Week 8/Amsterdam

Week 8/Blog #1

This past weekend we went to Amsterdam. There was a a group of four that went. It was a lot of fun. We basically just toured around the town and enjoyed the scenic views. My favorite activity was walking through the Anne Frank House. It was an incredible experience. I can't believe that her family was able to hide there for two years! We also did a Heineken experience tour. That was also fun. We were also able to see the bench from the movie "Fault in Our Stars." The whole trip was a 10/10 experience. I'd highly recommend Amsterdam.

Ciao, Grado

Tonight we are having our final class party and I cannot believe our program is pretty much over! This has been the absolute best experience.

I know that I have learned so much and have really been able to immerse myself in the culture here, an experience that I probably will never have again and I am so grateful to the Seamans, Anna, Olivia and our host families for making it all possible for us.

I am going to miss Grado!!

Slovenia and Croatia Trip

This week, Michael informed us that we had some extra money in our budget so on Wednesday we had the option to go to some different places but we decided on a day trip down the Slovenian and Croatian coast.

It was so beautiful to see these two countries and it is so convenient that they are so close to Grado. In Slovenia, we got to see a beautiful view of the town, go swimming, and have a nice lunch downtown. In Croatia, we got to see the town and a world heritage sight church.

It is so nice that the Seamans work so hard to make sure that we get the most out of what we pay for the program. It happened to work out that we had extras and that’s why we got to have this experience and we are all so appreciative!

seafood dinner

            The other night we were brought` out to a really nice seafood dinner in Grado. We sat outside at a nice restaurant, Which I pass everyday on my bike but never Knew what it was. We got to try countless types of seafood That were so good and so fresh tasting. I personally love seafood so I was in heaven, and even people That were not huge fans of seafood in general enjoyed the way it was prepared. Not only were the meals presented gorgeously, they were delicious. I think there were seven courses total and by the end I was stuffed. It was fun to have the whole group together for dinner for one of our last group gatherings. 

last week!

I can not believe it's our last week in Grado. Class wraps up on Thursday with the final exam and then we're done! The weather has been perfect this week- so sunny and nice out. Elise, Lauren, and I went out on Their host mom's brother's boat the other day in the afternoon for a ride and a swim. We went to a small cove That can not be seen from Grado, but we were incendio see the outline of Degree from where we boated. It was so nice to just relax and be on a boat at a perfect time of day. We swam and found shells with Elise and Lauren's host brother. On a small piece of land dropped off the shore to deep water so it was fun to watch him jump straight into the water right from the beach. Elise and I were sitting in shallow water and a crab came up to me and climbed on my leg and I about had a heart attack. It was hilarious Because We pick them up at this time but this one was massive. We boated home on water That was just like glass and it was such a nice ride. I'm definitely going to miss the laid back lifestyle here. Things are not fast paced and I love that.

Olanda

This weekend three other students and I took a weekend excursion to the Netherlands. We landed in Amsterdam on Friday afternoon, so we had plenty of daylight to savor the sights of the city. We walked the streets and kind of just wandered to familiarize ourselves with locations for what we had planned for the next day. I Looked up and found That has blackberries Amsterdam canals than Venice, Which is not surprising considering the size difference, but I Never Knew That canals were a main attraction. I never got on a boat tour to a canal, but I got to sit on benches and in cafes bordering multiple canals. A fun little detour we took was to visit the bench in the movie The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

My absolute favorite part of the trip was going to the Anne Frank house. We did not think we'd be a fire get tickets, but we Looked online the week before and got the earliest time slot for the tour. It was such a powerful experience to be in That House and I have a new appreciation for Anne Frank rather than my middle school experience with reading her diary. It was very thought provoking and I highly recommend it as a must-see for anyone planning on going to Amsterdam! 

Week 7/My Italian Family

My host family is definitely my favorite part about Grado. When I first came to Italy it was a much bigger adjustment than I had originally anticipated. I remember being a little bit overwhelmed when I initially got off the plane. I spoke no Italian and didn't really know what to expect. My host family has been so awesome since the very beginning and I have enjoyed staying with them. I especially enjoy my host mom. She is a great women. She is always trying to communicate with me and sometimes even attempts to speak on English. She is a really good cook and I love the dinners that I have with her and the rest of my host family. I also have a great host dad and two great host sisters. The other day we all went out to sushi and it was awesome! It was an all you can eat experience and it was very fun. We ordered too much food and we actually had to sneak the extra sushi into my host sister's purse so that we didn't have to pay for each piece individually. They made a joke about me stuffing it in their bags after wrapping it up in a napkin. I couldn't tell if they were kidding, but I went for it anyway and it was awesome! We all started laughing. It was actually really funny. I definitely ate too much sushi, but I'll remember that experience forever.  I am so grateful that they have opened their home to me and welcomed me into their family.  They have been so kind and generous and I appreciate everything they have done for me and all the opportunities this trip has provided.  It is great having another family in another country.  I will definitely come visit them again.  

Boats and Gelato: A Perfect Afternoon.

Over the past few weeks this summer my host mom, Susan, has mentioned that her brother owns a speed boat. And has told Lauren and I that we'd go out on the water one day. And yesterday the day finally came! We boarded the boat around 4:30 in the afternoon. But the temperature was perfect. It was still hot out but with the wind blowing it felt great!

Abbey, Lauren, Mario, and I swam around in the water for a while and ventured over to a sand bar. Lauren and Mario collected some shells and we enjoyed the views. After getting back on the boat Susan's brother took us over to the island of Barbana to see the church!

Around 7 we docked and went home for dinner. After eating Lauren, Madi, Annalise, and I went out to watch the sunset and got gelato afterwards. We got gelato at Antoniazzi's, which we have realized is probably the best gelato in Grado! All in all it was a perfect afternoon and a great way to begin the last week! 

Trip to Amsterdam

This weekend, me and three other students traveled to Amsterdam, Netherlands.

It was not too difficult to get there with a connecting flight through Rome, and it was such a great experience. We were able to walk around the city to see all of the canals and beautiful buildings (pictured below). We also got to do a tour of the Anne Frank House, which was fascinating to see.

The city has a much different vibe than Grado, much more fast paced and modern, which was fun to see for a weekend but it is nice to be back for our final week here.

Now that this last week has started it has really started to hit me that I will be at home in just six days. I am sad that our time here is almost done but I plan to make the most of the coming days in Grado!

Visit from Parents

This week my parents came on vacation to Venice, and on Thursday they made the trip out to Grado to visit.

It was so nice to get to spend time with them and show them the place that I have called home for the last seven weeks. In spending this time with them, I could tell how independent I have become in my time living here, and how familiar I now am with Grado. I remember the first week or so here getting adjusted and learning where things are, and now I feel so comfortable going anywhere and talking to anyone in town.

I am already dreading leaving this place in just a week!

Who would have thought a trip to Italy would have done this?

This is our last week in Grado, and it comes with a bitter sweet taste (it's only sweet because I haven't been home since Christmas and I miss my family so much!). It's been a short 8 weeks but i've come to realize that I have learned  a lot, not only with the Italian culture and language, but also about myself. I feel I've had countless moments of major self reflection, which allowed me to see what I want out of my life, and those around me. With all the time that I've had to think of nothing (having finished my homework assignments and exams for the week), I found time to focus in on my own thoughts. Daily visits to the beach and sunbathing allowed for this quite often. For example, I have decided that I do plan to go for my PhD in Psychology, something that I would have never imagined doing before this trip. I've always felt that it was too much, and that I didn't have the capability to achieve such an accomplishment. But through a few conversations with my professor, my host family, and a slap in the face by the different culture I was emerged in, I realized that school was the best I would ever get out of life. Nothing beats learning new things, because that's what makes life exciting. Even if I were to get my dream job in the future, I know for a fact, nothing could ever be as stimulating as gaining new information on life that I wouldn't get working my 9-5 job. A PhD is just another way to meet new people, gain new connections and learn new things that I'm sure will bring joy to my life, like the Italian culture has.
I've also learned to be just a bit more humble. I've learned more so that my point of view may not always be correct, and that sometimes it's best to just sit back and observe. Sometimes, saying nothing is the best way to present myself and go about things. It's hard to put into words how I came to realize these things about myself, as I'm sure it was more than just the peaceful environment that led to these introspections. Although it definitely did help, the only other things that I can think of is the more personal and private conversations I've gotten to have with my professor. This allowed me to gain insight that none of my peers would have ever been able to offer. Being in another country has allowed me to see how much I miss those back home, and created a much deeper appreciation for both them and the institutions I'm apart of such as DePauw. That being said, I actually can't wait to dive back into my DePauw career and finish off my last year stronger than I ever have. I see more so what I'm capable of, and know I can use these new skills acquired from both the program and my own insight to aid me in finishing my college education and beyond.

Because I'm going home and can't wait to see my beautiful mother (and the rest of my family of course. I just like this picture)

Week 7/Bat Life

Week 7/Blog #1

Today started out as any other day here has. I woke up at 7:30 AM and rolled out of bed around 8. I walked downstairs and enjoyed a wonderful breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs and toast with strawberry jam prepared by my host mom. This week was particularly exciting and full of a lot of firsts. One of the exciting things to happen was MG calling me late one night to come over to her apartment. Being 11:30 PM, I was shocked she was calling ME so late.  It's not very often that I get a late night phone call such as this. When I arrived at MG's I received a much different greeting than I expected. Instead of inviting me for a romantic evening on the boardwalk followed by gelato, MG actually called me to get a bat out of her room. This was quite the experience. Her and AnnaLise had bought two butterfly nets from a store and we got to work. MG and Annalise were both kind of worthless in terms of catching the bat, but with my superior athletic ability I was able to catch the bat as he flew around the room. We put him in a wooden crate and carried him (still in the net) outside. The bats wing was stuck in the net, and I wasn't going to touch him. After this all happened we were sitting by the trash can and a group of Italian teenagers came and grabbed the net out of the trash can. They proceeded to chase each other around with the net and attempt to put it on one anthers heads. It was a interesting sight to watch for sure.  I am gald I was able to face and be the hero that captured the bat and "saved" MG and AnnaLise.

Host Mom's Last Dance Performance!

Saturday night I went to Fiumicello to watch my host mom's last dance performance! Susan's group danced outside, and unlike last time they were not up on a stage, but rather dance in a blocked off portion of a street and were very close to the crowd. She performed around 11, so it was dark outside. All these aspects made for a very cool atmosphere! And everyone danced wonderfully just like last time!

Before Susan's group performed I had watched a different latin dance company perform on at a stage down the street. The dancers were also very talented which made it engaging and exciting to watch! It amazed me how fast everyone could dance; definitely very impressive!

I was very glad to have been able to attend Susan's last performance. It took me back to not long ago during my first week in Grado when I attended Susan's first performance. It made me realize how far I have come this summer. Not only have I learned a lot of Italian, but have grown much closer to my host family. Two things for which I am very grateful!

Golden Gloves in Goriza!

On Friday my class had a day off! This was to allow for a long weekend of traveling for those leaving Grado. But because I didn't have any long distance travel plans it was nice to have a day to sleep in and not set an alarm! Around 3 o'clock myself and most of the other students staying in Grado this weekend took a trip to Gorizia to watch the amateur division of the Golden Gloves! The bus ride was around an hour from Grado to Gorizia and I was excited to arrive because I had never seen boxing match first hand (or really even on tv for that matter). 

It was very interesting to learn the rules of boxing and cheer in the crowd! I enjoyed watching each match because they were short and fast paced, so it was easy to stay engaged. The fist couple of fights were between boxers in lower weight classes, but as the competition continued and the boxers got bigger it was even more exciting to watch! I was glad to have gone and enjoy a new experience!

Before I left in the afternoon, Susan, my host mom mentioned that she and Mario (her son) were going to a carnival at night. And to our surprise when returning home, Grado was in full swing! There was a huge parade going down the main street with music, dancing, and very impressive floats. The streets were lined with people and it seemed that the entire town was out celebrating. This is one of the things that I love about Grado, there is always something going on. And if you leave for even 5 hours, its likely that you come home to a surprise!

 

Week 6/The Little Things

Week 6/Blog#2

It is hard to believe we have been here 6 weeks already.  Today started out the same way it usually does. My alarm went of at 7:30 before I finally rolled out of bed at 8. I made my way downstairs where I enjoyed my usual breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, and strawberry jam with my host mom. After this feast, I did what I always do and I showered. After my shower I thought it would be a good idea to get dressed. After putting clothes on I packed up my school supplies and headed out the door for another exciting day. This is where my day diverted from the normal schedule. I was preparing to cross the street as I approached the crosswalk. There was an elderly woman already sitting there. She was waiting for oncoming traffic to come to a stop. When the light turned red and it was our turn to cross she proceeded to cross the street, However, oncoming traffic did not stop. The car almost hit her and she proceeded to yell. I can only imagine what she was saying to this driver. After she had crossed and gotten to the other side she turned around and continued to yell. I found this whole ordeal to be very entertaining. Luckily everyone was safe. I should have asked the woman to teach me some of the words that she was yelling, but I'm assuming that they aren't very appropriate for class. All in all, Italy is great and I am enjoying everything (especially with my friends) and all the little things along the way.

Having A Visitor

    I was lucky enough this past week to have a visitor from home come. I was so excited to be able to show someone the inns and outs of Grado and all the special things that the town has to offer. My favorite part about having a visitor was just walking around town with him telling him a little fact or story about each place we would pass. I was so excited to show him every alley way, old building, and view that I found myself falling even more in love with the town as I showed it off. I was also able to show off some of my Italian (which he was extremely impressed about even though he had no idea what I was saying)!
     Being able to have a little piece of home here in Grado was an awesome experience and helped Chicago not seem so far away. As I talked and raved about my experience I realized that all the times I felt homesick or felt that I was missing out at home disappeared. Since we have been here so long some days feel like a normal routine and I lose sight of how amazing this trip is and has been. I am very happy to realize how lucky I was again which will help me to appreciate every one of my last days even more.

Grado Nightlife

Nightlife in Grado is quite different from nightlife from where I am from. For starters, coming from a small suburban town and attending a small college I have always gone out and known tons of people. Obviously this isn’t going to happen in another country so it’s weird going to a place with dozens of faces I’ve never seen speaking a language I am still learning.
The amount of people ranging from six years old to seventy that are out at night is quite a culture shock as well. The small town I am from shuts down at about 9 o'clock and children and older adults are definitely not out on the town past ten or eleven. But here in Grado everyone is out and about doing all kinds of different things. The town at night is almost equally as crowded as the town during the day. Whether a family is out getting gelato, a couple is mini golfing, or friends are getting together for drinks the people of Grado are always doing something together and out of their homes.
When we got back from Tuscany was when the crowds for the summer hit. At first I was extremely overwhelmed and did not like it because I had grown so accustomed to the quiet, peaceful Grado. However, over the course of a couple days I quickly fell in love with being outside at night with everyone listening to the street violinist play while eating gelato and catching up with friends. Nights at Grado are something I am definitely going to miss about this place.

Weekend in Croatia

This weekend a group of ten of us planned a trip to Rovinj, Croatia. Most people have probably never heard of Rovinj, as I had not before we started researching trips, but it was absolutely amazing.

It is only about three hours away from Grado by bus, and we were able to find an affordable place for all of us to stay. We spent time at the pool, on a boat, snorkeling, cliff jumping AND we spent time in old town.

It was such a great experience to see another country, their culture and get more experience traveling on our own. It is honestly so great that we are in Grado, so close to so many different destinations to see. I can say that I never would have ended up in Rovinj if it hadn’t been for this program and I am so glad that I did. 

Fourth of July in Grado

Leading up to the fourth, we were all a little bit sad about missing the festivities at home. Especially since there are not many American tourists around here, we knew that we would be the only ones in patriotic spirit.

However, Michael and Francesca took us out to a great hamburger restaurant in Grado so we got to have a little taste of home. The burgers were great, andall of our class went to the beach after to celebrate together.

This is just one of the many things that the Seamans have done for us to make us feel more at home and also because they generally care about us. Also, our class has gotten so close over these past six weeks that we all have great times together. I cannot believe we leave in just two weeks, the time has flown bye!

Week 6: Boat Life

For the weekend, me and 10 other friends in the program went to Croatia to Rovinj. One of the things we really wanted to do was to rent a boat and go snorkeling and see the different islands. So we rented two boats for the 11 of us for 6 hours, and they took us wherever we wanted to go. We went swimming on private excluded beaches, cliff jumping and snorkeling. While I have been here in Italy, all of my friends were all together at each other's lake houses going boating and tubing and I was so envious because I love doing that in the summer. So it was amazing to be able to go boating with friends without having any worries, just like I would be doing at home, except so much cooler. My favorite part of the day was cliff jumping. I hate heights, they just have never been my thing, so when I was standing on top of the cliff I was so freaked out. But a few of my friends went before me so I knew I wouldn't die and so I went for it. It was so fun! I landed on my right thigh/butt so that hurt a lot but the rush of it was so much fun. Even though I am still freaked out about heights, it was cool to be able to experience that and not let my fears get in the way.



Ciao!
McKenzie Boyle

Week 6: 4th of July

Unfortunately, Fourth of July rolled around when we were abroad in Italy so we couldn't celebrate the holiday with our families and friends with BBQ's and red white and blue everything, but we did what we can to celebrate all the way across the ocean. We all wore red white and blue to class of course to show our pride. Then Francesca and Michael took us out to lunch at a restaurant that wasn't American, but they had really good burgers, hot dogs and fries. So although we couldn't be in America with the cookouts, corn and baked beans, but we go pretty close with some burgers and dogs. I don't like burgers and hot dogs though so I got eggs with bacons and ham and it was amazing. It was exactly like an American breakfast you'd get at a diner. Then after the second half of our class, we all went to the beach and hangout together. Although living in Italy for two months has been amazing, it was nice to celebrate our own country for the day with friends and not care if the Italians were judging the fact that we were Americans, because we are proud to be.

Until next time,
McKenzie Boyle

Week 6/Croatia

Week 6/Blog #1

This weekend I went to Croatia with some of the other students on the trip.  It was an amazing experience.  There were 11 of us total and we all stayed at the same hotel-which was nice and very convenient.  During our stay we went swimming at the hotel and we also rented two boats to take snorkeling.  The boats wear a ton of fun.  We had them rented from 10 AM to 6 PM.  During this time we were able to swim, snorkel,and cliff jump.  The cliff we jumped off of was abut 25 feet.  It was awesome.  Everyone successfully completed the jump.  The was crystal clear and Austin was able to video tape everyone on his GoPro.  The drivers of the boat were very nice.  The only bad part was the sunburn I got.  For dinner one night we cooked in our hotel rooms and then met up to hang out.  On the second night we went intot the town of

Rovinj and had dinner as a group at a restaurant.  The currency of Croatia is very different.  100 Euors is equal to about 728 Kunni.  All in all, I had a great time and I would recommend Croatia to anyone traveling abroad.

Travel Experience.

When I think back to my first solo trip this summer I remember feeling excited, but also nervous and a little confused. Booking buses, trains, hotels, hostels, etc. can seem hard when you lack experience. Which is where I was at the beginning of the summer. Yet, after several weekend trips I felt like a more experience traveler. I'm still no expert, but definitely better off than 6 weeks ago. Traveling this summer has taught me to always have a plan B (and maybe a plan C). It has taught me to always carry enough cash, not to over pack, and that there's no shame in running to catch your train. But most importantly to not forget to sit back and enough the ride!