Plants.Plants.Plants.

All I can say is:

I've read so much about plants, that I feel like a plant. 

Idaho

Now, on a lighter note- I want to update you all on some of my activities lately. My dad flew into SLC Thursday- and we all met him and Bill at P.F. Changs for dinner. It was so nice to go out and be with family. Friday Dad, Britt, Kenna, and I drove to Idaho Falls, Idaho for my cousin Bowen's wedding. We had a grand old time laughing, singing, and dancing in the car. What fun!! 

Idaho was cold, and boring- landscape wise, but nothing is boring with the Gallacher clan! It was a great weekend of fun, and a nice escape from Provo! We got home Sunday and had a nice family dinner with Bill, and Miriam as well. Monday came around and unfortunately that means school as well. blah.  I really am hanging on one piece of thread right now- school is just really tough, and I am really disliking my Geography class. Hopefully I can get through this semester in one piece! It is snowing again and that makes it even more frustrating, but thats life. 

Taken.

Yes, it has been awhile. I feel bad that my next post is depressing, but I just saw the movie, Taken. I have to say, it was the scariest movie I have ever seen. Mostly because it was so real. This happens every day in Europe, and I think this movie will raise an awareness to all those who travel carelessly, and walks around naively. This is no joke. Please be careful! I advise all to see, especially those who wish to travel. 

Now that i am 20...

I am finally twenty. No more a "teen". But secretly I  still wish I was a five year old playing in the backyard, dressed up as some lady bug-- or some kind of princess bug. We'll see how this year plays out. I wish this year will hold fun adventures for me!

Valentine's Day

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Carnations are sweet

and so are you

And so are they 

that send you this

and when we meet

we'll have a kiss

Today I attended the LIFE CLUB and we made Valentine cards for our 'secret' loves. I made a fun little card to the Wells fargo boy located in the Wilk. Every day I walk by and admire him from afar. So, I decided to write a secret message, and have a friend deliver it. It was brilliant, and who wouldn't love to get a nicely made card, full of kind, loving words. :) Happy Valentines day Wells Fargo boy! and to you all! XoXo 

I would also appreciate it if Cupid here shot me with some love this semester... He seems to be slowing on his matchmaking work. He needs to hunt me down a man!

yahoooo!

I am Freeeee! I finally finished all 6 exams!

I should be studying.

Like I said, I should be studying, yet I find myself continually distracting myself.  Here are some fun sites to go to if ever you are bored, or are needing a break from homework at 2 in the morning!

1. Horoscopes

2. Homemaker

3. People

4. Youtube

5. Tiffanys

6. Travel

I am really taking this picture to heart. :) 

XOXO

This is what I do night after night.

I, like Doris Day have developed a bad habit of pillow-talkin'.  There must be a boy somewhere in UTAH! 

Pillow talk, pillow talk

Another night of hearin' myself talk, talk, talk, talk Wonder how it would be to have someone to pillow talk with me I wonder how I wonder who Pillow talk, pillow talk Another night of bein' alone with pillow talk When it's all said and done, two heads together can be better than one That's what they say They always say All I do is talk to my pillow Talk to my pillow, talk to my pillow All I do is talk to my pillow Talk about the boy I'm gonna marry someday Somehow, some way, sometime Pillow talk, pillow talk Another night of gettin' my fill of pillow talk You and I both agree there must be a boy, must be a pillow Must be a pillow-talkin' boy for me I hope I'm right I'd better be right Oh, there must be a pillow-talkin' boy for me (We hope she's right, she'd better be right, there must be a boy) There must be a boy There must be a boy There must be a boy There MUST be a boy!! There MUST!!

Breakfast at Tiffanys
Loveliness

Bringing up Baby

Watch these clips: Just click on the words.

Dating.

I don't understand the whole dating thing. I know right off the bat if I'm interested in someone, and I don't want them to waste their money on me and take me out to eat if I know I'm not interested in that person. I half agree with this statement.  I would also agree that attraction is not a choice. Whatever happened to the old hollywood movie scenario where the charming man sees the heroine, falls madly in love with her and charismatically woo her till they were tangled in a wonderful mess of love, and adoration. This does not seem to be the case nowadays. (yes, I still believe old hollywood movies really captured how romance is, or should be.)

Of course, there are many silly mishaps along the way, yet true love prevails with many moments of suspense, and excitement. 

Have I ever mentioned that I absolutely abhor blind dating.. or even being 'set up'. This is not my forte and I feel extremely uncomfortable being involved in this situation. This week two unfortunate events happened to me, that involve two set ups and no way of getting out. My first initial reaction was horrified- which quickly grew to panic- which then had me in tears for sometime. Why may you ask- well I can't really explain as to why. I do know that only getting 3 hours of sleep the night before due to homework, and a weight of stress on my shoulders does not add to the situation I was unknowingly, and unwillingly put in. 

Know this now: ASK ME before you give any guy MY number. 

If you do not, know that I will feel violated, uncomfortable, and gloomy. Not a good combination for me. So out of respect to me, don't put me in this position without my knowledge. 

Now, I want to explain to you now who my type is as there has been many questions asked on what it is. No one quite knows (I am still trying to figure it out myself) but I have a general Idea.  

I like taller men--6 feet and up I find attractive. 

I don't really care what hair color- but lately I find golden blonde most handsome. 

Good teeth

Good nose

Not Bulky strong- lean strong. 

Dashing, charming, Outgoing, Happy, thoughtful, hard-worker, Laughs a lot, smart, loves big families,a bit quirky, surprising, and loves to travel.  (LDS of course).

I know I am not perfect, and I am working on a lot of these traits because how can I attract this man, if I don't possess them. Know that I am not expecting perfect- but someone trying to be better. This is my type- if you are still confused watch any Cary Grant movie and that pretty much describes 'my type'.   

I am going to add some more lovely, old hollywood romance pictures. These are some of my favorite. 

(by the way, can you tell I am doing anything possible so I don't have to do homework!)

This is who I want to look like when I reach my goal.

GOAL: Return to Normal weight before Italy and the Pasta.  Tone up, Eat right. Prepare for half marathon. 

24 Hour

Yes, it is true. I have started going to the gym again. Let me explain to you the feelings I have felt the past 2 days. First I was scared to death. Understand that I absolutely hate gyms. Reasons: the people who are in real good shape make me insecure. This feeling I do not like. I feel lost in a maze of metal machinery and sweat everywhere. 

But however painful and frustrated I get it is healthy and good for me to exercise. I have no real incentive or deadline to be at an 'ideal' weight but I make one up everyday, and lose it by evening. I am slowly realizing this is not helping and must take a stand. Thus, I write this post to set a goal and to have it remind me of what I want to be, and do. 

Let me also explain the photos.  Fear and rebellion against going. Two very strong women- if they can win medals, and support large things, SO can I!

FUTURE

According to the cambridge dictionary the word Future implies 

1. what will happen to someone or something in the time that is to come and 

2. the chance of continuing success or existence for something. 

Is not it interesting how it says the chance of continuing success? There is no mention in giving up or seeing a dim future. It does not say the chance of continuing failure. Elder Holland gave a BYU devotional  called Remember Lot's Wife. The talk so impacted me. I have since then, been internalizing it have been trying to learn to see positive aspects of living for the future. 

There are those that live for the past. My thoughts include these: Yes, one can learn from the past but to dwell on the past is the death of us all. There is no proceeding forward if one is holding onto the past. The tug o' war does not stay equally in the middle forever. In the devotional a scripture was read that reiterates what I mean: (Philippians 3:13) 

"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,"

Elder holland counsels us to not be as Lots wife. Do not look back on the past, yearning for what was.

 I once read, 

The world is full of people whose notion of a satisfactory future is, in fact, a return to the idealised past. 

Robertson Davies once said, 

Fear not for the future, weep not for the past.

You can never plan the future by the past. 

This is true. 

I believe we all have this common weakness to look back on what was once grand, and long for it- yet therein lies the danger. Do we try to recreate the past- or do we create a new future. That is the test for all of us. We are all given the chance to be creators, why do we settle to be mere copiers?

We all have the capacity to create and inspire new futures. Think big; there are no boundaries.  

The empires of the future are the empires of the mind. 

-Sir Winston Churchill 

Thus I end my post with new desires: 

  To live for the future. 

                             To create my future. 

(p.s. click on talk title if you want to watch the devotional!)

I.C.E. = Ice-Cautious-Escape

The past four days I have managed to completely escape the always present ice that plagues BYU campus. How may you ask? I will tell you.

1. Wear boots with good traction.
2. Walk slowly
3. While you walk slowly, you must move your legs and feet in a different way and rhythm, which looks slightly odd, but must be done.
4. always look down. Do not check out the good looking boy walking by, or talk on the phone.
5. Expect to fall any moment. This will enable you to not be caught off guard.
6. Walk with your upper body forward so that the 1,000 pound backpack balances you if you fall forward, or backward.
7. Look down as you step out your front door.
(okay, I escaped the campus ice, but not the ice near my humble abode.)

And that, dear readers, is how it's done.

Some Videos of my Grandma.

  Oma singing Christmas Day Eve

2009

2009

2009 is going to be fine.

2009 is the year I'll call mine.

2009 i'll try not to whine.

2009 I hope men will wait for me in line.

2009 - will be a fabulous time. 

I decided to keep up my blog, even though I am not in Italy anymore. I feel like I need to somehow write out my thoughts, entertain my readers, and update my friends and family the next four months while I am a school. I will write about my school, my non existent love life, and all the details of random, funny, and interesting things that happen during each week. 

Week One:

I think my professors have some evil plan to give me ulcers and stress me out. Let me explain what I mean. 

German 201: 9:00 a.m. Monday - Friday. 

First day of class I was assigned to do 400 grammar problems due the next morning, along with a quiz. Not to mention an essay due Friday.

Physical Science 100: 10:00 a.m. M/W/F with a LAB on Monday at 2:00 p.m.

Work, Work, Work. Quizzes due, 100 pages read by Wednesday, and figuring out the 16 page syllabus.

Human Geography 130: 11:00 a.m. M/W/F 

Teacher is exceptionally strange, treats his students like children, and quiz this Wed. 

New Testament 212: 12:00 T/TH 

Lots of busy work, but like all religion classes at BYU, great, and uplifting. 

Landscape Design 100: 4-6:30 p.m.

LOVE this class. It is definitely going to take a lot of my time, but its great!

( I also found out that the botany building has an indoor nursery open to students. It has benches, tropical flowers, trees, and its warm!!!)

It has been snowing all day today. I have managed to walk around campus without slipping, and enjoyed the students who slip and fall every couple feet or so. It is entertaining, and helps keep me having a semi positive attitude about all this cold weather. 

More to come...

Afew more pictures

Elizabeth and I in Rome, Girls and I in Padova, River in Padova, Sad to leave Siena, and last day at Church

At the end of the Chapter

This chapter of my life is almost closed, and as I write it now I feel reluctant to finish because I know that once I do, it will finalize the reality that it is really coming to an end. My life will never be like this again, and that scares me, and makes me a little hesitant to complete the final story of my trip.  But alas I will write what I have experienced in hopes that someone will read this chapter of my life and will have the desire to go on a study abroad and begin to write their own chapter of experiences.

ARRIVEDERCI SIENA:

Saying goodbye was harder to do than I thought. I spent that last few nights walking endlessly around Siena trying to take everything in one last time. It was difficult to comprehend that I was walking around the streets, and sitting in the campo for the last time—as a true resident. The next time I come I will be a tourist and won’t be able to feel as I do now. I made a card with my remaining art paper and sewed a heart ornament on to the card with a big GRAZIE on it. We had the missionaries translate a perfectly spelt, not to mention impeccable grammar (just to make sure she did not give us a lecture the last night we were here) and bought flowers to give her. After dinner we gave her the gift and as she read it she got teary eyed and got up and kissed our faces. I really wanted to cry and thank her but I felt like I needed to just let the moment be as it was. We gave her our emails too, and I hope it bids well for us. You never know with Caterina.

The next morning we got up at seven and had breakfast for the last time. I felt so empty and really quite heart broken. Caterina got a phone call informing her that her uncle had died earlier that morning which put her in hysterics. She was so occupied with this news, that our leaving was quite anticlimactic and not very memorable. We got to the train station and met up with the other girls, waiting for our bus to come get us and take us away from our new homes. It really was a sad, sad day.

OFF TO VENICE:

Venice floats amidst some of romantic roads small alleys and ornate buildings. Indeed with the gondolas and decorative architecture some could argue it’s the most romantic place in the world. Let me just give you a small reality check: A lot of Venice’s charm is lost in the winter months. It is a little uncomfortable while walking around for hours on end. We are staying in a small hotel about five minutes away from San Marco piazza. First day here some girls and I walked around and saw the Doges palace, the accademia, and San Marco’s Cathedral. That night six of us went to La Traviatta opera in the Barbarigo palace.

It was amazing: first row seats and in an old palace where this opera first premiered. There were only seventy seats and meant to be an intimate performance where the audience feels like they are part of the story. I really did when the main singer came and caressed my cheek and held my hair in their hands as they sang about longing for love. It was quite fun trying not to laugh and some lady singing loudly into my face. Needless to say, I loved every minute of it. We had to change rooms for each new act which made it very interesting because we had a new seat, and scenery every hour or so. Wednesday we went to the Peggy Guggenheim museum, which was great because I got a new change of scenery from all the Byzantine art I have seen. I saw some Jackson Pollock, Picasso and other fantastic artists. I fell head over heels for Piet Mondrian. His work is brilliant! The other sites we visited and then headed to Murano to check out some Glass blowing! The boat ride over to the island takes about forty-five minutes and for some (me) may get seasick from the rocking about.  All worth it though once you get on land and participate in watching the glass blowing take action and browse the millions of shops that hold colorful treasures inside. The town really dazzled me, perhaps more than the glass itself. I loved the outlay of the small town, and the houses were so charming. I really could live there myself and be happy for the rest of my life, I should think. 

It is hard to really take for granted how great it is here and to appreciate it when the cold is biting at your hands and toes, but I am managing to stay alive and look back on the day only with fond memories instead of complaints of the cold.

 

BURANO:  

This place is spectacular! 

Legend has it that the fisherman community would get drunk at night and could not find their house so they all painted their own house bright colors so that they could find them.

The whole place is colorful and bright! It seems like a rustic candy land! Bright yellow, lime, blue, purple, red, orange, brown, turquoise, pink, white etc. It is so bright and cheery!

I really like this island and took tons of pictures of the houses and such. I could have spent all day long there but we had to get back for our final group dinner. Peter had arranged for all of us to eat at a really nice restaurant for the last night together. Each coarse was really elaborate and they served really weird looking fish, but fortunately they were pretty good.

 

BACK TO ROME:

(On the way back we stopped in Ravenna to admire some amazing mosaics! I stood inside the cathedral in awe of the intricate  laden tiles.)

The bus ride back to Rome was long and I listened to a mix I made for my ipod filled with sad/Italian music. I was in a very contemplative mood the rest of the five hours. Back in Rome after we got in our hotel room two other girls and I spent half the night talking about memories and good times to come. My plane left for Atlanta at nine so I had a comfortable amount of time to get to the airport and get checked in. Both flights went well and as I walked off my plane in Sacramento exhausted, and looking like death, I saw my family and extended (yes, Jen you are definitely considered that!) waiting for me with a big “welcome home” sign! This was probably the best thing that I could have seen after getting home from a long day of travel! I love my family and everyone else in my life!

 

As I finish my last entry I am happy to report that life is great, I love home, I miss Italy, and hope you all have a Happy Holiday season! 

Arrivederci Tutti!

art work

of flowers




Pictures of my art on the "wall" and my final project (the 3 value shading