Wednesday, September 2, 2009
As I sit in my beautiful, eclectic, Tuscan apartment room listening to the sound of mopeds speeding by, there is only one thing that could make this still surreal experience more perfect: internet. I’ve now been in Italy for two whole days and have not been able to check facebook, e-mail, IM, or post these inspiring blogs since arriving which means I haven’t made any contact with America since my departure. That’s made my common case of homesickness just a little more painful. I can’t wait until tomorrow morning when we were promised it would be fixed.
Yet despite my occasional feelings of isolation, today managed to be extremely exciting. We were up far too early in the morning (especially considering the fact that I was barely able to sleep last night) for a light breakfast before check-out and a beautiful 3 hour bus ride through the busy streets of Roma and into the beautiful, sunflower-filled pastures of Tuscany. Upon arrival, an Italian RA, Serena, took me and my three roommates (Sarah, Daniela, and Caroline) to our apartment and what a pleasant surprise that turned out to be. While the tiny bathroom with poor water pressure and an untrustworthy toilet is going to be a challenge for 5 girls, (we have an Italian roommate on the way…) the size, colors, and view of the place is perfectly Tuscan. Brightly colored with gigantic windows and oddball trinkets, the old building couldn’t have more character. I managed to score the “pink” room, a single bedroom with pink walls, orange doors, and multicolored shelves. I love it.
After a few hours of chaotic unpacking, we walked through the cobblestone streets to a McDonalds (one of the few “America” stores in Siena) where we met the group to find our IES study center. While a bit far from our apartment, the building has a beautiful garden and is close to the Palzzo del Campo, the heart of the city. A general meeting was followed by drinks and food at a bar/club where I accidently ate a spread of liver and spleen. I had been told it was an olive spread. We decided to wander the city to get an idea of our surroundings and ended up completely lost before sauntering back to our rooms. If the surroundings sound ridiculous, you’re right, they are. It’s as if I’m walking through a movie set where all the people are beautiful, all the shops are fashionable, all the food is delicious, and all the buildings are older than America.
Tomorrow morning is our Italian assessment (yikes!) and a walking tour of the city. For now, I think I’ll fall asleep to the sound of the Italian dance music blasting from the apparent hot spot across the street.
As I sit in my beautiful, eclectic, Tuscan apartment room listening to the sound of mopeds speeding by, there is only one thing that could make this still surreal experience more perfect: internet. I’ve now been in Italy for two whole days and have not been able to check facebook, e-mail, IM, or post these inspiring blogs since arriving which means I haven’t made any contact with America since my departure. That’s made my common case of homesickness just a little more painful. I can’t wait until tomorrow morning when we were promised it would be fixed.
Yet despite my occasional feelings of isolation, today managed to be extremely exciting. We were up far too early in the morning (especially considering the fact that I was barely able to sleep last night) for a light breakfast before check-out and a beautiful 3 hour bus ride through the busy streets of Roma and into the beautiful, sunflower-filled pastures of Tuscany. Upon arrival, an Italian RA, Serena, took me and my three roommates (Sarah, Daniela, and Caroline) to our apartment and what a pleasant surprise that turned out to be. While the tiny bathroom with poor water pressure and an untrustworthy toilet is going to be a challenge for 5 girls, (we have an Italian roommate on the way…) the size, colors, and view of the place is perfectly Tuscan. Brightly colored with gigantic windows and oddball trinkets, the old building couldn’t have more character. I managed to score the “pink” room, a single bedroom with pink walls, orange doors, and multicolored shelves. I love it.
After a few hours of chaotic unpacking, we walked through the cobblestone streets to a McDonalds (one of the few “America” stores in Siena) where we met the group to find our IES study center. While a bit far from our apartment, the building has a beautiful garden and is close to the Palzzo del Campo, the heart of the city. A general meeting was followed by drinks and food at a bar/club where I accidently ate a spread of liver and spleen. I had been told it was an olive spread. We decided to wander the city to get an idea of our surroundings and ended up completely lost before sauntering back to our rooms. If the surroundings sound ridiculous, you’re right, they are. It’s as if I’m walking through a movie set where all the people are beautiful, all the shops are fashionable, all the food is delicious, and all the buildings are older than America.
Tomorrow morning is our Italian assessment (yikes!) and a walking tour of the city. For now, I think I’ll fall asleep to the sound of the Italian dance music blasting from the apparent hot spot across the street.
YES I AM JEALOUS
ReplyDeleteI love that it says your my "follower"
ReplyDeleteAnd really Reed, you have an apartment in the Bronx. I may have a better view, but you have "FREE PHONES!"