I MADE BANANA BREAD

I woke up this morning and all I wanted to do was make banana bread. I don't know why. Ugh. This isn't normal.

so so delicious

In other news, Saturday was terrible. After school all I wanted to do was sleep. Ludovica wanted to clean the room (as per usual) and I just physically couldn't. I was beyond tired. Reading my Twitter feed was too much effort, that's how weak I felt. I almost slept through lunch but then my host mom insisted I eat. Then I slept from 3pm-8pm. I probably over did it. Oversleeping just makes you more tired. So unfair.

I think a lot of it has to do with constantly attempting to translate everything. All the time. And just being in a general state of confusion. It's so easy to not pay attention and just kind of drift off when people around me are speaking in Italian, but I need to force myself to stay present and listen. Very challenging.

After dinner, we got ready to go out. In Porto San Giorgio the only night you can go out is Saturday because every other night is a school night. I seriously miss having a two day weekend. In Italy - or at least in PS. Giorgio - it is normal to go out at 11pm. We go to the center of the town and sit on benches or by the beach or in Lampara, and just hang out.

Ludo asked me what I do on weekends in America. I don't know. We don't have a "center" of Lower Merion the same way there's a "center" to PS. Giorgio. We have parks and Wawa and Yapple, but we don't do things as a community - unless you count basketball games. We do things in our groups of friends.

Another huge difference is the drinking age and driving age. In Lower Merion, it is normal to have your license by senior year and to have at least a few friends with their own cars/the ability to drive you around whenever you want. Hi Ally. However, we can't drink until 21. In theory.

Here, you can't drive until 18 but you can casually order a beer at 15. It's a weird trade off. I don't think either way is better. Americans and Italians prioritize different things - view different things as dangerous. For example, in Italy not drying your hair is dangerous, but smoking cigarettes during break in high school is normal.

Today was a little better. I woke up at 11, ate yogurt, made banana bread, ate lunch, watched Gossip girl with Ludovica (to improve my Italian!!!!), drank tea, studied math, read the plot of Hamlet, napped, and ate dinner. For a Sunday, it was very productive.

WEATHER UPDATE BROUGHT TO YOU BY GOOGLE:

I WANT SPRING

NOT RAIN

ugh

Lastly, hilarious things my host mom said today:

On American coffee being terrible, "it's like dirty water."

"I could probably survive on pasta alone."

She and my host father also took turns impersonating penguins. I absolutely love this family. I can't believe how lucky I got. I just... ah I still can't believe it.