pesto and presents

HALLELUJAH!!!

My hypothesis was correct; my roommate indeed got too settled in her little cocoon of filth and stench to take me up on my empty promise to switch rooms after fall break! HOORAY!!! So I remain the proud inhabitant of a palatial spread while she continues to stink up the dinky little windowless mole-hole across the hall. Sa-WEET. That, in addition to the fantastic pasta al pesto that my host mom made using the tagliatelle that I brought back from Cipriani in Venice (I mean, if she's not gonna make me pasta on her own, I'm definitely gonna drop hints...), was the sole redemption for my otherwise horrhendous day.

So first of all, I had 3 midterms, none of which I studied for (two sweet little words: PASS/FAIL)- this semester has really been a testament to how lazy I really am when given the opportunity to be so. My one spirit-lifter (aside from the cappuccino doppio...) was a text I got from Danny that said "Presents in the mail - good luck today!" So I look in my mailbox and find the mix CD he had promised me way back when on the airplane ride, when I first discovered that he had a fantastic music collection. It looks fantastic, however I haven't had the chance to actually listen to it, as my computer is dead and I managed to leave my charger at school the day before I leave the country for a week and a half. Yay me.

And in addition to my lovely CD, I find another "present" in my mailbox (or so I thought): a package slip indicating that my mom's care package/birthday present has arrived!... in Venice... where it is being held hostage by Italian customs. And for some reason, I had to physically GO to this odd shipping center all the way downtown, after my 10 straight hours of class and exams, only to be told that my package would not be here before my trip and that I would most likely have to pay around €100 to simply receive it at all. Birthday presents and other miscellaneous goodies in the mail are graciously welcomed, but for the love of God, DON'T DECLARE VITAMINS!!! Send me whatever the hell you like - clothing, candy, heroin for all I care, but dear God do NOT declare anything, or Italian customs will decide it needs to tax me to death in order to allow me to receive it. And a special thank-you to Syracuse for sticking our fall break the week before my birthday, because once the package arrives in Florence (at which point I will most likely be somewhere between Austria and the Netherlands), I will be charged an additional €5 for each day that it sits there waiting for me. I think this would mark the end of the so-called "honeymoon period" of living in Italy.

(disclaimer: please do not think I am a brat. Thank you so so much mama for whatever you sent me, but come on, everyone appreciates a good gripe, no?)

But ANYWAY, I need to go make sure I have enough sweaters and, like, SOCKS to keep my ass from freezing during my northern travels... I regret more and more each day my valiant attempt to "pack light" for Italy, because in reality what I really needed was to bring a second suitcase stocked with the entire contents of Target Greatland.

Live and learn.