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gwoody1984
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Name: Greg
Gender: Male
Interests: Snowboarding, Hockey (Bruins), Raquetball, Swimming
Occupation: Student
Industry: Information Science
Message: message me
Member Since:
11/20/2006
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| Finally getting a chance to recount and reflect on Italy and my few weeks at home. It was a great time in Italy but it is really great to be home. There are so many things that I have already found that I miss about Italy. For one the food here is not nearly as fresh and so many bad things are pushed on you. Also, the lifestyle here is just a little to rushed for me at this point. I think I learned to sit back and enjoy life a little more in Italy. Take some time and enjoy the sun or have a conversation with someone who you do not know.
While I will miss Italy I am very glad to be home. Seeing my family and friends has been amazing these past few weeks. I have already gotten a chance to travel up to see my friends two weekends. So right now while life is a little confusing and hard, it is nice to know that I still have people who will stand by me and support me and see me through whatever I am going through. I am very lucky!
Here's to Perugia! I learned a lot about myself, the world, and people I thought I knew. Thanks!
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| So many things have been going on in the last few weeks I do not know where to begin. For starters Darshan came to visit. We didn't do all that much, but we did get a chance to go to two cities that I had wanted to see and not gotten a chance too. The first of those was Assisi. We had an absolutely beautiful day for it. The sun was shining it was warm, everything was just perfect. The city itself is a very quaint but beautiful place. Just like most cities in this region its center is on the top of a hill :-/. Unlike many other cities though, its main attraction was not a church but a medieval castle. I have always wanted to live in one of those since I was a kid, but we walked through it and it was not only quite dark, but the ceilings were INCREDIBLY low. Not my idea of comfort. The other city we went to was Siena. This city is between Perguia and Florence and would have been very nice if it hadn't been raining. I felt a little bad because we spend 3 hours each way on a train just to spend about 2 1/2 hours there. But we did see some pretty cool stuff. For example, the main Duomo had a few different sections that you could go into, rather than going to see them all we decided to go to the Baptisimal. The room was not very large but had an amazingly ornate Baptisimal fountain in it. I would say we spent about half an hour to forty-five minutes in there just analyzing what the sculptures represented. It was tough because none of the signs were in English. That was probably the most time I have spend in a small area like that, especially analyzing art, but it really was quite interesting.
But of course, the weeks go by quick and before I knew he came, Darshan was gone, back to become the greatest doctor in the world (and don't worry, it will happen). A few weekends later I had a school trip to Sorrento and Capri. At first I wasn't very excited to go, because I didn't know anyone that was on the trip, but I am glad I went, because I hung out with some people that I probably would never have gotten to. What's even better is that we had absolutely gorgeous weather for the most part. Napoli/Sorrento/Capri does not feel like Italy even in the slightest bit. It is a tropical paradise unto itself. The people are more laid back than in the north. The houses look different. The pizza is phenominal. Everything just seems a little bit happier. That was one of the first weekends in a while I had not a care in the world (I have since taken that attitude back to Perugia with me). We went to a Karaoke bar and I was in such a good mood that even without having had anything to drink I was raring to sing! Now for those of us who don't know, karaoke bars are one of my least favorite things in the world. The reasons behind this include many family karaoke sing alongs (which I love but are only reserved for my family, no one else), and a bad karaoke experience in Boston. You can ask me about the second one if you are really interested, but some things are best left unposted ;). But I was just ready to let loose and have a little fun. After that we all went for a swim in the sea even though it was very early in the morning. We got told by the guard that he didn't care if we were swimming but we couldn't go out as far as a rock barrier because if we slipped and fell on them he could get in trouble. We respected his wishes and thanked him for not kicking us out. After we were all totally frozen we decided it was time for a Disney tunes singalong (with some Billy Joel and other classics thrown in). We must have been singing for about an hour before a couple who clearly wanted some privacy came walking along the beach. We decided we were going to help the situation by wooing them with That's Amore. They just looked at us funny and kept walking. It was quite comical.
Like everything all good trips must come to an end. These past four months have been some of the most trying and frustrating of my life. And when I look back on them I am glad I came abroad. There are some things I would change but overall, I think I did ok. We had our last house party on Thursday and it was an amazing success. There must have been well over 50 people there. We had the BBQ going for all of the Italians who have never had an American made hamburger, we had people dancing and singing and just generally having a good time. It was so much fun. But as everyone started to leave the party it finally hit me that in just nine short days I will be back in the USA. I won't be able to take a 3 hour train ride to go see the colleseum. I won't have to worry about what time it is if I want to buy food from the grocery store. And odds are, the people that I have met, and the friendships that I have made will eventually fade. There are some people that I know I will keep in contact with, but it will never be like Spring 2007, in Perugia.
Ci vediamo tutti!
Side note: In July there will be a small reunion...can't wait...
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| So with Spring Break and midterms over things are definately starting to wind down here. Teachers are talking about finals, students are making plans if they are staying here for extra time, and I find myself waiting. I certainly don't want to leave this place because I have had such a great time, met great people, and seen so much. Still, I feel like I have so much left to do. I am not sure when I am going to be able to get back to Europe and it definately won't be the same. I will never again live in a European country. Most likely when I travel I won't know the native language, even if only a little. I won't get the opportunity to meet the locals and live their lifestyle for a while. It will only be for sight seeing. Now, don't get me wrong, sightseeing is great, but it is so much more complete when you have friends who have lived in the "foreign" country all their lives. Many don't know what the States is like. They don't understand why we do things the way we do, just like we don't understand them. I am fortunate to have had this opportunity. Thanks to all who pushed me to come, even when I didn't think it was the right thing to do. You know who you are 
Also, I am counting down the days until one of my best friends arrives in Perugia on Sunday, April 1st for a week long visit. Things are still up in the air about what exactly we are going to do (Cinque Terre, Brussels, who knows) but one thing is for sure, we will have a great time. I am so excited to have someone that I have known for more than 4 months come. Even though we haven't known each other for all our lives, our 4 year history runs deep.
So for now, I wait. But no time is wasted because before I know it I will open my eyes and be back in my bed in Marstons Mills, MA.
Counting the days.....
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| It has been about a month since I last update this and I am supposed to do it every week for school, so I think it is about time that I write something. Part of my trouble is that there are so many things that I am doing that I have no time to update.
My most recent adventure was spring break in Amsterdam and Prague. Both cities are amazingly beautiful. Amsterdam might be my new favorite city (sorry Venice). Even though I am not into the red light district or the smoking scene there is still so much to see and do in Amsterdam. One of my favorite things was the fact that they had bagels and cream cheese. Oh how I miss that combination in the mornings. Italians would NEVER have that here. If it is not Italian food, they don't have it....at least in the smaller cities. In addition to the bagels, we went to the Van Gogh museum, Anne Frank's house, the Diamond Factory (no, I didn't buy anything....I am a poor college student  ), the Heineken brewery, and the sex museum. I don't recommend the sex museum. It may seem like a good deal at only 3 Euros, but it is disturbing and quite disgusting. I was thinking it was going to be more of a history of sex, or history of the porn industry, but it was basically just a porn museum. I do however recommend all of the other items listed above.
I don't really have all that much appreciation for art, but being able to see the different ages of Van Gogh's work was amazing. The only dissappointing thing was that many of his famous works (Stary Night, for example) had been loaned out to other museums and the time of my visit. Still, it is totally worth spending a few hours to really appreciate his life. The museum is set up as a time line and it is very interesting.
Another museum you can spend some good hours in is the Anne Frank house. I had to read the book back in high school, but being in the house really brings the situation to life. It is amazing to see how the house is set up and how they had to walk around and stay quiet during certain hours so they wouldn't be found. Eveything was so small and it housed so many people. I remembered that she died in the end, but I had forgotten that it was only 1 month before the occupation ended.... It is amazing to me that a girl of that age could be such an amazing writer and also stay so composed and calm and realistic about their situation.
Naturally, my favorite was the Heineken brewery . For the low price of 10 Euros, you got a free bottle opener, 3 beers, and a fun factory to walk around. For an example of some of the fun we had, follow the link below to a music video that I made while I was there. http://bluescreen.bitmove.tv/bitmove/bluescreen/index.jsp?uid=CFE06DC5C95E08AD463A5B7AEF26B15A&format=wmv
What can I say, we are stars! In the past they had run a promotion where if you flashed the "h" sign with your hand, you got an extra free gift. When Frank and I tried they told us that the promotion was over and they wouldn't tell us what the gift used to be. They only said, "You would have been treated like a VIP!" I wish I could know what it was.... Everyone that I was with knows about my love of beer and there were a few Heineken kegs lying around for show and they made me take a "Senior Picture" like photo, you know, like you would find in a year book. They are actually quite funny. I will probably post them on my webshots account.
While in Amsterdam we also saw an American sketch comedy show which was ok at best. They were trying to hard to be like Whose Line is it Anyway. We also went on a haunted walking tour of Amsterdam. The guy that was leading the tour sounded exactly like Dracula. It was kind of creepy when we called him to set up a tour time and he told us to meet our guide at a bar. He said, "You will know who he is because he will be wearing only black and carrying a cane." Really creepy.... The tour itself was hilarious. It has been a long time since I have been creeped out by ghost stories (no really.....its true....) and our guide was making all sorts of funny voices for things that were supposed to be scary. We all had a hard time not laughing at him. I know it is mean, but you would have had to have been there. We all make jokes about it now, so if you hear "I'm so cold...who has my death shroud?" or "Pick me!, Pick me!, Pick me!" you will know I am making fun of this guy.
After Amsterdam we went to Prague, which is best described as a fairy tale city. None of the buildings were destroyed during WWII and everything is so colorful. It is best to only spend a few days in Prague because it is a very small city and you can basically see all of it in a day. There were a few cool buildings but make sure not to waste your time on waiting for the clock tower to chime....it is the worst display I have ever seen. Maybe it was because the expectations were so high, but for me it was anticlimactic. The night life in Prague is supposed to be very good if you are into dance clubs and what not, but again, it is not for me. I prefer chilling at a small bar with a few friends and having one or two beers. Good conversation, good company, hopefully good brews, that's all I need.
At the end of the week I was ready to come "home" to Perugia. I was exhausted after traveling so much. One thing that I realized though, is that Perugia really has become like a home. There is something comforting about being in this city. Dispite how much I complain about Umbra (and let me tell you...it is alot. If you ever have a free half day ask me about it), and some of the Italian ways of life, I love it here. Coming home from Spring Break was the first time I realized that I am going to miss this place when I have to go back to the States. Now don't get me wrong, I love Boston and my family and friends, but this really has been the experience of a life time. It is a shame that I will probably never again see the Italian friends I have made here, or many of my American friends for that matter. While the world is getting smaller, it is still so very large. There is so much to do and see and learn. People to meet. Places to go. There are so many ways of life on our planet. Americans don't always do things the best way. Sometimes we live to work, when we should work to live.
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| The Alps: Breathtaking, enourmous, beautiful, awe-inspiring, exciting, and very painful. Being able to snowboard this weekend was very nice. It was great having such a familiar feeling. I went with four other friends from Perugia, unfortuately due to unforeseen circumstances, two had to leave before the last day. I took my first ever over night train on Thursday night in order to get to the mountain for opening on Friday. The train was quite comfortable. I slept for most of the 8 hour ride which made the trip seem very quick  . We wound up getting in just in time to miss the 9:15 bus to the mountain and had to wait until 10:40, so we decided to check in to our hostel. This was probably the easiest thing to find seeing as it was directly next to the train station. There was a gate keeping intruders out from the hostel's property so we had to ring the bell. The owner let us in and waited for us at the door to greet us. I would say that this hostel was more like a bed and breakfast. It seemed like the owner stayed there with her family. It was very quaint, but one of the best I have been to (minus the communal bathroom).
After getting into all of our gear, we waited around for about 1 hour and 15 minutes until the bus came. The trip up to the mountain was scarry. Imagine small winding roads and a wide turning bus. Once we were most of the way up and started passing through villages my nerves subsided and I started to take in the beauty of the towns. They were all a few KM apart but each was like its own separate country. I think if I were to by a house in Italy it would be in this region. It has everything for me. Skiing, snow, beauty, and everything that I needed was there.
We got dropped off at the rental office, put on our boots and began to look around for the mountain. We thought we were going to have to take another bus to the mountain but what we soon found out was that the town we were in was built at the base of the mountain. Right behind the rental office was the lift! It was incredibly conveinent. We thought we could still get a full day pass and make it worth it, but it turned out that if we waited a half an hour we could save some serious cash. In lou of a run, we decided to grab some grub and wait it out.
At first taking the lift up was disappointing. There was almost no snow to be seen. We had to take 3 lifts before we reached the top and by the time we got up there it was a winter wonderland. I stapped in and began to reacclimate myself with the feeling of sliding down a mountain face. I must admit, I pictured the Alps to be some of the toughest terrain in the world. Yes, every trail (including the "easy" ones) was as steep as our black diamonds, but they were really no more difficult than anything I had been on in the northeast. The only problem was that you get tired much more quickly because you are constantly fighting gravity. The snow was about the same as you would find in the east too. Many Italians considered this to be a bad year for snow, but it was normal for me. Mostly shallow powder with some icy spots. Two of the people I was with were from Colorado and were saying that if they moutains were like this back home, they didn't even bother to open! I was appalled. I wish we had their problems in the northeast. It took our Coloradian friends some time to get used to the snow, but it was perfect for the rest of us.
We took a number of runs and worked our way across three or four peaks. Along the way Frank (my roommate) taught me how to do a "flat land 180". I am still trying to perfect it, but the pointers he gave me definately helped me stay lower on my jumps as well as pull my legs up for a grab, thus allowing more air time.
After the mountain closed the first night we went back to the town that our hostel was in and found a really nice restaurant to eat in. We were all a bit confused when the waiter told us that there was no menu. We basically just asked for whatever we wanted and they made it for us. It was some of the most delicious food I have had in Italy. After dinner we went back to our hostel and passed out.
The next day Ashley and Frank went back to Perugia and Beth, Brad, and I went up to the mountain for a full day of riding. It all went very smoothly until the last run. It was foggy and snowy and I was trying to perfect my trick from the day before. I had done it a couple of times and actually over rotated which is a much better problem than under rotating. But when I wasn't paying attention I caught my toe edge and biffed hard. I supermaned through the air for about 10 feet and landed with a thud and a crack. My board came and hit me in the back and all I could feel was a very loud crack. I think my arm came out of my socket. I can't really tell because I haven't gotten it looked at yet, but it hurts very badly. Of course, I have a very high pain tolerance so I am sure that I will be fine. I am just using some medicine and will hope that it heals soon. If it still hurts in about a week I will probably go get it looked at. I have also started icing it due to a sugguest from a certain someone. 
But for now I am ok.
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