One week and counting...

Dear Pete, (Joke with my mom, hehe)
This is my first post. I'm a little nervous about how I sound over the computer but mostly that's just me being silly. I have about one week till I leave for Italy and I'm a bit nervous. I'm in the middle of moving all my stuff into a storage unit so that my parents can move it when I'm gone, sorry :( I'm struggling with figuring out what I need and what I don't so that I won't have to go rummaging through boxes trying to find stuff. But anyway, lets focus on the trip. Just to give a summary, I will be studying abroad at the Aegean Center of Fine Arts for fall term, from Sept. 4th to December 15th. I'm spending September in Italy and the rest of the time in Greece. In Italy I will be based in Pistoia, which is in Tuscany but we will be traveling to Venice, Florence, Pisa, Lucca, Siena, and Rome. Then I will spend a few days in Athens but the majority of the time will be spent at the Center on the Greek island Paros. This explains the handy-dandy clocks on the right side of this blog.
In case anybody is wondering what the title of this blog means (Vivere la vita che si imagina) its supposed to translate to "Live the life you imagine." This was inspired by the Henry David Thoreau quote "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined." I changed the phrase from the past tense because I use my imagination everyday and my dreams change on a regular basis. I chose this for my title because I've always imagined being in Italy and recently, through my Art History studies, have wanted to be in Greece so this thoroughly describes what this trip is to me. The life that I've only been able to imagine till now can start with this fantastic adventure of self-discovery and independence.
Now I know, or at least am hoping, that the trip will be amazing it's just the getting there that is proving to be more difficult, or at least from my point of view. How am I, as a girl, supposed to pack everything I need, for three months, in one suitcase? Thats just insane. And after the miracle of getting it all to fit I have to get said suitcase and myself to my final destination, one ten hour flight from Portland to Frankfurt and then 2 hours to Florence. Followed by a train and two taxi trips. May we pray I don't get lost. Now hopefully I will follow this post with one that says I was over reacting and being a silly girl because it really wasn't that hard, but you will all just have to keep checking in to find out.
Now that I've babbled for a bit I shall get back to packing. I will return at some point with more passing thoughts and will try to stay entertaining. Thank you all for caring and I hope to speak with you or see you before I leave. Loves and kisses, Hugs and misses, Cori