lazy

Today has been a lazy lazy day one of the last ones for probably a really long time, so i dont really feel all that bed. I should get up the but the bed is oh so oh so comfortable.

a year in respective

Well, it has almost been a year since I last posted. I have to say that life is absolutely wonderful. I have an amazing boyfriend named zeno, I love my job and I am starting to love it even more, i have a doggy named bobo, and really great friends. Life has been absolutely nuts in the last year and i think i have felt every emotion that i could feel, but now everything has settled and is going really well. School starts next week and i have a full schedule of classes to teach. I am determined to make them all successful. The school is also thinking about letting me start my own theatre class and has given me the go ahead on doing a christmas show or as i like to call it the christmas spectacular.

I got a new apple computer when I was home which has completely changed my life and brought me alot of joy.

I have started running again and am trying to get my life in a very healthy organized place.

I love life and I love my family. Hope everyone is well.

Sorry that i have not written in so long but it has been quite a crazy time. I have moved to Florence officially. I feel like I am doing one thousand different jobs but at this point I am making more than enough money to survive and have found an apartment where i will be moving in january if everything goes the way that i hope it does.

Right now I am staying with two little girls, one who is about two weeks old and the other is 16 months. Really I just provide an extra pair of hands. I now understand how to make formula, burp a baby and to keep children happy for extended periods of time. I feel like I am always with children because I kinda am, when I am alone with an adult it seems like a truly glorious thing. Monday and wednesday I babysit and teach english to a little boy who is three named Giulio. Tuesday and thursday I teach an english lesson for an hour and a half to two three year olds and a 2 and a half year old. It is more glorified babysitting than teaching but they have mastered there colors and animals and they know how to say "my name is... whats your name?" which may not seem like a giant achievement but is definately a milestone with these children. I am adding another class onto tuesday and another one onto thursday as well but they havent started and I dont know the details but I know that it is going to mean more money. Friday I have a class which I have not started yet but am very exctied about and Saturday I work teaching Englsih from 9 to 1 to children who range in age from 4 to 7. From about 8 to one I provide my services to the family and for this I get to stay in a small little room and get food for free. This family has a terrace that overlooks all of Florence and is absolutely breath taking and truly makes it all worth it.

During the weekends I have been going to Arezzo but I am going to stop doing that because I really want to immerse myself in Florence so that I can be happier there and stop thinking about Arezzo all the time. I have a good friend group in Florence that I am expanding and I have a good friend group in Arezzo. It is nice to know that I am welcome both places.
In other news I cut my hair, it was a big change but the right one and everyone I have talked to about it says they like it better this way. I think the next time I get it cut I might get it even a little bit shorter. It is alot more functional and makes me feel more like a big kid. I have been trying to control my shopping urges but it is hard with all the beautiful things that i am surrounded by here. Thanksgiving is approaching and I think that my friend Allison is going to do thanksgiving at her house. We hold the tradition here in Italy too. The perspective that you get from the Italians about the election over here makes you realize that the decisions that the united states makes have an impact on the whole world.

well i think that is about all in a nutshell i got to go play with a five year old for a little bit. love you all and hope that all is well on the other side of the pond

a presto
amanda

moving on up

Next week I will be moving to Florence and living with a family. They are a family that is well known by the place that I currently work for or else I probably wouldnt be putting myself in this situation. I met the mother of the family and she seems really nice. They will be taking care of rent and food in exchange for a little bit of help and I will still be able to work and save more moeny. I think that they are only going to need me for a bout two months. Sometimes I cannot believe that I am here and that I am doing this and for the most part I am doing it on my own, and with the help of really amazing people that have been put into my life. I am quite blessed to say the least.

My tuesday thursday class is going well. They are alot smaller than I thought they would be. I have Livia who is three, Giorgio who is 3 and a half and quite a little jerk and Giovanni who is 2 and a half, freaking cute but dead set on eating the playdough and not listening to a word that I say. I think that they are learning a little bit though which I am happy about, at least they are hearing english.

It's been really beautiful weather but I think that it is about to start raining. I think that after all this hard work I am going to treat myself to a pair of shoes. I am definately looking at money in a very different way than I used to. I have always had respect for it and the things that I buy but now it's much more precious and I have a fear of spending any of it.

The end. a posto.

Camp is over

I am definately feeling the pressure of life but right now it is more exhilerating than anything else. I need to find a place to live. Easier said than done. There are so many possibilities right now and things that I need to keep looking into. I have a feeling that it will all fall into place, and I hope that it does. I just need to start making some big decisions and my energy is coming back after being sick , so maybe everything will seem a little bit simpler now. These are some pictures of where I work and the children that I work with. I hope that everyone is doing well. I am very happy.

greek theatre with people who can hardly speak english

This week has been really interesting. I found out that i get wireless at the camp. The kids are not nearly as devlish this week. I created skits from greek myths and they are putting them on. They are doing a good job and i am really proud of them. I am really nervous for the final performance at the end of the week. I hope that everything goes well.

I committed to the job in Florence for the time being but will need to find other work on top of it. It is teaching an english lesson for a hour and a half tues and thurs and the working on saturday as well. There is not much money in it starting but they have also put me in contact with a lady who will rent me a room for not very much money. I still need to talk to her but living in Florence again will be nice. I am also going to get in contact with the theatre that is there so that i can audition for something and get back to my actor roots. I have a really bad cough which made me roomate here at camp abandon me and go sleep in another place. I feel terrible but there is nothing that i can do about it. I love you all and i hope to get some emails soon. I like them, it makes me happy and comments would be nice just so that i know that someone is reading this. I love you all

amanda

first week

This week was nuts. I thought that I did pretty well but I am absolutely exhausted. We had really awful kids this week which made everything a little bit more rough. I got really really sick the last day but managed to make it home. I have been sleeping and preparing for the next week. There a couple of different opportunities for work which are pretty exciting. I love you all and miss you.

Amanda