two days in one post. you can't find deals like this at even Walmart.

       Just so this does not spark any confusion, I am writing this post from my house, that does not have Internet service. I am typing it up and then I will post it tomorrow while at school with Internet. Understand? Good. You may continue.

September 1, 2011

            Last night in the hotel was kind of odd.

            The best part was the shower (Not just because I really needed one.) It was just like a little square hole indent in the wall with a drain. It was the same level and flooring as the rest of the bathroom with a little dolphin shower curtain doing nothing but making sure all the water went to the floor instead of on the walls. So you turn the water on and although there was a drain, most of the water went out of the “shower” and the bath mat became soaked. I personally found this funny.

            Another part was there was a giant window. I opened it up to let the cool breeze in. I am brushing my teeth (yes I am fully dressed) and I look out the window for a moment and there is this old, wrinkled, sun darken, Italian woman staring at me with a funny grin on her face. She waves and mutters something in Italian (even if it was in English I would not be able to understand, she said it so faint) and then continues to collect her extra large underwear from the wire. I simply smiled and waved back, toothpaste drooling down my chin.

             I took a large walk after a cold shower, trying to wear myself out more than I already was, then I went to bed at 9:00 p.m. here. I fell asleep for a while, but then woke up at 1:00 a.m. to a parade of excited old Italians just getting off of work at a restaurant down the street.

After I was awaken, I could not fall back to sleep.

            I watched “DeeJay” which is the Italian’s equivalent to VH1. That didn’t help so I got out my computer and went online a little. I decided I just needed to lie down and relax. So I turned off everything and laid there focusing on my breathing, praying that my body would allow me to adjust to the time change because I was exhausted. I finally fell asleep around 3:00 am only to be scared awake by my fairy music alarm echoing from my phone at 8:00 a.m. I showered again and cleaned my stuff and checked out of the room by 10:00. I ate a small breakfast of a nectarine (which was good enough for me) and sat out in the Piazza and watched tourists. It was quite the experience.            

           

            I am officially here. I moved in this afternoon to my little apartment. The building is sturdy and has a “staying with your Italian ancient Grandmother” feel. The main door is large, strong, provoking curiosity. Once you enter that, climb about fifteen steps, there is another door, similar to the first. Enter this door and you officially enter my new home. There is a small hallway that curves the corner and enters into the main room (I guess that is what you could call it.) In this room there is a television that we cannot figure out how to turn on, old fashion lounge chairs with neon colored pillows, two desks, and a book shelve all set upon a blue and white-checkered carpet. Above that is a little bedroom, open aired, with lightweight curtains draped as walls. Continue walking through that and you reach my room. Two single beds separated by a nightstand. A white washed blue closet is set on the far side. When you sit in my bed, the one on the right, and face forward you see a large window that stretches to the ceiling. The view is your typical Italian housing with dirty rooftops and flowers in a basket on the window. It is beautiful. The bathroom is across the hallway from the main room. It has bright yellow tiles and makes you feel so happy. The kitchen is down to the end of the hall and on the left. It has a stove that you light with a match, a sink, a refrigerator, and a table. I am pretty excited about the table. We can all sit down like a family and have a meal.  

  I share it with the two other girls who are enrolled in the school. Johanna and Rachel. (Yes there are only three of us all together.) Both are from Pennsylvania and even go to the same college. I am the youngest one by far and it came as a huge surprise when my “just graduated from high school” statement slipped.  They are both very sweet and I think we will all get along pretty well. Johanna did this program in the spring and is focusing on etching. Rachel, on the other hand, is not an artist, but loves history and is studying art history in hopes of fulfilling her dreams of being a tour guide for a museum one day. Both have traveled to other countries before and seem very experienced. I am the new one on so many levels, but I think that is all right.

            I am sad that there are only two other girls with me just because I was really looking forward to meeting new people. I wanted my facebook page to explode with new friend requests. (I am being totally sarcastic. Please do not think that this Italian trip was only to boost my status as an online social network user.) But really, you go out of the country and you want to meet millions, right? Right. But on the other hand, it will be nice only having to share an apartment with only two other people, and I will get a lot of extra attention when doing my art. Art classes are hard because when you have a question, most the time the teacher cannot just shout a general answer. They have to come and speak specifically to your situation. In high school, it was hard to get help because the professor had to help everyone. So now, there are two other girls who are not studying the same thing as me and therefore I can seek help and guidance more often, deepening my learning. Pro’s and Con’s but I am happy with the outcome.

            Tonight, unpacking and trying to organize ourselves (and each other) and after chatting it up a little bit, we walked to the grocery store. It was quite busy, but prettier than Dan’s or Smiths. (I should have brought my camera, but we were not planning on going and were just going to get a little exercise before dinner. Next time.) We just bought the basics (pasta, nutella, and wine) to get us through the week. I was happy to know that there was a sell on the blood orange juice and it was less than a euro to purchase two. We had a little trouble at the self-check out, but were kindly helped after being chuckled at. We split the bill, but decided on the way home, that we probably should just purchase our own stuff from now on. (I am telling you all this learning information so when you travel abroad you know what to do.) It was quite exciting and so fresh. Everything was in smaller packaging and was bright with color and deliciousness.

            We came home and Johanna made a fabulous meal of pasta and her “special” tomato sauce (which consisted of tomato’s, butter, olive oil, salt, and pepper.) Along with cheese and bread, we had a small glass of wine to toast our first night together. It was perfect sitting at the kitchen table together, but we discovered we were in need of napkins. Now we sit in bed doing whatever we are doing (I would be typing. duh) and preparing for a good night of sleep. We do not need to be to school until 2:00 p.m. Woot.

                        I am just really happy to be here. I am truly lucky to have this experience straight out of high school (or at all.) This will be an amazing adventure and I am very excited to start classes officially next week. The next few days are like orientation and getting to know the city/culture.

            Oh and did I mention that I made a friend last night named Miguel. He works at a leather jacket and purse shop that his family owns. Maybe I can get the family discount! ;) Just kidding Mother.  I know- Frugalicious!

Miss and Love you all (well most of you… those that I actually know)

Xoxo

P.S. It is quite weird to look at the clock and see that here, in Florence, Italia (I just have to say it make it sink in,) it is 8:45 p.m. but in Salt Lake City it is only 12:45 p.m. I have finished my day and you are only part way!

September 2, 2011

            I am starting this post sitting at my kitchen table looking out to an incredible view of layered housing and statues of angels lining a rooftop to the left. In the distance church bells are echoing off of each other, but it is hard to decipher because of the loud construction noise right around the corner. It is a beautiful morning. Not too hot yet. I am hoping it doesn’t get so hot and dry anymore because it makes me not want to get dressed in my cute clothes because they will get sweaty and gross. (I cannot wait for colder sweater weather.)

            I woke up at 11:00 this morning. It felt really good to sleep in. My first night sleeping here was a bit rough at times, but I know I am not the only one. We all passed out immediately, but then came one to three o clock and all of us were tossing and turning and could not get comfortable. Then, we were all out again… well at least I was. 

            So I took my first shower in my new home. It is actually a giant bathtub with a hand held hose. Kind of awkward at first, but it definitely makes it a faster process, saving time and water expenses.  (At home, I tend to take long showers, because they are comforting for me... here I cannot do that because if I use too much water, I really use all the water and we will have to pay extra at the end of the four months. I do not want to be that girl.) I like it except for the no shower curtain thing. I guess because I have grown up for eighteen years with a shower curtain and then poof, it’s gone.

            I really want to go to my favorite bridge and the piazza around the corner from David soon. Those were my favorite spots. I know I have four months, but I really like them.            It still hasn’t sunk in that I will be here for that long or that I am really that far away from home. I do not know how to describe it. I am kind of in a dream like state. So far I tend to get little bursts of homesickness, because of all the memories my family created here together this summer. Reminders are everywhere. I look at this little book my family made of photos of us all the time and do nothing but smile. And when I cannot sleep I think about all you people in Salt Lake and what you must be up to. Like right now, I know most of you are sleeping because it is 4:00 am. My father may be at the gym or down in his office working. The time change is strange for me and I cannot grasp how far apart this world from my old is when it comes to hours and days.

            I know this post is quite rambled and unorganized to begin with, but somewhere close by there is music playing that sounds like a violin. It is soft and magical. It stops every once in a while and hits a wrong note. I imagine it is a small child practicing a piece. It is very beautiful and unreal.

            In a movie, I would be the lead character, lost in a new world. I would follow this sound down the street until I found the house. It would be inspiring with good cinematography and I would not be in my pajamas but rather something elegantly simple. Possibly in this movie it would not be a child, but a boy my age, lost in his own world. I would stand outside his house and listen to the music. He would look down and we would become friends and it would be one of those happy friendship discovery movies.

            But like all movies that start out great something bad must happen. Maybe he has a wife, but we are desperately in love with each other and this keeps us from being together. Or maybe my time is up and I have to leave. Or maybe he gets hit by a Vespa while walking down the street on his way to meet me for an espresso. I guess, I will just listen and enjoy.

            Not everything needs a Spielberg ending.

- to be continued in a few hours -

         I am now writing from my school's library. It is beautiful here and I am very excited. This afternoon we had to fill out residential paper work and what not and then talked about Italian culture and just how to be nice and not go home with an std. Simple stuff. Johanna made us all sandwiches today. She is like our mother. It's great. Haha. 

My class schedule is as followed: 

Monday: 

• Italian Language 2:00 to 3:00 

Tuesday: 

• History of Art 9:00 to 12:00 
• Photography 1:00 to 3:45 

Wednesday: 

• Italian Language 2:00 to 3:00 

Thursday:

• Special Audrey and Charles Photography time 9:00 to 12:00 (this is where the head of photography is going to spend time just with me teaching me all sorts of photography. Anything I want. Anything he wants. It is perfect! I get to learn so much!) 
• Film Photography 1:00 to 3:45 

Friday: 

• History of Cinema 10:00 to 1:00 

Talk about the best schedule any one could ask for right? Then on top of that we have full access to anything here from 9:00 to 7:00 Monday through Thursday and the on fridays only until 5:00. So that means I can develop film whenever I want or check my email or what not. It is so perfect. 

So I forgot to take photos of everything in the house today so i will do that tonight and show it all tomorrow. 

Ciao! 

xoxo 

*top photo of girl looking out the window is the back of Rachel's head. Isnt it lovely? and then the one of the girl sucking her hand in a pink shirt is Johanna cooking. Better photos to come I promise : ) hee hee