Sand Dunes

Let's start!

In October I took a beatiful 2 day trip with the guy of the Experience Learning Center. It was just a blast! I had so much fun that I became the biggest fan of this group and I followed them in almost every excursion. I learnt how to camp and a lot of things about nature and outdoor.
The Sand Dunes is a gourgeous desert in the South of Colorado. This desert is sourronded by the mountains and people like to think that God placed the desert in the middle of the mountains to make Colorado more beautiful and interesting than what already is.

Banditos in the desert

The dunes were formed from sand deposits of the Rio Grande and its tribuatries, flowing through the San Luis Valley. Over the ages, westerly winds picked up sand particles from the river flood plain. As the wind lost power before crossing the Sangre de Cristo Range, the sand was deposited on the east edge of the valley. This process continues, and the dunes are slowly growing.

My tentmates Sheena and Keyla

It was not very easy to set up the tents under a puoring sky....

The day after, fourtanetly, it cleared up, but the wind was still very strong!.

Arrival at the top of the hill in the Sand Dunes! We made it!!!

Boat Trip around Pueblo Lake

Carlie and Glenn invited Stacy, Miki and I to have a fun trip around Pueblo Lake , in their super nice boat. I had the chance to meet a lot of people during that day. Everybody wanted to have a chat with me because of my origins, and many tourists around the lake never talked with an Italian. I spent the evening talking about the Alps, Rome, Florance, Roman history, the Renaissance and I neither had time to have dinner. It was wonderful that a lot of people invited me over to their boats and I was also invited to a farewell bachelorhood party!.
During the day I swam a lot with Stacy, who is a really good swimmer,and she taught me usuful things for my lifeguard test.




Stacy and me



The boat crew...


I was guest in the "Anticipation Boat"

Had the privilige to try to drive it...




Enjoy its comforts...

First horse back riding excursions

Trip to the Saw Mill and Sain Isabel Forest

Found the saw mill!!

Playing in Walsemburg, in Stacy's ranch!



After few days I was in Pueblo, I met Stacy, my best cow boy buddie! She taught me horse back riding ad thanks to her I had amazing excursions and time. These pictures show our first trips...

Donne e Motori

When the car breaks down...



Just sing....


Or learn how to fix it....
Automotive 101. My class to learn about cars. Dad is proud of me!



Voilà my car, Jane, the teacher, and Alegria, who took the class with me.

We also got a diploma!!!!

Snapshots of Pueblo and surroundings

The city of Pueblo is located in Southern Colorado, one hour south (driving) from Colorado Spring.

American roads... SO different from European ones, in particularly diverse from Italy! I also took an American driving licence while I was in Pueblo and bought my own car, which I sold before leaving,



Pueblo, like several American cities, is built around highways. The city is very spread out, so between one neighboor and the other you can drive through big spaces. The first time I was shown Pueblo, I was actually thinking we were driving through different towns.


In Pueblo it almst never rains, ths is why it is so dry. The city is caled the "banana spell of Colorado" because of the lack of water.



Sunsets and sunrises are gorgeous in Colorado. They reminded me those of Ireland. Pueblo at the sunset.

The Riverwalk in Pueblo city center. Neat area for a walk.


Elisabeth and me at the Riverwalk. She is a good friend of mine and, on February, she flew from Iowa to visit me. We met in Ireland fours year ago, and, since then we never saw each other. It was wonderful to see her again.

CSU UNIVERSITY IN PUEBLO

The fountain at university. CSU Pueblo is kind of little compared to other universities. It has 4,000 students and it is not too big. The adventage is that the atmosphere is very familiar and you get to know each other easily. The college is the center of social life.


The university park is so green compared to the rest of the city. It is constantly watered. I LOVED sitting there reading, eating strawberries and watching squirrels and rabbits crossing the park. I miss this so much..

Elisabeth looking at a "piece of art" at university.

Colorado 2008-2009

I want to start my blog showing you my American families who took care of me during my year in Pueblo, a town in Southern Colorado. I spent a year there as exchange student and I was welcomed by a great community who made me feel at home.



The Atencio's, my first family. From the left: Dan, Kathy, the wise grandpa, Michelle and grandma Jural. Dan is a kind man always pottering around and helping people. He took care of me and spoiled me a lot. For example he always made sure I had a cherry pie and some cinnamon bread for breakfast or always checked the tyres of my bike before going to school!. Kathy is a busy nurse and she teaches dance, very kind woman. Miki is a bright and smart student at CSU Pueblo.



My American parents Eric and Alegria, a bomb of happiness, joy and creativity!.Eric is an attorney and Alegria a Spanish professor at CSU Pueblo.



"Family" n.3, Leslie, my French roomy!. I moved with Leslie for my last four months. We bumped into eachother by chance, and after two minutes we decided to share an apartment!.She was living alone in a nice apartment close to the university!We had great time together and she was always making sure I rested enough and studied!

And then, there are all the people who gave value to my experience.... here are some of them..


My cow girl buddies


From the left me, Alda and Walter West and Jean Apple. Alda and Walter take care of all the international students. After they left the diplomatic carreer and retired, they devoted themselves to students.