siena

Senior Cruise

Published on May 16, 2017 by PeculiarPorter8 Comments

Hello darling! I wanted to highlight all of the fun I participated in during my last week at Siena College (tears falling quickly down the side of my face). After a jam packed day of bar hopping in Saratoga, the senior class of 2017 hopped on 9 buses to go on a Captain JP Cruise Line boat. The three-hour experience let us sight see Troy to Albany and then back again. We ate, danced, and slightly froze our butts off. Regardless of how cold it was, it was probably one of the most rememberable trips I had during my senior week.

The cruise ship consisted of three different floors. The third and second floors served food and the top floor had an opening to see the dance floor and exit outside the boat. There were also bars on each floor, which made many seniors very happy. During the cruise, we were given a buffet styled dinner that consisted of salted potatoes, salad, eggplant parmesan, bread rolls, and fried chicken. After people finished eating dinner, everyone gained enough courage to take pictures in the cold outdoors. We tried our hardest not to look as if we were freezing out butts off.

Everyone was dressed to the nines but not dressed for the weather. Oh, well! Despite being cold, I was super happy wearing this dress. I’m actually slightly obsessed… I cannot wait to wear it again. The little cutouts made this soft floral pattern so edgy and unique. Plus, the cap sleeves were another reason I was sold. My dress is currently on sale if you want to check that out! It also comes in black.

After the cruise, Siena hosted a “late night dinner” at the dining hall. We blasted music and danced on tables. If you remember High School Musical then you know exactly how the scene looked. One of my friends danced so hard he ripped his pants. If that isn’t rememberable, I don’t know what is.

Looking at these pictures and writing this post is making me sad beyond belief. But I’ll get to that in my upcoming graduation post. Keep your eyes and ears peeled because it may be a tear jerker… or nah.

As always,

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What I’ll Remember Most About Siena College

Published on May 2, 2017December 29, 2017 by PeculiarPorter8 Comments

Hello darling! This post is full of tear jerks and sappy stories… but would it be a college recap if it didn’t? Saturday I went to senior formal with all of the lovely friends I’ve made over the past four years and Monday was the last time I’ll walk out of a classroom at Siena college. It was my last college class… wow, that is scary to type! &Yesterday was when I finished my last undergrad assignment. So, yes, I’m feeling a boat load of emotions.

But how did I get to this point? Four years ago, I was not the person I am today. That may be cliche to say, but I’m a different person from who I was when I was awkwardly brought my belongings into my first dorm. I remember my father telling me that I had to register myself by myself. I was nervous and awkward but it was certainly something he needed to let me do by myself. I shyly got my handbook and saint card and knew this was going to be in interesting four years.

Over the years, I’ve met some incredible people. The Siena community has impacted my life with one open door at a time.

To making friends from the first night in college, to making friends in Italy. My perspective has changed due to these wonderful people. From expanding my horizons away from Dunkin’ Donut’s bagels to dreaming about when my friends come back with Long Island or New Jersey bagels. To realizing people actually say ‘aunt’ like ‘ant’ (still not over it). To realizing no one actually likes tequila (why?). To realize each and every one of us get a little bit home stick once in a while. Each person of the Siena community has changed my perspective to being more openminded and curious. Those are traits you cannot just learn magically over night. Hearing the Siena community’s unique perspectives has helped me become an overall more accepting person, and I wouldn’t change that for the world.

Mickey’s Dress | My dress |My Shoes | Courtney’s Dress

The Siena class of 2017 has given me memories I’ll cherish for years to come. I’ll remember yelling out the windows freshman year, cramming during midterm and finals week, getting lost in multiple countries, buying random fish tanks, being dragged to more Starbucks in foreign countries than in America, each trifecta, Chowderfest and Larkfest, Thursday nights, chucking jolly ranchers out the windows at passing freshman, tarpozia, dressing like creatures for theme parties and halloween, getting brunch at Iron gate, blowing up 300 balloons, Siena fest, losing my voice at basketball games, jumping in pools fully clothed, the list goes on and on and the memories do not stop. These people have created memories I’ll never forget because these people are unforgettable. (Cliche but relevant).

And the new friends that I’ve made just this year. You’ve made this year incredibly exciting and perplexing to how our livers are still existing (sorry mom and dad!). Thank you all for being remarkably you.

With each laugh and each tear shed, I know I made the best decision of my life four years ago. I’m glad to be a Siena alumna…. in 10 days. Not a day shorter or longer.

Senior week begins on Sunday and I look forward to showing you a little piece of my life. I’ll be going to Saratoga, on a cruise in Troy, a champagne toast, the ‘beach’ if it is nice, and actually graduating on the 14th with all these wonderful people. I hope to cling to every second of these last days. Look out for a few tear jerker posts coming soon.

As always,

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Sunday Snapshot: St. Patrick’s Day Parade and more

Published on March 13, 2016March 13, 2016 by PeculiarPorterLeave a comment

Hello darlings! This weekend was jam-packed with adventures. Siena’s basketball season was amazing so we went to a game on Saturday and again on Sunday. On Saturday, we played Manhattan. We were all sitting on the edge of our seats because the game was so close. Sunday, however, was a tough loss. We were two games away from going to March madness so it was a sad to see them lose.

Here are some yummy foods I ate this week:

Rob turned 21 this Friday so we decided to go out on the town to celebrate. We went to Bombers Burrito Bar, The Olde English Pub and Wolff’s Biergarten in order for him to do the trifecta. Here are some of the wonderful pictures

The next day we woke up early, got decked out in green, and went to the St. Patrick’s Day parade.

I hope you are ready for St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday! Make sure you wear some green so you don’t get pinched!

As always,

Sunday Snapshot: First Snowfall

Published on February 14, 2016February 14, 2016 by PeculiarPorter1 Comment

Hello darlings! Did you finally get snow? If you live inland then you might have received your fist snow fall this week. We finally received our first snow fall in Albany and I couldn’t have been happier. I mean look how beautiful Siena looks in the snow:

The only downside is that the temperature dropped drastically. Right now it is 7° and there is a low of -4° …. oh and it feels like…..

We were team Ireland for a party this weekend. I had to put the flag over my mouth because I couldn’t stop smiling.

I also am getting a lot better at cooking *slow clap*

This week I cooked chili for the Super Bowl. There are three types of meat (ground beef, ground turkey, and steak), red beans, peppers, onions, and a whole much of spice in it. I think I put a little too much spice in because it was a little too spicy. I’m not sure if my friends were just being nice, but they all said that there is no such thing as having too much spice.

I also cooked Cheesy jalapeño popper baked stuffed chicken this week. You can get the recipe here. I was incredibly proud of it. I want to try it with red or green peppers next time. I loved the way it came out. I also made roasted squash and corn with it. For some reason it made me miss my host mom in Italy.

I also went shopping this week and scored a jacket and a dress. The dress is from American Eagle and I can’t wait to do an outfit post on it when it gets warmer. I also scored a sweet ‘suede’ jacket for $7 from Forever 21. They’re having an insane sale right now. Every clearance items is an additional 75% off. I would definitely go to your closest Forever 21 to see if you can snag a great item like I did.

Later today, for Valentine’s day, I’ll be going to Albany Pump Station with Robert, Alyssa, and Nicole. It’s my favorite restaurant so I’m quite excited! What are you doing for Valentine’s day? I hope it consists of eating copious amount of chocolate and laughing too much.

As always,

Christmas in Italy

Published on December 10, 2015December 29, 2015 by PeculiarPorter1 Comment

Hello darlings! I was luckily enough to stay in Siena, Italy this week! I know it’s a shock! The last weekend I stayed in Siena was the week I did a day trip to Assisi… in October! It’s been a long time.

So instead of rushing myself to get to a foreign country I enjoyed Siena. I got to enjoy every bit of Siena.

Instead of having class inside, my flavors and taste class went to a panforte factory! We got to see how these “energy bars” are made. Panforte originates in Siena in the 13th century. It’s made of fruit, nuts, and spices. We also tried ricciarelli, an almond based cookie. The ricciarelli cookies are delicious!

I enjoyed the lovely view near school and ate some delicious gelato. I got coconut and Nutella!

Wednesday, I headed to the market and snapped a picture of these beautiful flowers. I also got market pizza on my way back to class.

I spent time in soul cafe and tried some of their delicious cake. (The coffee is actually my friend’s… I don’t drink coffee).

My friends and I went out to dinner. I tried this giant tortellini dish! It was very good.

Saturday and Sunday there was an adorable Christmas market in the Piazza del Campo. I ended up purchasing an adorable ornament, a water colored painting, and a few gifts for loved ones!

December 8th I turned 21 so my friends and I went out for dinner. We had the entire day off because it is an Italian holiday!

I have one more weekend in Siena before I go back to the states. It’s such a bittersweet feeling. I miss my family, friends, and puppies so much! However, I’m going to miss picking up market pizza whenever I want to, walking wherever I want to, and traveling every weekend to some foreign land. There is no other way to describe it other than bittersweet. I just need to soak up as much as I can!

As always,

P.S. This is my 100th post on this blog! Thanks for staying with me for this long!

I’m slowly adjusting

Published on September 9, 2015December 29, 2015 by PeculiarPorter9 Comments

Have you ever been in a really hard class and you finally understood something after an hour trying to figure it out? That feeling is exactly how Italy feels to me right now. I now know how to take the bus into school and home! I know how to get to Piazza del Campo, school, and even the Duomo easily. It is a great feeling.

After I posted my first study abroad post Sunday, we explored Siena! We found the Duomo and it is breathtaking. I can only imagine what the Milan Duomo looks like in comparison. Honestly, these pictures really do not do it justice.

When you live in Italy, you soon realize that there are these adorable little trinkets everywhere. You walk down the streets and see a lot of shops selling hand painted plates and dishes, you smell the delicious leather at every corner, and, in Siena, you see contrada flags every two feet. You can see some of the flags on the buildings of my pictures. If you don’t know much about the contrada and want to know more about what I’m talking about read this. The way my teacher described it was as if your hometown had a sports team that was owned by the people. The citizens would then use their own money, volunteer, and fundraise to make that sports team impeccable. This whole week there were many parades with very loud drums for each contrada and even a party we went to. Here is a picture of one of the parades we ran into:

You’d be surprised how hard it is not to buy touristy things. I’m trying really hard not to buy touristy things in Siena until December (when I leave). I want to get a few different souvenirs like every other tourist. I plan on getting Salt and Pepper shakers from Burano where they handmade, a leather wallet and leather gloves from somewhere in Italy, a contrada flag (for my townhouse), a ring, and Christmas ornaments. So I guess I’ll pass on these adorable bottles… or maybe get one as a gift….

We ended up wandering on Sunday and found this windy road that leads to a random restaurant and park. You can pay three euros to eat at this private park where there are animals all around you. We saw two peacocks and sheep! It was like a park and a zoo mixed together.

Yesterday, these random birds were all over the city so we ended up taking these awesome pictures. The birds are bigger in Italy!

These last pictures are just some views of the city. I just think they’re a great view. I’m so fortunate to be able to explore and live in this beautiful place. We eat lunch in Piazza Del Campo almost every day. It’s crazy feeling.

This weekend, Micky and I are taking a bus to Rome so feel free to stop by next week to see those pictures. I can’t wait to feel like Lizzie McGuire and a throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain. See you then!

As always,