First Long Update

Ciao tutti!

Finally found a moment to rest and reflect. After a long (mostly sleepless) flight from Philly to Rome I was met at the airport by IES (my study abroad program) representatives. They organized the ten or so students who were all on the same flight and packed us into vans to be driven to our apartments or homestays. I've heard driving in Rome can be an adventure but MY it seemed like we have a lot of close calls!! Motorinos dodging in and out of traffic, lane lines are not acknowledged and stoplights are more like suggestions. I am located in the more historic, classical part of Rome not too far from il vaticano. We are very close to the center where we will have classes and where we are currently being "oriented". Most students live further away in Trastevere, but we walked there last night and it took maybe 20 min. My apartment is spacious and nice for IES (and Roman) standards. Since we are in a language pledge house, meaning we are to try and speak only Italian, we were given some of the better housing. Our ISC said she likes this apartment best out of her three years with IES, but the neighborhood is a little bit pricier. We have a kitchen, living room, tiny balcone (where we keep the washing machine), one large room that I share with two other girls, a single for our ISC, and a medium double room. The double has it's own shower and water closet and the rest of us share another bathroom. Two bathrooms and lots of living space!! It's amazing.

After the most amazing pesto lasagna with prociutto, cantalope, and garlic/olive oil/salt bread (sooooo delicious) for dinner thanks to my ISC, we Americans did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen. Then we all headed out to Trastevere to meet with several apartmentsworth of IES students. We went to "il bar"  literally the name of the bar, where we ordered Caffe con Amaro. First you must drink the teeny tiny cup of esspresso which scalds your mouth (I don't know how the Italians do it) then you sip on a small glass that is part amaro and part jager. It wasn't as good as promised and I didn't drink much of mine. There were maybe 30 or so IES students milling around outside and I met so many I can't keep all the names straight! But it made it more fun to go to orientation today already recognizing faces. I even met a kid whose mother has recently moved to Ithaca! Sadly there is only one other language apartment so most of these students have limited or no Italian skills :(  I've very happy I get to practice Italian in my apartment with my roommates and ISC.

I'm learning that while it is very hot all day and night, and my huuuuge floor to ceiling window in my room is wonderful for breezes..... all the traffic in the morning and late at night can make sleeping difficult. Oh well, by late Sept or Oct it might be cool enough to keep it closed.  Loving living in Europe so far! It's very different but that's the point!

More later