Dear readers,
Sorry I haven't written in quite sometime. It has been a crazy year of school. Being a senior is tough!
A couple weeks ago, I turned 18 years old. I did not celebrate or do anything special other than do my favorite activity. CrossFit. Ever since I got back from Italy, all I do is work out at my CrossFit gym, school, and work.I even became a certified Level One CrossFit trainer! It is my new passion, hobby, and way of staying fit!
The first semester of my senior year, I was applying for colleges and scholarships like crazy making sure I set my self up for a good future. I feel that now that I am 18, I need to be more responsible than I was before. I am trying to communicate better with others and be conscientious of everything around me as well.
Now, during the second semester, I am 23 days away from my high school graduation! I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. I mean, I still remember when I was waiting to hear from the Rotary which country I was going to. Everything seems so surreal. I have also realized that even the BEST of students get senioritis. I can't believe I have it, but I do. I am still doing my work and getting food grades, but there is no desire to do so any longer :P
For those who are curious, I will be attending Miami University of Oxford, Ohio. My major (as of now) is Nutrition with a co-major in Pre-Medicine and a minor in Italian.
I can't wait until I start my life as an official college student!
Move-in day is August 21st and classes start on the 25th!
Update on how I feel about Italy:
I really miss it. I miss riding the bus to the store. I miss walking EVERYWHERE with my friends. I miss the food, especially the gelato. I miss speaking the language. I miss everything.
Thankfully, I won't miss speaking Italian for very much longer! Two of my Italian friends are coming to visit me the whole month of June! We are going to be traveling with my grandparents! I cannot wait until they get here! We have been planning for months and it has been very stressful, but I know we will have a blast! Hopefully, I will be able to return to Italy for Christmas of 2015 and visit my Italian friends and family :)
Anyway, wish me luck with my new life!
Thanks for reading,
Shelby Janae
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Time
Hello everyone!
Time is a funny thing. It never seems to stay the same. Sometimes it goes really fast, sometimes the time just drags on.
It's been about 6 months since I have returned from Italy. I have a hard time believing it was real sometimes. Was it just a dream? Did I really experience all of that?
I feel like I am a new person now. I am stronger, both physically and mentally, and I am more secure in who I am as a person.
The 9 months that I spent in Italy seemed to go so fast my head still spins, but since I have returned, the 7 months have gone by incredibly slow. My life is truly starting.
I will be attending Miami University of Ohio in the fall of 2014 and I have been working and studying and becoming more and more like an adult with each passing day.
Italy will always be a part of who I am and I thank everyone who was there for me before, during and after my incredible exchange.
Thank you so much!
~Shelby Kenville
Time is a funny thing. It never seems to stay the same. Sometimes it goes really fast, sometimes the time just drags on.
It's been about 6 months since I have returned from Italy. I have a hard time believing it was real sometimes. Was it just a dream? Did I really experience all of that?
I feel like I am a new person now. I am stronger, both physically and mentally, and I am more secure in who I am as a person.
The 9 months that I spent in Italy seemed to go so fast my head still spins, but since I have returned, the 7 months have gone by incredibly slow. My life is truly starting.
I will be attending Miami University of Ohio in the fall of 2014 and I have been working and studying and becoming more and more like an adult with each passing day.
Italy will always be a part of who I am and I thank everyone who was there for me before, during and after my incredible exchange.
Thank you so much!
~Shelby Kenville
Friday, August 30, 2013
Hello readers,
So it's been about two months since I have written anything. I really just wanted to write and say that I have been adjusting back to America. I am still missing Italy incredibly, but, I am keeping myself very busy. I am going to school, band, work, and the gym. Repeat.
Right now, it's quite difficult to talk to my friends because a lot of them are at the beach and are not near computers, but hopefully, once their school year starts, we will be able to Skype regularly!!!
Also, about two weeks ago, my ITALIAN exchange student, Irene, arrived!! yay!!! it's so much fun having her around because I get to keep practicing my Italian!!
It has been almost exactly a year since I left for Italy: September 4th, 2012.
Italy will always have a very special place in my heart and I will never forget the the things I did there or the beautiful people I met.
Thanks!!! <3
~Shelby K.
So it's been about two months since I have written anything. I really just wanted to write and say that I have been adjusting back to America. I am still missing Italy incredibly, but, I am keeping myself very busy. I am going to school, band, work, and the gym. Repeat.
Right now, it's quite difficult to talk to my friends because a lot of them are at the beach and are not near computers, but hopefully, once their school year starts, we will be able to Skype regularly!!!
Also, about two weeks ago, my ITALIAN exchange student, Irene, arrived!! yay!!! it's so much fun having her around because I get to keep practicing my Italian!!
It has been almost exactly a year since I left for Italy: September 4th, 2012.
Italy will always have a very special place in my heart and I will never forget the the things I did there or the beautiful people I met.
Thanks!!! <3
~Shelby K.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Re-adjusting
Hello everyone!
I know it's been a long time since I have written.
I have been incredibly busy!
From working to college visits, I have had no down time.
Being away from Italy is incredibly hard. I am skyping and writing to my friends but it is not the same. I hope that I will be able to see them sometime soon! I miss them all so much.
But adjusting is going fine as long as I stay busy. When I am sitting doing nothing, it is a lot harder.
There are a lot of triggers that make me think of Italy at random moments, but all I have are good thoughts. I don't even think of the hard times anymore. All I think of are the wonderful times I had with my friends and family. I am forever grateful for this experience and I am so glad that it will always be a part of who I am.
Thanks! <3
~Shelby Janae
I know it's been a long time since I have written.
I have been incredibly busy!
From working to college visits, I have had no down time.
Being away from Italy is incredibly hard. I am skyping and writing to my friends but it is not the same. I hope that I will be able to see them sometime soon! I miss them all so much.
But adjusting is going fine as long as I stay busy. When I am sitting doing nothing, it is a lot harder.
There are a lot of triggers that make me think of Italy at random moments, but all I have are good thoughts. I don't even think of the hard times anymore. All I think of are the wonderful times I had with my friends and family. I am forever grateful for this experience and I am so glad that it will always be a part of who I am.
Thanks! <3
~Shelby Janae
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Returning
Hello everyone,
I am officially back in America. It is so crazy. I honestly don't even know how it happened. I just remember going to the airport 9 months ago and then having the time of my life. The year flew by so quickly. It feels like I just got there a week ago and then had to turn around and come back.
My 9 months abroad were some of the best months I have had. I will never forget my time with my friends and family. I feel like I am a changed person.
Unfortunately, coming back was one of the hardest things I have even hard to do though. I made so many amazing friends and saying goodbye was extremely difficult. I shed so many tears.
I hope with all my heart that we will be able to keep up our relationships and continue to talk.
When I got home, my family and beat friend were waiting for me at the airport and we went to eat some hamburgers and milkshakes. When I got home, I was reunited with my dogs and my parents surprised me with my very own car. I could not believe it!
Anyway, this year was so great and I'm already thinking about when I get to return to Italy.
Hopefully I will get back into the American lifestyle soon though!
~Shelby Janae <3
I am officially back in America. It is so crazy. I honestly don't even know how it happened. I just remember going to the airport 9 months ago and then having the time of my life. The year flew by so quickly. It feels like I just got there a week ago and then had to turn around and come back.
My 9 months abroad were some of the best months I have had. I will never forget my time with my friends and family. I feel like I am a changed person.
Unfortunately, coming back was one of the hardest things I have even hard to do though. I made so many amazing friends and saying goodbye was extremely difficult. I shed so many tears.
I hope with all my heart that we will be able to keep up our relationships and continue to talk.
When I got home, my family and beat friend were waiting for me at the airport and we went to eat some hamburgers and milkshakes. When I got home, I was reunited with my dogs and my parents surprised me with my very own car. I could not believe it!
Anyway, this year was so great and I'm already thinking about when I get to return to Italy.
Hopefully I will get back into the American lifestyle soon though!
~Shelby Janae <3
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
The countdown is beginning...
to be serious. Before, I was counting down, "Oh, one month. That's still a lot of time."
Now, the countdown is 6 days. I can't believe how fast the time has flown by. It honestly just doesn't even make sense. I feel like I have spent my whole life here with my friends, but I still don't feel like it was enough. I will miss my friends so much, I don't even know how I am going to handle leaving them. Yes, I had bad days where I didn't even talk to my friends, but overall, they were always there and they always enjoyed my company.
I truly hope that we will be able to stay in touch forever and that next summer they will be able to visit me in America like we are planning.
So, my bag is slowly starting to be packed and I'm thinking about the things I could leave here in order to save as much space as possible. My money supply is down to only 55 Euros and I know exactly what I'm spending all of it on. I will be going home with basically no money :P
Overall, despite small problems that I ran into, I have had an amazing exchange year. I wouldn't change anything and I'm so glad I was able to go.
I thank everyone who I have met on this experience and anyone who helped me to get here. I appreciate it so much. I feel like a changed person.
Thanks for reading throughout this year and I hope to keep posting even when I return to America.
Next post will probably be about having to say goodbye to my whole new life in Italy.
~Shelby Janae <3
Now, the countdown is 6 days. I can't believe how fast the time has flown by. It honestly just doesn't even make sense. I feel like I have spent my whole life here with my friends, but I still don't feel like it was enough. I will miss my friends so much, I don't even know how I am going to handle leaving them. Yes, I had bad days where I didn't even talk to my friends, but overall, they were always there and they always enjoyed my company.
I truly hope that we will be able to stay in touch forever and that next summer they will be able to visit me in America like we are planning.
So, my bag is slowly starting to be packed and I'm thinking about the things I could leave here in order to save as much space as possible. My money supply is down to only 55 Euros and I know exactly what I'm spending all of it on. I will be going home with basically no money :P
Overall, despite small problems that I ran into, I have had an amazing exchange year. I wouldn't change anything and I'm so glad I was able to go.
I thank everyone who I have met on this experience and anyone who helped me to get here. I appreciate it so much. I feel like a changed person.
Thanks for reading throughout this year and I hope to keep posting even when I return to America.
Next post will probably be about having to say goodbye to my whole new life in Italy.
~Shelby Janae <3
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Television
Hello everyone,
In Italy, I feel like they like to watch a lot of TV. Most people gasp when I say I never watch TV. I honestly prefer movies over television. Anyway, the Italian TV is different than America but there are a lot of the same shows!
Most shows and movies are American or English, so most of the things you see on TV are dubbed. It is rather irritating to watch. They have MTV and disney channel just like we do in America. My host brother likes to watch Disney Channel in the mornings while we are eating breakfast. :)
Also, there are a lot a lot of commercials here. Commercials take up just as much time as they do in America, if not more. Commercials are pretty much the same as in America. The variety is taken up by candy/food and women products. Go figure. haha :)
Anyway, I just wanted to add a little note that I only have 12 days remaining in Italy. It's getting closer and more real every second. I can't imagine how much I'm going to be crying when I leave my much-loved Italian friends.
Thanks for reading <3
~Shelby Janae
In Italy, I feel like they like to watch a lot of TV. Most people gasp when I say I never watch TV. I honestly prefer movies over television. Anyway, the Italian TV is different than America but there are a lot of the same shows!
Most shows and movies are American or English, so most of the things you see on TV are dubbed. It is rather irritating to watch. They have MTV and disney channel just like we do in America. My host brother likes to watch Disney Channel in the mornings while we are eating breakfast. :)
Also, there are a lot a lot of commercials here. Commercials take up just as much time as they do in America, if not more. Commercials are pretty much the same as in America. The variety is taken up by candy/food and women products. Go figure. haha :)
Anyway, I just wanted to add a little note that I only have 12 days remaining in Italy. It's getting closer and more real every second. I can't imagine how much I'm going to be crying when I leave my much-loved Italian friends.
Thanks for reading <3
~Shelby Janae
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