One month down!
It’s strange to think that I have been on this journey an entire month, but truly I am glad it is going at such a brisk pace. Being in Florence is wonderful and I don’t regret my decision to come here, but I am pretty much ready to come home. 3 months seem like a lot, but if it keeps going at this pace it won’t be so bad.
Since my last post, things have been pretty calm as far as going on trips and all that, but I have doen some fun things as well. Amy’s birthday was last week and we celebrated with gelato, and also last weekend we all went out to a bar and to eat together. I’m not such a fan of going out and all that, but every once and a while it is ok. Going to the Hard Rock Cafe here in Florence was pretty cool, though! We did that last weekend for Ethan’s birthday. A week ago today we went on a tour of the Oltrarno area where we live, and a nice lady showed us where the best restaurants and gelaterias are near our apartment. The best part was at the end of the tour when we visited a metal-working shop and met a man who has been in the business for 50 years. He explained to us the process of making jewelry and pressing designs into it. His work is lovely and he has even done designs for labels like Gucci. In addition, we each gave him a euro and he pressed it into a beautiful fleur de lis (giglio in Italian) design. My favorite souvenir is a pressed penny, and this was even better than that!
The other adventure since my last post was the trip to Pisa, where we had a tour, ate amazing (and free) gelato, and of course saw the Leaning Tower. It was my first time ever on a train, so I was a bit nervous, but overall it was ok. We also got to go inside the cathedral by the tower, which I didn’t even know was there. It was beautiful inside, and I am glad we got to see it. Of course we took classic Pisa pictures, which I will post after this.
My classes have been going well, though Tuesdays will surely kill me before the semester ends…so much in one day is convenient in some ways, but bad in others. I think pros outweigh the cons, though. I had my first 2 quizzes this past week, in Italian and in my Pompeii class. I think they went quite well, and doing well in school always makes me feel better and more accomplished.
I have been struggling a bit with missing home, and with thinking of things in the future. There are good and bad days, but I can always find something to cheer me up if I am feeling sad. Reading, working out, and other things like that all distract me from a glum mood. Skyping with my loved ones is also a wonderful addition to any day. =]
2 more weeks and then it will be midterms, and I expect I will have more to talk about soon! Ciao!