Ho Parlato Italiano!!! :)

Yay! The title says I spoke Italian! I skyped my host sister and host mother today and it was very hard to communicate! I used a translator and it made it much easier to speak! Irene, my host sister, seemed confused but her mother helped her and thumbs up was all I got back! It was great seeing them and getting to speak to them! It will be a challenge at first but I know I can do it! You have to learn to laugh at yourself a little and I am VERY good at that! :) That is all I have for now, so until next time... Ciao Bellas! :)

12 Days!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHH!

OH MY GOSH! I leave in 12 days and containing my excitement is nearly impossible! My flight leaves at 8:10 AM, which kinda blows :/ But hey, at least I will be flying to one of the most beautiful places on earth! I cannot even begin to imagine what this year is going to be like and I am so scared, yet so excited! Leaving will be the hardest part, as I have mentioned before, but I am more then ready to do this! I know almost NO Italian.... Which my counselor is a little upset about. It's so hard for me to want to learn it when I dont have to yet, which I am sure makes no sense to anyone...lol.




Packing..... Let me just tell you how freaking hard it is! I have packed maybe a third of all my stuff... and my suitcase is over half full..... I do not have any idea how I am going to make this work! I want to bring all my clothes, but I know that is an unrealistic dream. :/



Well that is all I can say for now! Until next time... CIAO! <3

VLOG TIME!!! ;)

Okay, this video is SUPPERRR awkward... lol. I didn't have much to say, but I thought I would try it out! <3 Kari

Getting Closer!

UPDATE TIME!!!!! I haven't updated in a lonnnngggg time and I have SO much to say! The money is fundraised, the visa application has been sent, the family has been picked, and i'm TWO MONTHS AWAY! I am getting so excited but super nervous at the same time. I am scared to leave but could not be more excited to go. I will be living in Cremona, Italy with the Vitali family whose daughter is coming to Kansas while I am living in her house! It will be so exciting.


I can't wait until I actually have pictures to post and stories to tell. I leave September 2nd and until then it is just waiting time. I am trying to spend as much time with my loved ones as possible because leaving them is going to be the biggest challenge next year. It isn't even next year....hahaha. It's crazy to think that. Anyways... I am on vacation in Omaha with the family so I am gonna go. But I will post some pictures of Cremona first!


This is the town! The church is in the center and I live very close to it! I cannot wait!!!


This is a church in the center of the town. The town has about 70,000 people, including me in just two short months :)



I have to go! Ciao and Grazie! -Kari Porter <3

Fundraising.

Fundraising is a lot harder than it seems. I've raised about $400 and have a lot more to go.. Kinda crazy how all this is going to pay off though. I am getting super excited. I hope I found out my school and such soon! Just wanted to update you all on how fundrasing is going. Homework time... yay! -With Love, Kari <3

Ciao District 2050!

Since my last blog post, something major has happened! I have been placed in Italy! My district is 2050 and is in Northern Italy! I am now 500000x more excited to start fundraising and such! I am no longer homeless and it's a great feeling :) I am not sure what city I will live in or who I will live with but I do now the general area! I hope I get put in Milan! It is so beautiful from the pictures I have seen! Well I have homework so I should probably go, but I will post a few pictures of my district and surrounding cities!

This is the area that my district covers. I could be placed anywhere within this region!


This is a famous cathedral in Milan :)


This is Lake Como in the Lombardia region where my district is located! :)

Overall, I am beyond excited to know my destination and I cannot wait! Ciao!
With love, Kari <3

Anxious! Sentimenti misti.

Ahhhhhhhhhh! Winter break is over and that means only one thing, one step closer to..... EUROPE! I still have no clue where I am going and I am going crazy! I just want my conformation on Italy so I can crank out some Italian. ;) The title of this post says mixed feelings in Italian, now I can express myself in a new language! I am beyond nervous and at the same time have never been so excited. I know it is going to be so hard to leave, but knowing I will be living my dream makes it easier. I want this so bad, but at the same time it's hard not to think about what I will be leaving behind. My family, friends, and boyfriend are so supportive but I am going to miss them like crazy. I still have awhile until I will board my plane to the start of my INCREDIBLE adventure, but it's hard not to freak a little. Don't take this the wrong way though! I have never been so excited, just some crazy emotions are going on, lol.

In Gardner, you never think that something like this is possible. I see the people going before me, like Laura and Shelby and I just don't think it's possible for me. I don't think the reality will hit until I am on the plane... leaving everything I know to experience something most people do not have the oppurtunity to. I am truly blessed to have this experience and I CAN NOT WAIT! I will update you guys as soon as I know more.

Until then, Ciao Amici <3