Negrita!

Amore,

Last night was a blast - Mrs. Hryniewicki treated Jess, Erik, Meg, Shannon, Maggie, Keagan, and me to a delicious dinner at I Lantini, a really great family-style restaurant near Santa Maria Novella. Seeing Mrs. Hryniewicki was so much fun - she brought with her a few updates from home, pictures from the boys' homecoming dance, and great advice for Paris this weekend. Last night (although I've known this for a while now) I realized how lucky I am to be living in Italy with my best friends from Mater Dei and from Santa Clara. I also realized how lucky I am that both groups have meshed so well- they've really made my studies abroad a hoot. They are my favorite travel/adventure/Oil Shoppe-frequenting/apartment-dwelling/Grey's-Anatomy-and-Felicity-marathon-watching/shopping/Chianti-sharing/boot-buying/laughing-over-nothing companions. Once winter quarter begins, not going to school with Jess and Erik will take getting used to. Road trips will definitly be in order.

Anyway, I also wanted to announce the adoption of the new Hardoy family member. Her name is Negrita, and she is a 46-day-old black lab puppy. She is so cute - she looks just like a little bear cub. The Hardoys bought the puppy for Matteo on his birthday, and his mom and dad, Andrea and Julietta, aren't too happy and don't have the time to train her. Thus the reason we now have a darling new sister who pees on the floor.

I'm going to head home right now, do some laundry, and get packed for Paris. I'm really excited. I can't wait to tell you all about it.

Oh! Really quick - I've been doing a ton of reading here - I've gone through The Time Traveler's Wife, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Where Angels Fear to Tread, Daisy Miller, Swallowing Grandma, A Farewell to Arms, and most recently My Sister's Keeper. My Sister's Keeper was a pretty powerful book - the kind where, once you've finished it, you feel as though you've lost a friend. I highly recommend it. I'm reading The Passion right now, and the following quote fits perfectly in my life:

You have navigated with raging soul far from the paternal home, passing beyond the seas' double rocks and now you inhabit a foreign land. - Medea

I can't believe there are only 5 weeks left. Time's flown by.

Yours,
Genevieve


Your heart is melting, right?


She looks like a tiny stuffed animal with Precious Moments eyes.