Dear Blog,

Please forgive me for abandoning you.

Love,

Christina

Leaving in twenty minutes for Paris!

I'm meeting Hope there for 3 days, then she's coming back to Florence with me for a spell.

It's so unreal. 5 years ago we were in Museology class at the Art Institute looking at Toulouse-Lautrec's Montmatrte, the works of the Impressionists, Caillebotte's Paris Street, Rainy Day, and now we'll be there... It's supposed to rain all weekend and I don't even care. It'll be just like the Caillebotte, minus the dapper 19th century attire.

The last few weeks have been hectic. Two weekends ago, I went up North to Bassano to visit the cousins! I spoke (poor) Italian almost all weekend. It's really gratifying to know you can communicate in a different language. It's much different than speaking Italian in class, because everyone sort of knows what you're saying anyway, and you can say a few words in English to get your point across if you're having trouble. But when someone only speaks Italian, and you're able to converse with them, it's a nice feeling. Even if you're really terrible at it. 

I'll be going back there in early December, so hopefully my verbal skills will improve...

The cousins took me Asiago also. It was beautiful! And the cheese was awesome, of course. Then spent that Sunday in Venice (alone, but that's fine). I finally got to see the Biennale, which was exceeeellleeennttt. My mind was blown. 

Then last weekend, Margaret, Sarah, and I went to Amsterdam! It's a great city. However, I can't help but think that the prostitution and loose drug laws detract from the city's other great attributes. When you say Amsterdam, people think, "omg marijuanaaa, hookersss!" but there's so much more to it!

The Anne Frank House was intense. I was almost in tears by the end of it. Her father was the only one that lived, and when he returned he found out his entire family was gone. You really can't fathom that. I desperately need to reread the book. When I read it the last time I was so young that I had to look up "annex". At the end of the exhibition they had her original journal. It was so strange to be able to look at her handwriting.

Van Gogh Museum was great. They also had letters from him to his brother, so you could see his sketches and handwriting as well. He sketched like he painted, which I found really interesting. 

I guess that's most of it for now.

Florence is still amazing. I'm really looking forward to Hope coming here, and then for Kate to come over Thanksgiving break. I know when Dad and Maria came to visit, experiencing the city with them made me appreciate it more somehow. I'm not sure why. I wish you guys could come back! It was amazing having you here. :)

I'll try to write more when I get back. And I'll try to update more frequently even if it's just bulletpoints!!