Very Venezia!

Friday morning came...way too quickly...and we were back to the train station and off to Venice! This trip was already more exciting (on the train) because we would be traveling from Florence to Venice, but not just to Venice itself but the island of Venice! So halfway through the trip we began to be surrounded by water...it was beautiful! On the train? I was sitting with a very nice Italian family that consisted of a husband, wife and grandma. Well I think they were nice, but they kept trying to speak to me in Italian...yeah didn't work! A few Italian conversations later and we were in Venice, well at the train station! From there? Off to find the hotel we were staying in for the night. Yes mom and dad you read that right! We got a HOTEL for Venice, not a HOSTEL. Woooo-Hoooo! (so we thought) We get to this "hotel" and the man at the counter was quite grumpy, but we dealt with it because WE WERE ON AN ISLAND! Checked in, dropped our backpacks and straight to the food! Gosh how could we not eat right when we arrived? Our bodies were already so used to the amazing food that we just naturally flocked to it in Venice....and the gelato, oh the gelato! Goodness you guys! I don't know how I will ever eat another piece of pizza or another thing of ice cream again. So maybe the over-consumption of gelato that week did end up having a positive benefit? I will forever be unhappy with the ice cream in America...NOT. (unrealistic). Anyways, we got really lost in all of the canals within Venice, like HOLY CANALS! They were EVERYWHERE! Pictures of each one? Of course! And then we found more....walking around among water all over the place, it was perfection! Later on in the night we found a rather fancy restaurant for our last night of dinner in Italy (tear). They began our meal with a free "orange drink," that we believe was a sangria of some sort but it was very alcoholic to say the least. But they didn't tell us about this before we ordered a bottle of wine...so yep we were a smidge "polluted" as grandma would say! But the food did help this. Lexi and Phipps spotted their dream man while we were having dinner so there was that and then we were off to the hotel, but not before a late night serving of gelato! Our last day in Italy was spent walking around, being tired, stuffing our faces with more food and gelato, and of course getting lost! We made it to the shuttle which took us to the airport where we sat for four hours waiting on our flight back to reality (London). Italy was dreamy, beautiful, full of great food and somewhere I want to go back to for sure! If any of you have the chance to visit the land of the Italians...DO IT!

As for now? Well last week was the craziest week I have had since I arrived. Phipps was still here until Wednesday so we had three people living in a room that is maybe big enough for one. Also? The largest paper I have had was due. Want to know why this was so stressful? Because it was the only paper we have had! haha worth half of the grade in the class. Then we had Halloween to prepare for...a ZOMBIE PUB CRAWL! It was so fun and super exciting...lots of blood and paint everywhere and of course free drinks! Yesterday we checked out the second largest mall in the UK. Originally this was the largest mall, built specifically for the Olympics but France had to go and ruin that one! After shopping? Relaxation and movie time! Today? Another paper, grocery shopping and some lovely catch and throwing at the park...we will have to bundle up because its getting really Iowa-like (weather) here! Hope all is going well with everyone back home or wherever you are reading this from. I'll try to get the pictures back up and running soon, but until then just check my Facebook page...unless you are Kelsey and then in that case just paint the pictures in your head my love!! Miss you all but the time is drawing close to an end so not too much! :)

Mind the Gap, Keep Calm and Carry On, Cheers!!
The Site-Seeing Softball Player