Ciao everyone!! My semester is almost done, I just have finals week left to get through. And then once those are done

I’ll be heading up north for a month and a half to complete research for my final senior thesis. It’s been a stressful and very confusing end of the semester. The guys have been and will continue to be a huge help in getting me through it.

My one good friend and I continue to watch videos of them when we’re stressed and need a break. More and more of our other friends have been joining us as well. Recently, we’ve been watching some older funny videos and they are doing a very good job in relieving our stress. One of our new favorite videos is of Piero singing Cielito Lindo in Latin America.

Since we both come from strong Hispanic families we grew up hearing this song a lot and it brought tears to our eyes to hear Piero sing it. It made me think of my Abuelita when she was younger. Unfortunately she now has pretty advanced Parkinson’s, but before she was sick she’d be constantly singing and dancing as she walked around the house. Cielito Lindo was one of her favorites and when I showed her the video of Piero she started crying. She adores the guys, but due to her health I’ve never been able to take her to a concert. She is one of the ones who introduced me to them when she first saw them on American Idol and she has delighted in my growing love for them since then. Speaking of grandparents, the other person who introduced me to them was my Italian Nonno (my mom is Mexican and my dad Italian). He also saw them on American Idol and was very moved by them singing O’ Sole Mio and has bought almost every CD of theirs; which means we listen to them at almost every family gathering. One of my earliest memories of my Nonno is him singing O’ Sole Mio as he walked around the house, so this song has special meaning to me. We were all very excited when he recently discovered that his family is from Abruzzi, from one of the towns right by Montepegano. Needless to say, my entire family is pretty much a family of Il Volovers.

Now back to school stuff, I’ve discovered another way the guys help me! I’ve always listened to their music to help me fall asleep if I need it, but recently I’ve started listening to them in the mornings as I walk to class too. Starting last week my life kind of exploded with projects, meetings, papers and exams. This means that I’ve been averaging about 3-4 hours of sleep a night, which will probably continue through exams. Even with napping when I can, this means I am a very grumpy person most mornings. Well, I found out that if I stick my headphones in as soon as I get up and listen to a select playlist I’ve made of their songs, I am a much happier person who no longer gives everyone I see before 9am a death glare lol!

All right, I should probably get back to work since it is the last day of classes and I am supposed to be proctoring an exam for the Gen Chem students. Hopefully this first group finishes early so I have time to go take a quick nap before the next set comes this afternoon! Ciao ragazzi!! Ti voglio bene!