Italy!

I've finalized my arrangements to study abroad in Italy this summer, and I am pretty sure my parents/friends are tired of hearing about it. It's all I think/talk about. I am obsessed.

I am leaving May 24th (if I get accepted, that is) for the UT "Learning Tuscany" study abroad program. I will be living most of the time in a town in the Tuscan region called Castilglion Fiorientino with a host family. There, I will be taking art history, architecture, and Italian culture courses. We will also be spending time in Florence, Siena, and Rome. I will be return 4th of July! Only problem: I need $10,000. With the economy and all, I have started applying for loans, financial aid and scholarships seeing as I do not have the kind of money, and neither do my parents.

The weather in Austin has been extremely cold. I swear I rode my bike while it was sleeting yesterday. I walked into class, and my professor looks at me and says, "well that will sure put a damper on your day, huh?" I am assuming I looked like one big icicle. Hoping school was going to be canceled today, but it wasn't. I dunno why that concerns me, I didn't go anyways. I love Pass/Fail :)

This weekend should be fun! Tomorrow night M wants to get together with people to see "Stripper Idol" at the Bellagio. Some dt shows Fri and Sat night. These festivities depend on how much $$ I can bring in before then.

Watched an extremely interesting interview with Ted Haggard on Oprah today. He was a very wealthy, influential preacher who got caught paying to have sex with male prostitutes and purchasing crystal meth. His family was exiled from the church and the entire state of Colorado, and he struggled for years to get hired anywhere. Years later, the state "forgave" him and welcomed him back with open arms. His family never left his side the entire time. Just goes to show everyone has skeletons in their closet, but things always work out.