Monday Day 15 June 4, 2012

Ick and I woke up with a sore throat today. I thought I did everything I could to prevent that, but with a sick roommate there's really not much anyone can do. Luckily I packed an extra antibiotic just in case. We all thought we had enough Texas sunshine for Europe, but it seems we forgot some for Verona. It was pouring rain this morning. I probably should not have been out, but I was determined to get my Italian gifts this morning. We only have 2 days in Verona and I really want to make every second count. It was a but difficult though since most of Italy's shops decide to open 2ish. Along that thought, found a pair of leather oxfords that were just what I had wanted, but they were in a closed shop. Womp. We alI walked though the rainy cobblestone roads, went into a few more open stores, and found some spaghetti for lunch. It was delicious and I was so happy I finally got my Italian spaghetti, perfecto. We had till about 1:30 and then it was off to the Serego Alighiery winery. The vineyards rolled on for miles and miles and it was difficult to not stare at the sheer beauty. Every single square inch of this place could easily be pinned on a Pinterest board. Their special wine was a bit strong for my taste, but the vineyard was a lot of fun to take pictures of. My throat was still not feeling to good after soaking in the rain this morning, so I decided to head back to the room to rest and call my mom. It was great to hear her excitement and encouraging words as I told her about all my adventures and stories. The girls went shopping while I stayed and they even picked up those oxfords for me I had been eyeing. I cannot wait to wear them in Austria and Germany. My group all then met up, did an interview, and practiced for our Innsbruck presentation. Team 11 is such a great group of girls and I am so lucky to have met Christi and Kelli. In fact a lot of the girls are wonderful on this trip. We all made this joke that in "real life" we must hang out. Even though I'll be sad to leave his dream, I can't wait to be back in Texas with such an amazing group of new friends.