APU Blogs - Alyssa

fresh eyes and you.

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:28:00 PST

“I wanna grab a hold of that little song bird. Take her for a ride to the top of the world right now.” – Patti Griffin

Let’s just start out by saying that I am sorry I have not blogged in a while. It has been a little crazy here and I am still adjusting. But really, sometimes I have a hard time knowing what to write because I feel like when I was in Italy I was so compacted with information I wanted to share and I was in a constant state of visual feasting. It is not that I don’t have that back in the states, but I do sometimes feel like it is not as breathtaking as being in Italy. I guess because this is just home and I have become accustomed to it. I know that if I was from another country and traveling to America than I would have fresh eyes that would see this place as exciting as I saw Italy (of course for different reasons though). Realizing this makes me want to put on fresh eyes though. I am only going to be at this school for 8 more weeks and maybe only in Los Angeles for that long too. I want to make sure I get the most I can out of the short time left. Again, this weekend, I got to meet some of you guys at the Distinguished Scholars Banquet and it made me so excited. It is so good to hear feedback from you and get to know a little bit about you because some of you know me so well. When the banquet was over, I really just wanted to walk right over to the registrar’s office and re-enroll for another four years. It was so inspiring. I just get so excited too, knowing where you guys are at (graduating from high school and figuring out where you want to spend your next four years getting your education and changing your life). It is so scary and I am right there with you as I graduate from APU but it is so good. These past four years have been really hard and really good. A lot of times hard things are good things because they change us and keep us from becoming stagnant. Choosing APU has been one of the best decisions I have made. I do not think that I would have the same mindset I do about life if I had gone to a different school. Just know that wherever you decide to go, you will change for the better and don’t stress too much about picking the perfect school. Just trust. I am sorry again for waiting so long to write to you. Thank you for caring.

time and excitment.

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 21:07:00 PST

Mural

At the nest collecting eggs,
the woman
neither young nor old
is perfectly broken in.
The indecisive sun doesn’t cast
this expansive light,
it’s she who gives birth
to nature’s veiled radiance,
it’s her own delight
in having a family,
loving her agreeable routine.
She doesn’t know she knows
the perfect routine is God:
the hens lay their eggs,
she lays out her skirt,
the tree in due season
will display those rosy blossoms.
The woman doesn’t know she’s praying: Lord,
let nothing change.

Adelia Prado

I can't believe how fast time flies. Just a month and half ago I was a third of the way around the world and now I am a month into school back at apu. It has been different knowing that this is my last semester. Being back I have ran into a lot of the girls that lived on my floor freshman year and it has made me think about all of the fun memories we shared. Freshman year is so scary at first but filled with crazy random things. Everyone is in the same place so it is easy to unite. I just can't believe that it has already been four years since then though.

Two weekends ago it was preview weekend and I got to meet some of you prospective students. It was such a blessing to meet you guys and see your excited faces. It is weird knowing that you guys are just beginning and I am finishing up. However, it is so exciting for the both of us. We are both starting new stages in our lives that will shape who we are and challenge us. Remember though that time does go by so fast so as you are finishing up your last semester in High School, take advantage of every opportunity. Don't stress out about small things and really don't worry about where you are going to end up. You have someone greater that is holding you and will place you exactly where you need to be. Same with me. We are both in good hands.

Thank you for caring.

hiking and tea.

Sat, 27 Jan 2007 10:40:00 PST

"... I'm trying to hide in these hills and let
him get to me."- alethea

One thing that I really missed when I was in Italy was the freedom to be able to go hiking. I really enjoy the independency I feel climbing up a mountain. At first being in Italy I did not feel comfortable enough to just go exploring the countryside. The first week we were in Italy, Professor Skillen took us on a hike to a nearby monastery and then a couple of us went on a hike to an abandoned farmhouse but I never got to do any exploring like I get to do here. Since I have been back I have hiked almost every weekend. My friends Jc and Christina went with me to Mount Wilson. We hiked up and brought our lunch. Christina brought hot tea and it felt so good to drink it. When you hike you can feel the ground on your feet, smell the trees and your surroundings, hear the streams and the animals, and see the beauty but can’t taste it. Drinking tea made me feel like I was tasting my hike. I also got to go to Mount Baldy with my friend Nicole and her boyfriend Beau. I had never been there before. It was completely covered with snow. We went about half way up the mountain, which was around 4.5 miles, and by the time we stopped to eat our lunch we were in about a foot and a half of snow. It was SO cold. I just enjoy being able to get out of the city and feel like you are connected with the land again. It is so important. We are so blessed to live near the mountains her at APU. Thank you for caring.

home and adapting.

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 01:07:00 PST

“This day will go before you know so don’t waste your time” – Ginny Owens

What just happened to me? Professor Skillen told us that we were going to get back to the states and Italy was going to feel like a dream. It has happened. Sitting at this blank page right now, I don’t even know where to begin writing about since I have been back from Italy. It has been unbelievable reuniting with family and friends and familiar things. I got to spend a week and a half with my dad in California and another week and a half in Montana with my mom. Christmas was so much fun. I have a little brother that is a year and a half so this Christmas was the first Christmas where he got to somewhat join in on the activities. It was so much fun to watch him open gifts. He would walk over to the tree and turn around and sit down on the presents. Now that he is walking it is fun to just sit and watch him run around and play. In Montana we did not get as much snow as usual. I think that Colorado stole all of it. It felt good to be in the cold weather because it was so different from Italy. A lot of change took place while I was gone so it has been hard transitioning but I know all of it has been for the better. Knowing this keeps me moving through the in between stages. I took home some things that I collected around Italy so it is really good to look at them and smell them to remind me. They definitely reinsure that I really did experience this amazing trip. Seeing the other students that also went to Italy around APU campus feels really assuring also. But oh how I miss being in Italy and the friends I met there. Life was a lot slower and it has been hard adjusting to having a busy random schedule. However, classes are really good. It is nice to be back in the art department and settling into my studio space. I looked at my list of classes I need to take in order to graduate and everything was checked off. It was so weird but the feeling of accomplishment started beginning to fill my heart. Looking ahead to this semester, I know there are going to be a lot of life decision I will need to make but I am excited about the ambiguity. It means there is something out there that is just waiting for me to notice.
Thank you for caring.

meeting and leaving.

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 04:30:00 PST

“The time between meeting and finally leaving is sometimes called falling in love.”-unknown

All I want to do is drink in the landscape but I am having a hard time soaking it. When I stare and seek it, I find myself saying “look harder, look harder, you don’t want to miss any of it.” It is exhausting. I don’t know how to feel right now knowing that I only have a few more days. I think my mind is really saying “oh you’ll go home for Christmas, see friends and family and then come back, right?” but it isn’t true and my heart is correcting my mind. I am starting to feel the loss. What if I don’t ever get to come back? How can I not return to a place that has been such a big part of my life and slowly became a part of me? The only way to say goodbye is by doing so knowing the time was good, and I will have good things in other places. “Leave with a bang” my friend Josh tells me. Okay. I can do it. Our poetry class had a poetry reading tonight at Prof. Skillen’s apartment. We invited all the students and the people from Orvieto who we have become close to. We read one of the poems we wrote and a poem we were inspired by. It felt good to finish the class this way but still felt weird to read something aloud that I wrote. We all dressed up and it was fun gathering together to celebrate. Well, classes are done and our last assignments are turned in. The next few days will be spent doing certain things for the last time here. I made a list and here are some of the things: • get gelato and peanut butter (so good together) • go to Pizzaria Charlies • lay down in front of the duomo • swing on the park swings • take more pictures • walk the passagata (a known walk that happens from 6 pm to around 9 pm on the main strip of shops by all of the locals. You stroll around and see people you know) Those are just a few.Okay, this is my last blog from Italy. “And when the day falls at least it was.”- Emiliana TorriniI will see you in the states.Thank you for caring.

Paris and sparkles.

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 05:36:00 PST

"Should I be lost in forgetfulness withno regrets in my head..."- Jennifer Knapp

I got to go to Paris this weekend and it was so incredible. Once again I just feel so blessed for being here and having opportunities like this. The weekend went really well. We got our own apartment, which was so relaxing. Every night after walking all day we would sit on the edge of the bathtub and soak our feet. (We don’t have a tub at the convent so it was really nice) However, my first experience in Paris was really crazy. We arrived at the airport and had to take the train into Paris. When we went to buy the tickets at the machine, there was a lady in front of us that could not figure it out. We tried to get our tickets, but when we pulled them out there were four. We figured that it was the first lady’s ticket and she had already left and we didn’t want it to go to waste. So we gave it to the next couple behind us. They lived in Paris and spoke some English and were very appreciative. But when we went to put the tickets the machine that lets you through to the train, mine was not working. The guy we gave out ticket to said, “Just jump, everyone does it.” Of course I did and all was fine until I realized that my ticket was the receipt. We only got three tickets and gave one to the couple. We rode the train in but then had to switch lines to get to the apartment. When you switch lines you have to put your ticket in again so he said for both Laura and I to go together on her valid ticket. Of course again we did thinking it would be fine until this man ran over to us and started yelling at us in French. He then pulled out his badge. We told him we didn’t understand and then he said in English that we have to pay a tax of 45 euro, which is about 60 dollars. Scared we said okay until the guy we gave our ticket to came over and started yelling at the cop. They were arguing back and forth about how he was being too strict and that this is their first time in Paris while I am standing in between them with a beanie on and pig tails in my hair, shaking. The cop ended up giving in and letting us go. It was so scary though. I hate when things get mixed up and you try to do something nice and it turns bad. Anyway, we laugh about it now but it really made us nervous about the language barrier. We got to our apartment, dropped our stuff off, and walked around the city. We turned a corner and say the Eiffel tower, and then it started sparkling. Every hour at night for seven minutes it sparkles. It is so beautiful! The next three days we went to the Louvre, Musee d’Orsay, Notre Dame, and shopped. We ate really good food too like crepes and crème brulee. We also walked around the older part of the town where Amelie was filmed and where a lot of the Impressionism artists lived. We had such a good weekend, but were definitely tired by the end. Besides going to Paris, I did not do much else this week. Only the normal (which is relatively not normal). Christmas decorations are coming up also and they string lights from building to building around town. It is very exciting. I can’t believe I only have a week and a half left. I made a list of everything I want to do before I leave! Thank you for caring.

cooking and anticipation.

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 06:18:00 PST

I died for beauty but was scarce
Adjusted in the tomb,
When one who died for truth was lain
In an adjoining room.

He questioned softly why I failed?
"For beauty," I replied.
"And I for truth, the two are one;
We brethren are," he said.

And so, as kinsmen met a night,
We talked between the rooms,
Until the moss had reached our lips,
And covered up our names.

-Emily Dickinson

This week has been really low key. It was nice to stay home this weekend and rest. My poetry class all got together on Monday night and made dinner together at our professor’s apartment. It was a lot of fun and felt like a holiday. The food was so good to. We have been only cooking with a microwave so when we finally had a stove to use we really took advantage of it. It was almost as if all of the cooking we should have been doing this semester has been built up and when it was released the food tasted a 1,000 meals good (even though that doesn’t really make sense). Basically it was delicious. I have found myself liking so many more kinds of food since I have been here. I would never have made eggplant or zucchini but I have it almost every night here. We have made the switch from a month left to only three weeks. Even though the difference is only one week, it feels so much less. We are all filled with such mixed emotions also. We are really excited about going home and seeing family and friends, but because we are looking forward to it we feel as if we are cheating Italy. We are trying to figure out a balance of being excited but not making it go by too fast. I am going to make a list of all the things I want to do again before I leave and make sure I do them. It has been getting really cold here and the fog comes in every morning and night. It makes things so beautiful. I love walking around and breathing in the dense air. The other night we took a walk to go see the duomo in the fog. We were standing only 30 feet in front and we could barley see the façade. It was so crazy. It made the duomo even more majestic. Today our class hiked to the cemetery. It was so beautiful and filled with gorgeous tombstones and real flowers. This Thursday I leave for Paris. We are spending the weekend there and I am so excited. Thank you for caring.

England and poetry

Thu, 23 Nov 2006 05:24:00 PST

"Eyes wide open always hoping for the sun, and she'll sing a song to anyone that comes along." -Norah Jones

Well, ya know, I just flew to England for the weekend. That’s normal right? NO! It isn’t but I got to and it was so incredible. We went to visit Laura’s boyfriend, Jared, who is studying at Oxford this semester. I also got to visit with my friend Meghan from APU. It was so nice to see another familiar face. Meghan lived next door to me in Trinity freshman year and we have been friends ever since, so seeing her in England just made me really happy. Oxford is so beautiful and all of the trees are in the perfect spot of transition from green to red. It also felt good to be surrounded with college age students since we don’t get very much of that community outside of our program in Italy. Anna and I went into London on Saturday and it was actually sunny and clear! I know, we were blessed with a sunny day in London. We went and saw Westminster Abby, Parliament, Big Ben, and the Buckingham Palace. Then we spent most of our time at the National Gallery. Going into the museum we did not know what artwork they had so every corner turned was a surprise. I got to see some of my favorite works I have studied by Turner, Gainsborough, Picasso, Degas, and many others. It was so much fun but also exhausting because there was so much. We finished off the day by sharing fish and chips and then taking the bus back to meet Laura and Jared for Indian food. I wish we could have had more time in Oxford but I am so glad I got to go at all. It was very refreshing leaving the country and then going back to Italy. It cleared my eyes to see my surroundings in the same newness I saw when I first arrived. We started our last class here, which is poetry, and I am really enjoying it. Poetry is a new field for me so I am a bit nervous but we have already wrote our first poems and it went well. Our professor is really great also. She makes you feel so comfortable which is definitely needed when you are uneasy about the subject matter and unsure of yourself. She has class at her apartment here so that makes it even better! So today is thanksgiving and I am starting to feel tired from the turkey I just ate. The nuns made us a big thanksgiving feast. They cooked the biggest turkey I have ever seen. It was so cute because they wanted to make everything perfect. They wanted to present the meal the way they think is traditional. So they made little paper coverings for the turkey legs and they put red, white, and blue napkins in our cups and stuck and American flag in the turkey. It was really funny. We all had a really good time, and it was nice that they wanted us to feel like home. I really miss my family. I wish I could be with you right now helping prepare the meal and feeling warm and laughing. I love you all!Happy Thanksgiving!Thank you for caring.

bags on wheels and hearts in cups.

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 04:48:00 PST

“A large part of me is always and forever tied to the lamplight of your eyes”
- Laura Viers

I just really want to tell you about two of my favorite things to do in Orvieto: going to the market and getting coffee at my favorite coffee shop, El Cafetal. The market is every Thursday and Saturday mornings. Trucks and vans pull up, scroll out their shades, and put items up for sale. Little elderly ladies come to buy their produce for the week with their bags on wheels. Though it tends to be the same stuff in the same spots every week, it still seems to bring excitement when the market day comes. Even if we only go to buy 3 apples, we still love to walk around. They sell everything you can imagine, okay maybe not everything, but a huge variety. I have seen from eggplant to hair dye to second-hand doilies. I found a dark blue pea coat from United Colors of Benetton for only 10 euro. There are two booths that sell second-hand clothing for really inexpensive. The sellers shout “Solo un'euro! Solo un'euro!” and it gets kind of annoying as you are digging through piles of unorganized clothes, but once you get over that you can find some really good clothing. There is also a man who sells roasted chickens. We call him the chicken man and we always buy two (one for dinner that night and one for latter in the week). No. You don’t understand how important the chicken man in. Italy mostly only has pork and if we want to get any other meat it is expensive and we really have no way to cook it since we don’t have an oven, therefore roasted chicken is a delicacy. Not only does El Cafetal have the best foam on their cappuccinos in town, but they also have the best atmosphere and nicest owners. They just came back from spending a year in Costa Rica, learning more about coffee. Every time we order a coffee we go upstairs to sit and they bring our drinks to us, always in a real mug with some sort of drawing or saying in chocolate syrup. We get a lot of hearts. Today Anna and mine together had “ciao belle.” There is a girl around my age named Miranda that works there and she is so nice and adorable. Sometimes she wears weird hats and she always dances when she is making the drinks. One time when we first walked in the owner said “Did I miss you?” and we were really confused because we thought to ourselves “well don’t you need to answer that yourself.” He kept trying to figure out in English what he was meaning and it ended up that he was trying to ask us if we will miss him when we go back to America. Of course we said yes. It feels good to become a regular and this place will be missed immensely. Well, this weekend I am off to England. Laura’s boyfriend Jared is studying at Oxford and another student at APU, Meghan, is also studying there so I will get to see her! Hopefully we will go exploring. Thank you for caring.

antiques and quieting

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 04:23:00 PST

The silence here is so loud I can finally hear Him speak.- Alethea

I haven’t been able to get my mind off of the future. The other night I laid awake for hours just thinking about next semester and coming home in December and what everything will be like. I wonder if things will be different. Well no, I know things will be different because I am different. I don’t know exactly how, but I feel it. I think it is obvious that when you leave the country, especially if it is your first, that it will change you somehow. I came here with an anticipation of a quieting in my life, and I still don’t know what that is but I am starting to feel the beginnings of this unknown.
I have been really thinking about what is more important in choosing a location to be at: people or place? I told myself when I got here that I would not think too much about life at home and people at home. Not in a way that came from a negative place at all, but from a place that knew if I thought too much about it, it would consume me and I would not completely be in every moment here. But reality set in. It is too impossible to not think about it. I think about it a lot. I just really miss people but I think that is part of being here and part of my quieting. Alessandro (our Italian tutor and friend) and I were talking one day about how much he likes maple syrup and how his friend from the states sends him some because you can not find it in Italy. I told him that I have a really good recipe for pancakes and we should make them sometime. So last night Laura, Anna, Josh and I went over to his parents home and we made them for the entire family. It was so fun to be with a big Italian family and in a real home. Pancakes remind me of my mom so it felt really good to make them. On Sunday I got to go to Arezzo. It is one of the biggest cities in the world for antiques. Our original intent for going was to get out and explore the town and shop for a pea coat for Laura, but when we got there we realized how silly we were because it was Sunday and the shops were closed. So with heads high we thought we would just find a coffee shop or a park, but as we kept walking we saw a crowd of people and it turned out that it was the weekend for the antique fair! Almost the entire town was filled with table after table of people selling incredible antiques for really inexpensive. We found some remarkable things. I got a really old leather purse and I just love it. Laura ended up finding a black pea coat that was from the 50’s and had never been worn. It still had the tags on it like it was just waiting for her to find it. It ended up being a third of the price of all the other jackets she has been looking at. Then we ran into a thrift shop. And if anyone knows me they know how much I love thrift shops. I always feel like there is a hidden treasure that I am supposed to find. Every town we have been in here we have looked for one, so I was so excited to find it. We ended up not even being able to see half of the antique fair it was so big. This was one of my favorite days since being here.Thank you for caring.