So many choices!

Tonight "mi familia" sat down and tried to start planning our trips we want to take over the next four months. Unfortunately I do not have the money nor the time to accomplish all of these, but here is my bucket list (in no particular order):

- Pisa

-Spain

-Southern Italy

-France

-Dublin

-Amsterdam

-Auschwitz

-Greece

-London

-France

-Venice

Now here are my absolute must sees:

-Auchwitz because I have always been interested in the Holocaust and learning about it. It was such a big part in the world's history, and I am so close to it.

-Milan because I want to meet my family near this town. I plan on writing to them and meeting them. I was in class for the first time today and both of my teachers asked if I was Italian, asked about my past and said my name was really popular. That made me so excited because back in the States it's not too big. Also, the said the name Bianchi is a very well known name and that is one of my mom's really good friend's last name. When they went to Milan to visit they went to a cemetery and saw both our last names next to each other. I would really like to find that.

-Greece because I have always been in love with the pictures of this country. It has always been on my list of places to travel to. It is stunningly beautiful and I cannot imagine what it is like in person.

-Ireland because I want to meet my family there from my mother's side. My grandma said her first cousins really want to meet me and that excites me. I want to get to know another part of my past.

-Venice because the pictures of the water through the city have always grabbed my attention.

-Southern Italy because it's simply warm and I really want to see the mediterranean sea.

If I can't get to everything else on my bucket list, I'm okay with that because I plan on coming back. I find this place amazingly beautiful. Before I left home for this trip I started thinking about coming to Europe and freelancing my writing and living pay check to pay check and experiencing different cultures. I'm starting to think I'd really like that more than spending my time in New York City. It's funny how your opinion and life goals change over time. It honestly scares me.

In other news, classes started today and I'm thinking they're not going to be as hard as Kent's are at home. I think they will still have their harder times, but the teachers here know you are here to travel and experience things.

I really enjoy my professors so far. Nicoletta, my Italian teacher is a sweetheart and I'm looking forward to learning from her. Fabio, my Intercultural Communications teacher is entertaining and I look forward to learning from him as well.

I started forgetting that I was over here for classes too, but I think they're going to be fun to learn in and on the bright side, I have to walk to Florence in 50 degree weather to get to class instead of through Kent, OH in 17 degree weather!