Last week

This entire semester has gone by so fast that I can't believe it is about a week until I will be on a plane heading back to good old Vermont. It will be a bittersweet parting: I am extremely excited to see my family and friends, but I am definitely going to miss Siena a lot. So, I figured it was time to create a list of things I'm looking forward to when I get home and things I will miss about Siena. This is helping me to procrastinate from studying since that is the last thing I want to be doing today.

What I look forward to about home
  - seeing my family and friends
  - running around with my dog
  - playing soccer with my dad
  - rolling in the grass (sounds weird, but there is zero grass here in Siena)
  - swimming in my grandparent's pool
  - going to the beach
  - iced coffee
  - Thai and Mexican food
  - chocolate chip cookies
  - driving my car and not worrying about public transportation
  - DMB concert!!
  - my own bed/room
  - TV
  - having an oven
  - giving gifts to people :)

Things I will miss about Siena
  - the food
  - beautiful scenery
  - piazza del campo
  - the wonderful friends I've made
  - volunteering with the little kiddos
  - gelato
  - history everywhere
  - running in the Fortezza
  - cappuccino's
  - the big market on Wednesday's
  - not being able to visit Elida and Guenter as easily
  - cheap transportation to other part of Italy and other countries

I know it will be extremely hard for me to leave everything I've known for the past 4 months behind, but the memories will last forever. I will look back on this in a couple of months and smile knowing that this was the time of my life and that I will be back one day to reminisce. I would love to bring my kids here and show them a place that will always be a part of me. And someday, I hope that my kids have this same opportunity that I had.

Lastly, my parents have finally arrived in Italy! I can't wait until I get to see them on Wednesday! Right now, they are at Elida and Guenter's house - hopefully they found it okay and are enjoying themselves. I'm sure they are having a blast and I know that they will be eating very well. This has been a dream come true and even now I find it hard to believe that this is real life.