Entry 3

This week has been so exciting! On Thursday, we took a 3.5 hour trip to Reggio Emilia. It was so amazing to be able to see the exhibit. Our child development group was able to see lots of projects that children had worked on. It amazed me that it took children a year to complete the projects we saw. The projects revealed students creativity, hard work, and dedication. My favorite part about visiting Reggio Emilia was going on the tour of light. I loved all of the wonderful ideas I got from the tour of light that I hope to use in my own classroom one day.

On Thursday night my travel buddies and I packed and at 4:30 on Friday morning we were up and ready to head to Rome. Brittany, Kayla, and I got on the bus and headed to Arezzo where we would catch the train. We arrived over an hour early but sat down at a café and had breakfast. We decided to find our train about 20 minutes early just to be on the safe side. A train drove up and we immediately thought “that’s our train!” We got on the train and thought “Wow! This looks luxurious!” We noticed that the trip from Arezzo to Rome was only going to take an hour when it was supposed to take 2.5 hours. Of course…we had got on the wrong train. A man who worked for the train company came around and charged us each 30 dollars for being on the train. In the end, it ended up working out for the best! We arrived in Rome and got a Roma Pass which allowed us to ride the metro and the bus system for three days. We found our hotel and we loved it! It was perfect. We dropped our luggage off and headed out for adventures! We went first to the Trevi Fountain and it was gorgeous. It immediately took my breath away! Afterwards, we headed to Hard Rock Café for lunch. I had a big cheeseburger, French fries, and a coca cola. We then went on a tour with other college students in the area of the Vatican, The Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. We had the best tour guide named Kathy. She has been studying art history in Rome for 11 years. She was wonderful. We shopped a little afterwards and headed to Subway for dinner. If you haven’t figured it out yet…we love our American food!  Italian food is yummy too but we eat it all week so we love going to new places that have American food. After dinner we headed back to see the Vatican lit up at night and then we went to sleep.

The next morning we had planned on waking up at 6:30 to begin our day; however, of course that did not happen. Mama Kayla tried to wake up Brittany and I up but we did not get stirring until around 9:30. We started our day off with breakfast at a Café, and then we headed to see the Spanish steps and the Pantheon. We also took lots of pictures at a beautiful bridge and went to a market. After the market, we took the metro to the Colosseum. It was beautiful to see. After the Colosseum, we headed for dinner at Hard Rock Café. While waiting for our table we shopped around. During dinner we sat beside a proposal! It was so cute! After dinner we went back to the Trevi Fountain to see it lit up at night. Once again…we saw a proposal. Love was in the air! That night we went back to our hotel and went to sleep. The next morning we got up and headed back to Sansepolcro. This week we have celebrated Mama Kayla’s 23rd birthday, shopped at a market, and we plan on going to a sunflower field. I have loved my time in Italy but it is slowly coming to an end. So Ciao and I’ll see you back State side! J

*Brittany, Kayla, and I at the Roman Colosseum

*Me, Kayla, and Brittany at the Trevi Fountain at night

Entry 2: July 13, 2011

This week has been very relaxing. We have been in Sansepolcro this whole week. Our group has been very busy with class and visiting schools. We have visited a kindergarten in Sansepolcro and it was so much fun to learn about their program. Brittany, Gizem, and I were able to go to the kindergarten and interact with the children. While we were there we saw pool time. The children loved playing in the pool. We also observed children playing indoors with toys and we saw one little boy who was the best dribbler and kicker with a ball. We are determined that he will be a professional soccer player one day. We also were able to observe at an outdoor summer camp. I loved this program. One sweet girl constantly came up to my friends and I and made us feel welcome. She picked us flowers and gave us lots of hugs and kisses! We watched the children play games with water balloons. The teachers would adapt the game to fit the needs and developmental level of each child. I loved watching their game play in Italy. I definitely observed some interesting games and strategies that I hope to use one day when I have my own classroom.
My friends Brittany and Kayla and myself have eaten at our favorite restaurant here in Sansepolcro this week. We all finally found the pastry shop as well. Our group went to the travel agency yesterday and booked our train for our independent travel this upcoming weekend. Tonight we plan on going out to eat dinner and to observe children at a playground. Tomorrow we will be heading to Reggio Emilia to observe their philosophy and style of teaching and this weekend we will be heading to Rome. I cannot wait for these wonderful experiences. Ciao!

Entry 1: July 10, 2011

Ciao! I am a child development major and I am taking a 3 week class on children’s play in Sansepolcro, Italy. Our group arrived in Sansepolcro on Sunday July 3, 2011. It was a long plane and bus ride but it was well worth it. As soon as we arrived we choose rooms and I am living in the four bedroom apartment with a bathroom. I am rooming with Brittany Murray, Kayla Stanley, and Paige Cockman. The first day we got here we got situated into our room, unpacked, and headed out on the town. We ate at the pizza place next door. When we got there we sat down at a four person table and a waiter came over to us. We were supposed to have reservations…whoops! He kindly told us to go to another table. We sat down and tried to order but since we knew no Italian it was so hard. The waiters did not speak English and by putting together our knowledge of Spanish, English, and a couple of Italian words we managed to order and get the food we wanted. It was SO yummy!

Throughout the week we visited several schools. We visited a Catholic school and it was so fun to get to learn about their school days and curriculum. Another day this week we went to Anghiari and it was breath taking. I loved the scenery. We went to the busatti looms and took a tour. It was so neat and an opportunity that I probably would have never had. We actually got to meet Mr. Busatti and spend time with him. He was so kind to us and brought us wine and finger foods. I bought the most beautiful pot holder, hand towels, and table runner. My roommate Brittany and I walked around Anghiari and shopped a little more. I bought a book for my classroom in the future and lots of postcards. We then got back on the bus and came back to Sansepolcro. We had lunch, class, and had a great Italian dinner. We went to Perugia to a Montessori classroom and I do believe it was one of the best experiences of my life. On the way there we got a little lost and almost hit about 50 smart cars but it was so funny. I absolutely loved the Montessori school we were able to visit and loved learning about their program. We left Perugia and headed to Assisi. Assisi was beautiful. We went into three different cathedrals and were able to shop and explore the town.

On Thursday we had class my friends Brittany and Kayla headed to Arezzo for dinner. We walked about 8 miles but finally found our way to Mcdonald’s. It was so yummy. All three of us indulged in 2 packs of nuggets, French fries, a cheeseburger, and a large drink. We then shopped around and headed back to Sansepolcro.

On Friday we had an early morning. We went to Florence for the day. We took a bus ride as well as a train ride. When we got there we went to a museum and then had the rest of the day to explore on our own. Brittany, Kayla, and I headed to Hard Rock Café for some American food for a change. It was so good. I ate chicken fajitas and rice…and guess what? Refills were FREE and we had lots of ICE! We shopped at the markets, took a cab ride to the bridge, and went to see the David sculpture. I loved Florence. We found our way back to Sansepolcro once again having Mcdonald’s for dinner. On Saturday we woke up and had class. Brittany, Kayla, Kelley, and I all headed to Pisa. It was a journey. We had to take a bus ride and we had two train rides to get there. We got to Florence no problem but when we had to switch trains we missed our train to Pisa, then got on the wrong train which was heading to Reggio Emilia which is four hours away, and then we finally got on the right train. It was hilarious but we finally made it. Pisa was beautiful I loved taking pictures with the leaning tower. When we headed back we took the wrong train and had to search for a cab in Arezzo. It was a busy day but well worth the extra travels to see the leaning tower. I am so excited for the upcoming week. I will be heading to Reggio Emilia and to Rome. For now…Ciao!