Yo yo yo!

I am back from Berlin -- ack, let me qualify that statement...
--Yes, I was in Berlin because we had a 5-day conference through the overseas study program about WWII. It was *very* interesting. More on it later...
-- By "back" I mean, in Florence. I will be here till April 1st and then I am going to Sicily for a little over two weeks. Then I am coming back to Florence and traveling around Italy and maybe out of the country (Tina! You are so close and yet so far!) and then going to my mom's house in Arizona for a monthish before summer stuff begins.

So, I am back from Berlin, and getting stuff prepared to go to Sicily! How exciting! I am a little nervous because I am going all by myself. I know people in Sicily (like my relatives! Woo hoo!) but still I will be going around from town to town all by myself and I don't know exactly how I will be getting places or where I will be staying. But hey, it will be an adventure!

And now, just because, it is quote time from people's AIM profiles!

"I was about half in love with her by the time we sat down.
That's the thing about girls -
Every time they do something pretty,
even if they're not much to look at,
or even if they're sort of stupid,
you fall half in love with them,
and then you never know where the hell you are."

-J.D. Salinger


Who walks the stairs
Without a care
It shoots so high in the sky.
Bounce up and down
Just like a clown.
Everyone knows its Slinky.
The best present yet
To give or get
The kids will all want to try.
The hit of the day
When you are ready to play
Everyone knows it's Slinky.
It Slinky, it's Slinky
For fun the best of the toys
It Slinky, it's Slinky
The favorite of girls and boys.

Now, wasn't that so much fun?
Oh goodness, I am in such a strange mood! I blame it on the hours of research I have been doing for my trip to Sicily. Oye! Who knew that traveling was so much work? At least now I have hostel reservations for the first few nights that I will be in Sicily. That is a great relief! As for the rest of the time I am in Sicily, who knows?

Oye, okay now I should go, lots more research to do!

Ciao ciao...

I'm just so giddy!!

wow... I cannot believe this quarter is almost over. How crazy is that! Goodness gracious... so much work! Eep!

But then, ahhh, what wonderful wonderful weeks await! Yippee!

I will be going to Sicily the first two weeks of April, then I am going to go Spain to visit with Tina. Woo hoo!

Okay, I am not really feeling all that well... I think that I ate pig for lunch today. Oye. Tummy bad. So, I will leave with a quote that had me laughing for soooooooo long...

The Scenario: Talking about the violence that exists in dolphin communities, despite the fact that everybody seems to be of the opinion that dolphins are very intelligent and sweet and harmless....

The Set-Up: "Yeah, I've even heard that there are dolphin gang rapes."

The Punch: "People or dolphins?"

Oh, here we go folks... I don't believe it! Did she actually say that? Oh lordie... I don't believe it!

Here we go!

So... we are really doing it!

I have my airplane ticket in my purse...
for May 7th....
I've been assigned to housing (in Toyon, actually!)...
and refused it...
I've contacted the financial aid and registrar's offices...
to tell them that I am stopping out spring quarter.

I'm stopping out!

Oh my goodness, I really can't believe that I just made this decision!

But it's good. It is.

Oh wow, I am excited! This is going to be such a huge thing. OH my GOODNESS! And then in May I am going to Arizona to see my mamma who I haven't seen now for a year and a half! And then I just found out that I have been accepted into a summer research program at the University of Missouri in Columbia to do breast cancer research! And that program starts on June 9th. I still haven't accepted the offer because I am waiting for news from another program that I've applied to, but it is a huge relief to know that I am going to something at least this summer! It is a huge relief actually to have made decisions, like about staying here in Italy for longer. I know that God has been helping me sooooo much with all these decisions, because I couldn't have made any decisions without his guidance! Yay! God is the best! Just look how everything is coming together!

Happy Birthday!

Eep! It is my Happy 21st Birthday today! Oh goodness gracious me! I cannot believe that I am already 21 years old! Eep! It seems old, but you know, I am really just at the beginning of life. Oh yes. There is going to be a lot more of Erin in the upcoming decades! Muah ha haaa! *mischievous, slightly disconcerting laughter* I mean, can you imagine what all there is to do?? Oh goodness, I have to get going! What am I doing just sitting here?!

Decisions, decisions...

So... hmm... now I'm not so sure about this whole returning to California thing. I really feel like I have unfinished business here in Italy. It isn't something that I can pinpoint... but it's there. And you know, I don't think it is even about postponing getting back into "reality"... whatever that is. Because, let's face it -- Stanford is not entirely in touch with the real world.

And these two quarters I have learned a lot about people and about myself. They haven't been quarters of playing around. Oh no. Honey, I've worked.

And you know what? I don't know if anybody could ever understand what I have gone through here but I think I could try. I am inspired.

Living might mean taking chances but they're worth taking...
Time is wheel in constant motion, always rolling us around.
Tell me who wants to look back at the years and wonder where those years have gone?
When you get the choice to sit it out or dance,
I hope you dance...



I need to do something now.

I need to do something, now.