Busy Bee!!

Busy Teacher, Busy Explorer, Busy Bee

Finally Blogging!

I have so much to write! 

Quick update on work.  I told you before I was hired from a company that was going to give me a work visa.  Unfortunately, I would have to go back home for at least a month and then return.  For me, this was not an option.  I was very excited to learn Italian for free, but decided it was time to start working on my own private lessons in Bologna.  I don’t know if it because I am an American, a girl, or from Las Vegas (probably the main reason), but I have had absolutely NO PROBLEM getting students.  I have been here for a little over two weeks, and am now having to turn people away. 

This is FANTASTIC news!

This is also why I have been so busy.  I have students of all different ages and all different levels.  You may think teaching English should be easy enough since I speak the language right?

NOT!

All of my students have a purpose to learn English as a Second Language.  It may be for school, to move to America, to transfer jobs, their company trades with the UK or America, their parents are forcing them to, or they simply think an American accent is sexy.  This can sometimes be pretty stressful.  Firstly, this is a lot of pressure!  These people are coming to me to help pass an interview or test that determines whether or not they can be hired at a company that could potentially change their lives.  I have had students seriously beg me to help them pass a test in a matter of months.  They truly want to learn and rely on me.  Wow, talk about making a difference in someone’s life! Secondly, every one of my students is at a different level.  This means that I sometimes have to prepare 5 different lessons each day. Lastly, every one of my students has different interests.  I try to base my lessons around subjects they like… such as health, music, engineering, sports, movies, etc.  English is not the most interesting subject to learn, and I want my students to actually enjoy spending hours beyond hours with me :)  

BUT

I LOVE TEACHING!  While I am teaching, I am learning.  I learn about their culture, their language, their country. 

I told you about my friend from Mexico staying here with me, but I haven’t told you about my new bff here in Italy.  Her name is Laura and she is from Spain.  She is also staying at the house with us.  Me and her just clicked.  We have a lot in common… we both love exploring, love reading, love movies, love art, love yoga, and she speaks very good English, which helps her understand my sarcastic attitude. 

Not that I have an attitude or anything hahahahahaha 

She is going to school here for Cinema through the Erasmus program.  She lived in both Mexico and Brazil before Italy.  We were trying to find a place together, but luckily Aurelio (the man I have been living with) is going to let us stay here until we leave!!!  We are now able to afford to travel EVERY SINGLE weekend.  Can you say Lucky ducky’s.  I have decided that I am leaving Italy in February to go home.  I will have traveled, taught, and learned enough about this wonderful Italian culture by then.  I think 6 months is my limit.  While I enjoy it here I have some Maid of Honor duties to attend to at home :) 

Miss these two.  Wedding planning in the works:)

 Me and Laura with a little treat.

Me and Laura have been trying to fill our schedules up with activities whenever she isn’t studying and I am not preparing or having lessons.  We go to every single FREE class imaginable.  We have been to several different yoga classes, belly dancing, Tai Chi, and next we will try salsa dancing Italian style.  The classes are free the first time you go so we just research a new free class to go to every other day haha  You can call us cheap or genius, but honestly it has been a blast.  I have done yoga off and on for almost 7 years now and lets just say I finally found a woman who knew what she was talking about.  The classes are all in Italian of course, but I know most of the terminology to follow.  Pretty interesting when they speak to me directly though, I just turn and look at Laura with puppy eyes for her to translate.  She speaks Spanish and Portuguese, and therefore can understand 70 percent of Italian. 

I’m still learning where everything is here in Bologna.  I walk or ride the bus for hours and hours to find new spots to give lessons.  I swear one time we walked over 8 miles trying to learn different streets.  My little legs were pretty sore.  We have officially found the best gelato and pizza here in town.  A whole pizza is 4 euros… SCORE!  Speaking of exercise, there is a church on the top of hill next to our house called San Luca.  Approximately 600 steps and an hour later to reach the top.  I try to wake up early 3 times a week to walk to the top.  Talk about a workout!  It overlooks the entire city… gorgeous views.

 Just a little taste of how many stairs there actually are!

Soccer Stadium

We tried to get a smoothie at a Vegetarian Café.  NOT a traditional smoothie :) blahhhhh

So my little cousin Taylor gave me this little red bear to keep before I left for Italy.  It was so sweet. I have now named this little guy Taybolt.  Get it, Taylor + Bologna.  Sounds like a super hero name.  Anyway, this little bear is exploring Europe with me so be prepared for Taybolt to be in several pictures.  I love my family.

I start my Italian lessons next week with my British friend Felix.  Be prepared for me to speak very passionately when I get home :)

This weekend I go to Florence for the first time.  Super stoked. I have Interlakin, Prague, Ireland, Rome, Naples, Pisa, Paris, and other small Italian cities in the works.  Oh, and I am also going in a couple weeks to visit the town where my family came from on my Nana’s side.  It is only a little over an hour away in this same Emilia Romagna region.  Basically my family probably helped invent Parmesan Cheese…. You’re Welcome.  Blog to come.  I seriously have so much more to write, but I think this is long enough.  I will try to write in a couple days.

This experience is more than I could have imagined.  I advise people to not just stop by the big cities here in Italy, but come to the little ones and learn about the REAL Italian culture.  Hard to explain how DIFFERENT (but good) the Italian lifestyle is. 

 Movie in English... YES!

 I miss my baby Bradi Boo.

Maria had a fight with some stairs after yoga... the stairs won :(

We love our Library!!

Happy Birthday week Best Friend!!!!!!  I love and miss you Ashley Bean!  Wish I could celebrate with you, but don’t worry I drank a bottle of wine on your behalf. JK… sort of!!!!!

Ciao Ciao,

Meliss