Pompei & Naples

Oh, what a weekend I've had... On Saturday morning, my sister and I went to the main train station in Rome and went to Napoli, which was a two hour ride just south of Rome. We immediately went to the ticket station in order to catch the bus to Pompei, which is where we had planned to tour the ancient ruins. The weather was absolutely beautiful - almost 30 degrees with sun, sun, sun, making the emergency umbrella in my purse a menace. We met this nice American couple who were on vacation in Italy, and Pompei was their last stop before flying back to Iowa from the Fiumincino airport. We struck up a conversation with them, and luckily for us, they took us under their wing and we all stuck together. If it weren't for them, navigating around the trains and booths would have been much more stressful. It was also more comforting knowing that it looked like we were traveling with "mom and dad" instead of just as a pair.

Pompei was a resort town in the Roman Empire, located just a half hour south of Naples on the western coast of Italy. Many wealthy Romans at the time had "country homes" there, which they visited during their time off and especially during the summers, where Rome was to hot to bear with its crowds of people. In its prime, the city of Pompei had a population of nearly 20,000 people. Unfortunately, this part of Italy happens to be a highly active volcanic area, and August 24, 79 A.D proved it so. The entire city was buried by the eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius. While most people fled the eruption immediately, approximately 2,000 people opted to stay and were buried in the eruption along with the city. Most people died from a blast of poisonous gasses. The eruption lasted for nearly a day, the end result being Pompei buried under some 25 feet of volcanic material, and Herculaneum (Pompei's neighbor to the north) with as much as 65 feet. After the eruption, the only savings from these two cities came from the memories of those who once summered there. Both Pompei and Herculaneum remained undiscovered until the 1700's, although it wasn't until the mid 1800's that careful recording of discoveries began. The lapilli and ash had done an amazing job of preserving the city, allowing people to visit and explore the ruins today.

We spent approximately three hours inside, and when it was time to go, we met these two Canadian guys who were also waiting for the train back to Naples. 

When we arrived back to the train station, we agreed to walk around for a bit and experience real Neapolitan pizza, something that my taste buds were begging me to do.
This is the thing about pizza from Naples... It's the best you will ever have in your entire life. Period. There is no place in the world but this, and no pizzeria that comes from outside of this city that can make a more delicious pie. Then there's the famous pizzeria Da Michele, which is quite possibly the most famous pizzeria in the world. As heartbreaking as it is, the shop is closed on Saturday's, so we did not get to experience the pizza that had Elizabeth Gilbert in tears and that Oprah Winfrey bragged about forever. You must understand in order to truly grasp the importance of the pizza in Naples is that it was invented there, so even history tells us that they're doing it right.

The reasons vary as to why Neapolitan pizza is so delicious, and I have narrowed down the top five reasons as to why it can't be beat.
1. The history.
2. The secret recipes that have been passed down to each generation.
3. The tradition of Italian food itself, and taking time to make something the right way.
4. The coffin wood that fuels the burning ovens.
5. The fresh ingredients.
We walked just outside of the train station for a bit, where we gained a true sense of the city. Being there made me so thankful that I had chosen Rome as my humble abode for the past year. I remember having a conversation with one of my neighbours who once explained to me that her and her family originally came from Naples, but that they had moved to Rome because it was safer. There were cars roaring, beeping, honking and running each other over this way and that. 

My Experience At The Opera

Today, my job required me to accompany my nine year old on a school field trip to the opera! 
The opera house we went to is located close to via Nazionale, a notorious street in Rome. It had a red carpet outside that led to the beautiful theatre that was decorated with red velvet and gold details. There were floor seats, two public balconies, and a series of private balconies. A grand piano was sectioned off in the corner, and a massive stage with blonde wood that stood proudly at the front. The opera lasted for approximately two hours, and was based on Mozart's famous ballads. I was pleased with myself for being able to recognize some of the songs, thanks to my host mom who likes to play classical music through our floor (by "our" foor I mean the second living room/library, the parents bedroom, and mine). I also got to see the house where Mozart was born during my Christmas trip in Salzburg, so the opera for me was very special.
The people in the opera were so beautiful and wore the most intricate layered clothes that I've seen in a long time, and it inspired me to make sure I do something when I get home... When I was younger, one of my favourite things to do after school and during the summertime was to run over to my friend Shayna's house with my sister Nicole and explore through her many dress up boxes that were stored in her mom's art studio. The three of us would try on all the crazy outfits that came from only God knows where, and made scenarios and created plays. Our most famous "play" was called Murder On Vimy Road, that was a chilling play about... well... a murder on our street that was plotted in order to seek revenge on the most beautiful daughter in the Cornellius household. Most of our creations were recorded on our video camera, which means that unfortunately for me, I have a lot to fear for when my wedding day comes and my parents reveal to my husband, in laws and friends what a wild child I truly was.
Anyway, Nicole and I were inspired of Shayna's treasures of vintage clothing, so we began our own dress up box. One box became two, and two became three, and now we have a large collection of funky clothing that used to be my mom's clothes (some dating as far back to the 70's), bought from thrift stores, and even our own old clothes. The trunks are now filled with fun vests, big skirts, and just about anything that you could imagine in a dress up box. Black dresses with fishnet arms, long white gloves, tops with way too many sequins, crazy hats, corsets, and scarfs. But some of the clothes in there that were just for fun are actually cool now.
Of course I'm not going to start a new trend of wearing the white silk gloves that look like the ones Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast at Tiffany's, but if I piece things right and use my scissors wisely, I think I might find some new things to add to my wardrobe without having to spend any money. I've been talking quite a bit with my soon-to-be roommate Becca about things we both want to do in Halifax. She told me she loves vintage clothing, and that she'd love to dig through some vintage stores in the city. I'm so excited, because everyone knows that people who love vintage are effortlessly cool, and have a good eye for the fine things in life.
Tonight my sister is coming over to watch Erin Brockovich on the big screen upstairs, and then tomorrow we're taking off to the train station to spend the morning in Naples, and the afternoon in Pompei. We really want to take the train to Pompei, but in order to get there, we first have to stop in Naples. You know that saying, "All roads lead to Rome"? Not true. Because Pompei doesn't.

The 5 Friends Every Woman Should Have

I consider myself to be a fairly lucky person, because I have a wide circle of friends whom I adore more than anything in the world. I don't know what I would do or who I would be without them.
All friendships have their ups and downs. Some friendships last for a couple seasons, some last for a few years, and some last a lifetime. Some still love you even after you accidentally break their mom's favourite lamp, while other's flee when times get tough. I think its only natural for people to have friends in their life come and go, but it always stings when a friendship is over. Most of the time, it happens over the course of a person's life, rather than an argument. But when a friendship does end over something serious, it can be really difficult to get over. Bob Marley once said, "Truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just have to find the ones worth suffering for."
It sounds simple, but tell your friends you love them. When you do something wrong that hurts their feelings or insults their character, apologize. It can be hard, but anyone reading my blog is old enough to know that the things that matter in life are usually never easy.
In high school, I couldn't see past the next semester. I was too young to think seriously about my future, and I was oblivious enough to think that the people I ate lunch with at the cafeteria every day would be the same people I'd be inviting to my wedding. I have a close handful of people who I have and will be friends with until the day I die, but there's a lot of people I was friends with in high school who I never in a million years would've thought that I wouldn't talk to after graduating. But, of course, it happened. And the funny thing is that I can't even tell you why.
I know that deep down I'm a loyal, honest, and truth worthy friend. Have I always been? No. Will I always be in the future? All I can say is that I will sincerely try my best. But if you happen to be the one who needs to apologize in order to begin rebuilding the bridge, then do it. It's never too late to come out and say "I'm sorry." If you miss someone you used to be close with, pick up the phone and call them. It's never too late.
Thinking about how fortunate I am to have the friends I have in my life encouraged me to write this post and list the five types of people that I believe every woman needs to have in her life. 

The Party Girl:
Every woman needs a friend like this in their life. She's the one who, even at your craziest, makes you look sane compared to herself. She's fun will motivate you to get out of your sweats and off the couch after calling you to invite you out to the bar this weekend. When you get dumped, she's the one who will refuse to let you wallow in a carton of mint chocolate chip ice cream with a side of sadness by going shopping with you for a hot new dress and take you out and volunteer you to do body shots at the bar (cough cough... Emily Kalynuik). It's important to have a friend like this in your life who you can totally let loose with and not worry about anything but having a good time. Cheers to her!
The Cheerleader:
When I say cheerleader, I don't actually mean that this kind of friend needs to know how to do the splits or have an excessive amount of school spirit. This friend can also be known as The Motivator, or basically, the one who always wants you to succeed. I know what you're thinking - shouldn't every friend I have want me to succeed? Of course, but The Cheerleader is different. This isn't the friend who simply texts you good luck before a basketball game, but the one who will actually be there to watch you while wearing your team colours or an extra jersey. Upon hearing that you want to get in shape by taking a zumba class she doesn't just say, "Good for you," but she will actually volunteer to join you and make it a ritual to go for a morning jog together every Sunday. And when you have a major test coming up, she's the friend who will help you study in your dorm room with colour coded flash cards. She's the one who sees you at your best and at your worst, and stays by your side no matter what kind of day you're having. She's awesome.
The Honest One:

Ahh, the honest one... This friend is the one who is always honest with you, even if it hurts your feelings. This friend will tell you the truth to the worst questions that brew in the back of your mind. She's logical, and you can tell her anything, because you know that she's going to serve up a hot dish of honesty and fill your plate with it. Sorry. That was a weird thing to say, even for me.
The One You've Known Forever:
This is the kind of friend who you'll never be able to get rid of, even if you wanted to. She might be your sister, or maybe you met in kindergarten. Whatever the relation, you've known her since you had braces, and she isn't going anywhere. The nice thing about this friend is that one minute you could be engaged in a heated argument, and the next, you're going to the movies together. Even if you get into a fight that lasts longer than a week, when something goes wrong, you know that you can call her anyway, and she'll talk to you as though the fight never happened. She's always there for you no matter what, because there's no point in trying to break away from this friendship - there's too many embarrassing pictures of you together in your diapers to throw all your memories away.
The Boy:
This kind of friend is unlike any other. When you want to hangout and do nothing, he's all for it. 
All of these friends, despite their most notable titles, should have all of these other qualities as well. It's important to be well rounded and be able to be there for your friend in their time of sadness even if all you want to do is channel your inner Ke$ha. Every friend should be fun, cheer you on when you want to do something important, let you cry on their shoulder, and make you laugh when you need it the most. This post is for all of the friends who are in my life today (you know who you are!), and a tribute to the ones I have yet to meet.

Oh, The Places You'll Go

I love what I do, and I think I'm good at it.
I started this blog for my family and friends to conveniently update them all at the same time on my adventures in Italy. It was also for my own pure enjoyment, and to craft my skills as a

writer. I ended up getting much more viewers than originally expected, and a lot more praise than I ever though I deserved. I have to admit that there are some things I've wrote on this blog that I thought was pushing the envelope and have regretted, but I've learned my lessons.
The truth is that even though I'm an amature writer and am still young, I've learned a lot of very important lessons in my life, one of which I want to pass along to you reader's. Everyone has bad days and deals with negative criticism at some point in their life, and it's important that you don't take everything to heart. I love what I do and I think I'm really going somewhere with my writing. Of course I love that I have a wide audience and am glad that the majority of people are enjoying it, but there is always the odd person who disagrees with what I have to say. And that's ok - it's a part of life. But as the very wise Ellen DeGeneres said upon the backlash comments from One Million Moms against her position as the spokesperson of JC Penny for being a lesbian, "My haters are my motivators." I don't like to say that I have "hater's", because I think that's ridiculous. I remember my sister once said, "If you're not famous, you don't have hater's. People just don't like you." But you get the just of what I'm saying.
No matter what your talent is, what you look like or what type of person you are, there is always going to be someone out there who doesn't like it (whether it be your singing, your freckles or your loud laugh). This is what I want to pass on to you all... As long as you're happy and confident in whatever it is that people are criticizing, let it roll off your back. Unless it's constructive criticism and you can genuinely learn from it, it's not important. Reflecting on this made me seek some words of wisdom from a friend of mine, Eddie, who is a professional journalist. With his permission, I am carrying on his lesson to you in hopes that it teaches you what it taught me and will reread this message whenever I need a confidence boost or a good laugh:

"You have an open mind and a thick skin. While there might be 5 people that like your work, there will be 1 that won't. That's fine. You can't win them all. It's like how I think Nickelback sucks yet they still have legions of fans all around the world....and they keep making music!

It's all subjective. It's easy to say don't sweat it. But put it in this light: critics aren't spending their every waking hour thinking about you/your work, so you shouldn't do the same about

them. It's hard at first not to take it to heart. The first negative feedback will always sting. But it shouldn't matter. It's mind over matter. You don't mind that they don't matter!
What doesn't kill you make you stronger. Stand a little taller......damn you Kelly Clarkson song!"
What I want everyone reading to know is this... You can be the funniest person in the school, and there will be at least one person who thinks you're boring. You could have the most beautiful face in the entire world and be on the cover of Vogue, and someone will find a flaw. You could be the greatest writer in the entire world and sell a million copies and stay on the #1 New York Times Best Sellers list for weeks, and someone will think that you suck. But I've noticed that whenever I try to please other people, I end up unhappy. And that isn't fair. No matter what you do in life or who you are, there's always going to be someone you doesn't like you, so you might as well just be yourself. Being different and an individual is something to celebrate. As the great Dr. Suess once said, "Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You." Remember that quote the next time someone tries to bring you down, and remember that no one becomes successful or genuinely happy in life by trying to copy someone else or by being average.

Anne Frank Huis: My Experience

In my last post, I told you all about my trip to Amsterdam. We all know that the city is famous for its liberal way of life, blooming tulips, winding canals, and so on. But there is something else that I did not speak about in my last blog post because what I have to talk about is far more significant than anything else I did on my vacation, and I felt that it would be inappropriate to include it alongside my details of the Red Light District and coffee shops. There is something much deeper and darker that looms within the city that cannot be missed when visiting Amsterdam. What I want to talk about is my experience inside the Anne Frank House.

I am fortunate to have been raised in a generation where Holocaust survivors are still alive and possess a memory vivid enough to share their stories. But by the time I have children who are old enough to understand the Holocaust, there will be no survivors left to speak with them. I am thankful to have had this experience on more than one occasion.

This is why novels like Night by Elie Wisel, Man’s Search For Meaning by Victor Frankl and The Diary of Anne Frank are so important. These books have and will continue to educate the world on one of the most horrendous crimes of our time.

The Anne Frank House, also known as The Annex House, looks like an ordinary house, aside from the line of tourists that stretch outside. Inside, photos are strictly forbidden, because the flash could disturb those in the house experiencing a moment of silence and damage the fragile photographs and scribes of paper. Visiting the house was the most powerful moment in my life, and one that I will share with my children not through photos, but through memory. I met up with my Dutch friend Sanne, and even though we were together, there was hardly anything that either of us could say. It was mostly silent through the house except for the creaking of the floorboards beneath our feet and the occasional comments from tourists. The most meaningful thing anyone said that I overheard was, "Why?" A simple question, but one that we all want to know the answer to. 

The museum begins with a short film on the Anne, and then a tour of the house itself. There are no guides due to the size of the building, and like I said earlier, it is best to keep quiet while inside.
The house itself was larger than I imagined, yet at the same time, smaller when I thought about the amount of people being hid inside. There was something so strange about being in a place that I had read about and studied years prior to actually visiting. It was so special to me and something I will carry with me forever. No description will do justice to how a person feels upon standing in the actual bedroom that Anne had called "home" for two years.

For those of you who don't know, The Diary of Anne Frank is a nonfiction account of a young girl whose childhood, and ultimately life, is robbed by Nazi Germany. Her diary documents her feelings of anger and questions towards World War II, and throughout the course of the diary, we see Anne transform from a disoriented girl to a mature and brave young woman. Unfortunately, someone exposes the Frank’s secret in their hiding where they are then exiled to Auschwitz, the largest concentration camp during the war located in southern Poland. It was here that everyone in the Frank family dies, except for Anne’s father, Otto, who first published the novel in 1947. It is still unknown as to who exposed their secret, and will most likely remain a mystery until the end of time.

Visiting the Annex house allows its visitors to gain a true sense of Anne’s story, and the 6 million Jews who had their families, lives and voices taken away out of simple discrimination. The house of Anne Frank reminds its visitors of the importance of remembrance, and that no matter how tragic some events in history were, it is essential to carry on their lessons. It was, and will probably remain, the most powerful moment in my life. Anne's dream was to become a famous author, and her wish came true thanks to the survival of her father. It is now our responsibility to carry on her story and reflect on the importance of remembrance.

For more information on the Anne Frank house, please visit the museum's website below:

http://www.annefrank.org/ 

Adventures In Wonderland (a.k.a Amsterdam)

Amsterdam is fun, Amsterdam is good. Not everybody goes there, but everybody should. It was inspiring. It was beautiful. It was a really far out happin' place, man.
How do I even begin to describe Amsterdam? I could answer this question by quoting Mean Girls, beginning with the fact that Amsterdam is flawless. There is nothing that a person could desire in life that is not found in this fantastical land. I have been anticipating writing this blog post for several days now, and I'm so excited to tell you all about my trip.
On Wednesday morning, I arrived at the Eindhoven airport, which is approximately two hours away from the city of Amsterdam. The reason why I didn't fly directly into Amsterdam was because it was more expensive, and so from the airport, I took a bus which allowed me to enjoy a journey where I was able to pass through Holland's countryside. Eindhoven was great because it allowed me to enjoy the beautiful views of tulip gardens, windmills and farmer's. Not only did I get to see a part of Holland that many people ignore when visiting the country, but it was also cheaper. I arrived in the actual city at 10 am, and words can not properly describe what I felt upon stepping off the bus and into the city of Dixie bikes and canals. My friend Shayna who visited Amsterdam in April of 2011 described Holland as, "The land of tulips, tall people, and all things legal. You can get away with just about anything, except maybe for murder."
Amsterdam was a breath of fresh air (literally). I was immediately mesmerized by it, and I was like a kid in a candy store. Its kind of hard to describe, but if you believe in past lives, something inside of me kind of clicked. I knew my way around immediately, and it was almost as though I'd been there before. What did I want to do first? The question gave me a rush of excitement that I could not handle. I decided to go to my hostel first called The White Tulip, located in the Damrak area where I checked in and locked my bag in the storage. Then I introduced myself to my roommates, grabbed my purse, my map, and headed out into the unknown.
The first place I wanted to visit was The Anne Frank house, something that has been on my bucket list since I ever even knew what a bucket list was. 
During my entire vacation, I almost felt like a local, because I definitely blended well. While being here, I realized that I do not have enough orange clothes in my closet. Normally, orange doesn't work for me (I'm a summer), but orange is the colour of Holland because it's the Queen's favourite colour.
Every April 30th, the entire country celebrates her birthday (Queen's Day) and dresses up in orange. Knowing this, I knew it would be foolish for me to leave the country without sporting something orange. 
On my last day in the city, Chris and the other boys who stayed in his hostel all wanted to visit the zoo, and so I tagged along with them. It wasn't different from any other zoo, but it was a great day and a nice way to spend my last moments in the city. It also happened to be one of the guys' birthday, so we went out to a nice Italian restaurant on the Damrak for dinner. I got a plate of gnocchi and ordered a vanilla sundae with chocolate fudge running down it's side like a skier on the Swiss Alps with whipped cream and slices of pear on top for dessert. It was the perfect meal to end my vacation. Other things happened during my time in Amsterdam that, as I mentioned before, are too inappropriate for me to document for the entire world to see, including a story involving a stripper and a banana. But let's not open that can of worms. That's all I can tell you about my time in wonderland, and I hope you enjoyed a little glimpse into my four day getaway.

London Calling

Samuel Johnson once said, "When a person is tired of London, they are tired of life." I could not agree more with this quote. And, by the way, I am so sorry to keep you all waiting! Here's the thing: my sister arrived in Rome last week and I was far too busy to sit down and organize my thoughts, especially while having to pack for my trip. I didn't mean to neglect you all, but now that I'm here, I'm ready to jump head first into a detailed description of one of the greatest cities in the entire world - London!
My sister and I went to the Ciampino airport last Saturday morning to catch our flight, which only took two hours. I forgot how much I love to fly. I seem to have this love-hate relationship with airports, because as cool as they are, they're also stressful.
We didn't have any problems whatsoever, but once we stepped off the plane, Nicole and I were whipped in the face with a cold wind. I prepared myself for it by layering up and packing an umbrella and pair of gloves. I suppose I really shouldn't be complaining. The weather wasn't that bad, but at 9 degrees, it felt like a far cry from Rome (when I came back last night, it was 30 degrees out!). It was really easy to navigate around the city because London has a fantastic transportation system. The buses and tube were easier than the instructions on the back of a Kraft Dinner box.
We stopped at London Bridge station where our hostel was located just down the street. It was an all female hostel called The Oasis which was part of a chain called St. Christopher's, where my friend Chris Madronich was staying. Him and I went to daycare together and have known each other for the majority of our lives. We spent the day doing a little sightseeing and catching up with each other. The great thing about hostels is that you meet people from every corner of the world and learn about other people's cultures, as well as sharing your own. There were a surprising amount of Canadians in London, and it really made me realize that even though Canada has a small population (compared to its geographical size), we're well traveled.
On the second day we went on a walking tour with a guide who I can only describe as "zany." This woman was originally from New Zealand and took us around the main sights of the city such as Buckingham Palace, the changing of the guards, Prince Charles and Camilla's home, and more. (Side note: It was from this tour guide that I learned that the British call rain boots "Wellies", due to their former Prime Minister Wellington who invented the rain boots). But during the tour, Nicole and I had to leave early because we had to meet up with Carlie Smith, a girl who I went to high school with. She's been a close friend of mine for the past several years, and, like me, she decided to travel and move overseas. She's been living in England, not too far from London, and will be for the next two years. We met right outside of the Parliament building where we also walked and saw views of the London Eye and Westminster Abbey. 
Seeing friends from home was great, and I was so happy to be able to explore a new place with old faces. During our entire trip, the weather was fairly decent, aside from a bit of rain on Wednesday. 

But with my umbrella featuring the British flag and candy coloured Wellies, I didn't even mind. We did a bit more touring around the city and went to a store called Primark which my friend Rhianne suggested and that Carlie described as "the Galleria Mall on drugs." It was a huge store that was packed tight with full of people who were all fighting over piles of insanely cheap clothing. I ended up buying a cool sweater with, once again, the British flag that was found in the men's section. I kept coming up with cool scenarios of myself wearing the sweater at university this upcoming fall. It's perfect for walking through the quad as orange coloured leaves crunch beneath my feet, or when I want to occupy myself by studying in the library. What scenario I didn't see coming was running into someone at the hostel who was wearing the same sweater - a guy who was in his early twenties. I was able to redeem myself by complimenting him. 
As my sister and I are avid Harry Potter fans, a must stop was the King's Cross station where we took pictures at Platform 9 3/4. Another stop we made was Abbey Road, the famous road where The Beatles crossed. Later on during the same day, we walked over to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre where Mr. William himself used to showcase his famous plays. Unfortunately, the original building is no longer there, but it was remodeled and is in the exact place of the first theatre. We spent most nights in the Chill Out room at the hostel with all the other travelers playing cards and drinking games.
On our final day in the city, my sister took a train to visit the WB Harry Potter studio where the films are shot, which gave me some time to wander around on my own. I visited a bakery close to the hostel where I bought a single $3 cupcake that was piled high with rich, sugary vanilla icing and had more calories than days I've lived. I almost went into a sugar coma afterwards, and it was worth every single bit. When my sister returned from her tour, we visited the Tate Modern Museum. One of my favourite things about the city is that the museums are free, offering its residents and citizens a price tag free experience through a gigantic building filled with impressive art.
London is a fantastic city where I was able to speak fluent English for the first time in eight months, see friendly faces, and witness some of the world's most notable landmarks and pieces of art.