Top Ten Reasons to Move Abroad

10) Discount European Airlines means every weekend can be a vacation.
9) You’ll make friends solely based on the fact that you’re American.
8) Great opportunity to learn a plethora of accents.
7) Every time you come back stateside, its an excuse to have a weeks worth of parties.
6) Happy Hours here actually involve mile long buffets.
5) European experience looks FANTASTIC on the ol’ resume (especially if you’re in finance or international relations).
4) You can learn (or improve) a foreign language (even though almost everyone speaks SOME English).
3) It’s a great opportunity to learn about lots of different cultures- think “The Spanish Apartment,” a great French film for those who haven’t heard of it.
2) New York will always be there- Venice- is sinking.
1) YOU GUYS DECIDE!!! Polling starts now (and if anyone says because the Euro is strong- I'll show you the difference between my biweekly pay stub in NY and my Monthly here...its depressing).

Touring in your home town

I always knew that New York was a fantastic city- and so is Washington DC, which explains why I chose to live there so long. Anyway, in my time at home over the summer, I have had the chance to tour around some Italian friends of mine. Going around the old familiar places, but with people who have never seen them before, everything takes on new meaning. The Statue of Liberty, which for my family represented coming to the new world- to them is the symbol of everything that America can offer.
It isn't just cheeseburger (because OH YES, I took them for GOOD burgers), but a new culinary experience- and a picture riding the bull on broadway means you master the American financial market (or whats left)!
Anyway, what I mean to say, is that if the financial mess has left you without summer plans- try rediscovering your nearest city! You may be surprised how much you've overlooked or taken for granted.

Karma, not just Flavor Flav's kid

Disclaimer: This particular blog entry has absolutely NOTHING to do with me living in Italy. Well, sort of.

I am home. Home, for those of you who missed my ode to chicken wings below, is Long Island, New York. In the past 3 days since I’ve arrived after an excruciatingly painful flight on Air France (where they would ask me in English if I wanted coffee and I’d respond in Italian….ooops), I’ve been pretty good about getting out and doing some typically American activities. I think that this is how we can all learn to “study abroad” in our own country; by the way, we collectively need to embrace our American culture.

By this I mean, tailgating. One of the summer highlights of living on Long Island is the Belmont Stakes, this year being particularly interesting because after the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, Big Brown was up for a Triple Crown win. But Belmont, they say is a champion killer, and for those of you who missed it, Big Brown lost.

Ultimately however, I know absolutely nothing about horse racing and I was really there for parking lot parties and shish kebab that my brother made. Then, eventually, for the big race we pushed our way into the track and because of the finagling of my brother (who, FYI, is a rockstar between the tailgating feast and what Im about to relate), we wound up standing on the rail about 3 yards from the finish line.

Anyway, on a fluke, my brother decided to put ten to win on a long shot- who as we know now, won on a 38:1 odd.

My moral of the story: Karma is a beast. (oh, and good things happen in America!)