J'habite à Paris!

"You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore" -Christopher Columbus

As many of you know, this past fall I accepted a job in Paris! This job is an opportunity of a lifetime and what better way to begin my career then internationally? After a whirlwind adventure of a visa and massive amounts of paperwork I am finally settled into this beautiful city.

Early morning Friday the 17th, I moved into my apartment. It's located close to the Notre Dame Cathedral, allowing me to listen to the church bells whenever they go off. The apartment is in such a great location and is just perfect! Luckily, it came fully furnished, allowing us to not go too crazy setting it up. After unpacking and adding a few personal touches, the apartment really came together and I know it will soon feel like home. My living room window overlooks a small courtyard and I came at just the right time as all the leaves are changing colors making it look even more stunning.

Outside my apartment

While I was at work, my parents set out to collect the last needed pieces for my apartment as well as to explore the city and find some great little shops and restaurants. They left me quite the list of places to go! Having visited Paris 13 years ago we have already hit the major sites so they felt as though they had more time to explore the city and really enjoy it. However, they still did a little touring, with a return trip to the Eiffel Tower and a visit to the Antiquities section of the Louvre, something we hadn't seen last time.

Mom and Dad at the Eiffel Tower.

This past Saturday my parents and I set out to explore the Marais area on the right bank. It is a beautiful area and we took advantage of the good weather and meandered the streets. At night we went to see the Eiffel Tower lit up which was absolutely gorgeous. For the Millennium, Paris installed Search lights to the top of the Tower and put on an extravagant flashing light show. The show was hugely popular and they have since turned it into a nightly occurrence.

Eiffel Tower at night, simply stunning

After a whirlwind trip to Paris my parents returned back to the states today. I couldn't have done this move without them and can't thank them enough for the support and encouragement they have always given me. I will miss them terribly but will see them soon!

As this next chapter unfolds and my new adventure begins in this beautiful old city, I hope you will continue to follow my blog. I promise to update it as regularly as possible as I adapt to a new language, culture and home.

Au revoir for now!

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall"

The quote, from the Great Gatsby, fits my sentiments exactly. Not only is Fall my favorite season but the quote represents the changes going on in my life as I embark on a new chapter.

Columbus Day weekend was the perfect fall weekend. My parents and I started the weekend early and left Thursday afternoon for Schenectady where my cousin was getting married at the Glen Sanders Mansion. We arrived shortly before the Rehearsal Dinner and enjoyed seeing our family. Friday morning we drove to downtown Schenectady and went to their Little Italy for lunch. It was much, much smaller than Arthur Ave (about 3 stores are left) but the food was still good. We headed back to our hotel and got ready for the ceremony which started in the late afternoon. My cousin Jen looked beautiful in her dress and her flower girls (her sister's kids) were absolutely adorable! After the ceremony we headed back to the Glen Sanders for the cocktail hour and reception. The food was delicious and it was so good to spend time with all of my cousins and my family.

Congrats Jen and Dan!

Saturday morning James, Teresa, Baloo and I headed up to the Adirondacks. All 40 plus pounds of Baloo and I hung out in the front seat. I was super stoked to hang out with James and Teresa and to bond with Baloo. I was able to take the front seat and have him sit on my lap during the drive up. How could you not? He's so stinking cute! I saw him last in the beginning of September and he has gotten so big since!

Selfies on the ride up

After settling into the cabin, my mom, Teresa and I headed to Rulf's Orchard. I have such great memories from there when I was younger and it was high on my priority list to head back! When we were younger we used to go raspberry and blueberry picking during the summer which my mom would then use to make her famous homemade jam. In the fall we would head back for apples and pumpkin picking. The rule was we could only choose a pumpkin we could carry, making it quite the challenge to get a good sized pumpkin! They also have homemade apple cider and the best homemade donuts. The trip back to Rulf's was a mini walk down memory lane and the cider and donuts were as amazing as I remembered!

Fresh Apples, donuts, pumpkins and having fun at Rulfs!

Later that night our family friends, the Murphys, came over for dinner. It is always so good to see them and we had such a nice time laughing the night away. Sunday morning we headed to the last farmer's market in Keene and then headed back home. The trip upstate was relaxing and so fun. Having spent a large amount of time growing up there the Adirondacks holds a very special place in my heart. It was so nice to be there with my family enjoying each others' company and the beautiful fall weather.  Although I won't be able to return for another year, I am already looking forward to it.

The fam :)

In an Empire State of mind

Random gatherings from my time in New York...

• Baloo! James and Teresa are now the proud owners of a Bernese Mountain Dog named Baloo. They were up in NY one of the first weekends I was home and I got to meet this (not so) little nugget. He is so adorable and such a good puppy. At less than three months old and already 18 pounds this little guy is growing fast!

Me with the little munchkin

• The Book of Mormon- My mom and I went to see The Book of Mormon in NYC. I have been wanting to see this play for a long time and with high expectations it did not disappoint. I would highly recommend seeing it as we laughed throughout the entire show and is definitely a Broadway highlight! 

At the Book of Mormon!

• Throughout the fall I was able to catch up with my high school and college friends. I went to Oktoberfest with my Sleepy friends, some of whom I hadn't seen in a while and it was so great to catch up. My Colgate friends and I were able to get together a few times for dinners and brunch in the city and also for a wonderful trip for Colgate's Homecoming. I was also able to see Allie's new Brooklyn apartment and stomping grounds, which are amazing. I'll miss these friends so much but know I will get to see them again a few short months.



Oktoberfest Sleepy Hollow

• In October my family from Berlin came over and spent the night. I met Ana, Reiner, Nima and Andrea for the first time back in 2000 in Travesio. In 2010 when my dad and I traveled throughout Germany and Austria they not only had us for dinner but Reiner also took us around Berlin for an amazing tour. This year they are touring the east coast so they stopped in Westchester for the night before they headed up to the Adirondacks. They gave me a Berlin Bear from the buddy-baer collection. Mine is designed by the artist Marina Bitter, entitled "Berlin Spring," it has many of the sites that my dad and I saw. The bear will always remind me of my trip to Berlin and my Italian-German family! My mom and I made a typical Thanksgiving dinner for them, which was amazing. It was so good to see them in NY and hopefully I will see them again in the near future in Berlin!

  

  Me Nima & Andrea, a Berlin Bear, the table and Nana's famous pumpkin pie

A walk down memory lane (or Oak Drive if you will)

This past weekend was Colgate's homecoming and my first visit since my graduation in May 2012! Friday morning Emily, Eri, Boots, Caroline and I got an early start and headed back to Hamilton to visit. The four hour drive was filled with conversation as we talked about our four years at Colgate.

Once we arrived we drove straight to the Barge to enjoy our favorite sandwiches. The Barge, a local coffee shop, was where I picked up my coffee every morning senior year before I headed off to class or the library. Eri and I always had our weekly Tuesday lunch there (a Barge Betty) and our weekly Sunday morning fuel for the long library day ahead of us (breakfast sandwich). I ordered the Barge Betty (hummus, tomato, cucumber, lettuce, craisins and sunflower seeds on whole wheat) and we brought our lunch to the Village Green to enjoy outside in the nice weather.

The Barge: One of my favorite places in Hamilton

We quickly checked into the house we rented for the weekend and headed up to campus to visit the Academic Quad and the buildings we spent so much of our time in. We stopped at the Ho Science Center where all of my Geography classes were held and even though it was late afternoon my advisor was luckily still in his office. Not having seen him since graduation weekend, it was great to catch up since so much has happened. My geography professors were so helpful and a large reason why I loved my major and my classes so being able to see my advisor was a nice surprise.

From Top left: A beautiful view, The Ho, the Chapel,
My sorority house (Gamma Phi) & Case Library

We then headed to the Academic Quad to actually enjoy our beautiful campus. No trip to Colgate would be complete without a stop at West Hall, our freshman dorm, where most of us called home out first year.

Emily, Boots and I on the Quad

On our way back to our house we stopped at Case, where we spent the large majority of our time studying. We visited our usual third floor table and reminisced about the countless hours we spent there.

Visiting our usual library spot

Friday night after dinner at La Iguana we headed to the Glass, the Bacon and lastly the Jug.

Saturday morning we returned to the Barge for our breakfast sandwiches and coffee and then headed to the Farmers Market where we picked up some ingredients for dinner. We met up with Sary and then headed down to the (non existent) tailgate. With our failed attempt we meandered back downtown and sat outside enjoying the nice weather. We were also able to Skype with Katie, who's currently at Med School at the US Naval Academy and sadly couldn't make the trip. It was so nice to catch up and hear how she's doing! Saturday night we had a home cooked meal of Arthur Avenue pumpkin raviolis, plain raviolis with my mom's fresh tomato sauce and a fresh local salad with veggies. Later that night we headed down to the new brewery on Broad Street, Good Natured Brewery, which we all loved and wished was there when we were seniors. We ended the night at the Bacon and of course Slices, our late night pizza stop.

Sunday morning after breakfast and one last drive through campus we began our drive home. It was so great to visit and spend quality time with my friends. Colgate will always hold a special place in my heart and I know we will be back.

View of the Campus from Broad Street

Study Abroads Reunion: Boston

I returned home to the states on Thursday, just in time to see my study abroad friends. Amy, Sondra, Britt and I have been getting together for one weekend each year since we met in Lugano in 2010. We decided to start out with hometown visits. The first year Amy and I headed out to Indiana, last year we all met in NY and this year was Boston! Boston is such a great city and to spend a weekend there with these girls was amazing. I love how seamlessly we go right back to where we left off: the mark of a true friendship. Sondra and Britt arrived Thursday night and Friday morning they toured the city of Boston. I arrived Friday mid-afternoon just in time for our visit to the Harpoon Brewery. Amy and I split the UFO flight which included, pumpkin, raspberry, white and hefeweizen beer. We then had dinner at La famiglia in the North End and ended the night by picking up some cannolis from the famous Mike's Pastry.

Out in Boston

Saturday morning we headed to Concord with Amy's mom and grandma for Brunch at The Colonial. It was my first American breakfast since being back and it didn't disappoint! I had an American cheese and tomato omelet and my first real cup of American coffee. 

Outside The Colonial after a wonderful Brunch

Always up for a little bit of history we began to take in the Concord sites. We headed to the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery to see the graves of famous writers past: Nathaniel Hawthorne, Lousia May Alcott, Ralph Emerson and David Thoreau. We then visited Walden's pond, Alcott's house and the battle ground where the shot heard around the world was fired.

Tombstones with the pens, pencils and other gifts left behind

Not wanting to waste time we then hopped in the car and headed to Rockport, MA where the famous Motif Number 1 is located. (The famous red building that many artists have painted). We grabbed a quick lunch on the water and then strolled the quaint streets. We ended the day with a trip to Gloucester where we visited a lighthouse and headed out to the jetty for a quick stop. Having crammed everything in we headed back to Amy's where we enjoyed a wonderful dinner with her parents.

Amy, Me, Sondra & Britt in Rockport

Sunday morning we stopped at Bagel World (there are 4 locations in the Boston area and I highly recommend a trip there. The bagels are amazing). We relished our last few minutes together over bagels and cream cheese and briefly spoke of next years trip (we have a great idea...but I'm keeping that secret for now). It was so good to see these three girls and I will countdown the days till next years reunion. I am so glad we are fortunate enough to be able to see each other every year and that the distance between us doesn't matter. These girls mean so much to me and I am so glad we have formed a lifetime bond between us.

Hometown Visits

La Ultima Settimana in Svizzera

With one week left in Switzerland, I made one last ditch attempt to do everything I love that Lugano has to offer. Although I couldn't fit it all in, this past week was amazing.

• Rent a Boat on Lago Lugano: Monday was Kristen's birthday(!) so on Sunday we rented a boat on the lake for a leisurely afternoon. We spent the day swimming and cruising around Lake Lugano. It was a great afternoon spent with amazing friends.

Shannon & I on the boat

• Hike San Salvatore: San Sal is one of Lugano's most famous mountains and can be seen from almost everywhere in the city. Having been the first mountain I climbed in Switzerland two years ago it felt fitting for it to be my last. Therefore, after lunch and cafe mousse Jeannie and I took advantage of the beautiful Tuesday afternoon and climbed.

View of Lago Lugano from the top of San Salvatore

• Spend the day in Milan: Wednesday Jeannie and I headed to Milan for the day. As it is only an hour by train, I have been able to visit Milan quite a few times over the year and it has a special place in my heart. We spent the day wandering the streets and shopping around. We stopped for a delicious lunch at Paper Moon and I had the penne a ragu, which was delicious. Before we headed home, we stopped at the Milano Duomo, which has always been my favorite Cathedral. It was nice to visit one last time and see the stunning architecture, beautiful tiled floors and stained glass windows. Every time I see it, I am always stunned at its beauty and amazed at the architectural feat.

Milano Duomo

• Eat at a Grotto: Thursday night, Shannon and I went to Grotto Ticinese for a delicious dinner of Risotto a Funghi. We were able to sit outside under the tree canopy and enjoy a traditional Swiss Italian meal one last time.

Amazing night at Grotto Ticinese

• Aperitivo: A fun way to spend the evening, I was able to enjoy two aperitivi this past week. Wednesday night, Jeannie, Shannon, Patrick and I went to Gabbani for a fun outdoor aperitivo in the city center. On my last night, Friday, Jeannie and Patrick hosted an amazing apero at their house. It was such a nice last evening and it was so good to spend it with the people I care about so much.

This past year has been absolutely amazing and living in Lugano has taught me so much about myself and what I am capable of. The city (and country) will always hold a very special place in my heart and I know for a fact that I will definitely be back. To say that this past year wouldn't have been the same without the friends I made would be a huge understatement. I honestly don't know what I would have done without them this past year and don't know what I will do without them this coming year. However, I know we are all starting new and exciting chapters in our lives and I cannot wait to see what all of our futures have in store.

See you soon Switzerland!

Hiking in the Alps

With blue skies and an afternoon ahead of us Kristen, her friend Mike, Shannon, Jeannie and I headed an hour north near Airolo, Switzerland to go for a hike. We hiked up Alpe die Pesciüm to Lago di Tremorgio (meaning Three Basins). The hike took around 3 hours including a little lunch break.

 The hike wound back and forth up the mountain with varying degrees of difficulty. Every turn we took provided stunning views all around, with one more beautiful than the next.

Views from the hike

When we reached the top we were able to see Lago di Tremorgio, a beautiful bright blue glacial water lake. The lake is thought to have been formed by a potential meteorite creating a large circular crater about 670m (2,198 ft) in diameter and up to 57m (187 ft) deep.

Shannon, Me & Jeannie with Lago Tremorgio behind us

A few days later, Kristen and I decided to hike up to Denti della Vecchia (The Old Woman's Teeth), a group of PreAlp Mountains reaching 1,492 meters above sea level. The "teeth" are made up of dolomitic rock from the Upper Triassic. With over 123 different routes available, the Denti have become well known in the free climbing world with people from all over coming to climb.

Denti Della Vecchia (Picture from Wikipedia)

Kristen and I started our hike around noon and headed up to a lodge for a quick lunch surrounded by Swiss cows. We were then met by Chris then headed on to the Denti.

Me and Hugo with the Dente we scaled behind us

Kristen and I first thought that we would hike around the denti but instead we hiked/rock climbed up one instead. The last part of the hike there were no trails and we scaled the rocks, squeezed through crevices and tried to keep our footing to get to the top.

Scaling Rocks: NBD

The views from the top were absolutely breathtaking and since the weather conditions were perfect we could see for miles. This hike was amazing and something that not many people know exist in Lugano. I am so glad I was able to experience it.

View from the top