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.