[ITALY][Rome][Pompeii] When in Italy....

From: James Morrison
Sent: Sun 6/11/06 2:35 AM
To: Tara
Subject: woooo baby‏

Tara,
Can hardly put anything down here. I'm okay; doing well. Am using a friends computer from a town in east desert california. Miss you very much; sorry I haven't been writing at all the past few days. We're almost done shooting; we have been in towns where computers do not exist, seriously, like ghost towns. I hope haven't yet given up on me & decided to run away with some Italian loser. Hope you are well; on the look out for a letter. Will be able to write a real message in days to come.
kisses,your grandma

Heheh...that's sort of gross.

take care,
james

From: Tara Rose Stromberg
To: James Morrison
Sent: Mon, 12 Jun 2006 12:56:49 -0400
Subject: he lives!!!!! :P

i was almost expecting one of those sad telegrams to come knockin' at my door to tell me you were lost at war or something...

heheh. i joke because i care.

james,

(figure i should include the formal greeting, so you know the sarcasm is over)

i wish emails could hug the people they get sent to, but I'm sure that is in the extremely distant technological future, not to mention it would be sort of creepy.

but all ha-ha's aside, i did get all excited like a girly girl when you e-mailed me, so I'm going to continue to blush and admit this to you, because i missed you boy! missed you like the deserts miss the rain. and you know how they miss the rain.....a whole damn lot.

i wish i could talk to you more often, but i only have two more weeks (!) and then I'm homeward bound. plus it sounds like ur really busy, and of course i absolutely expected this, and i say this all the time, but it still kinda sucks.

but it sounds like ur really getting things done. (this is my time to say i-told-you-so :P) so there it is: i told you so. although you havent given me the gruesome details yet, so im sure it wasnt without lots of sweat and pain and tears and blood and such.

am i gonna see pictures? i hope you tell me all the low down in ur letter, cause i wants to know!!!! i feel like im always telling you about my adventures (as if they could be called such) and u never get to tell me about all the commotion over in Cali. because the eating of wine and cheese can only be exciting for so long.

speaking of my misadventures, since i should get it down before i forget the little details, and because i love to entertain you so, i went to Rome this weekend. i actually got your e-mail last night at midnight when i got back from the train, and after my explosive display of happiness, during which i sat on and broke my sunglasses like an idiot, i went to bed aching like a....i don't know i was supposed to think of something clever to say there, but it didn't happen.

Postcard from Pals in Istanbul, Turkish Bath

so yeah, i went with these ppl from the school i sort of know, but not really, because all my close friends went to Istanbul, Turkey (i couldn't afford it, and we were sad, but I'd rather not spend my money on Istanbul anyway). it was kind of weird because i had to be super careful with the money i spent because i am nearly broke, and have no idea how much money i have in my account. and they basically can spend whatever they want, and i don't think they understood my whole ordeal, and it was awkward.

I took my own food and just paid for the train and a hostel, but still ended up shoveling out some for food, because u cant go eating out with ppl at a restaurant and whip out a loaf of store-bought bread and PB&J. (and believe me, i thought about it) but we got so much done, and it really was one of the nicest trips i had so far, minus the fun people. we saw the Roman Forum ruins, the Colosseum, and the Vatican (where the Sistine chapel is).

I am a sucker for archeological stuff, and i swear i was beside myself in glee seeing all those ruins. they still have people digging it all up too. oh man, i can't wait to tell you about it. typing it all out wont do it justice because i must display my awe to you in person, so until then....


But then sunday we also went to Pompeii, which is just a train ride away. Pompeii is one of those places i always wanted to go to as a kid, and even though it was supposed to rain, i was determined to go. and of course, rain it did, poured actually, for at least two hours. i had to buy a pair of sneakers to wear cause it was so cold and wet (but they was some slammin' sneaks, let me tell you), and an umbrella. but it was so worth it. mostly i walked around by myself because i take forever to actually stop and look at stuff. but oh lordy, was it amazing. i am gonna give you some Pompeii lovin when i get back. there was such cool stuff there. and i went in the closed off places like the bad girl i am, and just explored on my own, and i felt so proud of myself, and by that time the sun had come out and the sky was clear as hell. it actually passed over us and you could see all the mountains and the volcano steaming on the distance, and the town was just HUGE. oh, i gotta stop. but remind me to tell you about it when i get back.

so aside from the rain and the endless amount of walking and spending it was a very good trip. also i went to burger king and they wouldnt give me a vanilla shake, because they said it was "broken." now, this is the third time I've went to get a milkshake from someplace, and i havent gotten one. McDonalds first said they had "stopped" making them for the day (who stops making fucking milkshakes!!!), and then they said they didnt have vanilla (only strawberry and chocolate-and who fucking likes strawberry milkshakes????), and then this place that was supposed to have american food no longer existed, and now this. its always so close yet so far away. all i want is a milkshake. the world is against me.

so anyway, sorry, that turned out to be a very long rant ^.^ other than that ive been pretty busy with writing. i had to do this script for the actors that are here to perform about "identity". i just finished writing it, but it took me forever to get the guts to do it beause i was afraid it was going to suck , yada yada yada. but now its finished in all its horrid glory. u can tell me how bad it is later.

I talked to my dad and things seem okay. my parents keep telling me that i never email them, but i send them one every week so i dont know what they're takling about. which reminds me, how is ur family doing? have you had a chance to talk to them? are you going to visit them before you come to ny? they should come visit you, and u guys can go sightseeing and stuff.

Speaking of this summer, I've been really worried lately about what the hell I'm gonna do about my money situation. i need to pay for so much stuff, and then i start classes and it's just bothering me. i know there's nothing i can do about it now, but i still can't get it off my mind. how is ur budgeting going? (see, i shouldnt complain, because u have it ten times worse ^.^) every time i worry that i dont have money, i think of you, and how we are too kindred, penniless souls. :P but still content.

Welll it seems i went on another tangent, so i will stop here and just wait until i can write again, and then continue my woes and worries and thoughts etc when i come back and tac kle you to the ground. i hope your letter gets to me before i leave, cause i dont know how long it takes this postal system to get to the US. i still have a postcard to send you and some for chris too, so ill try to get those out soon.

XOXOX (just like grandma used to write :P)

tara