Il Discotheque

Last night was amazing. We made gnocchi at my apartment, drank some wine, and then by 11 we left for the club. On the way we took a picture with the carbanieri (police). It was funny...one of them put their hat on my head! At the bar\club\whatever you want to call it, they were playing weird music at first, but once they saw 20 Americans enter, they switched to semi-good English\Italian music. I even got to hear an Italian version of "Lean Back"! I danced for hours and it was just the best time, especially since there were enough boys with us for us to be able to easily avoid any creepers who were around the perimiter of the bar! Its so crazy that I can just sit on the bar stools and order a drink without any id or anything. I'm cheap, however, so I just drank some wine with dinner before we left! I danced with Martino a lot, which I loved because he doesn't mind dancing like a crazy person, and that's my favorite kind of dancing. We had a blast. I'm pretty tired today though because I didn't get home until almost 4. The weather has cooled down and I don't really have plans for today except going out to dinner...it's nap time, baby!

Via Pastrengo, numero 20

This is Piazza Maggiore. It's the biggest square in the town where everything happens!

So Charlotte and I found a pretty promising apartment...but of course they're are drawbacks to anything you find. This one's pretty secluded which is nice because it's quieter and safer. It's with two Italian girls who are really sweet and understanding of our lack of language skills! Across the hall is an apartment of boys that one of our new friends was also interested in. The apartment doesn't look super Italian and they all smoke, but it's in a good area and the people are nice. So it's always a toss up. Should you settle? Or is it really not settling and you might be passing up something great only to later live in a hole? Oh. And did I mention that two of the other girls in our program are trying to get this apartment too? And one of them is my roommate. Basically, the whole situation is pretty difficult. It's super interesting to visit random apartments though and get a feel for what's out there. Plus it always makes for interesting attempts at italian/english conversations!

Lunch here is amazing. After class ends at 1 we go to market and buy bread and meat and cheese and Pringles (hehe) and all eat panini together on one of our terraces. It's beautiful and all the food is so fresh and delicioius. The biggest down side is that it's SO humid here. I've never sweat this much in my life and I'm hot all the time. I'm at the point where I wish Italy accepted public nakedness! One thing they do accept is PDA. There are couples making out wherever they like and it's really awkward.

Italian class stresses me out because instead of learning more of the language, I feel like I'm just learning how much I don't know. I'm sure it'll get better though. It's so neat to have other people to practice with and to help with homework. We're starting to have a lot of homework but I feel like I have no time to really do it! Between searching apartments, walking everywhere, class, using the internet, eating, (and of course also hanging out), the days pretty much fly by! But it's so awesome living with practically everyone you know. It's really fun and really laid back. Tonight a bunch of us are going to go out to eat and then to a discoteche. It's so easy to organize activities when you're all living together! Apparently Thursday night is the new Friday night, so it should be pretty fun.

I just called Federica, the girl living in the apartment we think we want. We're going to go visit again today at 5:30. I've decided that if they offer it to us, we should take it, and if not, then it wasn't meant to be. Wish me luck!

Oh...and I'll try to post some pictures soon...but really i haven't been taking many. I don't feel that touristy since I'm actually living here, you know? But I know you guys want some proof so I'll do my best!

Apartment Search!

Everything is so new, and there is so much going on, that each day it's hard for me to organize my thoughts and tell you about any one part of it!

Apartment hunting is almost in full swing but it's weird because it can be competitive against your new friends to get the apartment you want. I think I might need to concede and get a double, probably with the girl I live with now, Charlotte. She's really sweet and laid back and we click well so I think living together wouldn't be a problem. It's hard though because other people are looking for someone to room with and you don't want to hurt their feelings!

Me and my new friend Martino cooked dinner for about a dozen of our new friends last night. He's hilarious, I love him. He's about 6'5'', silly, and from UCSC. We make an odd pair! And he's so cute about the nicknames he and his girlfriend have. Anyways, so we ate pasta and salad, drank wine, and enjoyed each other's company on the terrace of Martino's apartment. It was just lovely...and so much fun!

Ok my computer's dying! I'll keep you updated on the apartment search!

Cibo

This one will be short. I had been upset that I had not yet enjoyed the specialties of this land. However, yesterday I had procuitto, tortellini, and gelato (2x!). It was all absolutely incredible. Our waiter for dinner was from India and he was teaching us Italian! We sat outside and just ate and talked for a couple hours. We don't have much to do so we just are. After we hung out at one of the apartments in our building that has a terrace and I spent the evening talking with a boy from England whose name is Danny (are there no other names in the world!?) He studied at UCSD last year and was visiting the Italians who had been there as well. It was neat to talk to someone about study abroad from the opposite perspective.

Back to il cibo. If I did nothing but eat this whole trip, I would be just fine. And the fact that we walk everywhere makes it ok. Right? Ok. Time to eat.

Residence di Ercole

Va bene. So yesterday I checked into my apartment building which is actually quite nice. My apartment has two rooms with two beds each plus a bathroom and kitchen and living room. The girls I live with, Ashley, Charlotte, and Giulianna, all go to UCSB and are so friendly and nice. I feel quite comfortable with them as well as many of the other UC students.

We've been exploring the city both on our own and with the study center leaders. Peggy, the head lady, is just so sweet and she speaks to us slowly so we can actually understand! La città is molto bella and the food is delicioso. Last night we had a UC welcome dinner which lasted for 3 hours! Food just kept on coming. Plus wine was provided--which was just so weird!

Today we filed for our residence permits, learned about housing, and we're going out on our own to buy cell phones. Housing I'm pretty sure will prove challenging, but I'll manage. The architecture of the city is amazing with archways everywhere. I'm excited to go out and meet some people! I realize this post is completely scattered but I don't have wireless and so I'm using the computer at the study center and there's people waiting. Anyways, so I'm doing really well. These first few days are mostly for us to orient ourselves with the city and to mingle with each other and such. So it's still pretty relaxed before the crazy apartment search gets started!

I still can't believe I'm here but I'm so glad. It's just so different and beautiful. I'm so excited to meet people and travel and start classes and get settled!

Using skype might be difficult because I won't get WiFi at my apartment, but I'll see what I can do. Talk to you soon!

All in one piece

Here I am! I made it to Bologna. I was too exhausted last night to write here, but I did get to talk to my family and to Brittany on the webcam. I seriously do not know how people used to do this without that form of communication! It makes me miss them so much less because it's almost as if we're in the same room, talking as we always would. (Except of course I'm having to pay through the nose for internet at this hotel!)

Speaking of the hotel, it's lovely. My key inserts into the wall and turns all the lights on, I get a robe and slippers, and the guy at the front desk is the same one I spoke with on the phone! (He's very cute too).

I don't remember the plane ride that much because I slept on and off for most of it, but there was a American-Italian family with a baby next to me and she kept calling her "amore" which was very cute. The taxi driver who took me to the hotel from the airport was nice, we had a conversation about how he wants to exchange his Mercedes for a Toyota (woo-woo!) because it gets better gas mileage.

Everyone so far has been very nice, although I've only encountered about 3 Italians so far! Today I'm going to the Residence di Ercole, where I'll be staying for the next few weeks, to check in. I'm looking forward to it because I'm going to meet all the other UC students who are on this program with me, and it would be very reassuring to know SOMEONE in this town other than a taxi driver! However, I don't think there's internet there, so I'm going to have to do some finagling to get back online to my blog and to the webcams.

But overall, I'm doing pretty well. This whole things IS pretty scary but I'm just reminding myself that people do this all the time and that it's only going to get better! I also remember all you guys at home and I'm determined to make you all proud :)

I love you all! I'll write again asap!

It even smells like London

Cheers!
Well guys, I made it to the U.K. Currently I'm at an internet cafe at Gatwick waiting to find out from which gate my flight is leaving. It's just lovely here and I wish I didn't have to leave so soon! It's chilly and overcast and everyone has accents and refers to me as "love". :) The bus ride from airport to airport was bizarre...apparently it takes longer than an hour to grow accustomed to driving on the wrong side of the road. I thought that once I was on the plane to Heathrow it would hit me, YOU'RE STUDYING ABROAD! but ends up I was wrong. I'm starting to think this trip might never hit me! What is hitting me, though, is the time change. It's like I was chasing the sun on the way over here. Hehe...anyways, I just wanted to say hello and let you all know I made it this far safely. Next stop: BOLOGNA!

Departure

Well, the time has finally come for me to actually embark on this adventure that has, up until now, only been a dream and a lot of paperwork. It's sad to leave everyone, but hey, it's only a year...and at this point I guess I should be used to ping-ponging myself from place to place. Brittany helped me to focus on the positives, and so last night it hit me: I'M GOING TO ITALY! Sure, the logistics and the emotions are hard to ignore, but this is truly going to be an incredible experience. I'm so looking forward to the culture, the architecture, the FOOD! (you're going to be hearing a lot about the food in the months to come...so get used to it!)

Thank you all so much for your support and your interest in my travels. It really means a lot! I'll try to keep you updated, especially in the next few days, of how I'm settling in. I just hope I can get internet access!!

Arrivederci!

Web Cams!

Yesterday my family went out and we bought web cams. Now we can talk to each other like Oprah talks to people on the giant screen behind her. I haven't set them up yet but I'm sure it's gonna be pretty cool. Do you have a web cam? We should chat.