Blue Suede Shoes

My trip has been great so far, full of new discoveries. Living in another country totally different from my own does not come without it's difficulties, but most of my experiences have been enlightening.

One of my house mates is learning to play the guitar
Blue Suede Shoes by Elvis is our new soundtrack. Hearing "One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, now go, cat, go" in a thick Italian accent is one of the cutest things ever, but we'll see how I feel about it at the end of the term. :)

Stretching yourself can be painful

My Italian class, which is two and half hours, four days a week, has challenged me in ways that I didn’t know possible. Becca can attest to the fact that after my first class I had tears welling up in my eyes because I was so overwhelmed. Our teacher’s English isn’t the best, which will probably be best for our skill level in the long run, but when I’m just starting out, it’s disorienting and confusing. It’s given me a new appreciation for people in the US who’s second language is English. 

Italian advertisements play on Spotify
Back home, when I listen to music on Spotify, an assortment of ads play in English. Here, however, my Spotify account somehow recognizes that I am in Italy, and the language corresponds.

Italy's daylight savings is different than the United States'
My mom always joke that "springing forward" is our least favorite day of the year. Well, I had to live through this day twice. So on top of jet lag, we also lost another hour last Sunday. Nobody prepared me for this! :)

Fanta in Europe is totally different
Instead of being a syrupy orange soda, it is a refreshing combination of orange juice and sparkling soda. It's my new favorite, and I won't admit how many times I've had it already. Of course, I'm looking forward to having one with my dinner.

Cooking can be fun
Normally, I hate cooking back home (so usually I don't,) but the program arranged for us a cooking class, so I went! Our teacher spoke only Italian, but she had a translator. We made an authentic Italian meal, with a tomato soup, picci pasta with a cheese sauce, chicken wrapped in a bacon-like meat, and biscuits for dessert. My favorite part was making the pasta from scratch and rolling the dough into noodle form. Delizioso!

Lella, our chef, and Julia, her assistant, getting ready for the lesson

Becca and I waiting for our dough to be ready to roll out

Apparently, cigarettes and alcohol are good for my health
According to my Italian housemate, Antonio, that is. "It may not be good for the body, but it is good for the soul." There's something to be said about that. As most of you know, I'm an extremely responsible person, and as a result I probably miss out on some of the fun things in life. Although I'm not partaking in the smoking part of the Italian experience, a glass of wine (or two!) at dinner and staying out past my bed time are two things that have really helped me to embrace this new environment. It may not be great for my body, but it is wonderful for the soul!


That's all I've got for now! Becca and I are going to Florence with our professor and his wife for the day on Saturday. It will be nice to travel with someone who can give us some historical and cultural background. Ciao!