I’m still a bit overwhelmed that this all happened. We suffered through a week of Gishwhes…wait, did I say suffered? I meant we were privileged to be a part of it ;). Then the waiting. Christmas morning…and WHAT a Christmas morning. Then some more waiting.
Pasta.
Misha.
Tracy.
Phillip and Lisa.
Rome.
And now it’s over.
Thank you. First of all: Team 83. You were awesome. You’ll always have a place in my heart. The lucky ones: It was so great meeting you. The Gishwhes-Team: Thank you for being crazy enough to actually do such stuff. Thank you for making it all possible.
I'm still a bit overwhelmed that this all happened. We suffered through a week of Gishwhes...wait, did I say suffered? I meant we were privileged to be a part of it ;). Then the waiting. Christmas morning...and WHAT a Christmas morning. Then some more waiting.
Pasta.
Misha.
Tracy.
Phillip and Lisa.
Rome.
And now it's over.
Thank you. First of all: Team 83. You were awesome. You'll always have a place in my heart. The lucky ones: It was so great meeting you. The Gishwhes-Team: Thank you for being crazy enough to actually do such stuff. Thank you for making it all possible.
Okay, it might be wise to be more awake for this but I actually do not care right now. I'm home for about two hours now and so exhausted it takes matches to keep my eyes open but I have to quickly say a few things.
This trip was one of the best things that ever happened in my life. I'm not exaggerating. I could not have asked to spend it with more awesome people. Not only did I get to share this experience with my best friends but also I got to meet and know some of the nicest, craziest, loveliest and in general most awesomest (whatever, grammar, it's late) people in the entire world.
Sophia said it before, this wasn't just about winning, this wasn't just about Misha, this wasn't just about Rome... this was about the group having a wonderful time together. Everything else is and was bonus. I'm pretty sure you could've send us to the most boring place ever and we still would've managed to make it the best of times.
Thank you for taking up with my constant complaining that my feet hurt, thank you for being the wonderful people that you are. I don't actually think we could've gotten along better than we have in these 5 days I was in Rome.
So, yes. Thank you for making this a wonderful and memorable trip. The best one actually.
Thank you, Misha for being crazy enough to dreaming up the idea of GISHWHES, thank you Jean-Louis for being a massive part of this, I wish we could've said that in person. Thank you Philip and Lisa for being a wonderful support and just as fun to hang out with.
Thank you Tracy for putting up with all of us, for sorting everything out for us and just being there.
And... thank you, thank you, thank you Christine, Cynthia, Inga, Jenny, Jonah, Meghan, Melissa, Sarah, Sophia, Susie, Svenja and Ruth for being the best people in the world. I would not want to trade you for anything.
Let's do it all again next time!
Now excuse me while I go sleep for 10 days until it's time for Asylum Europe.
To everyone else, who is reading this: We still have lots of stuff to share with you. If I have the time to sit down properly in the next few days I (and I'm sure some others) will write up a detailed report of the trip!
To everyone who isn't home yet or still on their way: HAVE A GOOD TRIP
7. Bring a superhero outfit (or two!) to Rome and put it (them) on in the Piazza Venezia. Buy a bunch of flowers and put them in a pile on the ground in the Piazza. Make tourists or locals stop and then pick up a flower and hand it to them…except pretend the flower weighs a ton. Drop one on your toe at one point and scream.
-Kim Kardashian – 83 pts.
So this is the new scavenger hunt list we got for Rome. Well, let's see how that will go!
(And I think they actually sound a lot easier than most of the GISHWHES items...)
ROME SCAVENGER HUNT ITEM LIST
VIDEOS – 1 minute, 27.7 second max!
1. The group doing the Macarena in front of the Arch of Titus.
-John Swindell -21 pts.
2. Create a congo line with tourists at St. Peter’s Square, Piazza di Spagna or Piazza Venezia. The more people you can get to join the better.
-Annabel – 35 pts.
3. Find the Umbilicus Urbis Rome – the navel of Rome, built by Augustus. All roads from Rome converged on this point. Belly dance in front of or on the navel of Rome.
-Patricia – 22 pts.
4. Walk like an Egyptian in front of the Obelisk of Thutmose III.
-Nicole – 18 pts.
5. Tell the Pope that Brittany says hi. Must include a “daps” as a greeting.
-Brittany – 108 pts.
6. Misha at the Victors’ Spaghetti Dinner ordering his entrée and cocktail but he is not allowed to speak, point to the menu or anyone else’s entrée. He must “charade” his order to the waiter.
-Andrea – 623 pts.
7. Bring a superhero outfit (or two!) to Rome and put it (them) on in the Piazza Venezia. Buy a bunch of flowers and put them in a pile on the ground in the Piazza. Make tourists or locals stop and then pick up a flower and hand it to them…except pretend the flower weighs a ton. Drop one on your toe at one point and scream.
-Kim Kardashian – 83 pts.
PICTURES
8. A picture of one of the winners using a squeegee or similar to clean where there should be a window at the Coliseum.
-John Swindell – 38 pts.
9. At Vatican City there many nuns in full black and white habit. Get a picture of someone and a nun with the nun giving that person bunny ears.
-Sarah Schulz-Arnold -92 pts.
10. Two of the winners with a Swiss Guard posing like Charlie’s Angels
-Kat Jack – 73 pts.
11. All Posing “en tableau” in the form of famous statues on the Spanish Steps.
-C’Anne Daugherty – 42 pts.
12. Gelaterie Artigianale allegedly has the best gelatto in Rome. The winners must all order at least a scoop each and pose for a picture doing their best “GISHWHES” pose while licking the gelato.
-Jazzy ABC – 26 pts.
13. An action “freeze-frame” photo of all the winners throwing 620 pennies ($6.20) all at once into the Trevi Fountain each representing a Team of GISHWHES. Please note all coins going into the fountain actually go to a charity in Rome! Extra points if the coins can be blessed by a nun or cardinal (must have photographic evidence).
-Annabel – 77 pts.
14. Eight people to each hold a letter to spell out GISHWHES in front of the 8 pillars outside of the Pantheon.
-Annabel – 43 pts.
15. Ancient Romans placed a phallic symbol over a door as a symbol of good luck and fertility. Find one and take a picture of a winner next to it with them holding up their thumb and forefinger with a small space between them.
-Xiomara -29 pts.
16. Make a pyramid in one of the archways of the Coliseum, each member holding a letter of
G
ISH
WHES
-Cara – 98 pts.
17. The La Bocca della Verita (“Mouth of Truth”) is one of the world’s oldest lie detectors. It was believed that if one told a lie with their hand in the mouth of the sculpture, it would be bitten off. Have each of the winners stick their hand in it and have some reaction (any reaction). Then edit all of these photos onto one image. Extra points if you can get Misha to do it as well.
-Liesl Dittman – 69 pts.
18.Using distance perspective (similar to those that “hold up” the leaning tower of Pisa). Take a photo of Michaelangelo’s David, covering his scrotum with either (1) a scoop of gelato, (2) a large sausage, or (3) a headshot of Misha.
-Nicole – 48 pts.
19. There are 10 angels on Ponte Sant’Angelo. Get a photo of a member of the winning team, one per angel, doing their most angelic pose.
-Nicole – 17 pts.
20. Get some bread from Campo de Fiori, cheese from Trionfale Market, and an exotic food (preferably one you’ve never heard of) from the Piazza Vittorio market. Get photographic evidence of everyone enjoying it on the Spanish Steps. Vino is optional.
-Stephanie Wilson – 42 pts.
21. Leave a note for all Gishwhesheans at the Talking Statue of Pasquino. Must take a picture of the note (so we all can see what it says) and then a picture of it on the statue.
-Stephanie Wilson – 54 pts.
22.A real Roman on a Vespa with a shirt that says “GISHWHES conquers Rome”
-Sonja Basler – 54 pts.
23. Pose with a member of the Swiss Guard at the Vatican, who is holding up a sign that says “GISHWHES rules the world.” Bonus points if the Swiss Guard is wearing a sock monkey hat.
-Diana Alsobrook – 88 pts.
24. Photo bomb someone’s very romantic Trevi Fountain photo, while wearing a mustache of course.
-Ally Marrs – 15 pts.
25. Misha at the winners dinner party holding a piece of spaghetti in his mouth that reaches at least 6 feet to the mouth (you must tie spaghetti ends together) to of one (or more) of the winners. You may use props such as glasses and vases to support the spaghetti…but it cannot touch the table.
-Justin Bieber – 111 pts.
26. Misha and the winners posing together: three pictures: (1) Misha being supported above them mosh pit style, (2) lying in front of them seductively, (3) him standing away from them as everyone poses yelling at him or making rude Italian gestures. Bonus points if the camera can capture a baguette “in the air” being thrown in his direction.
-Rebecca Black – 111.11 pts.
27. A picture of each winner having an amazing time in Rome…clothing and purple fedora hats optional but dizzily gleeful smiles mandatory! These will be used for the _______ of _____ in _____ ____ _____ website next year – so choose wisely!
-Jean Louis – 99 pts.
