First Week in Florence

Catherine,
Higher education or philosophical contacts could have a part in making good things happen. This is the perfect time for you to appreciate the beauty that surrounds you. You have much more going for you than you may realize. An impulse buy you make today could pay off as an asset down the road.

Perfect introduction to my post... This isn't going to be terribly long, but just to catch people up on my life so far.

-Rome was amazing. I could not believe that I was standing amidst thousands of years of history and culture.
-Florence is more beautiful than I imagined. Immediately I felt a sense of comfort being here. I will have no problem living here for four more weeks. (Can you believe I only have that much time left?)
-I've had Italian food for every meal since I got here.. until Tuesday when I had McDonald's at the train station. Whoops!
-My apartment is really nice, airy, sunny, and inspiring. If you want to see pictures, message me.
-There are gypsies all over. Everyone has learned to take caution with them and the crazy rude men who try to holler on the streets.
-I had gelato for the first time last night. On the walk home as I was furiously trying to eat it while it melted all over my hand, I tripped on the street and fell on my ass. In front of everyone.
-Don't blame me. All the streets and sidewalks here are made of cobblestone. There are plenty of loose stones, and it was bound to happen to one of us. How did I know it would be me?
-A bird flew at my face one afternoon. Italian pigeons are vicious.
-I have 2 mosquito bites.
-It's scorching hot over here. I am only presentable in the morning.
-Did I forget to mention that I saw the Colisseum, the Sistine Chapel, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa?

I miss boba. I miss my laptop. I miss all of you lovelies at home. Keep messaging me..

I Took No Pictures Today

Catherine,
Romance and other things that tug at the heart strings come your way as a new cycle begins. Disputes could escalate today unless you make a concerted effort to avoid them.

It is weird how scarily accurate my horoscopes have been... It sounds promising enough. My journey to Italy begins in less than four hours. I am nervous/scared/excited. I know no Italian. I know nothing about the area. I know that I've underplanned, but I hope that does not take away from the experience.

The last two weeks have made me more weary about leaving. I miss everyone already, and I do not know how I will get through that time without speaking to my friends regularly.

In less than four hours, I will be without my phone for six weeks... Wish me luck. No doubt I'll need it.

Leavin'... Never to Come Back Again

Catherine,
Fondness and appreciation for the past and for your roots in life take on greater importance for you now. Home and family matters will require special attention. Extra time spent with those who mean the most to you will lead to tremendous satisfaction. Your family's personal growth, as well as your own, should take precedence over your career.



I'm leaving the day after tomorrow and won't see my friends and most of my family for almost six weeks. I have not spent more than four and a half weeks away from home since the second semester of my freshmen year of college. In the span of six months, my life has changed dramatically. I'm almost certain it will be different when I return as well. The only thing guaranteed in life is change, and I'm hoping that my past experience with change will help me through this.

I'm not sure what to expect of this trip. I will admit that I have not properly prepared for it. I do know that it couldn't have come at a better time. And I hope I use the time to grow and move away from everything that has been plaguing me, rather than letting it take me back to square one.

My Greatest Fear

I've developed a fascination with capturing moments in my life, creating memories almost instead of living them. I hope they aren't passing me by...

Twenty-One

Catherine,
Romance, the arts, and other of life's pleasures seem to take center stage.




I'm still learning how to balance everything in my life to prevent the lows. Nonetheless, this past academic year has been everything I wanted it to be. I met new people. I rekindled old friendships. I got involved. I stayed focused. I went out. I learned new things. I made so many memories...

At this point, I've realized that no matter what happens or who walks out of my life, I will continue to have a whole network of fun, wonderful friends who prove time and again to be my backbone, the shoulders to cry on, my partners in crime, the reason I step back once in a while and realize just how lucky I am.

Dear Void

I know our friendship has changed for good, and I am not sure how it can function in a different way. You have been one of my best friends, and it's weird not turning to you. Even the few times we have talked, it felt different. I'm not sure if you noticed it, but I did. Despite what anyone says, it probably is better this way. I pretend I don't care, because somehow I think it makes me stronger. I miss you. But I hope you're happier without the drama.

Waste Your Potential for Only $40,000 a Year!

The wasted potential on this campus (and perhaps all across the country) continues to frustrate me. College is called "higher education" for a reason, and I feel that if your ultimate reason for working towards a B.A. is to get a job then you are seriously wasting your time and money. A liberal education should influence you to start thinking critically about the world around you and about the person you are becoming. The highlight of your time in college should not be your high tolerance. I'm not saying people shouldn't party, but there should be a better sense of balance between your academic education and your social life.

By the time you leave a university, you should have a better sense of who you are or who you want to become. You should be excited for the challenge of finding out what you want to do with your life now that you have 16 years of education under your belt. You should be confident that you can stand out above the rest because you found something you are passionate about and have a vague idea of how to implement that into your work.

Finding your passion doesn't mean that you stop complaining about things. It means that you have something tangible, something personal, that gives you purpose and negates the bad experiences of a bad class or a bad roommate.

If you haven't had at least one extracurricular activity or class every semester from which you walk away, knowing a little bit more about yourself, you should consider transferring.