Day 8 of going off my allergy medz. My eyes, itchy; my sneezes, deeper; my immune system, weak. I have far too much pride to rely on medication any longer, I will beat this. So much has happened in this last month breaux, like all of the trips and all of the pictures. I will try to be as cursory as possible to save space and not have the longest post in the world, but I make no promises.
Pompeii
For Art History we took a day trip back to Pompeii, and gees I feel so slighted by Vincenzo, my previous tour guide. He was just all about the brothels and prostitutes, whereas this trip taught me so much more. So let's start with the cafe my professor took us to to buy us all coffee, because she felt bad for rousing us before 8 am for a class. Love her <3 
Anyway, Pompeii History. So let's just laugh about how before Vesuve erupted no one thought it was a big deal, because it hadn't erupted in over 1000 years. Lawlz, poor kids. Before it erupted there was this big epic earthquake that not only caused thousands of people to get the hell out of Dodge (read: Pompeii) but made Vesuve angsty. When it erupted (in 79 AD, look at me knowing stuff) the first thing to happen was this annoying shower of blazing hot baby rocks. Then lava, aka pyroclastic flow (now you can sound smart, too), hit, but this didn't reach Pompeii. The lava instead soaked up other towns, Herculaneum being one of them. And Herculaneum was like, Pompeii's rival, so lawlz. Pumice and ash were the next phase, and that's what we see in these different layers. Interesting to note that whereas in Herculaneum, the lava actually preserved the organic matter in the town like rope and bread, the rubble in Pompeii preserved the shape of the matter. So this dude who's name may or may not be Giuseppe Fiorelli, (let me google this real fast cause I can't rememberYEP, I ROCK), anyway, he came up with the great idea to insert plasterish stuff into the holes to make casts of the items. So this is how we get those gross casts of dead people. Ewie. Like times a million.Okay, so we saw a lot of things:
Top left is the burial road, where you can sit and chill with your peeps. Bottom left is their version of fast food. A thermopolium, where you can buy food on the go. You can tell which buildings were shops on account of the linear groove at the forefront (if you can make that out). It's where they slid in wooden planks as make shift doors then took them down to use as tables. How efficient. Then the picture on the right is their amphitheatre, where Pink Floyd once played for funsies, and without an audience. All of the bawller.
On the right is how they generally painted their walls. They would leave the top half white for mottos, slogans, advertisements, etc. This one in particular is a political slogan commissioned by a prostitute. I like to think that politically conscious prostitutes were the founding mothers of women's rights. Top right is an old fashioned stove, which immediately makes me think of Bridesmaids. Bottom left is their crazy epic looking mosaic floors. Gawd they're so cool I can't even handleilovepompeiiiiii
This is the coolest and grossest thing ever. Okay so on the left are pictures of a fullery, aka where people bleach and dye fabrics USING URINE. Apparently this was such a demanding labor that dudes died from their constant pee stomping. The 'fuller's dance.' Pompeiians were sick. And I dig it. On the right is where the urine was COLLECTED. All of the things. People would just climb right on up to the top of that inviting spiral staircase and go. Oh Pompeii, how you do surprise me.
And then there were dogs. I've started a bad habit. Also this woman was wearing crocs. And taking pictures of this dog. I felt a connection.
Swag.
We made our way to the Villa of Mysteries, so named due to wall paintings that may or may not depict a mystery religion's mysteries. ...How mysterious... Anyway, doing so was kind of punishable by death so they're not completely sure if that's what's up. Also, we learned about how they painted these rooms by applying paint on the last coat of plaster and letting it dry. FRESCO. (Said in tone of Presto) (I'm exhausted lemmedome)
I felt way more informed and excited about Pompeii after this trip. Like, get me when I'm not tired and I'll fangirl for like eight hours straight. Before we left I got this super intense lemon slushy that like sterilized my insides and went gangsta with my hood on the bus ride back.
More swag.
Back to Rome
Mary Grace made guac one night and proceeded to get drunk on tiny espresso shot sized glasses on wine. Which she then spilled on my laptop. And diligently/swayingly cleaned up.
We went to two museums- Palazzo Altemps and the Baths of Diocletian. We also went to the church of Santa Maria, the one in our piazza. Mary Grace picked up a stalker who followed us to the Diocletian Baths (her fault, she told him), and we video taped him from an upper story as he casually walked around trying to find her. Will include later. We are cruel >:)
Palazzo Altemps
Idk what the deal is with depicting horses but seriously, every single time I see a horse it's derping so hard. Also, dat fashionable footwear.
Just doin' me
I'm not really sure what this was but it's pretty. Also, goats.
Santa Maria
After mass we went to this sushi restaurant because sush. We ended up getting our orders wrong and received 15 euro sushi rolls for 5 euros. Our waitress was super angsty but 'Murca.
Diocletian Baths
The epithet museum was just so lengthy. I'm all about my epithets but Jesus Christ I will never do that ever again.
This was like the most entertaining part ever. These animals were just so expressive and aghast. Aka, awkward as all get out. I think my favorite is the horse, once again being the weirdest creature ever depicted in art form since the history of history. < Hahaha okay maybe before. Lawlz, history jokes.
All of the English homework. My professor made us finish Bleak House AND Great Expectations all in a matter of like three weeks. As much as I love Dickens, that plus all my other classes ain't happenin'. I didn't even finish Bleak House, but I DID watch the movie. I made myself finish Great Expectations, seeing as I started it like two years ago exactly hahaha. Also, Jenneya and I had color coordinating socks on. Ftw.
All of the food happened.
Perugia
Mary Grace and I made the spontaneous decision to go to Perugia for the chocolate festival. Ya, that's right, I said CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL. And yeah, best day ever. Perugia's like this little fairy tale of a town, and they just had all of the chocolate I was in heaven.
You can buy roasted chestnuts now and I love it. They're so good and Christmas feeling. Also, all of the chocolate liquor. They had so many free samples, I was literally chocolate wasted, which was weird, because I was tired. I don't regret that.
Best friends <3
We were exhausted by the time we got back. Chocolate festivals are no joke.
The Carey family hits Rome
MG's aunt and uncle were on this super epic European vacation, and when they hit Rome they invited the two of us to go on a bike ride through the Borghese Gardens. Little did we know what this entailed, and how sadistic these people were.
And all this while Bailey was supposed to be studying for her midterms. (On which she got two B's and a 97. Heck yeah)
On the right you can see the culprit. Four person tandem bike. Her uncle threw us into the front to steer and drive. As in he made MG drive and gave ME the map. How WRONG. Did we see anything? Oh, let me show you.
It was an adventure to say the least. We also went to the Spanish Steps where I had a geek out over being in the same area as Fitzgerald and Hemingway. I about died.
Heaven, heaven I say. That night her aunt and uncle proposed taking us out for dinner and drinks. Needless to say the drinks part ended in drunk. I got a b-52, which was chocolatey persuasion that caught me completely off guard. MG got a cosmo, it was so pink it hurt my life.
They also gifted us with their hotel's complimentary soap. Hermes complimentary soap. I started using it when I ran out of body wash and feel like a millionaires mistress. Ohhh yeeaahhh.
Oh and I made another pie.
Zoo.
The day MG and I went to the zoo was just the day of the selfies. And not just any selfies, like the most awkward selfies. Here, I know you miss my face so I'll include the best ones.
The zoo's in the Borghese Gardens so we actually got to enjoy them rather than face near death collisions with other four person tandem bikes.
Then more selfies in public settings...
She missed the smell of leaves.
Prettiest girls at the ball, just so excited to enter the zoo. >:)
The stairs to the atrium. Aka, stairs of doom.
We really went hard with the selfies. And MG noted my strong desire to ride the merry go round conflicting with my intent to be a mature adult, and dragged me over and YEAH WE RODE THE MERRY GO ROUND :}
And took a selfie.
MG's Roman Departure.
We took a last galavant to the Jewish Ghetto, aka my favorite place in Rome, then went to an Amurcan style restaurant for goodbye breakfast. They had pancakes. I was sold. Also, let me note that the Italians in the Jewish Ghetto, at least in our Austrian bakery, DON'T SPEAK YIDDISH. I TRIED SO HARD.
Then MG moved to Florence and things got weird.
Mumma will understand.
For Art History we went around Rome and saw the Forum again, Domitian's palace, and other things.
We got to go inside the curia, which is where the Senate met. All of the history tingles. And then on the left is the Constantine Basilica, aka bane of my existence. This is what I'm writing my medieval research paper on. Maxentius, the dude who was in charge of Rome before Constantine defeated him, had the basilica facing one way, then when Constantine took control he turned it the other way. Hahahahaha that just tickles me. I'm using it as an example of Christian imperialism, oh hay.
These are the little domuses (I ain't got no clue how you pluralize them) aka pretty little flower gardens. The left is the Domus Flavia and the right is the Domus Augustana. My favorite's the Domus Flavia, because the flowers are purple and it's just so adorbs.
Brief interlude for cake. We celebrated Nicole's cancer free anniversary on Halloween. Best. Cake. EVER. Halloween consisted of the Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind. How uneventful. The next day I adventured with Sheryle and Jenneya and I saw all of the things that would make perfect Christmas presents. And I saw more dogs.
I love Rome's attempt to pretend it's fall, even though it's still not cold. I mean now it is, as in I have to wear pants. Biggest update is that since our floor was collapsing we had to move apartments. We're now on the next street where the market and playground are. Aka, I wake up every morning to children screaming with no purpose and large trucks smashing what sounds like thousands on thousands of glass bottles. I love my new room though, and our baby bathroom. Our washer only works sometimes and when it feels like it, but I can creep on neighbors now while I drink my coffee. Oh, and our wifi SUCKS. The biggest issue with moving was probably my existential crisis on how to pack the soy sauce.
I feel like a king. I also beasted and made a pot pie. Mumma was having a fit because I told her our skillet had a wooden handle (which I knowingly put inside the oven lawlz) and there were weird smells. She really freaked out, hehe.
Ostia Antica
Art History once again, took a trip to Rome's port city, Ostia. It was pretty legit.
Top right is a tomby thingy, below it is this pathetic looking little baby of a structure. I really have no clue what it's trying to be but it's trying so hard. Then the big picture is a mosaic of some water lady with her dragons. I miss Hilly.
You'll really enjoy this, top left is where they kept WINE. Can you imagine having all of the wine? Dear god why don't we have these. Bottom left is their system of indoor heating in bath complexes. There were corridors that basically served as steam canals that lead out of these terracotta pipes into this false floor below the room. So intense. Oh, and we found a cat in the book store. My first interaction with an animal in so long. I enjoyed it.
Florence
This trip was seriously the bomb.com. MG went to the Swiss Alps for the weekend so I missed her, but I did see a CofC girl who was studying there. And Zach made it down from Venice, where he's studying architecture. Aka, Florence was awesome. I got my Dante and Hannibal fix. AND I saw the David, which originally I didn't want to because then all other sculptures would be ruined for me, but I did, and now all other sculptures are ruined for me. It's a hard life.
We adventured for a bit while I tried to find the Beatrice chapel (aka my one and only site in Florence that I needed to see, maybe in all of Italy). We got lost. Was upset. Started tour, FIRST SITE. Almost cried. Awful pictures, but that's the basket where ladies put their letters. Much like in Verona where you write to Juliette, except it's Beatrice, and therefore better. Like oh my god I still can't believe it. Trip peaked.
The Gates of Paradise, though due to my vast intelligence (aka I read Inferno by Dan Brown) I knew they weren't the originals >:) I am seriously that kid.
But really, all my dreams came true in Florence. Just LOOK AT HIM.
I just really loved Florence. And we saw little baby rowers! Of course I proudly announced to no one that was listening that ain't no one can parallel park a boat like I can. This is most definitely based off of that one time I successfully did it with no help, and I said it only to hear myself talk. Still proud, and I don't regret that.
Okay top left is a secret wine distributor hole. Like, not even kidding, you would put your money in and wine would come out. Best system EVER. So we basically ran around all day, saw the leather market and the pig where Hannibal Lector killed that guy and then washed his hands (AWESOME). But actually if you rub the pig's noise apparently it'll help you get married. You. Betcha. Oh and then Zach's appearance, and his subsequent exploitation by me for the lamplighter picture... We were tempted to put this in the EYC group, but then decided against it. Hehe 
Bailey was not amused at all that day. There were a lot of museums and a lot of stairs. I had the best pizza I've had during my entire time here. Which I hid in my pocket at one point, then excitedly reclaimed my pocket pizza in public. That was just an off day for me.
Just a shout out to the photobombing statue.
I creeped on this family a little bit hehe. Also, derping horses and concerned lion. WHY.
More Dante fangirling.
Then I dragged Cat and Nicollette with me to see this paper marbler, which was my big thing aside from the chapel that I wanted to accomplish. He made the paper himself, and though they weren't my preferred paper designs I'm still so completely in awe and so happy. I HAVE REAL ITALIAN MARBLED PAPER (even though it's a French design).
BUT LOOK AT IT :B Then we got on the bus to head to the same place I went when I came here with Lulu, and I almost vommed until I ate some french fries. Enjoy the following pictures.
Overall it was a great trip.
The next day, rather than work on the 15 page, 8 page, 2 page, and another 8 page paper that I had due Tuesday and Thursday (but mostly Tuesday), I went to a soccer game. Lawlz priorities. I got drunk around 2 in the afternoon and just had the best time pretending I liked soccer when in actuality, I DON'T. But it was selfie nation.
This has been the worst week of my life. I really should have stayed home and done work on my papers but heck no, I don't regret it hahaha I pulled my first Italian all nighter Monday and wrote 22 pages worth of papers. I then wrote 8 more pages Wednesday night. I'm seriously winning at this college thing. I have three presentations to prepare for next week, then I leave for PARIS <3 So excited. Also, we went to the Colosseum for Art History. Nicollette and I got caught taking selfies...
Then we went to the Pantheon and there was a man taking a picture of a sea gull. And also Piazza Navona was decorated for Christmas and I liked it.
Other thing that happened that I can't remember when, okay it was Lexi's birthday so the 27:
Best aunt EVER.
Okay, back to my apartment where the wifi sucks. If you don't take another month I'll put new apartment pictures up before I leave Italy. I depart with a few old screenshots. Enjoy <3
Boobs out.
