One Day... This Is It

This is it. 

I can't believe four months that I planned and waited a year for have come to an end.

I'm excited to come home and thrilled that, looking back on these past four months, I'm coming to realize that I have no regrets. No, I didn't go everywhere I wanted to go and I didn't check everything off my "bucket list," but I got damn close. And I did, saw, learned, changed, experienced, and LIVED more than I ever could have hoped this semester, so I'd say it was all a success.

Before I start crying, I'm going to have to move on from the sappy stuff and tell you a little more about how we're ending our week. Heads up, it involves a lot of good food and good wine.

It rained all day yesterday, so we stayed in. I did all of my packing, with the exception of a few items I still need this week and clothes I plan to wear. We had a lot of quality roommate time, then went to Kevin's apartment right before dinner to hang out with the group, then head out to eat.

We went to the Accademia restaurant in Piazza San Marco, right down the street from our's and Kevin's apartments. Kevin's dad is a chef and knows the owner of Accademia, so we got VIP treatment, with the best house wine and swordfish carpaccio antipasto to share. I ordered eggplant timbale for my main course and strawberry pistachio cheesecake for dessert, and both were unreal. This was definitely one of the best meals I have had all semester.

We had a great time doing what we love most - eating and drinking - then Bethany, Maria, Lauren, and I went back to Kevin and Glenn's to play Rummy. Obviously, it was a great evening.

Today we lucked out with gorgeous weather, so I met Lydia this morning at school and walked to San Lorenzo market to to souvenir shop. Our shopping date ended at 2 when I had to go to the last Comparative Media class. It was brief, as we just received our final grades (A), discussed the final exam, then said good-bye to Francesca.

After that, I hung out at home a bit, then went for a walk around the Arno before our group dinner with Petra, Gloria, and the business majors. We went to a great restaurant a few minutes from school, where they had a preplanned, many course meal prepared for us.

It started with penne and meatballs in gravy, followed by lamb ravioli. That was followed by gorgonzola and porcini risotto (my favorite part of the meal, not counting dessert). We had a pause after that before the brought out veal chops in a tomato and pea sauce, salad, bread, and roast beef. There was another pause before my favorite thing: dessert. And the dessert was SO GOOD. We had strawberry tiramisu, which I didn't even think was possible. It tasted like strawberry shortcake with lots of custard and brandy. Yuuuuummy!

Once we were all sufficiently stuffed, we posed for some group photos, then headed to a bar down the street, where we spent the rest of the evening watching the Fiorentina game (ended in a 2-2 tie), dancing, and just hanging out.

And now I'm about to cry again because we only have one more day of this. Then I have a day of three flights (one international, mind you) to cry my eyes out if need be. If it wasn't for the fact that I know I will be sitting next to Maria - since she and I are both going to Pittsburgh - I wouldn't be that much of a mess. But you need to understand that Maria cries all the time. Any time she experiences emotion, the tears start flowing. So I know she'll be crying, and I'll be next to her crying because she's crying. It's not going to be pretty.

But I still have one more day, so I don't need to think about our looming separation and expulsion from Europe just yet.

If I can help it.