La Bella Vita

Photo

Sat, 18 Aug 2012 04:46:52 +0200

psychic-knees: orientaltiger: Dreaming Italy take me back.

Sat, 28 Jul 2012 22:11:15 +0200

psychic-knees:

orientaltiger:

Dreaming Italy

take me back.

astronautalis: my block. (for the next two nights) #venezia...

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 17:46:50 +0200

astronautalis:

my block. (for the next two nights) #venezia (Taken with Instagram)

well gosh darnit I miss living in Italy.

To do before I leave Florence

Wed, 02 May 2012 18:34:03 +0200

espressoespressogelatogelato&moreespresso

(oh yeah and study for finals and pack everything up again in two suitcase and clean the entire apartment but hey that’s not as important)

Preikestolen, Norway

Tue, 01 May 2012 22:14:48 +0200

Preikestolen, Norway

Was I really just here? Was it only a green screen? Strangely,...

Tue, 01 May 2012 21:55:32 +0200

Was I really just here? Was it only a green screen? Strangely, no.
It is a really bizarre thing, dreaming of visiting a place for years and years, and then you finally do. You hike for over two hours, the sights getting more and more breathtaking, until finally, after hundreds of pictures and a hungry stomach, you reach this.

I just sat and stared for at least an hour. I’m trying to put those moments into words, but I’m stuck. Just stuck in the feeling of reliving Saturday. I wish I could relive it for real, over and over until the end of time.

Yesterday I was in Norway, today I’m in Italy. In four days I’ll be in Wisconsin, and 11...

Tue, 01 May 2012 21:31:38 +0200

Yesterday I was in Norway, today I’m in Italy. In four days I’ll be in Wisconsin, and 11 in Minneapolis - what?!

Today I boarded an airplane in 10 minutes after arriving at the airport - LIKE A BOSS.

Tue, 01 May 2012 00:20:38 +0200

Today I boarded an airplane in 10 minutes after arriving at the airport - LIKE A BOSS.

Positano, Italia.

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 20:10:53 +0200

Positano, Italia.

Sucked into a vortex of white, my hair whipping around in every...

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:35:32 +0200

Sucked into a vortex of white, my hair whipping around in every directions, put my ipod in on the ride down back to earth (Youth Lagoon) I can’t properly explain how amazing this was.

You know, I’ve always seen pictures of this place,...

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:27:41 +0200

You know, I’ve always seen pictures of this place, I’ve always wanted to go, I’ve always thought it was the most beautiful placeI’d ever seen. This is the island of Capri, and let me tell you - it was the most beautiful place. I know I’ve been saying that a lot about my travels, but seriously look at that water.

This past weekend I went on a group trip to the Almalfi Coast, which is a little peninsula near Naples. The first day we took a ferry to the island of Capri, and right away we hopped on another boat and got a smaller boat tour around the whole island!
I am a little bummed though because we couldn’t go into the Blue Gotto, this tiny cave like thing with a small opening just big enough for a row boat. Once inside the entire interior illuminates which bright blue because of how the sun reflex off the bottom of the water or something…but point is that I couldnt go in because the water was too high and choppy that day :(

After the boat tour we hiked up to Capritown. There I got a fantastic granita drink (fresh fruit slushy) and looked out over the amazing views. From there we went up again, only by bus to Anacapri. More shops, more food. But the best part was the skylift. We happened to have a giant rain cloud (although only drizzling very sparsly) above the island, and the one-seated skylift went right up into it. The ride got foggier and foggier, until we reached the chilly top, and we were in the cloud! It was honestly one of the coolest things to be inside of a cloud. everything around you is white, with a few trees in sight. looking over the edge to “spectate” gave you a view that made you think you had drifted off into another world.

I can’t believe I only have two weeks left here in Florence. I’m surprised at how fast...

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 08:49:29 +0200

I can’t believe I only have two weeks left here in Florence. I’m surprised at how fast its flown but really I’m surprised at how much I have adjusted my lifestyle here and grown accustomed to Italian life.

My friend Kayden is visiting me this week (!) on Friday we are going to Norway (!!!) and all that’s left after that between me and a plane back to the states are finals…

psychic-knees: David on Flickr. This is what I did...

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:34:24 +0200

psychic-knees:

David on Flickr.

This is what I did today.

I’ve noticed that when I’m drawing, if an Italian wants to look at what I’m doing, he/she will just come up and watch me draw. But if it’s an American, they shyly peek as they slowly walk past, maybe even casually loop back around and hope I don’t notice.
I think it’s kind of funny. Drawing out in public here in Italy is definitely different than in the States that’s for sure. I think I like it better here.

Spanish steps: first visit to Rome versus second (Feb 5 versus...

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 22:39:26 +0200

Spanish steps: first visit to Rome versus second (Feb 5 versus April 6)

It’s crazy how many more tourists have invaded the city! I’m glad I visited Rome when I did! (ok even though the whole snowstorm wasn’t the optimal experience) The second time around was still pretty fun though!

The production of records on X-ray film was a dissident...

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 21:54:46 +0200

The production of records on X-ray film was a dissident practice in the former USSR during the Cold War from 1946 to the early 1960s, viewed as anti-USSR activity and punished by 3-7 years of prison. A master disk was pressed onto already-exposed and heated X-ray film, in order to make a kind of phonographic recording, whose barely visible grooves were etched on skulls, chest cavities, and spinal cords of the Soviet citizens. Until Stalin’s death, “Music on Bones” - as it was referred to in KGB documents and anti-propaganda movies circulated by the Soviet Government - was the only way to gain access to Western hits.

This is probably THE COOLEST thing I have ever seen in a museum… they even had headphones hooked up to listen to the real recordings yourself!

Visiting this museum in Rome tomorrow!!!!

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:24:54 +0200

Visiting this museum in Rome tomorrow!!!!

I did it

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 23:24:39 +0200

I bought a plane ticket to Norway April 27th-30th with one of my best friends, Kayden. It was only 47 USD round trip.

Can this really be happening?

Tuesday I was laying on the beach, and Wednesday….I was...

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:19:25 +0200

Tuesday I was laying on the beach, and Wednesday….I was here! On top of Mount Etna, the most active volcano in all of Europe!
We climbed at about 2,000 meters above sea level for about 3km. We hiked on the side of the volcano that is the supposed “safe side” because when the volcano erupts it doesn’t affect the north side. Just a week before there was a little eruption!

I was expecting a bit of snow on the volcano, but to our surprise there was about 3-4 feet of hard, frozen snow everywhere. We were also expecting some sort of path, but nope! Our tour guide just hops over the guard rail on the side of the one road that goes up the volcano, climbs on top of the snow and we all follow. The snow was so frozen it was solid enough to walk right on top of. What was really bizarre looking though was the ash that completely covered the snow. Similar to the way wind affects sand dunes in the desert, the ash lay on top of the snow in a wavy/bumpy pattern. It made it look like we were on Mars or something!

Yet another amazing view of Sicily. We had Etna’s peak on one side of our view, and the Mediterranean Sea on the other. The whole experience was so surreal. Am I really experiencing all of this?!

Day Three: hiked down yet another cliff to the main beach of...

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 23:00:33 +0200

Day Three: hiked down yet another cliff to the main beach of Taormina

Beach volleyball, jellyfish, bruschetta and sun bathing
This island just keeps getting more and more beautiful.

These amazing views don’t come with a price y’all....

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 22:43:51 +0200

These amazing views don’t come with a price y’all. My legs/calves have never been more sore in my life, but of course it was totally worth it.

The first full day in Taormina I climbed up to the highest point to the castle (which unfortunately has been closed for 10 years) It only took about a half hour each way (going down is almost just as strenuous on the knees)
Then after taking a walking tour of the town, me and some friends explored another cliff, this one would take us to the coast! This path was a little less straight-forward and winded all sorts of directions, often times only made of gravel. But finally, after entering through a little tunnel we were (what seemed like) transported into an alternate universe.
Being born and growing up in the Midwest, I never really experienced the ocean much back in the States. Beaches are not a common thing for me.

I dont even know how to describe how perfect the earth felt down there by the coast. The bright blue of the water, the sun low in the sky stained everything a rich golden hue.

Laying on the giant boulders out at the sea, now that is something I could do for hours upon hours…