When the Novelty Wears Off

Italians still celebrate their liberation in World War II

We were in Siena when they celebrated their liberation from the Germans in World War II. It gave me a greater appreciation not only for Italian's pride in their culture, but also made me proud to be an American. Silvia said that the Americans are well known for treating the Italians with kindness, not only liberating them, but giving them supplies they needed. 

Here is a clip of the start of the parade. They started near the city wall, and we followed them into the Piazza del Campo. It was a cool thing to experience!

Thunder storms in Italy are intense

The thunder is bone-rattling and the rain comes down in sheets. It's awesome when you are safely indoors, not so much when you get caught in it coming home from the train station. 

Americans value their privacy and personal space much more than Italians

If you don't want to be constantly running into people all the time, you have to constantly dodge people, because Italians have no problem shoulder checking you. I always feel like I'm playing chicken with the people walking toward me, and I always cave and jump out of the way. 

Music has restorative powers

The best way to escape from the stress of being abroad is listening to familiar music in your own language. After having a hard time finding a bus or a train, listening to music through my headphones really helps calm me down. It allows me to be in my own head for a bit, instead of being engulfed by a foreign culture. 

Apparently, I've got a funny sneeze

While we were in Barcelona, I sneezed out on the street. Afterwards, I hear a guy imitate my sneeze all the way across the street while his friends laughed. I just looked up and casually waved at them. :)

Rudeness is universal

People have been overwhelming wonderful here, but rudeness is inescapable. There is one coffee shop that is very convenient because it is right in between our apartment and our school. However, every time we go in there, the baristas are always super rude to us. We always try to order in Italian and meet them part way because they don't speak English, but even though we are attempting to speak Italian, they look at us like we are stupid and speaking some other language. They also always serve us after they serve all the Italians, even if we ordered way before them. Some of these instances may be cultural differences, but based on the way other Sienese people have treated us, I'm guessing its just rudeness.

Some Italian eating habits are totally different

For instance, according to our Italian friends at the University of Siena, eating more than two eggs per week is unhealthy. They were shocked when we told them that a lot of people eat eggs every day for breakfast. Italians also don't like peanut butter. A tiny jar of Skippy peanut butter is over four euros if you can find it! (Thankfully, my mom sent the Costco double pack with my brother, so we are set for the rest of the trip.) They also don't have salad dressing. If they do have salad, they use vinegar and oil. My question is: where did Italian salad dressing come from? Because it definitely didn't come from Italy.

Italians take PDA to a whole new level

People make out and grab ass out in public all the time. Makes me think of John Legend's song, "PDA: We Just Don't Care"

Eventually the novelty wears off

...and what's left is a whole lot of homesickness. Things that were exciting at first become irritating. Not being able to communicate really wears on you after a while. Housemates who don't go to class and never clean the kitchen really start to get annoying. This leads me to do silly things, like cry in front of my Italian teacher right before the oral midterm. Luckily, she was so sweet. She gave me a big hug, kissed me on the cheek, and told me she could be my temporary mom. I've been so blessed in where I've been put, but it doesn't mean that it's always easy.

Showing my family around Siena made me realize how much I love it here
I took them to my favorite coffee shop, Nannini, where we had cappuccinos and croissants with chocolate. I got to show them wear I live, the Duomo, and Piazza del Campo. We had a traditional Sienese lunch with Pici Cacio e Pepe (a thick, spaghetti-like noodle with a cheesy, peppery sauce) and Tuscan wine. It was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon with some of my favorite people in one of my favorite towns. Despite the homesickness, I really am loving it here, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to live in such a beautiful place. But when it's time to go home, I think I'll be ready. As long as I promise myself I will come back :)

A Moment of Synchronicity

Peace can be found at 289 feet above ground
A week or so ago, Becca and I climbed the Torre del Mangia in Siena's Piazza del Campo. We climbed the medieval staircase, with no handrails and barely enough room for one person. As you can imagine, two way traffic was kind of a problem, but we managed to squeeze into the corner if someone was coming the other way. By the end of the climb, my body was not too happy with me, but the breathtaking view way worth the struggle. From that far up, the bustle of the city drifts away to reveal the more peaceful side of Siena, with its gorgeous stone and country side.

Yawns are contagious even from thousands of miles away
I have been using my iPhone to FaceTime to keep in contact my boyfriend. Usually when I get ahold of him, it's either time for me to go to bed, or it's nighttime back home, which means one of us is usually yawning. This exchange of yawns, one I saw as annoying before, now makes me smile. It's a moment of synchronicity which connects us, despite the many miles that divide us.

All the rumors you've heard about Italian men are true
Before I left for Italy, I was warned about how forward Italian men are; when they see a pretty girl across the street, cat calls and smoochy noises will ensue. However, the first two weeks Becca and I spent in Siena, not one guy had approached us. Either the stereotype was untrue, or we were just not that good looking. Of course, we went with the former theory ;) But then we went to Pisa. Several groups of guys called out, "Ciao, bella!" putting their fingers to their lips and making the expected kissy sounds. I'm not sure if I will ever be comfortable with this tradition, but I'm going to take it as a compliment.

I have a new appreciation for the American laundry process (something I never thought I'd say!)
In Italy, electricity is extremely expensive. As a result, washers are much smaller and dryers are nonexistent. I can fit about a third of the clothes in one load that I could back home, and everything has to be dried on a nifty contraption. Clothes come out stiff and scratchy. While I don't mind doing it for a few months, I will be glad to have my huge washer and dryer back when I get home.

Taking an unknown path leads to wonderful surprises
This Sunday, Becca and I went on a mini-adventure, exploring the parts of Siena that we had left uncharted. Of course, I was hesitant at first, but thankfully Becca pushed me out of my comfort zone. We happened upon some gorgeous views, and even found a park with a swing. Five minutes of swinging the landscape of Siena was just what the kid in me needed!

Red-heads are a rarity in Italy
As a result, I get stared at on a daily basis. The combination of my odd hair color and my above average height draws some attention. Even a police man, driving past in his cop car, was perplexed by my appearance. Although completely harmless, I do miss being able to blend in.

A glass of wine and live music is the perfect cure for homesickness
Thankfully, I've been able to avoid extreme homesickness so far, but one night last week, I was really missing the comforts of home. We got invited by some American friends to go out, and frankly, it was the last thing I wanted to do. After a few tears, I picked myself up by my bootstraps and forced myself to go, and I had a blast. The band played a bunch of American songs I knew, and although being in the presence of musicians made me think of my amazingly talented boyfriend, I'm so glad I took advantage of a fun experience.

Italians run on their own time
Not only are clocks set on a 24 hour clock (so instead of 4:00 pm, they say 16:00,) Italians also like to take their time getting places. One of my teachers usually gets to class 5 to 10 minutes, and when you plan to meet someone at 8pm, it really means 8:30. I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to this. For now, Becca and I still show up to class a respectable five minutes before it starts.

Having a kindred spirit makes all the difference
I am so very thankful to have such a great person like Becca on this trip with me. She encourages me to be adventurous, but is okay with staying in and watching Netflix too:) I'm not sure if I would be having as much fun as I am if she wasn't here. God has definitely blessed me with a kindred spirit to make this grand adventure even better!