And the Adventure Begins...

So I haven't been the best at this blog thing. I much prefer calling home or chatting on Skype when I get the chance, but I think it is important for me to start writing stuff down or I am going to forget everything to quickly. So here is a quick recap of my first few days in Florence--

On Sunday the fam got to downtown Chicago. It was hard to say goodbye to all the animals :( That has got to be one of the worst things ever. In Chicago we did some shopping a few things for my trip and a homecoming dress for Morgan. Then we went to Jersey Boys which was AWESOME! It totally distracted me from how nervous I was going into this...but not for long. My flight wasn't until 3:40 on Monday so we wandered around downtown some more. This was when reality really started to sink in that I was leaving. I kept telling mom and dad jokingly (but slightly) serious that I didn't want to go anymore. They basically said too bad and that this will be an amazing experience. Sure guys... Driving to the airport was terrible I didn't want to be there and I was struggling to hold back tears. Luckily we were able to check all my baggage (easily under the weight limit) then got to sit in the cafeteria area for awhile before security. This was nice and really calmed me down a lot, but then having to say goodbye before walking through a metal detector isn't the best setting either. There definitely were a few others like me struggling to say goodbye.

Security was ok not to long of a line. I made it through just fine however they had a problem and proceeded to dump everything in my purse. Grrrr. After that I found my gate and the waiting game began. I saw a few others that were clearly studying broad, but no one looked like they really wanted to talk much. I just wanted to get on the plane. The flight was long and very Italian. I heard hardly any English conversations. I noticed a lot of Italian college aged/ young adults traveling with grandparents. I thought that was kind of interesting. I sat next to some Italian guy who slept most of the time. I think we maybe said three words to each other and it usually involved passing food (which even though it was an Italian airline does not me the food is good!) . I tried reading, tried sleeping and then watched some Star Trek. I felt like I was constantly on the verge of tears and wishing I had a travel buddy.

I landed in Rome sometime around 7:30am and then had to find my connecting flight to Florence. This begins the first of the Italian lessons... Frizzante vs. Naturale. Just because the water doesn't look carbonated it is! You have to be careful what you buy. I was so thirsty so just grabbed a bottle of water! Wrong! It was terrible! I almost made the same mistake today but caught myself :)

After they changed gates on me I was in a massive group of American students studying in Florence, but it was hard to find anyone studying at my school. Apparently there are lots of different programs in Florence. The flight from Rome to Florence was like a flight from Madison to Chicago. The Florence airport is really small so there was a whole group of us waiting for luggage. Sadly my luggage did not appear with all the others so I joined the long line at the Lost and Found. I met some nice people though. One couple were on their honeymoon and had just arrived here from Greece. Another lady was from the states as well and she was visiting family in a small town in Tuscany. An Italian guy told me my school had easy classes so I should travel a lot. I also met two girls from Iowa State that were also studying at Lorenzo. They had lost their luggage too. :( So second Italian lesson- Don't fly Alitalia. Apparently the lose luggage all the time. Luckily my luggage did arrive at my hostel the next day thank god!

I was planning on taking a taxi from the airport to my hostel, but since I didn't have luggage to carry I opted for the bus option. Yikes! The bus dropped me off at the train station, Stazione Santa Maria Novella. Then I was on my own to find my hostel. I had directions but it took me awhile to realize the street names were on the side of the buildings on the corners. There were people everywhere and no one speaking English. I can't imagine what I must've looked like standing there on the street with directions looking totally lost, which I was briefly. I wandered my way to the hostel very warm and very tired. It is hot and humid here! Summer might not have been so hot in the states this year but being here is making up for it. Yucko!

Anywho, got to the hostel and got checked in to my room for the night. I couldn't check in yet for my room for the semester so I was just in a random room. They handed me sheets and a towel and my room key. Ok here goes! I walk into the room and there is a black women/girl sitting on a bed topless. Just hanging out watching tv. I am sure my jaw must have dropped. She said something to me in Italian and I just walked into the rest of the room. The other beds were taken so I was bunking with topless black lady. Nobody in the room really said anything to each other so I assumed no one spoke English.

It was at this time that I had my major break down. I ran up to the rooftop terrace of the hostel (which is beautiful by the way) and called home in tears. Looking back now I wish I wouldn't have because I know how much that probably worried both my parents. I wanted them to buy me a plane ticket home ASAP! I was uspet about my luggage, the hostel room and being totally alone! They helped to calm me down a little and told me to get some food and a nap. I decided to wander back down the street and found a little cafe and ordered a large plate of spaghetti and a large water (naturale :). This helped a bit and I felt better. I sat for a while and read my book about Florence. There were a few guys speaking English, but I was to nervous and freaked out to say anything.

Then I went back to the hostel and back to the room. I crawled into bed and took a nap for awhile. After figuring out the internet thing I spent awhile talking to mom via Skype chat which is probably the best invention ever. We haven't video skyped yet because I don't want to cry :( I wasn't super hungry but thought it was important to start eating meals at the right time so I headed to the hostel resturant downstairs.

As you may have already realized this is a pretty nice place. It has a restaurant, a pool, a sauna, a bar and probably my most favorite spot the terrace on the top floor. It has tables, chairs, a bar and it has beautiful views of the surrounding hills of Tuscany and you can even see the Duomo. It is absolutely gorgeous.

I headed downstairs to the restaurant and saw the same guys as I did at the cafe. I decided to ask them if I could join them. They said sure and I had a really nice time talking to them. They are all from Canada and four of the five just graduated and they are celebrating with a tour through Europe. It was a lot of fun and they were actually able to make me laugh which was a great things since I had pretty much on the verge of tears all day. Then I headed back to my room with plans to head up to the rooftop terrace later for drinks. When I got there one of the other girls was in the room so I decided to say hi. Turns out her name is Emily and she is also here for the semester studying at Lorenzo. It was the best news I had heard all day. We both went up and talked to the Canadians before heading to bed.

The next morning we had to move out of the room we were in and get our "apartment" room. Yes I totally lucked out when we found out that Emily and me were roomies! It is pretty nice with 3 beds, a table, kitchen area with sink fridge microwave and stove thingy, and there is also a bathroom. It is small, but I think I can manage to live here for 4 months. Any way we got our new room and unpacked then ran out to grab some lunch. When we got back our new roommate Isabell was here. She is from New York. She seems really nice too. The 3 of us went out to did and had a great time talking and laughing. Then back here for a meet and greet with some of the other people staying at the hostel. I feel a little bit better knowing that there is a group of about 20 of us living here for the semester.

This is Italian lesson number 3 don't be afraid to talk to people. Chances are they want to talk to you too. I learned this lesson at school freshman year but had kinda forgotten it. I am so glad I got the nerve to ask the Canadians to sit with them and later they said they thought it was pretty cool I had done that. This also happened again on the street yesterday when I was wandering around trying to find the building for orientation. Apparently the building numbers are not in order. There was another girl wandering the streets as well and we started talking. I ended up sitting with her for most of the orientation. It was a lot fun! At orientation I also met some other Iowa State students studying here. They seemed like a lot of fun and we are already talking about planning trips soon. I really want to do a lot of traveling I am just not to comfortable doing it alone. After orientation I started writing this blog, but then the internet went out so now I am rewriting it this morning. Ugh!

Besides some touch and go wireless I haven't had to many problems with the place. Except for yesterday morning I got up to take a shower before orientation. I was so excited because I finally had all my stuff and a ton of clean clothes to choose from. I went to go turn on the shower and nothing happened. No water, no nothing! I ran downstairs to ask the front desk people and apparently they were having a major problem but someone was already downstairs fixing it. I waited about a half hour and then it was back. Thanks goodness! I also experienced grocery shopping for the first time. I found a little supermarket and decided to get some basics like bread, cheese, cereal, yougurt, lunch meat and milk. It was definitely a challenge. I had to go based of what it looked like, but I think I did ok.

Last night was my first sort of night out. The school had a free dinner for the Lorenzo students. I met up with a few of the Iowa State people and another group from California. Then the whole herd moved through the streets of Florence. It is so beautiful here in the daytime but it has to be just as beautiful at dusk and night. We got to the place we were eating and it was a bunch of tables set along the Arno River right near the Ponte Vecchio. It was gorgeous! One of the girls was freaking out because this was exactly the picture on desktop background. It was picture perfect with an almost full moon peeking around the clouds. All the buildings are just beautiful around here. We sat there for quite awhile and had some food, bruschetta and some rice dish and really salty meat, and of course wine. :) It was just a great setting. A group of around 9 of us sat around one of the little tables and had a great time chatting. Then we realized most of the rest of the group had left so we decided to go wander around. We walked up to the Ponte Vecchio and listened to a guy playing guitar and singing. Then we crossed the river, which I hadn't done yet. We stopped at a gelato stand and I got my first gelato of the trip. It is just as delicious as I remember. Yum! Then we started heading back to the direction of school/ general apartment area. Some lady comes up trying to get us to this bar. Five shots for 5 Euro… Ok! Hahaha it ended up being a lot of American students and looked and sounded exactly like a bar in Ames. Pretty funny! We didn't stay for long and continued to wander back. When we passed by my hostel I decided to call it a night and head home. I was already super tired and wanted to get back to see my roomies. I am mad at myself for not taking them with me! I just assumed that they would do the same thing tonight. They already said that they would take me with them so that is really nice. :)

So now this morning I am sitting in my hostel room eating a bowl of cereal and wondering what to do with my day. My roomies are at orientation so I am definitely a little lonely. I think that is one of the things I need to work on the most. I need to be comfortable doing stuff on my own. Right now I hate it and it just makes me really upset and homesick, which doesn't really work well with the time difference to get in touch with home right now. So lesson number four that I still need to learn is that it is ok to be alone and do my own thing. I just get to concerned about being with people that I am afraid I won’t be living in the moment, which is what this trip is all about. Maybe I will go shopping or just wander around some more I don’t know. I am really looking forward to classes starting on Monday (well Tuesday for me.) It will give me something to do and a nice routine to get into.

Class Schedule:

Tuesday:

10:30- 11:45 Italian Language Beginning

Noon- 2:30 Introduction to International Marketing

3:00- 5:30 The Food of Italy

Wednesday:

3:00- 5:30 Italian Renaissance Civilization and Culture

Thursday:

10:30-11:45 Italian Language Beginning

3:00- 5:30 Ancient Rome

I am pretty excited! Well I suppose I should get out and do something or maybe just go up on the terrace and read. I am really tired and worn out. This place is just so different than anything I have ever experienced and it is taking some major adjusting. I got to video chat with my family yesterday and it was amazing! It is great to get to see them as well as talk to them. I miss everyone so so so much! I am trying to make the best I can of this and try not to get to homesick. I know I will look back on this some day and be really glad I did it, but right now I am just still really unsure. Thanks for all your love and support! And if you made it through the world’s longest blog I am impressed! I miss you all so much!