The End

So I've now been back in the wonderful USA for a solid week, and it's time to wrap up the loose ends of my amazing semester abroad. The last few weeks were a whirlwind, consumed mostly with schoolwork and studying for finals (yes, classes were hard - or at least significantly harder than I expected). One of the highlights of those days was the boys cooking us breakfast for dinner, complete with strada, french toast, funky-colored hash browns, and homemade maple syrup - thanks so much guys! Finals came and went, and we prepared to say goodbye to the friends we had spent the past four months living, cooking, studying, traveling, and essentially "growing up" with. (Fortunately it's not too long of a goodbye - see you all back at school in the fall!) We were all excited to pack and head home to America after a long semester away from home, until we got a frantic group email about our flight home being cancelled due to the Little Volcano That Could (not stop erupting). After a few hours of sheer panic - I really wanted to go home - the ND travel agency really came through, and got us all on flights out the next day. So we spent an extra precious day in the Eternal City, seeing the sights, tossing our goodbye coins in the Trevi, and even trying and failing to get tickets to a Roma soccer game after having travelled all the way to the Olympic Stadium. The flight home was an eleven-hour adventure over the Arctic Circle (who would have thought I'd ever see Greenland?) to avoid the ash cloud, and landing at O'Hare was a joy.

This semester was truly a roller-coaster ride filled with new experience, new friendships, gaining life skills, homesickness, learning how to live on my own, and truly starting (just starting) to feel like an adult who might be able to make it in the big world after all in one year. Although there were certainly more times that I can count that I missed Notre Dame and home beyond words, I am truly confident that this experience has changed me for the better. If I had stayed in my comfort zone in South Bend for this past semester, I know I would have regretted missing an amazing opportunity to see the world, and most importantly, see who I am as a person and who I want to be.

So to wrap it up, I have to say thank you to everyone for reading, but especially thank you to my parents for giving me....









I know how lucky I am, both to have seen and experienced everything that I have this semester, and also to be able to come back to two wonderful homes - my casa and Notre Dame, which I just got back from visiting and fell in love with all over again. This is my last post, at least in the area of travel-related posts. I might keep this up and running for personal blogging, so if you're ever bored on the world wide web, check back with me!

Amalfi Coast Tour!

Three weeks ago, my parents came to Rome, and along with my friend Cara, we took a guided driving tour along the Amalfi Coast, one of the most beautiful drives in the world, in the South of Italy.  Our driver Mauriano was fabulous and the trip was absolutely unforgettable!  The first day, we were all picked up in Rome and we immediately headed south, where we made our first stop in Naples.  I've heard only terrible things about Naples, and some of those things were certainly justified based on what I saw, but Mauriano also showed us the beautiful, historic parts of the city as well.  Of course, what I was most excited for was the pizza!! Naples is the birthplace of pizza, and words cannot describe how amazing Neapolitan pizza is!  Then we headed to Pompeii - I had already visited with my high school group, but I honestly appreciated it so much more this time around.  My parents had a great time - my Dad especially loved being creepy and pretending to be a living statue.  Afterwards we drove to our hotel in Sorrento and had dinner overlooking the water.  As we were walking back through town, we came upon a party in the main piazza, with free desserts for everyone - naturally we jumped on that and got back to the hotel feeling very full :)

Bay of Naples

mmm, pizza! (margherita, veggie, and sausage with broccoli - all so delicious!)

Pompeii

The second day we headed out for our tour of the actual Amalfi Coast - the road that connects many southern towns along the coast, and although it is only about 50 km (if I remember correctly), the road has 1200 curves! Needless to say, that was the reason my mom insisted we hire a driver - no offense, Dad :).  Mauriano brought us to a mozzarella factory in the town where the cheese was invented, and I've never tasted cheese so delicious (yes, this includes my American cheese folded in fours).  We stopped in the beautiful town of Positano, where my Italian teacher in high school had always told us to go on our honeymoons, and now I see why!  We stopped in Amalfi as well, and then in Ravello, both of which were beautiful - I wish words could do these towns justice, but I'm just not that blessed of a writer (I'll be happy to show you more pictures when I come home!).  Then we got a great surprise on our way back to our hotel - Mauriano took us to his farm where he lives with 30 of his extended family.  They were so welcoming and friendly and quintessentially Italian.  His mother gave my mom an Easter gift that she had made herself, and his wife brought us homemade limoncello.  We met his sons, nephews, brothers, and felt so welcomed - I could definitely get used to that lifestyle!

Mom, Dad, and I, with Mauriano!

two peas in a pod - I love you Mom!

Positano - all of the churches along the coast had domes that were covered in ceramic tiles - so beautiful!

Dad, Mom, me, and Cara - overlooking Positano!

in Ravello

I love these flowers!

For our last day, we were dropped off at the ferry port in Sorrento, and took the boat to the island of Capri.  We took a bus up to the town of Anacapri, which sits at the very top of the island, and strolled along by the port for awhile.  Although the weather wasn't great, we had a good day and by the time we arrived back in Rome, I was so sad to see Mauriano leave.  He was such a wonderful guide, and I learned so much from him over the course of three days.  I'm so lucky to have such amazing parents to have taken me on this incredible trip - I can't wait to see you guys soon!

Capri

More exciting updates to come soon, including: finals week and my current battle with the Icelandic volcano.  

Baci, 

Katie

Dear Readers

I'm still alive, in case you were wondering.  It's finals week, but in 36 hours I will be a free woman, and in 4-ish days I'll be home!  There is already a post in the work for my Amalfi Coast trip, and I'll update you on my exciting finals adventures.  If that doesn't keep you checking back every day for the new posts, I don't know what will.

Short story: Today I wore my ND sweatshirt to school, and as I was walking down the street outside the university, a man walked past me and started singing, "Cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame...".  Of course, being completely oblivious, I didn't realize it until he had passed me by, at which point I whipped around to see if he was still addressing me, which of course he wasn't.  I don't know if he was American, Italian, or whatever - that complete stranger blended back into the tiny streets of Rome, but he left me with a huge smile.  It made my day, and reminded me how much I love Notre Dame.  I'll be back on my beautiful campus in 9 days!

I was riding the bus home at twilight today after one of my finals and I was so struck (again) by just how beautiful Rome is.  There's so many little nooks and crannies I'll never get to see - it's huge and every little part of it has so much history.  Rome just celebrated her 2761st birthday - incredible!  There's just not really a comparison in the US.  I've been so lucky to call this place my home for four months.  And to my real home: get ready, here I come!