la la la tomorrow is my birthday! i'm actually really excited, if only because its sort of a break from just-another-day-of-studying and i think tomorrow i will go study at the POOL and maybe even drink a CAMPARI and read a book in ENGLISH while lying in the sun and not feel guilty. will study though, of course. viticulture is actually pretty interesting, though it does sort of confuse me re: it makes drinking wine while studying too obvious of an option (i.e. viticulture is a tangible subject, unlike, say, mathematics), as naturally when one is studying the effects of tannins, anthocyanins, and flavonols on berry taste and color, it is best to really experience this phenomena hands-on, otherwise these big words are sort of only that, big words. however, this hands-on-experience tends to be counterproductive, as after years of experimenting i can say for a fact that drinking wine while studying inhibits learning and, infact, puts a stop to the entire process in approximately 9.6 minutes. so...i'm trying to refrain and let the hands-on-experience be more of a reward\science lab type thing after at least 6 hours of studying, and preferably taking place after 7pm. my days are long and my brain is numb. but, seriously, if there is any place in the world to sit around all day studying viticulture, cormons is certainly the place to do it. i read about all sorts of crazy things that happen to cells and berries due to photosynthesis and it seems mind-boggling, but then i look 10 yards from me and see miles and miles of vineyard and squint a little and say, "oh, yes, i see..." and "well, well, would you look at that! the veration stage is about to begin." i think simone would be proud.

recap? what have i been doing? studying, sleeping, eating, swimming, snuggling, filming (i.e. watching movies), hiking, sleeping, sleeping, studying, being pretty much in love. its a simple life, and one that i will be sad to leave in 2 weeks. i can't believe im leaving cormons in two weeks. part of me thought id be suspended here forever, not aging or changing or anything, just here, in slow motion. everything here is in slow motion. its boring as hell, but im gonna miss it. ive made some good friends, gotten to know the community, picked up some of the local language, taken a serious liking to the food and wine and way of life, fallen head over heels for a real-live friulian\cormonese boy. its weird. it feels like home. i dont know what would have happened to me if FL hadnt come along. he introduced me to the town and the people and ive become one of them, one of the oddball staples to this community. they call me "Mericàn!", and they say it always with an exclimation point at the end.
so tomorrow is my birthday and i have requested dinner at Giat Neri (Gatto Nero, actually, but Giat Neri means Gatto Nero- means Black Cat- in friulano, so we call it that instead, though actually G. N. is the name of the piano bar downstairs, the name of the restaurant is "capriciosa" which means "brat", but we didnt figure this out until it was too late, so Giat Neri it is, in total), this fantastic spooky late-night restaurant with checkered table cloths and drippy candles, old pianos and cats lounging about. theres a gorgeous tile patio where we eat, always at the same table, and we are always the only people there. the food is spectacular, and the lady who owns it is this beautiful older blond who flirts mercilessly with FL much to my delight (in this case it makes me very proud) and brings us copious amounts of fresh fish and seafood, oven baked pizzas, house-cured meats and homemade spumante wines.
the truth is i'm gearing up for some major heartbreak here, with leaving him and all. wasnt really expecting this, though i think, subconsciously, this is what i was trying to avoid all along. i'm glad it's going to happen, though. i'm glad and thankful for everything.
i can say wholeheartedly that i am excited to turn 24 years old, though the sound of it is a bit terrifying. i get smarter and more confident and stronger and wiser and learn to love more and better every year, so good things abound!