I know things get better

Hey guys! So I just realized it's been almost two weeks since I've posted anything, so I figured today was the day to get back on it :) These past couple weeks have been a lot of ups and downs for me. There was rarely ever an in between happiness or sadness, it was either one or the other. About three days ago, I was really down. I never showed anyone except my family in America and was discouraged about learning about Italian and struggling to fit into this culture that I had loved from afar at home. That night was a Saturday and I didn't make any plans to go out, since I personally wanted to wallow and watch A Walk to Remember. Well, after 2 hours of wallowing after lunch, Fiorella (my host mother) came in to my room and said, "I called your friends, they'll be here in 20 minutes." So I get up, put on some makeup and something cute and try to feel better. Before we left the house, I told Fiorella that I was sorry for being quiet and seeming sad and am working on it. She told me I could quit, go home and forget about Italy if I wanted to. Honestly, it was tempting for all of about 2 seconds, I knew quitting was not an option, so I swallowed my tears and thought happy things that related to Italy (still didn't want to think about America). I met my friends in the piazza in Martinsicuro and we went to the huge street fair that is held in Grottamare (a city near my school) every year in honor of Saint Martin. God knew I needed to be encouraged that night and He delivered :) I had the best night with my friends, laughing and eating nutella crepes and meeting tons of people from school. Then, on the train home, 2 people asked me about directions and stops on the train in Italian and I could understand and respond!! I was thrilled and couldn't wait to find Fiorella and Giorgio (my host brother) and tell them about what had happened. Slowly I'm picking up more Italian and feel much better about living here this year. I even got "The Notebook" in Italian to try working through. It's the little things that make a difference :) Hope everyone is doing fantastic! Till next time,
Kailey

All Saint's Day

Hey everyone! So November 1st is All Saint's Day, and in Italy it is a major religious holiday. This morning I got up with my host family and went to mass, then we went to the cemetery and it blew me away how many people came to honor and respect their dead loved ones. The cemeteries here are marble box-like structures that are built up, no one is buried in the ground. Every box has a name and the dates of birth and death and most of the time, a picture. Every single box had flowers, candles, something on it in remembrance of the person it housed. This was such a surprise for me, because in America, we rarely go back to the cemetery unless it's a funeral/burial or some other occasion, such as the deceased persons birthday or a holiday. I thought it was fantastic that here people treat All Saint's Day as a day of remembrance.
On a different note, I know it's been a while since I wrote last, sorry about that! In that time, I have gone to see three new places: Forli, San Marino and Ascoli-Piceno. My favorites were by far San Marino and Ascoli-Piceno. San Marino is actually not a part of Italy and is a separate state, like Vatican City. It's built up on 3 hills, with a tower on each one. The streets are lined with shops and coffee bars and it still has that medieval feel to it. Ascoli-Piceno is very similar in it's medieval feel, but it also is modern. The piazzas are wide and airy and the citizens are stylish. Ascoli is famous for it's olives and speciality olives. While I was there I tried a meat stuffed olive that was deep fried. I don't like olives but that tasted pretty good :) The pictures below are from Ascoli. Until next time!