Pompeii and Herculanium

So today we went to Pompeii and then to Herculanium. In case you don't know, these are some of the Roman excavation sites where they dug up whole cities buried in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. It was amazing! I was REALLY crushed to find out I missed the Villa of Mysteries. It was a great experience though. There were amazing amphitheaters, an arena (like the colossium but smaller) and amazing rooms and caves and all sorts of things with statues, gardens, forums surrounded by (what was left of) brick and stone columns. There were also a few FANTASTIC fresco paintings and mosaics. It was so great! The only things that made me sad were all the blocked off areas that we weren't allowed to explore and that we didn't get to spend enough time in Pompeii... I suppose I'll just have to come back someday and see the plaster casts and the Villa of Mysteries that I missed. My camera was dead for most of the day so I don't have many pictures, but I'm hoping that I can get a lot of good ones from the other people in the group. We ate breakfast from a little market next door, and we're going out for pizza again tonight... there aren't many other restaurants within walking distance... My luggage is still missing and I'm starting to feel like I spend half my life on the phone with people telling me to call someone else and that it's someone else's problem... But I think it's getting close... maybe. Delta says it should be in Rome by now, and Lufthansa says they don't have a claim report for it even though they're the ones that requested it sent to Rome and even though I have a claim reciept. Oh well... I'm pretty exhausted and ready to sleep as soon as I get some good dinner inside me. I love you all and I miss you!

I'm Here!!!!!!!

So I'm finally here in Naples. We came down here from Rome this morning. We're staying in a hostel with free internet access... YAY!!! So the flight here was pretty much a nightmare. I got to the Salt Lake airport at about 7 am on the 27th and waited for almost two hours for my flight... then I waited another hour for storming to stop in New York... then when we landed in New York I waited another hour for room to open up in the crowded airport for us to disembark. Needless to say I missed my group flight from New York to Rome and was rescheduled from NY to Frankfurt and from Frankfurt to Rome. We got to Germany late as well and my flight was re-scheduled again which was probably just as well since I got lost in the airport for a while. I finally got on a plane to Rome at about 3:30 and arrived at 5:30 (Europe standard time) which was only 8 hours later than I was supposed to be. So when I got to Rome and went to pick up my bag I found out my bag was still in NY despite my best efforts to make sure it followed me to Rome. From there I went to the train station and bought a ticket to the Rome city center. I couldn't quite figure out what to do, but then another American woman and her husband showed up (we met because they had lost their bag as well) and helped me out. From the train station I took the Subway and was supposed to take a bus when I got off, but I couldn't figure out where the bus stop was so it was dark out and I was wandering Rome all by myself. Most of the shops were closed and I couldn't find anyone who spoke English and pretty much I had no idea what to do. I had a hotel address but didn't know where to find it and no one could understand me when I asked them. I burst into tears and a few minutes later a girl in a car asked if she could help me. She didn't know where the hotel was, but she asked someone else in Italian and figured out where it was. She offered me a ride and I decided that despite the fact that she was a stranger it was infinately preferable to continuing to wander Rome after dark. She was very kind and talked to me about her friend in Washington and dropped me off right next to the hotel. I walked into the hotel at about 8 or 8:30 only 11 hours after I was supposed to be there. Everyone was very concerned and nice to me, especially since I was crying my eyes out when I walked through the door. From there things have gotten better... except my luggage. I was lent some soap and something to wear to bed, so my clothes are mostly clean, even if we can't seem to get my luggage back... we're still trying... Today we had a small sacrament meeting on a hillside on our way to Naples from Rome. We went to the Museo Archiologico which is where all the artifacts from Pompei and Hurculanium are at. Then we went to another museum... I don't remember the name, but it was fantastic! We got to see original Titians, Caravaggios, Giovanni's and more. I hope I will have pictures up soon. Oh! We're staying in a hostel in Naples and we went to dinner down in the town. We had real Italian Pizza. It is a little bit runnier on top than American pizza and you fold it in half and eat it. I also ate anchovies for the first time! They aren't too bad. They taste really salty, but mostly they just look gross so they're hard to eat. I have to go now though, I have more than taken my time on here. We are headed to the actual Pompei and Hurculanium sites tomorrow. I'm so excited! I love you all and miss you! I will write more later. I have like 10,000 pictures, but I might not get any tomorrow since my camera is dead and the charger is in my luggage... wherever it is.

ONE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One week from today I board an airplane to Rome. I'm excited out of my mind!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yesterday I bought new luggage and an amazing camera and some new cloths and art supplies and all sorts of things to get ready for my trip... I pretty much can't wait.

17 days!!!!!!!!!!!!

That was about it actually...

20

The countdown has reached exactly 20 days!!!

24 Days!

In roughly 24 days I will be boarding an airplane to Rome! And here is where I will be keeping people updated on what I am doing while I am there! I will try really hard to keep writing individual letters, e-mails, postcards, etc., but I will definately be rediculously busy and so I can only assure you that if I'm not keeping in touch individually, I will be updating this blog, so check it out often!
In preparitory news I have recieved both loan and passport and my "to-do" list is dwindling slowly but surely... Basically I am just really, really excited!