Disaster in Italy

Three months ago I had the life-altering chance to work and live in Florence, Italy. While there I fell in love with the land, the people and the culture. However, that's not to say there is never a downside to traveling in a foreign country. The travel guides don't exactly highlight the less-than-glamourous side of travel which can include having to pay to use every public restroom, hostels that haven't changed the dirty sheets and "bathrooms" that are literally a hole in the ground. One trip in particular that I took with my friends was a series of unfortunate events from beginning to end. This is the story of Lido di Camiore...

I’m sure that Lido in and of itself is a cute town with a beautiful shoreline, but in my mind, Lido is hell.

After a beautiful day in Cinque Terre we (myself and five other interns) met up with the other 80 or so kids in our program to take the bus back to Lido di Camiore, where they had been having their two-week orientation while we had been in Florence. As we drove past all the towering mountains chock full of the marble that has created the art of Florence for centuries, we got more and more excited for our stay at the seaside. Truth be told we had been somewhat jealous of the other kids who got to spend their time between classes on the beach.

Wednesday Writing Challenge: Music Reviews (Part 2)

Marie Digby

Unfold

Marie Digby is more than just a cover artist. She blew up YouTube with her acoustic version of Rihanna’s “Umbrella”, but Digby’s first album shows triple threat stardom ahead. With a soulful, sultry voice and piano playing skills Vanessa Carlton would compliment, the rich lyrics are just icing on the cake. Digby is the opposite of today’s pop divas. You won’t find Auto-Tune anywhere on Unfold. She sings with that clear acoustic quality we wish all our favorite crooners had stuck with from Day 1. Instead of lyrics about getting drunk in clubs, Digby sings with vulnerability about love and heartbreak in tracks like “Stupid for You” and “ Miss Invisible”. Maybe we should all surf the web for our next music sensation. It they’re as talented as Digby, we won’t be disappointed.

Wednesday Writing Challenge: Music Reviews

Ke$ha

Animal

Ke$ha is the epitome of a foul-mouthed party girl that can’t get it together. She wears clothes made of trash bags, gothic proportions of eyeliner and glitter in places it just shouldn’t be. She has all the makings of a star people would love to criticize, but the crowds can’t get enough of her. Everyone loves a hot mess after all.

It’s because she owns up to everything. Ke$ha is Ke$ha and she doesn’t give a f*ck what anyone thinks. With lyrics like “I wanna be naked ‘cause you’re wasted” and “got a water bottle full of whiskey in my handbag,” the singer vocalizes what straight-laced girls wish they could be when they let their hair down. Yes, the album lacks any and all musical quality. And yes certain songs like “Dinosaur” deserve an immediate hit of the skip button (think Gwen Stefani’s spelling of ‘bananas). But sometimes a girl just wants to dance to a good beat and ridiculous lyrics. Here’s hoping her second album is just as much of a lovable disaster.

Roadtrip: Days 5 & 6

There has been a change of plans. Day 5 of my roadtrip was supposed to consist of me driving back to Pittsburgh then flying to Chicago, Day 6 would have been filled with shopping at Woodfield Mall with a sorority sister from school and Day 7 was going to be going to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field. Last year's Cubs game turned into quite the adventure when a gigantic downpour started right after the ninth inning, nearly flooding the stadium. Since we were all being cheap after an expensive weekend in Chicago, my two girlfriends and I ran through the rain/took a cab for a little bit/ran some more to get from Wrigley Field to Union Station. I was really looking forward to more such adventures, but ended up in Pittsburgh for the weekend instead due to various circumstances. However, this is also good news as it means more time with my dad before I ship off in August.

Today (Day 6), we went to downtown Pittsburgh so I could do some shopping at H&M and get some lightweight dresses for work in Italy. The thought of voluntarily subjecting myself to more 100-degree temperatures after the week we've had is a little disconcerting, but I keep reminding myself that I've dreamed of this since I was little. (I try not to tell people that I've dreamed of it since watching some Mary Kate & Ashley movie where they go to Rome. Perhaps it was Hillary Duff? Either way, I'll make up a different story before I leave :))

We ate dinner at this very authentic German restaurant where the waitresses dressed in traditional costumes, live polka music was performed and the beer flowed freely. I got a chicken ceaser salad. Yes, I'm that girl. But I really wanted something fresh after all the eating out we've been doing.

Roadtrip: Day 4

The sun is still relentless in Ohio and I've become very weary of climbing onto the hot seats of the Jeep. However, we have found a cooler place to stay for the night. This morning we packed our things up at the B&B, deciding to forgo the second night's stay, and instead checked into a hotel. I am decidedly not a B&B person. Call me high maintenance if you must, but I like being able to come and go from a hotel without making small talk, I like the air conditioner on full blast, the simple no-frills rooms, and I especially like that hotel owners don't comment on your personal lives. The owner of the B&B kept commenting on how young my father looked and saying that we looked more like a couple than father and daughter. I really wish people would keep that thought in their heads when they have it.

After we found a hotel, we stopped at a Wal-Mart so my dad could buy swim trunks. I can't even count the amount of times we have gone kayaking, tubing and canoeing together and yet the man does not own swim trunks. When we got to the store he headed directly to some khaki cargo shorts and I had to steer him away to the actual waterproof shorts. After we had found ones that he didn't think were "too short" and had stocked up on sunscreen and Gatorade, we got in the car and drove to nearby Port Clinton.

From Port Clinton we took a Jet Express ferry. The Jet Express was much faster than a normal ferry and got up to speeds of 30-35 mph, so the wind was a nice relief from the heat and the view of Lake Eerie was gorgeous. The ferry took us to Put-In Bay, this little island with lots of resorts and touristy restaurants. Everywhere you turn there is a golf cart cruising down the road, as many people leave their cars in Port Clinton and take a ferry like we did.

We spent the afternoon on the island and rented a jet ski. My sister would probably have a fit if she knew the fastest we went was about 35 mph. She's a speed demon and likes to top the machines out as fast as they can go, whereas I've become a little nervous ever since last summer when I flew off of a jet ski, hit my head and was convinced I had a concussion. Then again, I'm often convinced I have some tragic ailment; last week I diagnosed myself with appendicitis three times.

Our night ended with dinner at Olive Garden, where shockingly my dad ate more than a side salad. I realize he's vegetarian, but I'm always shocked at how much more I eat than him in a given day. It's really not a pleasant experience now that I can't blame growth spurts. After dinner we went shopping and my dad bought a button-down and a casual blazer, asking me if his wife would "think I'm casual now". I couldn't stop laughing because this is a man who irons his jeans. When people ask me why I wear dresses and skirts everyday to class, I should just start bringing in my dad as a reference.

Roadtrip: Day 3 (The Rollercoaster Capital of the World)

The sun took everything I had yesterday: physically, emotionally, spiritually. This is not an exaggeration. Remember all those lovely, nostalgic things I said about riding in the Jeep? That all went out the window (the windows that we took off the car and stored in the backseat) when temperatures reached 100. Yes, the Midwest's heat wave has hit Ohio. Every time I set my legs down on the seat, a puddle of sweat quickly followed. Even the breeze from the windowless sides was too hot to be any good. Frequent stops at McDonald's for iced coffees and smoothies only went so far.

Once we made it to our destination, Sandusky, Ohio, we checked into the bed and breakfast we were going to be staying at for the following two nights. This place was Victorian to the max. While the outside was, yes, a Victorian style home, the inside was jam-packed with Victorian masks, jewelry, dolls, photos, etc. There was barely a spare tabletop to set my toothbrush on!

We had been planning to go to Cedar Point amusement park the following day, but when the owner told us that Thursday (today) was supposed to be even hotter, I think we both thought we would have to cross it off our list. Instead, to beat the heat we went and saw Harry Potter in 3D (when I say we I mean me, because my dad has never seen any of them and fell asleep shortly after I explained who Voldemort was). We also shopped around for a little Ohio t-shirt or sweatshirt for my five-month-old nephew, Caymen and I added another Chelsea Handler book to my stash.

After dinner we decided to drive by Cedar Point and check it out. The park has some of the longest roller coasters in the world and is pretty much surrounded by Lake Eerie. Helpful hint! If you ever go, go after 5 PM. We ended up not being able to turn around and actually went to the park. Not only were tickets discounted at this time ($29), but the lines were very short! We went on eight rides in three hours, which I think is a record for me.

My favorites are usually the old wooden rollercoasters, but this time mine was a log-ride style ride. The operator warned us that we would get soaked, but of course we took this advice with some eye-rolling and a "they all say that" kind of attitude. They weren't kidding! Once you hit the water, a six foot tall wave rises and falls down on you. My dad, who was dressed in his normal attire of khaki pants and a dress shirt—summer or winter, church or park—and I, who was in a very lightweight, should-not-get-wet in public, sundress, could not stop laughing. It literally looked as though we had jumped in a pool with our clothes on

As we drove back at 10 PM, with views of the lake on both sides and roller coasters in the background, I think we both forgot about the heatwave and were lost in thoughts of a day that turned out to be really fun and very bonding. It was a perfect ending to the day! (That andddd the ice cream from Steak and Shake ;) )

Roadtrip: Day 2

Today's roadtrip destination was all about rock'n'roll. Early this morning we loaded up our old Jeep Wrangler and made the three-hour drive from Pittsburgh to Cleveland. Nothing says 'summer' or 'roadtrip' more than driving around in the Jeep with the wind blowing through my hair. We bought the Jeep in 1995, after moving back to California from Australia and have had it ever since. The paint is barely still visible on the hood and the bumper is pretty much rusting away, but that Jeep holds the memories of my childhood. I can still picture my great-grandma Mildred using a step stool to climb into it when she was in her 90s. I remember pretending I was Laura Ingalls Wilder when I was little and playing around for hours in my "buggy." And our family used to love drive-in movies in the jeep, even though the only one I can remember vividly is "The Nutty Professor." It's nice knowing I can add this vacation to the memories I have of the Jeep.

We arrived at our hotel without any problems (my dad finally caved in and allowed us to use my GPS). We're spending the night at a Hampton Inn downtown and about a half mile from Lake Eerie and as luck would have it, we somehow got placed in really nice suite.

Our next stop was The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We both agreed that the building itself was by far the most interesting part about the place. All six levels of the museum are in this glass pyramid building that resembles The Lourve in Paris. I wasn't sure exactly how much I would enjoy the museum until....I SAW LADY GAGA'S MEAT DRESS! Let me tell you, I can die happy. We also saw Michael Jackson's studded glove, Ray Charles' sunglasses and the outfit Britney Spears first performed 'Oops I Did It Again' in. The museum of course had a ton of music videos playing, guitars and memorabilia, but I didn't realize how many outfits there would be! It was like a fashion lover and a music lover's passions all rolled into one and shoved into a work of beautiful architecture. Leave it to my dad to uncover something interesting to do in...Cleveland.

We ate lunch on the patio outside the museum and watched the planes fly into the waterfront airport. Then after lunch we wandered around and took pictures of downtown. I should explain that when I say we took pictures, I don't mean like normal tourist pictures. My dad likes to get photos of everything on his cell phone so that he can picture message them to the rest of the family, photos that I doubt other tourists took today. For example, he took a photo of me walking against a reflective building so that it looked like I was walking with his reflection. He also took a photo of me next to the yield sign we passed because, "They're so much bigger here!" People often describe me as quirky. Ladies and gentlemen, is there any wonder why? Hilarious; I love him.

Continuing with our rock'n'roll theme, we ate dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. I had only been to the one in Atlanta where my friends and I ended up rushing through our dinners when we realized our tickets to Lion King were earlier than we thought, and my dad had never been before. It's good food and it's fun to watch the music videos while you eat, but I don't think I'm really one for all the hype.

After dinner, in the classic style of my father, we didn't just walk back to the hotel, we rambled and stopped at almost every building along the way to stare and read the plagues. We took photos at some war memorial and a fountain near the Lake that is supposed to depict someone reaching for eternal peace. We also walked around the outside of a federal reserve bank and looked at the statues outside the ginormous public library. A lot of the buildings in downtown Cleveland are older, from the 1800s, and it really gives the city a character that some newer cities don't quite possess.

We are waking up early tomorrow to head to Sandusky, OH. I will post photos soon!