"livin' la vida loca"

It’s not Barcelona, it’s Barthelona. At least, that’s what the locals call it. Barcelona was one of the various cities on my senior Europe trip and it might be one of my favorites. The city itself was gorgeous! The buildings and architecture were beautiful and the clear blue ocean port surrounded it.  We spent most of the day walking around the city, admiring the landmarks (like the Christopher Columbus statue) and hung our legs over the port and basked in the sun. Everything about the place was fantastic. We ate tapas (Spanish appetizers) and even got to visit a real Spanish food market. Raw meat and vegetables were strung from the kiosks and my group went around test tasting the free samples. I got a delicious fresh fruit mango smoothie. The streets were packed with locals buying their food for the day. That’s one of the reasons why Europeans are healthier because all their home-cooked meals are made out of fresh products, instead of on-shelf preserved ingredients that we use. It was so cool to see women and men alike, buying the ingredients for their dinner tonight. Our stay at Barcelona was where we had the most down time, which was exciting to explore on our own.  We even went to the Pablo Picasso museum but next blog you’ll hear more about that! Wandering through the little shops, and taking the metro train to the various cities, I tried to find the perfect mug that embodies my fascination with Barcelona. There were so many wonderful things to see, whether it was the bikes, the flowers and even their water fountains. 

This mug is one of my favorites because it is so different. Instead of being circle, the mug is comprised of 3 different walls coming together as a triangle. Whenever I drink out of this cup, I remember to just enjoy life and make sure to observe everything. When you’re abroad, you pay attention to every little detail, but why not do that here, after all, we are one of the biggest tourist attractions. So stop and smell the cup of coffee and enjoy the flowers.

Until next time…

“Keep Calm and Carry On”

Jo(anna)

"when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore"

And here starts my Europe installment!

Almost a year ago, my World Language Honor Society provided me with the greatest opportunity: the chance to travel to Spain, Italy and France with 15 of my closest friends from high school. My high school offers three languages, Spanish, Italian and French. Since I took Italian since 7^th grade and having both my maternal side and paternal side being from the Italian ancestry, I was especially excited to visit Italy.

It was a miracle that my luggage made it back into the States after my trip, because I got a mug everywhere I went! One of my favorites, for visual and meaningful reasons, is Pisa mug.

When the tour guide was prepping us on the bus ride over, I thought he was being really corny. He told us that the response to seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa was always the same…”It really does lean.” I remember thinking to myself that that was the silliest thing I’ve ever heard. Obviously it leans; it’s in its name. I swore to myself I wouldn’t think such a silly thought but to my shock I couldn’t help but be surprised when I first saw the tower and think to myself that it ACTUALLY does lean (and so does my mug).

 I remember that day like it was yesterday. It was extremely windy and after we took countless cliché images of holding up the tower, we found the most authentic restaurant and had real Italian pizza.  The mozzarella cheese was fresh and the crust was crispy. I was in heaven! But besides all the fun I had at Pisa, I learned some interesting things too. One architect found a way to fix the tower and return it to its upright position. They represented their project to the Pisa officials, who actually declined the offer. However, the tower was in danger of falling, so the architects agreed to fix it only enough to ensure stability but not enough to straighten it out. The leaning power provides Pisa with all the revenue it needs to keep the city running.

Hey, don’t fix what isn’t broken right? A lesson, I learned at very young age, based on my Italian heritage. Every year from as far back as when my great great grandma Beatrice game over from Italy, the tradition of making our famous Cucciddati cookies (fig cookies) from scratch has came over as well. Every second Sunday of December my big family comes together from all parts of the country, although majority of us are from Long Island, to participate in this tradition I love the best.  Each person is assigned a job on the day of Cookie Day and even before. My family is in charge of grinding the figs with an old-fashioned meat grinder the night before and adding our secret spices to the mix (and yes, I promise it’s not garlic). Each year, when my arms have been sore from churning, I’d complain with all the new technology there must be an easier way, but my father was adamant on doing it the exact same way they did over in Italy. A lesson I learned early in life not to fix what isn’t broken.

So when I’m down on my luck, I use this mug to remind me of the elation I felt being overseas and the importance of both travel and heritage. 

So until next time...

Keep Calm and Carry On

Jo(anna)

"it's hard to beat the system, when we're standing at a distance "

With THON just around the corner, I thought I’d pick the mug that reflects the importance of community service. In the beginning of high school, I didn’t really understand the power of community service. Yes, I did volunteer through my school’s Key Club and Honor Society, but I’ll admit I was doing it for all the wrong reasons. I was only doing it for the requirements of the clubs. However, in senior year my motives changed. In my economics class we were presented with various service hours we can attend for extra credit and for the first time I found myself intrigued for a different reason. I attribute my inspiration to my economics teacher Mrs. Fritch. She is one of the most influential and motivational teachers I have ever had. She had a way of conveying the need for volunteers without sounding preachy. She genuinely enjoyed what she was doing and it came out in everything that she did. Her view of the world was incredible and she made me want to do more to help. The best part is that she truly made you believe you could make a difference as well. She organized majority of the service events at my high school and senior year I became more involved. The projects were not only rewarding but also so much fun. From a haunted house that benefitted Habitat for Humanity to a fashion show that benefited Breast Cancer, I was having a blast while giving back to my community. I participated in bake sales and attended walks but the one project that really clinched my love of service was my first Habitat Build. The fact that I actually helped build, not only a house, but also a home with my bare hands, was a feeling I could not describe. From then on, I knew I wanted to be involved as much as I could. We put up sheetrock that day but even after all the leveling and hammering and sawdust it was amazing to see that I had created that room.

I was so excited to go to a big school because I knew the opportunities the university would provide me to were endless. The second weekend into fall semester I signed up for FreshStart, which was one of the largest freshman service day. I was assigned to help out at a local thrift store. My group and I were asked to unload the storage room by sorting, tagging and hanging the clothes. When we first stepped into the storage room it was filled to the brim with donated clothes. I didn’t think we’d even be able to make a dent. At the end of the day, we had got a lot accomplished but I still felt as if there was so much to do but regardless the owner was moved to tears. It’s such a humbling experience to see a grown man cry over what I thought was only a little help. It really showed me how much he needed our help. To show his gratitude he told us to look around the thrift store and that he’d give us a 50% discount. As a symbol to remind me what the power of lending a hand can bring, I bought this mug. 

Service doesn’t have to go as grand scale as building a house, it could be as simple as helping a friend in need or even a smile. The smallest gesture can unite us in tough times. So as I make myself a cup of tea in this mug, I think of how excited I am for my first THON experience, knowing I have the opportunity to provide some hope! Afterall, it’s For The Kids!

 Cutting out the door frame for the closet!

Holding the sheet-rock in place for the wall. (I was too short to hammer)

My group in front of the Habitat House!

"there may be something there that wasn't there before"

"tale as old as time"

At the end of a really bad day, the one thing I know I can look forward to is a nice cup of Chai Tea. Nothing soothes the soul quite like something hot. Whether I’m feeling blue or down on my luck, it always does the deed. But the days, which I found are the trickiest to cure, are the days when I actually get mad. Now, these come few and far between but when they come, they come with vengeance.  On occasion, I can get irritable and snap when I don’t really mean it. Sometimes it’s at my mom, my brother or I, even, catch myself talking back to the TV. It usually occurs from some frustration that manifests itself until it finds a scapegoat.

I find though, if I don’t blow off my steam, I always feel full to the brim, ready to bubble over. That’s when I discovered a ritual that usually breaks me out of every funk. Chai Tea and a Disney classic. I channel my anger towards the villains, Gaston, Ursula and Scar. Childish, I know, but who can be mad at Timon and Pumba, or Mushu? A silly cure that was developed by accident.

My family and I spent Christmas Break at the happiest place on earth, Disney World. However, the turn of events weren’t so happy. We all had high hopes that we would be able to escape the New York blizzard to sunny 70-degree weather, but unfortunately we were faced with a cold front. We woke up to 23-degree weather, the coldest it’s been since the 1973, a fact that my dad made sure to tell everybody. The first day I moped around at little bit, disappointed that I couldn’t wear flips flops or enjoy the sun.  That’s when my mom, cousin grandma and I went to Down Town Disney to do some retail therapy.

That’s where I discovered the perfect mug:

 

That morning I was a beast. I woke up to an empty hotel room to find my family had left to eat breakfast without me and gazed outside to see the Palm Trees covered in blankets. But instead of letting it grow, I let it out the minute it happened and began to move past it. This mug is so perfect because it reminds me that sometimes it’s okay to be a beast and have a bad day, but at the end of it all you should be able to see the beauty of the situation. Looking back at that vacation, I had a great time regardless of the weather. And even though, I was wearing a hat and gloves in Florida, I was with my wonderful family in the most magical place on earth and that was the beauty of it. So when your having a bad day, remember that it’s okay to be a beast at times, but when you’ve let your fuel out, kick up your feet, pop in an old Disney VHS and enjoy the beauty of life.

My grandma, cousin Bella and I in front of Hogwarts!

 My family at the Gaylord Palms.

"Keep Calm and Carry On"

My Cup of Jo(anna)