8 Days!

8 DAYS 8 DAYS 8DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What's in 8 days you ask?

ITALY

That's right in 8 days I leave for Italy.

I admit I'm a little nervous for a tonne of different things. For one I hate planes lol Another I'm worried I wont make friends -well new friends, I am going with my friend Morgan.

I will be going with a company called EF http://www.eftours.com/
I went on a tour with them and my grade 11 french class and it was a blast. I would even go as far as to say life-changing. The people I grouped with during the trip for the most part turned out to be my really close friends and they are a big part of my life even now; Melissa, Miles and Morgan (hmmm all Ms that's a strange coincidence lol). Those are the three that I talk to and love the most but from time to time I see the others. We went to Italy, Monaco, France and a German Airport, plus The Vatican is legally it's own state and we were there too so we covered a lot in just 10days but this time is really different.

I give my self props!
I think it was pretty brave of me to book my trip to Italy earlier this year. For one I didn't know Morgan would be going -it wasn't until right before the deadline that she even switched her trip to Italy to match mine. I was going there all by myself and no I don't speak a word of Italian. It has only been recent that my major fear of flying has surfaced. I think I've always had nerves but with so many crashes in the news this year, when I went to my brother's wedding in March I was balling my eyes out right be fore take off cause of fear.

Here is the basic plot of the trip.
I go to Italy sort of like an exchange student (with no one coming to here). I stay with a 'host' family ( I just got their information a few days ago) and so does another student from who knows where. We go to school every afternoon on weekdays to learn Italian and then for every other part of the day, it's my understanding that I roam around free (pun intended since it is in Roma that I will be staying).
I don't get a credit because you have to stay about 6 weeks in order to do that, but I'm supposed to go to at least %80 of the classes. I'm really nervous about friends!

I also have nerves about life in Rome.
My friend Morgan will be staying in some apartment thing on her own but we will be going to the EF school together and obviously partying through out the whole trip. On one hand I'm soooooooooo thankful she's going with me. She did this programme last year in France so she has an idea of what to expect. I just hope we don't do that thing (all friends do it once in awhile) where because we are set in our friendship we neglect making friends with others, I really want to come out of this with contacts from around the world!
I also hope the family I live with is easy going -I sent them an e-mail but they haven't replied back yet. I can't forget I'm a little worried about getting lost or stuck on my own but that shouldn't happen cause I have Morgan for a friend :)

For the most part...

I'm so excited!!!!

Song of the Month

Often people get stuck in rut they really shouldn't be in.

Lost & Found

Adrienne Pierce

Eyes like flowers, I love the way you see you see, you see

You're the best thing that's happened to me Maybe I should fight harder for you

But I said I'd let go when you wanted me to Have no power,

I see the way you run you run you run As soon as we start to have fun

Maybe I will be feel better alone or just feel something,

Heart is turning to stone

So, so slow can you feel me letting go

I, I know that we turn away when the cracks begin to show
And now we're sleeping with the television and all the lights on

One of us is leaving soon but we're both already gone

Stuck at the lost at found, watch things disappear

Looking for the missing piece but it was never here
Every hour, I find a way a way a way, a way

To convince myself to stay back and forth,

I can't juggle lying here need to stand up and struggle

Ivory tower, I know the what you think you think you think

It's making my heart sink unamused, tired of the antics

Sick of arguing over semantics

So, so slow can you feel me letting go

I, I know that we turn away when the cracks begin to show
And now we're sleeping with the television and all the lights on

One of us is leaving soon but we're both already gone

Stuck at the lost at found, watch things disappear

Looking for the missing piece but it was never here

This song just seems to fit my life when I feel its headed to being in a rut.

Veggn' out!

So as you should know I'm a vegetarian. It's not too hard. I don't have a problem with cutting out meat, my problem has to do with replacing it...and also marsh mellows.
I clearly don't eat healthy enough I lack protein and iron but I'm working on it.

I'm not a big fan of marsh mellows I just like them in other deserts like RiceKrispie -Squares and s'mores so I have spent all weekend looking for vegan marsh mellows. I searched all over I was almost desperate I found a store in Georgia and New Zealand but I have finally found the right place for me in Toronto, its this store on.......called....... Panacea: An Eco Shopping Oasis

I went here just to look for marsh mellows but I found so much more! I plan to go back sometime soon maybe after my trip to Italy in June, I think the store will continue to be a big help with my vegetarian lifestyle -which at this moment isn't very healthy. They had so many options, I often have a hard time finding food because I am very allergic to bell peppers (I know strange but it runs in the family) but there were sooooooooo many selections to choose from, many without soy products which can be a problem for people allergic to peanuts. Being a Vegetarian can be a little pricey. It's tricky to find affordable healthy food without meat, -that's why so many westerners are over-weight because things like Mc Donald's are so much cheaper than vegan places.

I even bought some vegan Gummie bears! I was worried that they would taste too healthy 0if you know what I mean but they were great! I shared them with my friends who almost all eat meat and they loved them too! The best thing about the Gummie bears (besides the satisfaction of not eating an animal) is that they don't have that after feeling. Shirley and I were agreeing that regular Gummie bears often leave you with a sick feeling (your body is telling you they weren't to good for you lol) but the vegan bears left you perfectly fine.

Even if you're not a vegetarian I recommend you visit the store. In case you don't know why I look for vegan marsh mellows it is because many things with that type of chewy-gummy texture contains a substance called gelatin. Gelatin is made up of a few icky things including cow hooves (when I picture gelatin I just imagine the foot of a cow being torn off -eww I know). When I was a kid I thought that gelatin was artificial but as it turns out I was wrong. Gelatin is still used very much today and is very much real including the hooves.

Have you ever tried being a vegetarian? Vegan? Or even just tried cutting out red-meat? As much as I would like to just tell you all to stop eating any type of meat, I suggest you give it a try, but do it for the right reasons. Really think about the choice, Are you trying it because it seems to be the trend? As my friend Morgan once said 'You can't just take a political stance without a reason'.
I am a vegetarian because I don't believe in eating someone (let's classify someone as a being with a pulse for the argument's sake) I believe that animals have souls and don't deserve to be killed for our benefit (lol -a little intense?), but you could try it to be healthier just be sure to replace the iron, protein, calcium, even the calories. If you are trying to loose weight -I don't think this is the right way. Remember to think always think about what you do and why you do it (this applies to all aspects of life).

<3