Weekends are Fun

Ours was.  It came after a long week... my internship group put our final presentation together, and got the green light from our professors on Friday.  This week, we will add a few suggested slides, write the report, and get ready for the real deal in Copenhagen.  I'm way more excited than nervous now... the professors really seemed to like our project, so I'm hopeful we'll get similar reviews in Denmark.

After presenting a semester's worth of findings, we had cause to celebrate!  It started in a little bar off campus, and continued into the streets of Como.  At some point, we all realized this was our last campus presentation, and with no more classes, group projects, or exams, we were just a thesis away from graduation.  This was harder for my classmates to accept, probably because I've only recently gotten used to being a student, and for them, it's the end of a longer road.  Still, the emotion was not lost on me (it never is).  

Another reason to celebrate... after our night out in Italy, Ryan and I successfully caught a late night train back to Lugano!  No delays, missed trains, or apologetic car rides to Switzerland. 

The next morning, we decided to spice up our routine Saturday grocery run.  We wanted more prosciutto and cantaloupe, and thought it might be fun to buy from the fancy fruit store and the famous meat market.  $80 later, we ate the best p&c money could buy.  It's ridiculous, and even though it was good, there's no need to do it again.  For the sake of full disclosure, that $80 did also buy us 3 pomegranates and 6 apples.  It was almost a bargain.  

Our apartment has been filled with fruit lately... it's part of our "tighten it up" plan.  I'm failing, but Ryan's nailing it, riding his bike for an hour every day up the mountain, with multiple hour rides on the weekend.  On Saturday, I wanted to join in the fun, so I tagged along with Ryan and our friend Tom on what was supposed to be an easy cycle.  And it was, until we hit a mountain.  Apparently, you can't go far around here without reaching some sort of incline.  After only 10 minutes of hard, uphill pedaling, I had enough. 

Today was much easier... we had lunch in the center, got ice cream, and walked by the lake.  Don't let Ryan's face fool you... the chocolate was fantastic.  He just thinks this is a good look.  Hopefully, he reads the blog.    



Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of Saturday night.  There was an event where a number of bands played at restaurants scattered around the center.  We walked around, trying to find one we liked, and stumbled upon rappers at Burger King.  I so wish I could have captured it - three white guys, one on turntables, and a crowd full of well dressed teenagers, standing quietly.

We ended up finding a pizza place with a view of the lake and a band playing Johnny Cash.  It was a good time.  So good, we ordered another carafe of house wine, and stayed a while.  The weather's nice enough that you don't mind walking home, which means staying out later than the buses run.  If it's really hot or cold, you either go home at 11:30 or fork over a small fortune for a cab (think 3 cantaloupes).  

PS - If you haven't read Bossypants, do it now.