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 :)
