Anika in Italy!: Sempre in giro (always traveling)

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted, because I’ve been traveling and unable to find time or a computer to update my blog! I don’t have time for a long post but here is a quick update of what I’ve been up to and what my plans are for the rest of my exchange. I’m back in Vicenza for the day today, and tomorrow I leave for Budapest. For the past month I have been doing some solo summer traveling! I figured that after school was finished it would be great to explore some more of Europe before I head home. I love traveling and want to make the most of my time here prima di partire! So the day after school ended I packed my backpack and left for what turned out to be a great adventure. First I went to a goat cheese farm in southern France for three weeks. (I had found the farmstay through a website similar to WWOOF that brings together volunteers and farmers who need workers). I worked on the farm there in exchange for room and board, and had a great time milking, making hay, and working in the vegetable garden. It was run by a German couple, and there were a few other workers there at the same time as me, a French guy and an American. The French man placed guitar and was hosting some of his musician friends at the farm while I was there, so I got to sing and play ukulele with them! We even made some recordings of us playing together, with various instruments and voice. The music was an indie/reggae style, different from the music I normally sing, and I really enjoyed trying out the new style! It was great campfire music. The farm was right in the beautiful Pyrenees mountains, and so one of my favorite jobs was herding the goats up to their mountain pasture in the afternoon to get a panorama view of the mountains. This involved walking (or sometimes running) behind the herd of 66 goats and directing them to the right place by yelling and guiding them with a stick. Goats are such funny animals, and being with them really made me realize how much I had missed having pets this year! Overall the farm was a fun learning experience, especially because of my friendly hosts.

After my time in France, I flew to Sardinia to visit a friend of mine who is on exchange there. He lives near the center of the island, but we took some day trips to the beach- which I loved. The beaches in Sardinia are like paradise. Having grown up in Minnesota, I rarely get to see the ocean, and so the white sand beaches with clear water really made an impression on me! There’s nothing like swimming in the sea on a hot day and then laying out in the sun. The Sardinians were laughing at how excited I was about the ocean waves.

So now I’m back from Sardinia, and I have one more trip to Budapest with a friend of mine from MN before I return to the US on July 15. For the last few days of my exchange I’ll be staying with a friend of mine from school, which will be fun! Tonight I got to have dinner with my host family, and it was wonderful to see them again.

I’ll post once more about my trip to Budapest and for some final reflections about my exchange. Until then, ciao a tutti!