Valentines Day, Sleepovers and Switzerland!!

There is so much that has happened in the past few weeks, I don’t even know where to begin!

Being here on this island has definitely been amazing. I have gotten to know some incredible people and done such great things!

Technology has not been on my side ever since I left to study abroad.  My camera decided to not work again on me in photo class the other day, so I had to bring it to the store. They taught me another way to charge it (let me just say, it is the most ghetto looking charger I have ever seen and the way in which I charge it now is hysterical). But, at least it works!

The past few weeks, we have walked into the Old City of Nicosia a few times which has been a great way to get out and enjoy! The super bowl at the local bar was a really fun way to see what Cypriot life is like here. It was our good friend, Tylar’s 21^st birthday that night as well! We all had a really great time and the next night, my roommates and I made him dinner to celebrate!

Last weekend, the study abroad students were invited to a pre-party at the Italian Ambassador’s Guest House in Cyprus. We did not get to meet him, but it was still a really cool feeling to be standing there. The party was not what I had expected, but we were still able to have fun and went to a club afterwards. Let’s just say my roommates and I really enjoyed the Kebabs we indulged in the next day!

We also had a Valentine’s Day party at our apartment last Saturday night. It was a lot of fun and a really great turnout! We made it a tacky 80s theme; the costumes were great! Around 1am, there were still plenty of people here. My roommate, Carli and I were exhausted from the night before, so we decided to have a sleepover at our friend Kendall’s apartment which was tons of fun! The next morning, we woke up and watched Moulin Rouge. It was my first time seeing that movie and I love it! On Monday night, the boys next door made us a Valentine’s Day dinner. They really outdid themselves by cutting pita bread into the shape of little hearts. It was delicious and so sweet!

Sleepover at Kendalls!

Now to school. All the professors here are very laid back. One of my classes starts at 11:00, however, on Wednesday, the professor didn’t come in until around 11:25 (which is very normal here) and said he needed to leave to go get a sandwich. We all waited another 10-15 minutes for him to even come back! It was crazy; this would never happen back in the States, but is what makes this experience so unique. We were all just laughing at how random and out of the blue that was, but that seems to be the way of the Cypriot life; everyone is understanding and time just does not seem to exist here.

I love all my classes so far though and feel like I am learning so much that I wouldn’t normally get to. Art history has really captured me and seemingly brought me into another world. European Cultures re-instills why I am anthropology major and why I chose to study abroad here. Photography is a great class to take to get me out of the books and into learning about something I love to do; take pictures and what better place than to learn on an island in the middle of the Mediterranean! Sociology of Religion is a really interesting class and let me meet people from all over the world. I have met two really great Irish girls from that class and have been going to lunches with them! Modern Europe is my least favorite class here, but it is still very interesting.  I had my first presentation in that class on Tuesday, so we will see how that went!

I have also been talking to the professor in the anthropology department here and I am going to be doing an internship on religious tolerance in the North Side of Cyprus and on promoting an alternative mode of transportation (no one bikes or walks…EVER! They only drive, and their driving is horrible!) So that will be a really amazing experience! I should start that next week!

Probably the biggest and greatest news that has happened over the past few days is a trip I have been dying to do for years now. My neighbors are going to Switzerland this weekend and after looking for flights for days and days, I finally gave up on the idea because it was all just too expensive. My friends and I ending up booking a trip to the beaches for the weekend. However, at about 3:30am my time, my neighbor from home called me with great news! She had an offer for a round trip flight to Switzerland that I just could not pass up! I had to make the decision right then, because the offer would have gone away at midnight their time. It could not have come at a better time and to make things even better…it barely costs a dime!!! So, in just a few short hours, I will be making my way over to one of the most beautiful places I could imagine, Switzerland!! I am soo excited and absolutely cannot wait! It is going to be so great for me to see them as well, because I will be able to get a little dose of “family” in before the remainder of my semester.

So, Switzerland…here I come!!