2011...

“I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.” - Dalai Lama

2011 brought me some wonderful things - I moved to Italy, finally got my visa straightened out, finished my masters at NYU with honors and started a new, wonderful life here that really made me realize how blessed I am. But, 2011 also showed me the worst it could have - friends and family with illnesses they don't deserve (does anyone?), hurricanes, and a flood that helped everyone realize how quickly your life can be flipped upside down.

This blog was originally for me to write about my experiences here, and, as I said in the title, a girl "living her dream" in the Italian Riviera. Sometimes your dreams don't go as planned, and it's true that when life twists its direction, all you can do is move on.

I wouldn't trade this year for anything, because you can't just think of the bad things that have happened, but I hope that 2012 will bring something just a little bit easier for us. A road that can be just as twisted and windy, but with fewer bumps. That's all I ask.

Happy New Year!