Fourth Post: The First Week (Wed 9/3-Sun 9/7)

I'm going to be much more brief now...don't worry. You won't have to keep doing this much reading for four months.

I have three roommates, all of which go to Endicott College in Massachusetts and major in Interior Design. (See first photo) Now I know that Lorenzo is actually an art institute, so now I can actually say that I went to art school.

They are all very sweet girls and we have been having an awesome time wandering around Firenze together. Johanna--or Jo--is from Philly, but originally from Romania. She has spent most of her life in America, but she does speak Romanian and it is very entertaining to listen to. It is always interesting when you find out that someone speaks another language fluently. (I have to wonder what she's saying to her parents about us though) Kim is from New Hampshire, but originally from Minnesota. From what I can tell, she did not like Minnesota ("Why would you go THERE?!). Kim also has an incredibly infectious laugh--painfully infectious. Kelsey is from Texas, and NO, she does not 1) own a gun, 2) make money off of family oil, or 3) like George W. Bush. So far we've had gelato, pizza and cappuccinos and have each taken somewhere upwards of 300 photos. So I suppose we've done the relaxed tourist-y thing. We will all be getting the "Amici degli Uffizi" pass soon (which grants us access to any of the state-owned buildings) so we can actually go inside the museums and churches without breaking the bank.

Our apartment is very cool. It is so much more spacious than I imagined. (See photos two and three: north and south views of Via Giraldi from my room) I am staying in the master bedroom, which is so fancy it's scary. (See photo four: view through our doorway; my roommate Kelsey's bed) (See photo five: View of my bed)

So far, the best thing to do has been to wander around. I keep a couple maps on me at all times (one of which is a pop out--very cool, I know) and we just walk all day long. Firenze is so small that it is easy to explore. There's something interesting around every corner. The past five days of exploration have really helped me to get comfortable.

Adjusting to life here is difficult and easy. Some things--like walking everywhere--are easy (I prefer it...I never want to drive again), but other things--like going to the supermarket and sleeping--are not. My roommates and I have made three or four grocery trips so far and each one has had its "special" moments.

Reading labels in Italian is harder than one might think. I'm still confused about a few things. Also, the big grocery stores make you pay for your plastic bags (which are not the least bit sturdy) and we have to walk all the way back to our apartments with whatever we bought. Lets just say we've lost quite a bit of pasta sauce to the cobblestones. Now we bring totes, but even then, the more we buy, the heavier our bags are and the more vulnerable we feel to thieves. So the tri-weekly trip to the store has become a reality.

Sleeping. Here's the biggie. Imagine trying to sleep while cars and vespas whir by, washing machines and dish washers tumble and squeak, ambulances go here and there constantly, car alarms go for hours, and people are yelling, screaming, laughing, talking, spitting and vomiting. People are on the streets until 5 or 6 AM, many of them returning from clubs. The street cleaners and garbage cleaners go by every morning between 6 and 7 AM, and then there's Giotto's Bell Tower, which rings hourly and sometimes half-hourly. On Sundays there's extra bells for the masses. And there's a little boy next door that does not like bedtime at all. I have to say that I agree with him.

In all honesty though, the hardest thing so far has been the limited amount of communication that I have had with home. I'm sure I'll tell all of you this many more times before these 4 months are over: I miss you all terribly.

So now that I have had 5 days to adjust and have some fun, classes begin today (Sep 8). My schedule isn't too demanding, but we'll see how the work load turns out. I am looking forward to going back to school...it's time. And it will be great to meet some new people.