� Virginia Woolf, from a letter to Vita Sackville-West dated 23 November 1926

(Source: fuckyeahvirginiawoolf)

� Oscar Wilde

(Source: coronaroyal, via weight-a-second)

So I figure that at the end of each month, I will create a list of things I have learned while abroad… enjoy!

1. There is a way of life out there (many ways actually) much different from your own.  It will slap you in the face, give you culture shock, and not give a shit if you’re new and uncomfortable in a situation. 

2.  Life is better at a slower pace.  I’m not saying people sway around on the cobble stone here (in fact many walk fast than me) but for the most part people here use all 5 of their senses when walking.

3. Food is meant to be savored and shared.  There are not enough words to describe what it feels like to eat a warm panini in the middle of the afternoon, the tomato, cheese, and pesto dancing around in your mouth.

4. Wine is acceptable at anytime (well starting at 11:30 a.m.)  This whole “alcohol is bad we must shield our children from it” mind set is detrimental.  Drinking here is a social thing- not a binge thing.  Incorporating wine into meals here is something Italians have been doing since they were kids.

5. When you see sights like the Trevi fountain or the Colosseum, light will not shine down from the heavens, and angels will not sing, and the earth will not stop turning.  BUT- you’ll feel really small (in a good way) you’ll think to yourself “what the hell have I been doing my whole life?  Why have I not traveled more?” and you’ll start to realize the saying “it’s a small world” is the biggest lie…EVER.

6. Heat is a privilege not a right.  My cold, old apartment has slapped me in the face and has said “Grow up!  So what you’re a bit cold?  People have it way worse!  You’re in Italy so everything is grand anyway!”

7. People watching is just better in Europe.  I take these mental snap shots throughout the day, when I’m walking to class, to the shops, to the market.  At any given time I’ll see a man playing an accordion, gypsies begging for change, a woman riding her bike with a baby in tow, a man selling paninis for 3.50 euro, and an elderly couple holding hands.  Sometimes I have to pinch myself.

8. It IS possible to fall more in love with someone when they’re thousands of miles way.

9. You’re capable of WAY more than you give yourself credit for.  I never knew that I could board a plane in Boston, land in Rome, find my way to a connecting flight to Florence, find my luggage, get a taxi to my apartment, and become amazing friends with people I have only known now for 3 weeks.

10. Lists always end better with even numbers, so I’ll leave the last one with: there is only so much I can say.  You have to experience it for yourself.