Back on Italian time

So I'm just sitting here and realising how easy it is to slip in and out of different mindsets and lifestyles.  I mean, last week, I was British, organising, queuing, being on time...and this week, I'm Italian, crossing the road without looking, being the complete opposite of organised and generally just not really worrying that much. 

There is no real method behind that musing, it is just something I'm observing about myself. It's like one sleep in my small single Italian bed and I wake up craving pasta and listening to Pavarotti (slight exaggeration..maybe). 

Unfortunately I don't wake up being able to speak Italian. This is something that is still really bothering me. I am signed up to CILTA classes this semester, which are Italian language lessons. But I already missed 4 as I was still at home (and they didn't tell me when they begun), and one of them will always clash with lectures so its futile even attempting to attend. I do want to put in more effort to learning this language, but I will have more uni work to do this semester, as well as wanting to travel more and meet new people so it should be...interesting, or, predictable as I sack it all off in favour of a Friends and pyjama marathon. 

I really am going to make an effort now I am back, to make the most of it as I have worked out that essentially, if you don't include exam time, we only have 3 months left here (12 weeks, approximately 84 days), and knowing how quickly time flies, I should pull my finger out and start taking advantage of this opportunity. The language really does hold you back though, I can't communicate with 6 out of my 7 housemates, I can't just go and sit in the kitchen with them because I don't have the foggiest what they are talking about, it can be pretty isolating. I'm just happy I do have English friends here because I can truthfully say I don't know what I would do without them! 

I currently need to shower and get out of the house and be sociable! I am supposed to meeting people today, no real plans but just 'okay, I'll probably see you around tomorrow' - standard Italian socialising. I also need to do some food shopping, buy some notebooks for the new semester and some other essentials. 

Emma and I have finally managed to pull something together with our timetable. It seriously takes hours to work out anything on the bloody 'UniBo' website. We've probably spent over 6-7 hours combined trying to figure out what we will be studying, their days and times, and whether they are taught in English. Nothing is set in stone yet but the modules definitely look...different. There is one I am looking forward to on the 'swinging sixties' and literature from that time. Another one on the 'antihero in post-postcolonial literature' or something along those lines, which sounds like it's up my alley apart from the teacher being generally terrifying, and then there's a random module called 'English Literature', however, it is on the 'folk revival' and has the words 'Bob Dylan' in it's title...this will be the real mind boggler. 

Anyhow..

I will write again next week and let you know how the modules are looking and how I have settled in.

Ciao for now <3 

Belonging

The title of this blog post came as easy to me as beer on a Saturday night, or eggs on a Sunday morning...it just makes sense. 

These last few weeks have been a whirlwind...many of my days relaxing at home, pondering life whilst stuffing my face watching This Morning, Loose Women and Jeremy Kyle. However, there have been a few days of pure bliss and a few hours of insightful thoughts so I thought where better to share them than on my own little slice of the internet.
To begin with, the main antecedent to this blog post, my recent trip to Leicester. As I am sure most of you know, I attend the University of Leicester, and I am currently on a year abroad in Bologna, Italy (although at home in Wales on a break at the moment...confusing I know!) 

Last week I got the chance to go back to my home University to celebrate one of my best friends Alex's 21st Birthday, as well as visit friends and meet the landlord of my house next year. 

I stayed with Lilian, Kayla, Azka and Meghan and if they are reading this, I would love to say thank you for letting me stay with them. 

General highlights of the few days I was there were Republic, Emma's concert, Nando's with my old flatmates, eating out 3 times in one day, San Carlo's, seeing my future house and meeting the landlord and generally laughing constantly. 

Perhaps it is because I have already spent 2 years there, perhaps it is because it is the first place I lived away from home, or where I've met so many of my best friends...but I feel like I belong in Leicester. I don't necessarily mean forever, but I mean for now. 

I recently discussed this with some friends and we are not sure whether it would feel the same if all of our friends left and it was then just an empty city of people. But there is something about the city that just feels right. The people are friendly, there's everything you could want in terms of shopping and entertainment, culture and food, it's neither too big nor too small, it's just right. The fact I feel like this made leaving on Thursday horrible. Instead of feeling like I was coming home, I felt like I was leaving it. 

Don't get me wrong, I love being at home, well the people, I actually despise my town itself. But my family, friends and boyfriend are here and I wouldn't go without them for the world, home is where they are. But if I could pick up all the people I love, and drop them all in Leicester, life would be perfect. 

As I write this blog post, the University of Leicester has just officially announced it has discovered the remains of Richard III. They have already discovered DNA fingerprinting, and now this. It makes me feel very proud that I attend such an amazing research University, especially as I am employed by the University as an ambassador :)

I must be honest, having all these great things happening at home makes me really not want to return to Bologna. I'm having such fun with my boyfriend and friends here in North Wales. I know a New Years Resolution of mine was to be more positive about my amazing opportunity but having just had a week where people say 'Oh my god you must be having the best time' or 'I bet it's so amazing' and my response is a smile and an unconvincing nod, I don't want to go back yet.
Hopefully things will change because I am going back on the 15th February. Maybe when I actually know what I'm doing this semester and the Italians pull their finger out, things will be better, but so far, I'm happy here.