Congratulation Mary and Eric

My brother Eric and Mary have been dating for around 6 years now. Just recently they got engaged. They went to Vegas for a medical conference that Mary was attending. At the Bellagio , in front of the water show, Eric got on one knee and proposed. And well, of course she said yes. I am very happy for them and know that they will have a happy life together.

I can't wait until next fall when I can celebrate with both of you. And thank you Mary for having me as a brides maid. I am truly honored!

White Water Rafting

For my birthday I wanted to do something exciting with my friends. The idea came from a coupon book that I have. It has a buy one ride and receive the next free. We didn't end up going to that one, but it was a good idea anyway!
We went to the Black River in Watertown, NY. We were told that the rapids were going to be a slight 5 (out of a possible 7), because of the constant rain this spring. The water was super cold but the air and the sun were nice.
Sadly we only lost one person the whole ride. It of course was the one person who was worried about falling out. After the ride there was a bbq with some delicious food.
All together it made for an amazing day!

Getting Ready

There is a few months before I leave for Italy, however I must start getting ready. One of the most important things that I need to do is get a visa. I will need a Scheun Visa as I am a student stay between 90-360 days. And the first step to being eligible is to have a plain ticket.

It is hard to know when the best time to buy is. About 6-8 weeks before departure is generally best, however there are a lot of other factors that come into play. For me the fact that I am staying in Italy so long has an affect on the price. In gener
al though there are many reason that the 6-8 week window will not work . Gas prices have a huge impact on the prices of tickets. If the prices jump the so will ticket prices.

The best way to navigate these waters is to keep a close eye on prices. As soon as dates are set, look up prices on a few different sites. Never trust that what you are looking at is the lowest price. There are a lot of different sites that work different ways that may be able to offer a better fare. Once you have a range of what the price looks like now, follow the movement of prices are time passes. If they start to rise then it may be an indicator that you should but. If they start to fall that could mean hold off. There is no guarantee on a price while shopping for air fare.

For students and professors, there is a web site out there that often has lower prices. Student Universe.com for the most part has better prices for students. They also have hotels, rail and trips available. Even though it is generally cheaper, they are not always at the best time, and are not always the best value. Be sure to shop around and be knowledgeable about what the average is. If you do this then you are on your way to finding a cheap flight.

Spring in Rochester

The weather is starting to turn nice in Rochester! One of my favorite places to go is Pittsford where you can wander the canal and all of the little shops near by. To get the most out of the nice weather, I decided to go for a bike ride with one of my close friends. The canal trails are well kept and perfect for taking long bike rides on. I had an amazing trip and can not wait for my next adventure!

Italy

I have been accepted to FUA in Florence for the fall semester! It will be four months of food, wine and Italian culture. Currently I am studying Italian so that by the time September comes I will be ready to hop a plane and submerse myself in the culture and ambiance of Florence. The housing is apartment style dorms, which I will be sharing with two of my close friends, Maureen and Nina. The school is in central Florence in the older part of the city. The gelato is calling my name :)
http://www.saiprograms.com/florence/fua

Skating Event to Raise Money for Golisano Children’s Hospital

RIT’s Women in Business club organizes annual fundraising effort

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The third annual Skate for a Cause, hosted by RIT’s Women in Business club, will raise money for the Golisano Children’s Hospital.

March 24, 2011
by Vienna Carvalho-McGrain
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The Women in Business club at Rochester Institute of Technology must have a direct line to Mother Nature. While many of us have spring on our minds, the students in this organization are capitalizing on the spring snowfall by hosting the third annual “Skate for a Cause” fundraiser on March 26 in RIT’s Ritter Arena. The general public is welcome to skate from 5-7 p.m. and RIT students can skate from 10 p.m.-midnight. A $5 donation per person covers admission, skate rental and hot chocolate. The session for the general public features music by WITR-FM (89.7) and entertainment by the RIT Juggling Club.

This year’s event benefits the Golisano Children’s Hospital at Strong.

“The event is really fun to host and it is a great feeling when we are able to help out a good cause,” says Kara Shierly, communications officer for RIT’s Women in Business organization.

Last year, proceeds from the event were donated to the Rochester-based organization Joining Hearts and Hands to complete a classroom in Kenya at the Hannah’s Hope school. The building is named for Hannah Congdon, a Fairport High School graduate killed in a car accident in 2007.

RIT’s Women in Business club is an organization for female students in all stages of their educational careers. Through networking, educational events and community service, the organization creates and strengthens skills in leadership, business, education and life management.

Taken from: http://www.rit.edu/news/story.php?id=48199

Undergraduate work at RIT

Many people know that I came into RIT with 44 credits from high school. This is great and I am glad I was able to do it, but sometimes I wonder if it is for the best. 44 credits means that before I even moved into my dorm room or met my roommate, I was a sophomore. The first class I had was a second year class and I was the only freshmen and felt like the only person who didn't already have friends. Within a month of being at RIT I was told that I needed to declare a major and ever since I have felt like life is going at warped speed. Already I am thinking that I should look at graduate school ( and most likely I am way behind on it). There are so many choices to be made right now that the best one can do is to take life as it comes.
Receintly, I have made some big decisions. In order to be able to travel abroad and get the most out of it, I want to study in Florence at FUA for a semester instead of a quarter. This means that there is a whole slue of complications that result because of timing and where the quarters fall. In order to make it happen I sat myself down and planned the rest of my undergraduate career. It surpised me how little was left to plan! This is both exciting and terrifying. I only have 3 quarters left at RIT and will still graduate before I turn 21! I was always told life goes fast and now I am experiancing it first hand.