President's Day Weekend in the Desert

Before I delve into all of the details of the trip down to Arizona for President's day I want to quickly update what's been going on within the last month.

Firstly, remember how I said that I was thinking of running a race sometime this spring summer? Well I have finally committed and will be running the Wasatch Ragnar at the end of June with a friend and some coworkers. Wish me/us luck... This is my first long distance race and i'm hoping that I can keep up my training schedule without slacking and that 200 mile relay won't be as horrible as i'm thinking it sounds. It's all for good fun though right?

Secondly, the need to travel has struck again... and I semi-spontaneously booked a flight to Seattle in March to visit my friend Melissa. I can't wait to see her and check out a place i've never been before (and possibly check out University of Washington Pharmacy school).

Now on to the good stuff.

A weekend in AZ with my Valentines! And did I mention weather in the 70's?

The Rocky Mountain Mule Association had a ride planned this weekend down in the Virgin River Gorge, only about 30 minutes or so outside of St. George. Our original plan was to make it down ASAP so we were going to leave right after I was finished with an exam Friday morning at 11am. I was so excited to get away for a weekend of riding and warm weather that I had a really hard time studying Thursday night. To compensate for the lack of studying the night before I woke up around 5 and headed to school to get some studying in before my exam. Needless to say my morning started very early... I finished my exam and headed home to find the hood on the truck up and my brother and dad laying under the trailer... Long story short the electrical on the trailer had something go wrong when they were picking the mules up and it had blown all of the fuses in the truck. After cutting wires, running around town picking up fuses, and 3 hours later we were ready to go. Traffic was horrible and we didn't arrive in camp until around 10:30 pm Friday night.

The next day we went on our first ride, this was also my first ride with the Mule Club. It is both crazy and amazing what you can get the animals to do in places like that, they had the mules jumping off big boulders and scaling steep mountain sides. I never appreciated what mules can do compared to horses until now. The ride was about a 5 hours long and we had just enough time to get back to camp take a little nap and then make it over to the BBQ provided. We had a big bonfire and sat around with all of the cowboys. Never a dull moment.

The next day we went on what was supposed to be a "less difficult ride" which part of the ride included us sending the mules through a rock chute that i'm quite certain no one had ever been to before. I wish I had my camera handy at this point to prove just how crazy it was. It was another beautiful sunny day and we were all in Tshirts. The rest of the day was pretty much a repeat from before; nap, dinner, bonfire, sleep.

We packed up early Monday morning and were on the road by 7am. It was a long drive home but the weekend made it all worth it. Being in the desert with no cell phone service with a bunch of old cowboys for the weekend made me feel like I was back in time. You kind of forget that that kind of lifestyle even exists anymore.

Back to the city grind, until next time.

Early to Bed, Early to Rise

Here I am and it's 5 am, and I'm wide awake...

This is probably due to the fact that I went to bed at 7:30 pm last night. I didn't even make it an hour from the time I got home from work until I knocked out, and  yes it was a Friday night.

When did I become that person?

Anyways, now that i'm awake and I can't fall back asleep I thought I might update the blog.

As a follow up to my last blog post, I still miss Italy. There isn't a day (or a night) that I don't think and dream about it. I can vividly remember my dream about Italy from last night and maybe it's the dream that's spurring my nostalgia this morning. Although I could spend every post I ever write talking about my 5 months in Italy, I thought I might spice it up a bit and recap on what's currently going on in my life.

Last semester ended well, finals week wasn't nearly as stressful or scary as I remembered it to be (probably because I didn't overload on classes like usual) and finally in my fourth year of college I semi feel like i'm getting the hang of it. I realize that i'm much happier when I don't overload, actually have the time to understand the material, and still have a little bit of time to do some *healthy* procrastination.

Christmas break this year was interesting, for some reason it didn't ever feel like the holidays for me. I spent the short holiday break from school catching up with friends, and then spent the week of Christmas at the cabin in Hanna with the fam.

 Santa came this year, and brought Clinton and I snowshoes! My new years resolution this year was to go snowshoeing at least once a week this winter. So far i'm 4/4 and hopefully 5/5 after today or tomorrow. Although the snow storms have been few this winter i'm hoping for a snow storm soon!

School has started up again and i'm finishing up my final chemistry class that I will have to take for undergrad. I technically only have 4 more classes and I am finished with all of my prerequisites. Pharmacy school has always seemed so far away and just this last week it has hit me that I can apply next fall... More than ever before I feel life coming at me fast. I'm still not 100% sure what i'm going to do as far as schooling, there are a lot of variables. What schools i'll apply to, what schools i'll be accepted to, will I finish my major, will I defer if I get accepted, and the list goes on and on. And right now all I want to do is keeping being young. The idea of becoming a responsible adult is scary. 

Until next time, i'm going to get out of bed and head to the gym. There are tentative plans to run a half marathon with a friend this spring.... 

Post Italy

I know it has been quite some time since my last post, but i'll spare you with how busy i've been and all that blah blah because life gets crazy, and we all know that.

But Anyways... Let's get to the point. Tomorrow is thanksgiving and when reflecting on things that i'm grateful for my experience in Milan, Italy tops everything. 

Here I am.... 

Six months ago I was unknowingly preparing for the best experiences of my life. I knew I would have an amazing experience but I could never have imagined what my time abroad held in store. 

I can't even believe that it has already been that long since I was about to embark on the best adventure of my life thus far. I also can't even begin to describe how much I miss it. All of the things that annoyed me while I was there have gone up in smoke... to be honest I don't remember what most of them were and what I do seem fickle and insignificant compared to the incredible things that I experienced. 

I will always have a special place for Italy in my heart. I can't help but love the eccentric people and culture there and I know someday I will be back!  

I know this is probably going to be a weird, vague, sentimental post but it is really the only way I know how to begin to express what studying abroad was for me. 

I had expectations, as I think anyone does about.. well anything that they've planned for and put a lot effort towards. But, I have learned that rarely do expectations equal your experience and how can they when you jump into something that you have such little experience with. 

I expected to see all of the sights, and be a traveling maniac. Which I was. What I didn't expect was to come home and remember the little moments, as the defining moment of my time abroad. The little moments where I learned about myself. The things I gained from studying abroad weren't the things I expected at all. I expected to come home with a memory card full of amazing places, a bag full of beautiful things, and checks of the bucket list. What I came home with was surprising, but of much more worth. Not only did I come home with the pictures, and the scarves, and the everlasting memories but I came home with gratitude, tolerance, love, friendship, most of all perspective. I know it's about as cheesy as it gets but it's true. 

Not once in my life did I miss or appreciate my family so much. I love them. When you're out in the world by yourself, you realize how much family means. I don't want to ever take my family for granted. I would write in my journal and no matter what had happened to me that day I usually wound up writing about how much I appreciated and loved my family, especially my dad. 

The people that I would never have guessed became close friends. The trips that I planned became exceptional because of spontaneous moments that blew me away or the random people that I would have a laugh with. Submitting myself to varieties of cultures and people gave me a different perspective on my own life and the things that I value. I learned more about what I want to accomplish in my life than I ever have in a classroom. 

Potential Study Abroader's

I have heard people say that some experiences aren't for everyone, and maybe they aren't. But to those who are considering studying abroad. GO. It was all worth everything I had to do to get there. The money, the time spent filling out applications and visas, the stress, taking a fifth year in school, being pushed from my comfort zone, culture shock. All of it. There isn't one thing I regret about making the decision to study abroad and making it happen. The experience that you will have will be your own, and incomparable to anyone else's experience even those in your same program. It is the time in your life to be selfish, reflect on who you are and what you want. Find what you like and what you don't, get to know yourself. 

I'm not saying that it's perfect, or that it's easy. Life never is. What I am saying is that although you will experience difficulties; you will miss home, your friends, your family, your dog... etc. it is an experience that forces you to grow and in a way that I don't know is possible unless you are away from almost everything that is familiar. You will love it and you will hate it. But let's be honest you will mostly love it. 

If I could have told myself 6 months ago anything, I would tell myself to go into every situation with an open mind, make friends and connection with everyone that you can. Never waste a day, be spontaneous. Be YOU. Be the girl from Utah who rides horses, loves to laugh and be independent. Undoubtedly, these are all things that people had mentioned to me before I left and I wished that I had paid more attention.   

I know that my experience has changed me, and for the better. I am grateful for all of the opportunities I had to live the way that I did for those 6 months. I'm thankful for my family and friends who supported me and knew how important this was to me. 

Culture Shock

 Adjustment to life back in the states hasn't been what I thought. And honestly I feel as if i'm still adjusting. I don't remember the shock in Italy, maybe because I was so awestruck and excited but I definitely feel that the adjustment has been more difficult coming home. I realize that it's probably because i'm trying to fit back into my old mold but i'm not the same Rachel I was before I left. My perspective has changed and it's difficult for me to find out how I need to redirect my life in a way that I feel is meaningful. I am getting a little stir crazy, and miss the freedom I had in Italy constantly. I'm still trying to figure out that fine line of work, school, and living life. 

I don't know what I want, or where I'm going for certain but I'm trying to enjoy figuring it all out. 

"You don't need to have it all figured out to move forward."

Thanks to everyone who made those 6 months amazing!

Saying Goodbye to Milano

My time here is running short... I have had a fantastic semester! The last couple of weeks I have been trying to enjoy the beauty of Milan as much as possible. Milan has a lot to offer, but it's definitely no Florence or Rome as far as tourist attractions. I have loved my morning runs in the park near my apartment, and even have come to enjoy my walks to and from the grocery store (even if it leaves my arms sore for a few days). 

Here are a few things that I have compiled that I will miss. 

-The Italian language. although there isn't much use for it anywhere else in the world besides Italy it's so fun to hear the tones and rhythm with how they speak

-Accessibility to travel & the amount of things to do/see. I don't think I could have picked a better city to be able to travel with such ease from. 

-Spring. there is nothing like spring in Italy especially after such a long winter. 

And most of all.... 

-The laid back lifestyle. although it drives me nuts sometimes. Italians take life at their own pace. The old men walk with their hands clasped behind their backs and just meander through the streets solely, because they can. They aren't in a hurry to do anything. 

Here are a few things that I won't miss. 

-Africans in the park. This is not meant to be racist, they are just outright annoying. They are constantly harassing me and trying to sell me crap when all I want to do is sit peacefully in the park! 

-Standing in lines with Italians. This is just simply something that Italians cannot do. They will cut you off no matter how much time you have already waited in line. 

-Life without ranch dressing. It's the small things in life that make me happy, and ranch dressing is one of them. 

So the time has come... Dun, dun, dunnn.. now I have to try and fit all of the crap into my suitcases that I have accumulated. School is finally finished and its starting to hit me that I'm coming home soon! I have a few more trips before my final goodbye, but after a trip to London and the rest of the time in southern Italy I will have roughly a day left in Milan which I can guarantee I spend finishing up the packing process. I know leaving Milan will be a very bittersweet goodbye. Now here comes the sap... 

I have been dreaming of studying abroad since junior high age. I feel so grateful and incredibly blessed for this opportunity! I couldn't have done it without my parents, they truly have given the world to me. I am also grateful for the example of my grandparents, Grandpa Joe and Grandma Boo, years of looking through their scrapbooks of travels all around the world has inspired me to see the world for myself. 

The greatest thing that living in Italy has given me, is perspective. I appreciate my life in America, and especially Utah so much more. I have been given so many opportunities and truly live la dolce vita. Thanks to all of my family and friends for making my life what it is!

Here are a few pictures from the last couple of weeks of Milan, including the end of the semester party that was put on by the school, complete with champagne.

GIANT middle finger in the middle of a random plaza

These are both new installments for the world fair in 2014, representing vino and pasta.

I will miss walking home at all hours on this street

The lovely Ciamano ward which I visited this last sunday

Turtles sunbathing in the park

Castello Sforzesco

Beautiful main campus

Mama Burger!

lovely strip club located directly across the street from school

View from a window at school

The drivers are insane, i'm surprised more people don't get hit

Certificates of completion from Cattolica

 Cheerio! Off to London in the morning!