 and fell asleep. It was cool though because I didn't actually get to say bye to my friends while I was at the Halloween party. It was 1 in the morning and my friends call me like "Hey Elijah, you wanna go around town and just do stuff?" So I agree and they pick me up and then 2 hours later my friend randomly gets his septum pierced. Okay Italy, okay.
So today's the day! At 12:20 I take a train to Florence and I get there at 2:11. I'm so excited! This family hasn't been the greatest experience and while my Saturdays have been fantastic and I've made lots of great friends, it just isn't worth not having a great time 6 days out of 7. I'm all packed and ready to go! Well right now it's 10:03 AM and it's just 2 more hours!!!! I'll update this post as I'm on the train and when I get there!
Last night was an oddly nice way to end my stay here? I was at a piercing shop at 3 in the morning watching my friend get his septum pierced which looks very painful. I'm terrified of needles and watching that was an interesting experience to say the least. I got home at around 3:45 and fell asleep. It was cool though because I didn't actually get to say bye to my friends while I was at the Halloween party. It was 1 in the morning and my friends call me like "Hey Elijah, you wanna go around town and just do stuff?" So I agree and they pick me up and then 2 hours later my friend randomly gets his septum pierced. Okay Italy, okay.
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| This was the center of Faenza. It was beautiful. I always went to this one cafe and this one pizza shop daily :) |
So today's the day! At 12:20 I take a train to Florence and I get there at 2:11. I'm so excited! This family hasn't been the greatest experience and while my Saturdays have been fantastic and I've made lots of great friends, it just isn't worth not having a great time 6 days out of 7. I'm all packed and ready to go! Well right now it's 10:03 AM and it's just 2 more hours!!!! I'll update this post as I'm on the train and when I get there!
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| Here's the pic I took last night and posted on my Instagram (erod47) *shameless self promotion* |
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Halloween!
Ciao tutti!
So I requested I actually stay in Faenza until November 2nd, because I wanted to stay for Halloween and have one last thing with my friends. I love my friends here so much, I didn't think I was going to get close to them. Oh none of them are in my class, I'm invisible to them. I'm talking about my brother's friends! They all love me and I love them and it's going to be hard making all new friends! I wonder what my new host brother does on Saturdays..
I am definitely visiting November 23 for my friend Nicolas' birthday party. I hear it's going to be a lot of fun, so why not? It's only about 10 euros for a train.
But I never realized what great friends I've made here and I actually am kind of sad to leave them. But I have to remember, I live with the family, not my friends.
Also today my brother's friend complimented my Italian and said it's really coming along! That was so great to hear because I've really been struggling with Italian here haha. But yeah, today's Halloween! It's currently 4 PM and our friend is going to pick my brother and I up at 11 PM and we're going to a party. No one here dresses up! That's strictly for the kids apparently. Thank god though, I never liked dressing up.
Luckily today was my last day of school here in Faenza, and none of my class even cared haha they just left the class like a typical day, which was fine with me. But however, there's All Saints Day break which is 3 days, and then after those three days, I have a week off because I'm going to Rome with STS! I think I mentioned this earlier, but I miss all my friends from Milan so much so I'm so excited to see them again! And after Asia, apparently I'm going to Paris, London and Amsterdam in December (with my natural parents!) and Dubai in January and Spain in March????? What. I'm so excited it's just so exotic! I'm shocked I never expected this but I'm surprised this is all happening. And February teachers and students come! I have a lot to look forward to, and starting Saturday, I start Italy 2.0! An all new beginning, and I'm excited what these next 7 months hold for me :)
Still definitely going to keep in contact with my friends here in Faenza though and visit every now and then for parties and just to hang out.
So I kind of update this blog too much, so I'll update November 2nd or 3rd! Ciao! :)
So I requested I actually stay in Faenza until November 2nd, because I wanted to stay for Halloween and have one last thing with my friends. I love my friends here so much, I didn't think I was going to get close to them. Oh none of them are in my class, I'm invisible to them. I'm talking about my brother's friends! They all love me and I love them and it's going to be hard making all new friends! I wonder what my new host brother does on Saturdays..
I am definitely visiting November 23 for my friend Nicolas' birthday party. I hear it's going to be a lot of fun, so why not? It's only about 10 euros for a train.
But I never realized what great friends I've made here and I actually am kind of sad to leave them. But I have to remember, I live with the family, not my friends.
Also today my brother's friend complimented my Italian and said it's really coming along! That was so great to hear because I've really been struggling with Italian here haha. But yeah, today's Halloween! It's currently 4 PM and our friend is going to pick my brother and I up at 11 PM and we're going to a party. No one here dresses up! That's strictly for the kids apparently. Thank god though, I never liked dressing up.
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| (from left to right) Martina, Maria, me, Romina, and Francesco :) |
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| (I actually forget her name sorry!!!!) Friendsss :) |
Still definitely going to keep in contact with my friends here in Faenza though and visit every now and then for parties and just to hang out.
So I kind of update this blog too much, so I'll update November 2nd or 3rd! Ciao! :)
Monday, October 28, 2013
Art and New Friends!
Ciao tutti!
Sorry I didn't update on Saturday, I tried. I had my last weekend here in Faenza with friends and it went out with a bang. We went to a restaurant and we just had a ton of fun around the town, I'm gonna miss these psychos.
Over this week, nothing's actually happened, but so much has actually happened today!
So I didn't know English was cancelled today, so they sent me to the 4A English class. At first I was reluctant to do so, but turns out this class was so excited to see me! My regular class never pays attention to me but that class loved me! They just asked me random questions from my music tastes to life in general, but I had the best time! For my music I had to write my favorite artists on the board and their genres so I had to write like in huge letters "LANA DEL REY - INDIE POP" it was the funniest thing. It felt so natural there, with older, relaxed people. And it was weird because they were so curious about my life, and the hour went by too fast. It was a good weird though! But the teacher saw me a few hours later and she told me the class loved me and thought I was "quirky and funny and relatable." AWW shucks thanks guys. Today I was photocopying a magazine article and like three of the guys came up to me and offered me to go to a Chinese restaurant with them (AND THEY OFFERED TO PAY) tomorrow. Did I mention they offered to pay. I love Italians. I'm so sad though I'm also making new friends and I'm leaving so soon. I promised my friends I'm visiting November 23 for a party and just to catch up.
So I didn't know English was cancelled today, so they sent me to the 4A English class. At first I was reluctant to do so, but turns out this class was so excited to see me! My regular class never pays attention to me but that class loved me! They just asked me random questions from my music tastes to life in general, but I had the best time! For my music I had to write my favorite artists on the board and their genres so I had to write like in huge letters "LANA DEL REY - INDIE POP" it was the funniest thing. It felt so natural there, with older, relaxed people. And it was weird because they were so curious about my life, and the hour went by too fast. It was a good weird though! But the teacher saw me a few hours later and she told me the class loved me and thought I was "quirky and funny and relatable." AWW shucks thanks guys. Today I was photocopying a magazine article and like three of the guys came up to me and offered me to go to a Chinese restaurant with them (AND THEY OFFERED TO PAY) tomorrow. Did I mention they offered to pay. I love Italians. I'm so sad though I'm also making new friends and I'm leaving so soon. I promised my friends I'm visiting November 23 for a party and just to catch up.
Also during art today, they had a test (?) And I was excused from it, so in Italian (like a pro) the teacher and I got in a really deep conversation about art. Everything from Botticelli to Carvaggio to Warhol to Pollock to Abramovic and Koons and even Lady Gaga, who we both see as an artist. It was probably the best conversation I had while I was here. That was for about 2 hours and it went by so fast. She then introduced me to a biannual art festival in Venice that's going on for one more month! It goes from June to November 24. I plan to do everything I can to go. She gave me a magazine and it had a section about the festival that was like 12 pages and I read them (in Italian!!! I did have a translator on my phone by me though) about it and it was really thought-provoking, so my teacher and I discussed that after, and I was so glad someone has the same views as I do! I wish I could draw or something, if I could I would want to be a successful artist in life.
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| Some people discussing some art pieces, it was such an interesting read. |
But the other day I called my host mom (who just got back from Dubai what) and she was like "Hey Elijah, we're excited to see you! We're just getting your school ready and you'll be here soon! Oh and by the way, we're going to Asia soon and it would be great if you can come with us! Okay we have dinner, ciao!"
Hold up
ASIA
WHAT????????
ASIA
WHAT????????
Ever since I started learning Japanese in second grade, I've ALWAYS wanted to go to Asia! Now that's coming and I'm so excited!!!! Ahhh it's unreal to me and they casually travel around the world all the time! I just hope I'm here in February because I wanna see my teachers!
But those are some of the crazy things that have been happening in my reckless life. But lately I've just been anticipating new music which has been taking over my life these past few weeks.
I'll update probably on Halloween, a presto! :)
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