A Few of Many

Things I am Thankful For:

-my family
even though i only talked to them for about 30 seconds today, i still felt the love and the fact i am so sad to be missing them right now makes me remember how much i love them
-the oppurtunity to travel
it's been so good for me, i can't even explain really.
-the kindness of strangers
the various guys who have helped us with our huge bags, the countless people who have given us directions, the lady at the bakery who smiled at us despite us butchering the pronounciation. and just the fact that even though we are in a foreign country we don't have to feel completely alone.
also people you can just strike up conversations with just as soon as you figure out if you have a language in common.
-friends
who express their concern and miss me and put up with me on a day-to-day basis.
-my nearly perfect schedule for next semester
which i will probably come to hate by mid-march
-diversity in food.
because i get bored easily and love food from other countries SO much
-different languages
because they fascinate me greatly. i really want to learn them all.
-having a tredmill at home
because i'm going to need it this upcoming month.
-really great roommates (old, current, new, temporary)
because life would be a lot harder without them. without someone to have sleep conversations with. or throw things at from bunkbeds. or dance around with. or to
-living in Oregon.
because no matter where you go, if people have heard of it they think it's beautiful :p
-Jess from Gilmore Girls
i do not know why i love him so much, but i cannot stop
-The fact i don't absolutely love Thanksgiving food
i do miss my mom's sweet potatoes, but everything else i can live without, which is good otherwise i would be heartbroken right now.
-that my computer has a 2 year warranty
Europe did not agree with it.

today for thanksgiving we woke up and ate amazing bakery goods (which we refer to as vanillaicia crossaint and double eyeglass cinnamon goodness and cheesy cinnamon roll thing) we went to an art muszuem (peter would be so proud). this cute little lady led us around and told us all these things we already knew about italian art, but we pretended we didn't know. we also went to the zoo. where we saw your average animals and watched pelicans eat fish for about ten minutes which was actually really entertaining and disgusting at the same time. they trapped them in their pouchy-beaks and then swallowed them whole!! then we wandered around and looked at some castles but almost froze to death.
so we came back to the hostel and ate nutella on toast and cinnamon cereal. not a bad day.

we have had some really good food since we've been here.
i just wish i knew hungarian.

also, got this email from my wonderful little brother:

i now u are in Italy but HAPPY THANKSGIVING