All Roads Lead to Home

Welp, the end came and went. I ended Rome on a beautiful note. Happy and healthy and full of love.
So heres the update:
Barcelona rocked my world. John, Tyler and I are the ultimate traveling trio. We do work.
I got good grades in all my classes, batted a hundred average for pretty much all of them. Ballin.
I bought an outfit for going home, so that I might land in the US lookin fierce. It worked. Thanks Zara for the ballin hot punk blazer.
I made all of my flights on time. It was magical. It was smooth flying because I popped a Nyquil pill and KOed for the entire 10 hours.
Crystal, my mom, and Luca picked me up from the airport and I promptly got an iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts.
Now I am home. I am without car because my Dad's got stolen (price you pay for livin in Springfield). Im happy to be home. I missed my fam, my dog, my bed, beans, goya, etc.
It feels weird to be home, but its a good weird.
John and I are going strong, doing the distance thing. Because we're bosses.
Im happy. This is the happiest Ive ever been in my life. Im focused now. I know what I want. I know who I am. I know where Im going. It's a good feeling.
I no longer rely on people for things. I know that I am fully capable of doing things all on my own.
I no longer care what people think, because it doesnt matter.
I have a more profound sense of self. I am more grateful for my family, the opportunities I have, and the blessings I've been given.
I've learned that Karma is, in fact, a bitch. But only if you're a bitch.
I feed off of people's energy, and I no longer put up with negative people.
Life is great. You but only if you make it so.
If you want to suffer, you will. If you want to be bored, you will be. If you want to be fat, you will be. You control everything in your life, minus natural disasters and the weather.
So be happy. Be fierce. Be free. Just be. Life is too short to be miserable all the time over things that dont matter.
I loved Rome, and it will have a piece of my heart forever. But I will take everything I learned and use it here, to make my life even richer than it already was. Because that's what it's all about. Living, and learning.
Thanks for following me through this journey of adventure and growth and eating hahahaha I wont write here anymore because I am no longer in Rome, so this seems counterproductive. But, if you just LOVE my blogging skills (or lack there of) you can follow me on Tumblr. I post less eloquently, but it's better than nothing? megagood.tumblr.com
Until we meet again<3

All we need is just a little patience...

Rome. It's all coming to an end in 13 days. And looking back on it, the main lesson I have learned from Rome is patience. Patience with the metro, with the people, with the language barrier, with my roommates, with my teachers, with the social rules, everything. Everything. But most importantly, patience with myself.  To learn that I dont have to learn everything at the speed of light, that I dont have to go a billion miles an hour. I can just be, and that's ok too. Also, prior to Rome, I had a bit of an issue with people not liking me. And looking back on it, I probably hated it so much when people didnt like me because it was a reflection of things I didnt like about myself. But now, I know myself. And I am sure of who I am and what I stand for. So when people dont like me, I can gracefully brush them off and know that it doesnt matter, because I like me. Which is all that ever mattered. Not to say that a lot of people dont like me, but there are a few who dont, that's just the way the cookie crumbles. People are going to talk crap and hate on you for no reason, but that is for the same reason I couldnt handle people not liking me; because they are insecure with themselves. So Rome has taught me that when confronted with people you dont like, keep your mouth shut. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING good comes from running your mouth. Usually you take it too far and then you end up with your foot in your mouth. So follow all the cliche rules. Dont say anything if you have nothing nice to say, do unto others, etc etc etc. Kill them with kindness. Because talking trash does nothing but spread the filth. Who wants to live like that? My role models all my life have been preaching this to me, and in typical teenage girl fashion, I ignored them, thinking I knew best. Now I know why EVERYONE (everyone worth their salt) preaches it. Because it's true. And it's the best way to live. Above the bull.

In other news, Rome is a zoo right now. The Beatification brought over a million tourists. We went to go see St. Peters, just for the sake of seeing what a million people looks like. It looks like a zoo. It looks like a lot of litter. It's claustrophobic and takes away from the beauty of Rome. I wasnt feeling it at all. I dont like to be touched. Especially by strangers. So being body to body with a bunch of sweaty tourists was not ideal.
There were trucks parked all over the place just handing out food and water to the masses. Fruits, veggies, snack boxes, juice boxes, etc. All for free. And people were going to town. People get wild for free things. They wait in line even if they have no idea what theyre getting. I hate those people. It's why I hate black friday. You wake up at 3AM just to save 2 dollars on an ugly sweater? Ridiculous. People have their priorities all out of whack. Rome has massive amounts of homeless people, if the left overs didnt go to a homeless shelter, I would be so disappointed. There was just so much to go around. For free. Why cant we do that more often for people who actually need it? And it was healthy food, carrots and apples, not McDonalds, the things people actually need. I dont know. The longer I live here, the more I realize that I cant continue to live my life without helping people less fortunate than myself. Because I am extremely fortunate, Im not rich, but I have a great life and a sound mind and body. I want to use what I can to help. it only takes one person right?

Speaking of Zoo's, apparently they found and killed Osama. I say apparently because they're burying him "at sea" and didnt show the body. The only time I am into believing without seeing is when it comes to God. Other than that, seeing is believing, and when it comes to a man we've been hunting for 10 years, I'm going to need some proof. And showing blood on some random floor, well, that just doesnt cut it. But hey, whatever, lets just say we did catch him, why the heck are we rioting at UMass? Really? We riot over winning the World Series, and killing someone...? No offense UMass, but have we really exhausted all the reasons we could think of to get wasted? I also know for a fact, that the majority of the people rioting had probably forgotten all about Osama, so this is a little immature and ignorant, dont you think? If I had a dollar for every ignorant fb status I read this morning, I'd be able to pay for an additional bag on the flight home. And this isnt just from college kids. Adults too. Guess stupidity isnt always something you grow out of.

In other news, it's almost finals week, so I have two more papers to bang out and then I have to start studying for finals. But I would be lying to you if I said that studying was going to take priority over making sure I soak up as much of Rome as I possibly can. I love Rome. It has become my second home and the boys have become my second family. So leaving will be tough. But I am ready to be home. To hug my brother and squeeze my dog. To speak Spanish with my mom and tell stories to my grandparents. I'm even looking forward to my dad telling me "youre an idiot" for my nose ring, because it will just be a healthy reminder that when everything in life gets twisted, turned, and flipped upside down, you're family is always consistent. And you gotta love them for that.

Wednesday is Barcelona! I cant wait. I cant wait to speak another language and be advanced in it hahaha
Should be a good time, it's the last trip I'm taking in Europe, so I have to cherish every moment I can. Cant believe how fast time went. Time flies when youre having fun!