Our day off 

January 21st

Our time in Venice seemed to be a lot of "go out and explore" type of days. So when our instructors gifted us a full day to ourselves my classmates and I took it to our advantage. Some of the class explored the city first thing in the morning, but others, including my roommates and I, decided to sleep in and cook a well-deserved brunch (States style!). After the mass consumption of scrambled eggs and orange juice, we decided to draw the beautiful Venetian scenery while riding the Vaporetto up and down the Grand Canal.

A Home Cooked Meal

January 22nd

After a walk around the Giardini di Biennale, We went back to the apartment to cook a five-course dinner. My apartment's kitchen was in charge of cooking: risotto, pesto, and honey-glazed carrots. While the other kitchen was in charge of pork ragu, gnocchi, and tiramisu. However, in order to achieve these dishes we had to prep like our lives depended on it! After everything was done cooking, we gifted ourselves to a VERY filling meal.

The Guggenheim

January 23rd

After passing by the exquisite building numerous times during the week, we finally visited the Guggenheim! Like most things on this trip, I was not mentally prepared to experience the highly acclaimed collection. Wandering through the halls of her home, I began to geek out over the Dalí, Picasso, Pollock pieces (mostly because I was quite braindead from looking at Renaissance art at this point). I examined each artist's work and scribble notes or drew my best replica, just so I could remember my face-to-face experience.

Our Last Moments

January 24th

Studying art in Italy has been such an amazing experience! Yes, I know that sentence is generic for explaining any study abroad, but this trip was truly amazing. In the last three weeks, I've managed to walk what felt like, 10,000 miles, get lost in numerous museums, and I figured out how to pack my entire closet in a tiny carry-on suitcase.However, I also learned how influential renaissance art was. The Italian masterworks focused primarily on symbolism, central composition, and story telling. Looking at these three main focus points in a contemporary lens, I can see that art making hasn't changed.

Our time with the beautiful and the uttermost "laid-back" town yet, has come to an end. Venice is one unique slab of ocean kissed land and boy, will I miss it so. I have dreamt about coming to "the City of Water" since I was a kid and now that I have spent a week in the cutest yellow apartment, riding the Vaporetto up and down the Grand Canal, and zig-zagging through cobblestone alleys, I don't want to leave. Therefore, I refuse to say goodbye. So instead, I will say: See you later.