Rotary Meetings, Italian Style!

Rotary meetings are meetings I am required to go to as an exchange student in their program... they are typically a bunch of older men and women discussing business and lets just say they aren't much fun, (sorry Robert and Stephen) :) But the meetings in Italy are actually pretty cool. The one I went to last night was some kind of party, so I wore a dress and got all cute :) It was supeerrrr cool. I met the other exchange students, some of which I love! I met one girl, Regan, who is super awesome and my age. It was sooooo nice to speak English at a normal pace, to people who actually understand me! Lol. But anyways, the food at this meeting was weird, so I tried it and realized I hate Italian appetizers... lol. I had some really good fruity drink though! Non-alcoholic of course! It was orange juice with berries or something? WHO KNOWS! Anyways, at these events in Italy... there is always a band. No one listens to them, and half the time they sit around smoking and drinking the alcohol provided.. so I am not sure how they make any money... But anyways, when they actually do play, it is obnoxiously loud and no one can hear eachother! The first song they played was in English and they were actually really good, but after that I stopped listening like everyone else.... Hahahah. I am becoming a true Italian ;)


As you may know it is only noon here, and most of you are all asleep in America :) I am doing something today, but I don't have any clue what it is... Typically that happens, I sign myself up to do something I never really planned on... but it is always exciting! :) SO I can't tell you much about what I am going to do! However, last night I went to the movies with my brothers after the meeting! I love being with my brothers! They are hilarious and actually understand at least half of what I say, so we have good conversations! We saw Shark 3D which was disgusting to say the least.... and I didn't understand a word.... but oh well, I had fun :) They bought me dinner and ice cream too! Such gentlemen :) My brothers are 12 and 15, so I relate to them and I love that. The 12 year old is so funny, and tries his best to speak English, which is really adorable! After the movie... it took 2 hours for our host dad to come get us... and they live 2 minutes from the theater... soooo it was interesting. But we had a good conversation and went in the book store lol. We saw books on the U.S which started a conversation. I also learned that the movie Taken, has just come out in theaters here... which is funny cause I brought it on DVD to Italy with me. My host family thought that was awesome! Lol.

Right now, my Italian Nonna is here... (grandmother) So I really should go! I will post pictures when I figure out where the hell the library with Wi-Fi is.... Lol. Until then, Ciao Bellos <3 :) I love and miss you all! With Love, Kari <3

HERE I AM ITALIA!

I arriveeeeeddddd! I have been waiting for this moment for a year... And no one could have prepared me for the beauty of this country. I love Italy so much! I cannot post pictures right now because I am not using my own computer at the moment. But I do have a ton so don't be mad ;) The internet here, is just not very good!


Anyways! I arrived on the 3rd at 8:00 am their time. Right now it is 7:00 on September 5th! I still have major jet lag, but I am fighting through it. We have been to the center of the city many times and I have had gelatto twice :) Gelatto is amazing! In the center of the town, there is the tallest bell tower in Europe and it is beautiful! It rings every 15 minutes, it actually just rang. You can see it off my balcony... yes I have a balcony and yes it is beautiful! There is even balconies in every room! I stand on them often to look at the sky. It has rained alot here, but it is cool and like Fall, I LOVE IT! Kansas is ssooooo hot, so this is a nice change! There are also many stores in the town and they are right down the road from where I live! I am on a mission to explore the whole town! And also try every single gelatto shop here.... there are sooo many it may take all year!!!!


Tomorrow is the first Rotary meeting... YAYAYYYY! I get to meet my counselor and all the other students and I am so excited! Everytime I hear an English song I get SO excited, so speaking English with people who understand every word will be nice! Dont get me wrong, I love the Italian language! It is just very hard sometimes! I only know a few words, which kinda sucks... :p


As for the food, because I know you all are wondering! It is FABULOUS! I have Nutella, bread, and cookies (yes the good kind) every morning for breakfast, lunch we eat pasta and sometimes meat along with it, dinners are often pizza or pasta of some kind, but last night we had omlettes... with sandwiches! :) I have eaten so much food here it is insane! I am gonna get so fat! The coffee is really good! But cups of coffee here are the size of shot glasses... i kid you not. So you like get one flavor in 10 seconds... I miss my massive Starbucks coffees... :( But Starbucks is no where near as good as the coffee here. I haven't ate at a resturaunt yet. Which means my host mom has cooked homemade meals everyday :) They are sooooo good!

I need to get off the computer now but I will write soon, with pictures! Until then, Ciao! I miss you all and I love you! :) <3

5 DAYYYYYYYSSSSS!

I seriously cannot get over the fact that I leave in 5 short days! My AMAZING friends threw a surprise going away party for me last night, and assuming that I didn't know they all lied to me and told these elaborate stories on their plans that night... But to be hoonest, I pretty much had a very strong feeling it was coming ;) But it was still awesome!


Last minute packing and planning is KILLING me.... :( It is scary and I am almost positive I will forget something I cannot live without... Like my anxiety meds! Hahahaha. I will be a, as my mom says, "basket case" for the next few days, so expect some random and crazy posts!


I had to say goodbye to Veronica yesterday and I almost cried! She is my host sister for all of those who do not know! She is from Cremona, Italy, where I will be and I will be living with her family! They, although I cannot understand them, are awesome people! I cannot wait to meet them! I am also worried about leaving my family and friends! My friends make me cry, because we talk about me leaving and we get upset.... but I also could not be any more ecstatic (sorry for spelling issue!) about going to ITALY!!!!!!! I'm going to ITALY, is this real life? As my best friend, Harley, would say, "THIS HAS TO BE FAKE LIFE!" ;) Another person I am sad to leave in Dylan... He told me to write about him, so I am ;) But I will miss him just as much as everyone else. He is hoping the boys do not find me attractive... which I doubt they will, so no worries Dyl!



ANYWAYS! I think I will end this for now! 5 days until I can write about my actual exchange! Until then, Ciao -Kari Porter <3 <3 <3 <3 :)

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