Last Day in the U.S.

Wow I can hardly believe it, but I am leaving for Europe TODAY!! I have so much to look forward to, but I know there is so much that I am going to miss. I have had a wonderful last week, and my Christmas was very merry. We had our own Italian chef come cook for us and he taught my family and I how to make home made pasta with the old school machine and everything! We even roasted chestnuts!! Yesterday I spent the day with one of my best friends Natalie, and we had an awesome time down in Huntington, I tried my best to soak up the last bit of California sun before I depart for the cold. I am going to miss everybody so much! I will be sure to keep you updated on my blog!

xoxo

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas! Here is a holiday greeting and a Christmas Poem!

Christmas is a time for love and fun,
A time to reshape souls and roots and skies,
A time to give your heart to everyone
Freely, like a rich and lavish sun,
Like a burning star to those whose lonely sighs
Show need of such a time for love and fun.

For children first, whose pain is never done,
Whose bright white fire of anguish never dies,
It's time to give your heart to every one,

That not one angel fall, to hatred won
For lack of ears to listen to her cries,
Or arms to carry him towards love and fun,

Or friends to care what happens on the run
To adult life, where joy or sadness lies.
It's time to give your heart to everyone,

For God loves all, and turns His back on none,
Good or twisted, ignorant or wise.
Christmas is a time for love and fun,
A time to give your heart to everyone.

Love, 

Brittany

Christmas Tree Lighting

This past Thursday, I got to go to the Christmas Tree Lighting at the Nokia Theater with some friends. It was a tree lighting like no other, with a spectrum of lights timed perfectly to classic Holiday carols. We got to go to the kickoff which included a surprise visit by Britney Spears and a performance by Natalie Cole. I was overly jubilated as I have never been so close to a celebrity as big as Britney Spears. I was literally within inches of her and even managed to get a pretty awesome picture!! It was a nice way to kick off the Holiday Season, and a fun thing to attend before I go into lockdown mode for finals week. Wish me luck!

It has been a while!

It has been brought to my attention that I have not wrote a blog in quite a while, so since I have so much to talk about I figured today would be perfect. I am currently at my Aunt's desk in Michigan, which happens to be the same desk I remember from when I was 5 and living here. All sorts of memories have flooded my mind as I go from room to room. This morning when I took a shower a flashback came to me of my Uncle Vince tying floss around my tooth and connecting it to the door knob to rip out my loose toothe. (Not a pleasant experience!)
I have flown out here for my cousin Lisa's wedding. She will be marrying Phil Marianacci, who has made a great impression on me over the past few years. I am confident that they will have an incredibly strong and everlasting marriage. They also are incredibly strong in their faith, which also assures me that they will grow together beautifully.
William Shakespear once said "God, the best maker of all marriages, Combine your hearts into one." I believe that without God present in your marriage, your heart can never be fully satisfied.
Anyways, tomorrow is the big day...I will be a bridesmaid along with 5 others, and we will be standing up amongst 280 guests!! (Big wedding, I know). I will be sure to upload some pics when I get the chance!! : )

Another Poem As Promised!

So I told you all I was going to share some poetry I have written in the past.... here is another as promised! If you want to understand the underlying message you will have to call or email me for that! ; )

Stronger is the light in the midnight sky than the setting sun
Stars relinquish their exuberant light for all hours of the night
While the Sun does not paint the sky until it seeps beneath the horizon
Why must the stars flaunt their vibrant illumination
As the Sun tries to hide when releasing its evanescent hues
Modest and majestic is the culminating circle
Supercilious and effervescent are the midnight specks
Eminency is only a symptom of the mind, not always one of a kind.

You Must Watch This Video!

I hope you have all bought your bluetooth, and I hope you have all seen this video because it is So freakin hilarious!

An Original Piece

As some of you know, I really enjoy writing, but what you may have not known is that I love writing poetry. I haven't had much opportunity to write any poems lately, but I thought it might be a good idea to finally reveal some old poetry nobody has ever read before! I even scavenged through one of my old hard drives for the one posted below! This one is probably my most well written piece, I used it as an introduction to a very long research paper I wrote with a melodramatic literary twist on drug addiction when I was 16. I hope you enjoy it!

No More Power

You are a rapist, a concubine, a delicious slumber, a deliverance, the agony, the alibi, the excuse, the courage, the fear, you beat with your fists and caress a bloodied cheek: you are the drug which inhabits nightmares and dreams. A date rape demon, a blanket which shrouds the soul, a twisted communion smoldering the spirit.

A man looks in the mirror, looking back with a frown and crying tears without lifting a brow. A man spiraling downward with every split tear, a man with fatigued bloodshot eyes, a lonely fellow, a victim of tragic profusion.

They stand alone, broken and defeated, their heads swimming, their minds altered in unforgiving ways; the addiction has beat them, they have no more power.

There is a hate floating on this earth, a demon to us all, and if you choose to use just once, your soul is promised to fall. You may think you’re strong and there’s no way an addiction can happen to you. But soon your body will need it, and your mind will drift into an endless sea. Your body starts to tremble and shake, whenever you need a fix. You’ll sell your soul to the devil to get it and get it quick.

The man who once believed he would prevail and never again falter now kneels at his porcelain alter. Lacerated skin weeps crimson tears and existential dread ulcerates the mind, paralyzing the body with nausea. He lamented the days of long lost dreams of stolen promises and Prozac screams. Blisters of insecurity have stifled all ambition and staggered movement. Killing, killing, dying from the inside out.

Talent Has Been Given New Meaning

If you were to go on a talent show in front of millions of viewers, what talent would you show off? But wait just a minute now.... don't think you can throw on a pair of your great grandma's tap shoes and perform the most difficult choreography known to man. When you flip through your television channels, there is bound to be at least some sort of talent show on, whether it is American Idol, So you think You Can Dance, etc, but what about the ultimate talent show where you are not just limited to singing and dancing? In fact, singing and dancing seem almost out of the question, you have to be as original as possible. I recently have become really interested in America's Got Talent, there have been some really great acts! I thought it might be interesting to see what talent Britain is cooking up, especially since American Idol's very own Simon Cowell is a judge on this as well. Here were a few of the clips I looked at that I found to be unique and interesting...

British Teenagers Officially Love Americans.... the Parents not so much

I saw this article on Yahoo and found it kind of funny....

Britain, the land of school uniforms, rigorous exams and ivy-covered school halls, is embracing an American invasion: the high-school prom.

British teenagers say they've seen the events in movies like "American Pie" and television shows such as "The O.C.," and they want the chance to dress up and rent limousines themselves. That means a new reason for Britons to worry about the dilution of their culture, a new burden on parents' pocketbooks, and new businesses selling prom essentials such as tuxedos and corsages.

Many American adults cringe when they remember the unfortunate dresses and awkward dates from their own proms. Britons, meanwhile, are adopting the prom at its most traditional, with prom queens and kings and professional photographers favoring pastel backdrops. In some schools, proms are replacing more modest British traditions like the "leavers disco," where kids turn up at the school gym in jeans.

Tips and Facts to Remember If You Are Traveling to London or Italy

I just got back from my trip to London and Italy a few days ago and it was great! I had more fun than any other vacation! Check out the photo gallery by clicking on the link above the slideshow! I learned a lot while I was abroad, so I wanted to share with everyone some useful tips and facts that I discovered.

1) Don't ask for cream in your coffee in London. Not only do they not use cream, but unless you ask for black coffee, it comes standard with steamed milk already inside. I made myself look like a fool walking around the cafe and looking for cream. haha
2) Don't plan anything after dinner time in Italy and be prepared to eat late! Restaurants in Italy don't open usually until 7:30 and dinner typically takes at least 2 hours!
3) Do some reading before you go to all the museums, it will make you appreciate the experience a lot more. Almost all of the museums have book shops also that you can stop in to get a better idea of the history behind all of the artifacts.
4) Be careful if you are using sarcasm or even joking when in Italy. People in Italy take things very literally and are easily offended. My dad encountered this when making a joke with a the Gondolier man, who looked like he was ready to slap him when he made a simple joke.
5) Act gracious at the dinner table and complement the owner and the chef, it may earn you earn you a free wine or dessert! We were so in love with the food that we made sure to send lots of complements and our waiter was so pleased that he decided to give us free dessert and wine on more than one occasion!
6) Don't ask for an iced latte in Italy, you will get a blank stare and some funny looks. Most people only drink cappuccinos and espressos in Italy, I was unable to find one place that brewed coffee or served it cold.
7) Make sure you go to the Tower of London when you travel to England! It is by far one of the most fascinating historical landmarks I have ever been to.
8) Tip is already included in the majority of places you eat at, and it is a lot less than in the US (only 10-12%). Also, you are not expected to tip cab drivers.
9) Bargain you way through Italy and beware of scams and liars. You can bargain at almost any store in Italy, especially in Venice. Don't pay what you see on the price tag! Also, a lot of stores will appear to carry lots of nice designer apparel, but it is more than likely fake, so keep your eyes peeled!
10) Bring a great pair of walking shoes and buy a top 10 book to guide your adventures! We walked on average, about 8 miles a day and my feet were killing me by the end of the trip! We had a ton of fun though, and a lot of it was because of the great recommendations we received from the "Eyewitness Travel Top 10 book (Italy and London edition). It lists the top 10 of everything from dining to sightseeing attractions.

Active Vacationing is Fun!.. But Kind of Tiring Too

Wow am i sore and exhausted! These past two days have been our most active of the entire 2 week vacation! Yesterday we walked up to the very top of the Duomo tower, which is one of the most famous churches in all of Italy. Our journey was over 400 steps to get the top! You can see the end results in the video I posted below, and the size of the tower in the slideshow above.
Today was my favorite day in Italy. We were lucky enough to go on this incredible 25 mile bike ride into the Tuscan Countryside! It was so beautiful... and to top it off, when we reached our endpoint in the countryside we were given a wine tour of Tuscany's famous Chianti wine. We got to try two of the most popular wines they make and bottle there, and we were also served an excellent home cooked Italian meal! I felt so incredibly spoiled! On the way back, the sun decided to disappear on us and it became muddy and rainy so we stopped half way for some great Cappuccinos! If you ever go to Florence I HIGHLY recommend this tour to you! It was by a company called "Florence by Bike".
According to my Dad we have walked on average 8 miles per day, which means that by the end of this trip we will have walked a total of 112 miles all together! Now that's a lot of walking! Unfortunately our journey is just about over. : ( Tomorrow we take the train back to Venice and the following day our plane leaves. It has been an amazing vacation and definitely exceeded my expectations by far! I am looking forward to coming home though! I can't wait to see everyone!

Famous, Fabulous, Flavorful Florence

We just arrived yesterday to Florence, which is part of the Tuscany Region in Italy. We got incredibly lucky as we were able to obtain a free upgrade to one of the nicest rooms in the entire hotel. The picture I took above is a view from our balcony!! The video gives you a quick peak at just how nice our room is. So far we have done a lot in the city... we got to see The David, which let me tell you it is far more amazing then I could have ever imagined. I never understood what was so great about a statue of a man until I actually saw it in person. The David is all carved out of marble (nearly impossible to carve anything out of) and is about 20 feet tall! Michelangelo sure knew how to work his chisels! Today we went to the famous Uffizi Museum that displays a good majority of many of the famous artists ranging from the late 1200's - 1700's. The most famous artwork we saw was "The Venus" by Botticelli, which I am sure all of your are familiar with. Yesterday we had the most incredible meal of my entire life. Dinner took us 3 hours as we were served the freshest Italian antipastas, main courses, and Desserts at a place called "Il Profeto" which was strongly recommended by some locals. Florence is timeless; we have walked the same streets that Galileo, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Michelangelo walked. It has been quite the experience, which unfortunately is nearly over, but I will most definitely be back in Europe soon!

Update for everyone

I just took down the London Slide show and Video and placed them in one of the London Blogs. I put up a new slide show for Italy at the top and a new video of me in the Gondola in the previous blog. Unfortunately I can only have no more than 30 images in the slideshow at one time, so that is why I have to break it up. I will fix this when I get back from Europe. Hope everyone is enjoying it! I cannot wait to tell everyone all about everything when I get back!
xoxo

Scenic Serenity

Venice is so incredibly gorgeous! There is so much culture and history to this city! Today we visited the Basilica, which is over 1000 years old! We also went to a few art museums and walked around nearly all of the city. My feet are so incredibly sore! I took my first Gondola ride ever, which was really beautiful. Check out the video I posted! It has been really nice being able to go to two very different European Cities, Venice is great for its beauty and uniqueness, but it does not have the excitement and great people that London has. I have noticed that the people here are not nearly as nice as the people in London, I think a lot of this is because of the language barrier though. Tomorrow we will be taking a boat to Murano, which is famous for its glass and lace apparently. I will let you know all about it soon!

Buona Sera!

For those of you who do not know, "Buona Sera" means "Good Afternoon" in Italian. When we arrived in beautiful Venezia (Venice) everyone greeted us shouting Buona Sera! It was quite welcoming! Venice is definitely a one of a kind city! It is a city that dates back to the 700's and is built almost entirely upon water. Because of this, Venice is also known as "The City of Water." We actually had to take a boat to get to our hotel. Our hotel is incredible, in fact, it use to be a palace many years before. We did not get to do all that much today because our plane came in later and we were very tired, however, we did enjoy a truley great authentic Italian dinner and even some gelatto afterwards. Tomorrow we will be enjoying a tour of St. Marks, and the famous Basillica! I will be sure to keep you posted!

Last Day in London!

I am sad to say that it is my very last day in London, but fortunately I have another fun filled week ahead of me in Italy! London has been an amazing experience, it is by far one of the most fun and historical cities I have ever been to. Oh, and what is often said about the food being terrible here is definitely a myth! I have had some incredibly awesome and unique food. If you come to London be sure to go to Locale and Belgo for some Italian and Belgium food! Yesterday we spent our one and only cold rainy day roaming the streets of oxfords and shopping in the city there. I will be posting pics of that soon! Today we plan to use up as much of our day as possible by going to the Tate Modern Art Museum, going to see Dirty Dancing on stage, and possibly a ride on the London Eye... then off to Italy! Unfortunately my time is extremely limited on the internet so I have to run!
Miss you all!!

So Much To Tell, So Little Time

Wow, these past few days have been so exciting! We have packed in soo many fun things. Unfortunately I can only tell you a little bit about our exciting site seeing as i will be leaving for church fairly soon. My favorite thing so far has been seeing Wicked at the Victorian theater. As the British would say... Wicked is "wicked"! Wicked is a phrase here used often and interchangeabley with cool. We have also taken a tour of Parliament and saw the prime minister Gordon James administer a debate! The picture above is all of us at the Natural History Museum which we went to yesterday. Perhaps the most historical thing we went to was the Tower of London. We were lucky enough to have a guided tour of this historical landmark, where we saw the headquarters of Kings and Queens that were in power since before the 1100's! A great deal of those Kings and Queens were baried at this site as well. If you come to London this is the Number One thing you have to see, because it is probably one of the most historical landmarks in all of Western civilization. (unfortunately though you are not allowed to take pictures in most of the castle. Some other things we have done include shopping and dining in Soho, taking a double decker bus tour of the city, taking a boat tour down Thames river, and clubbing in Picadilly. Today we will be attending a church service at the Abbey, going to the British Museum, and taking a ride on the London Eye! Speaking of which I gotta get to church... hope to update you guys again soon!

Hello London!

I finally made it! I'm here! Yippee! haha As you can tell I am super excited to be in beautiful London! Everything has been great so far, the plane ride, our hotel, and our first day of sight seeing. We were lucky enough to fly on an empty flight by Virgin Airlines. It was better than first class as I got an entire row to myself to stretch out and a list of over 100 movies to choose from to watch on my own personal tv along with complementary wine.
We are staying at one of Marriot's only 7 star hotels which is literally right behind the London Eye on Thames River. Our first day was incredible, we were running completely off of adrenaline from our excitement as we have gone an entire day with no sleep! We walked 8 miles along Thames River to visit famous monuments such as St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tower Bridge, the London Tower, The London Bridge, Parliament, Big Ben, and many other famous monuments. Within our first mile we saw Emma Watson and Dustin Hoffman filming a new movie and guess what?!... we might be in it! The directors allowed us to participate as extras in the shot and we walked right past them for the shot!
I have come to notice that there are 3 things Londoners need to survive: Tea/Coffee, Icecream, and a place to Jog. There are literally 3 cafes and ice cream stands on every single block, and everywhere you go there are tons of people jogging up and down along Thames River.
Tomorrow we plan to take a boat ride along Thames River and visit a famous shopping center just outside of the city. Be sure to check out the slide show I posted! I will try to keep it updated as much as possible!
Miss you all!

Now That's How You Kickoff Your Summer!

Nothing beats a fun-filled summer weekend with a warm shining sun and good friends to make the day even brighter! This weekend was an absolute blast, the weather was the warmest it has been all year, and I managed to incorporate exercise in my fun activities! It started off with an early morning factory sale for Truth clothing, where I got some great deals on some sweet clothes. Shortly after, my friend and I took a nice bike ride down to the beach to catch some warm summer rays. Afterwards, one of my good friends Steven decided to surprise me on his drive back from Georgia for a fun visit. We did everything from using the jacuzzi to learning how to blow smoke bubbles to playing laser tag to hiking to the Hollywood sign to taking a nice swim at the Roosevelt Hotel pool. The greatest adventure by far was hiking up to the Hollywood sign. Hiking on such a hot day in Hollywood Hills was definitely not something I was planning to do, but it turned out to be more fun then I could ever imagine. It was at least 95 degrees out and the hike was probably 2 miles each way. Actually seeing and being able to touch the letters was something I never thought I was going to get to do in life. If you plan to take the risk in going though, be aware of the sensors and cameras on the letters, otherwise you will be kicked off rather quickly.
I don’t think I could have kicked off my summer any better, in fact it has inspired me to create a list of ways to guarantee a fun summer:

1. Soak up the Sun: Studies show that the sun is actually very good for you because it is the only source of vitamin D which is essential for your immune system. The sun also helps your body release endorphins (aka happy chemicals). The key is moderation and using common sense by applying sunscreen.
2. Be Spontaneous: I think that things are more fun when they are unexpected, not to mention it makes life more exciting.
3. Don’t Be Afraid To Take a Risk: Sometimes you just have to put your fears aside and test yourself. Not only will you learn more about yourself, but you gain confidence for future experiences.
4. Always Include Your Friends: Nothing is more fun then sharing your experiences with your closest friends. Also be open to sharing your experiences with some new faces. Meeting new people makes life more interesting.
5. Make a List of Things You Have Always Wanted To Do: Whether it be something as small as cooking up a new recipe or as large as traveling to a new destination, record it! Making lists helps you to remember your goals and encourages you to achieve them.
6. Incorporate Exercise In Your Daily Plans: If you are in need of a coffee from Starbucks or are thinking about going to the beach, take a nice walk or bike ride there instead of driving. Not only is it healthier for you, but for the environment too!
7. Record Your Experiences: Take pictures, write a blog, or make a video recording. Some of my fondest memories come from the Summer, I don’t know what I would do without pictures to look back and remember the goo ole’ times!
8. Save Money: It’s not all about the Benjamin’s, but lets face it, you have to have somewhat of a cash flow to go to new places and try new things.

First Blog Ever

I am currently at my desk in my dorm room at LMU on moveout day, couting down the minutes untill my parents come to help me move out the enormous amount stuff I have in my little 6 x 6 side of the room. It's really weird to think that this will be my last hour at this desk, but to tell you the truth I have spent wayy too many hours at this desk to miss it. Term papers, projects, and exams have consumed my life for the past 9 months and I can't even begin to tell you how thrilled I am to finally have a nice long summer break! I am going to be spending most of my summer in Los Angeles working and I just got a really sweet new apartment, so to all of my friends reading this you better come visit me and my lonesome self! Take a look at the apartment to the right! Wow I just realized it it past 10 am and I still have yet to have a cup of coffee, this must be changed. Anyways I am really excited for my first blog, which i would like to dedicate to Brett for encouraging me to start it... there will be many more to come!