Save the best for last

Seems like things always happen this way, but middlebury has only just started to get good right at the end. After months of waiting to go abroad, I didn't think it would be possible to want to stay here but of course, now that its the end, i feel closer with everyone, i'm having tons of fun, and I don't mind going to class or doing my homework. STRANGE.

In fact, the last week and a half or so has been pretty different from any other academic or social experience I've had. I've been hanging out with a group of athletes from the italian school, the people that I'm constantly photographing for those of you on facebook, and we've got this strong like borderline cultish circle of friends going on that is so fun, but i guess the biggest difference is that I eat with these people at every meal, have 2-3 hours of classes with them everyday, hang out with them during the weekends, go to the movies and conferences with them, i dont know, we just all do everything together. I guess maybe its not that different from other groups, but i'm just not off doing my own thing as much, probably because I was feeling a little isolated doing that before, especially here, because if you don't talk to people and make friends, its really hard to like it here.

Yesterday, after the soccer game that WE WON which was so exciting, really well played, and an awesome photo op, a group of us went to these amazing waterfalls. Vermont is littered with like huge mountains and green forrests and waterfalls every 10 minutes on the highway that are totally amazing. I had no idea this state was like this...I was, unfortunately, attacked by a stinging nettle plant, and the inside of my leg has all these red dots but hey, whatever. 

An interesting thing I've noticed is that when we go off campus, we speak english. not exclusively. It's this weird mix of italian and english that is like borderline dialect for middlebury. We've created words, we start sentences in english and finish them in italian, sometimes someone will be talking to you in english, but you respond in italian. I duno, weirdest thing ever. It's also really funny because when we pull into the parking lot on campus, everyone snaps back into italian without anyone saying a word. I've never been in a community where everyone is striving to be bilingual, so to me its really strange and hilarious, but we all miss english so much that sometimes we're like, screw it, let's just use it for a little bit. 

I'm leaving for italy in 7 days. I haven't given it any more thought beyond just getting to the airport smoothly and catching my flights, mostly because I'm in complete and utter disbelief that 1) after planning for so long to do this, its actually going to happen, 2) that after 6 weeks of this intensity that is Middlebury I can actually sort of speak the language, 3) that I get to fly over the alps on my way there. I literally. can't. believe. it. I will do anything for a window seat.

Packing is nuts, the end of this program is going to be nuts because I have to finish everything in advance, all i wanna do is hang out with everyone and have fun before I leave the states, but nothing is awry, and I'm mostly just psyched to go. 

So in case I dont have internet in lecce, here's where I'll be for the near future:

Vermont: now till august 10

Lecce: august 11 till september 4

Malta: September 5 till september 9

Bologna: September 10 till...?

I imagine I'll be busy upon arriving in italy, but i'll try to keep in touch all the same. Miss you all so much already...