Final Fourteen Days

I'll get around to writing about these more in depth at some point in the next week, because it's really important to me that years from now I can read about my experience on this blog, but for now I'll just write a little bit. I am flying home tomorrow morning. In one way, I am thrilled to be going home and seeing my family and friends. In another, I hate to leave behind Italy... I have grown to love it here immensely. 52 days abroad, and I truly think I have been changed by this experience.

Quick note on the past two weeks:

Class/School: The final days of class were rough. I can't believe I got through 9 credits (3 classes) in such a short period of time. By the end of the trip, though, everything was really repetitive and all of us were tired of the same routine. Some good field trips offered a change of pace but I have to admit that class got pretty frustrating. Thank goodness it's over :) !

Greece: I went to Greece for 3 days with Emily, Lane, and Lee. It was the absolute best 3 days I could have asked for. The weekend was timed perfectly; we were exhausted from schoolwork and definitely needed different scenery. I stayed in Thessaloniki, Greece's 2nd largest city to Athens, at a spectacular hostel. All weekend I encountered Greek hospitality and had some of the yummiest food of my life (Sorry, Italy). It was a splendid adventure. I spent a day on the Halkidiki peninsula at a beach called Athitos. I went to an archeological museum in the city. I loved Greece and will absolutely be back to the beautiful country again some day.

Sicily: I was both nervous and excited for this trip. Emily, Lane, and I booked airfare together that allowed us to travel for a week together after the program was over. We decided on Sicily and Sorrento. In hindsight, two perfect places for three girls looking for relaxation and adventure. We stayed at a lovely B&B in Catania, Sicily. We took our time exploring the city and kept everything slow-paced so we didn't feel overwhelmed. Sicily, though part of Italy, is vastly different from the mainland. For one, Catania is not overrun with tourists like other major Italian cities. It is also right on the ocean, which is probably the number one reason we went there. The beach was odd, but still really fun. We left Catania on the train headed for Naples. The train ride was 8 looooong hours!

Sorrento: We arrived in Naples and took the regional train to Sorrento. I stayed in Sorrento in high school, and was slightly hesitant to go back because of this, but I have no regrets. Sorrento is beautiful, peaceful, and filled with people on vacation. We encountered many friendly business people and stayed at a hotel that was mysteriously dubbed a "hostel" but was very beautiful. I explored Sorrento for a day, and then took a boat tour of the Amalfi coast for a day. The boat tour is one of the highlights of being abroad. It was simply fantastic. Since my family bought a boat many years ago, I have developed a love for being on a boat in open water. We spent about 4 hours doing just that on this tour. I was a happy girl. 

Today, we took a high-speed train back to Rome. I am staying here for one night before I fly home tomorrow. I'm blessed to have had this experience and forever grateful for my parents for allowing me this opportunity. I learned through course work, but I also learned through experience. I love traveling and cannot wait to plan my next international journey.

Here are my 2 favorite pictures from Greece. I'll upload more later when my camera isn't packed away!

Athitos Beach on the Halkidiki Peninsula

On a Short Cruise of the Thessaloniki Harbor

D'Alessandro Family Visit

I haven't posted in forever, so I am going to write about my last week in sections. This is part 4/4 and definitely the best post of them all :)

My grandmother, Julie Bamford, is someone who has traveled all over the world. I have always admired that about her. She is also Italian, her father was born in Italy and moved to America and raised his family in Philadelphia. Throughout my life, Mimi (what I call my grandmother) has instilled a great pride for her Italian roots in me and her 5 other grandchildren. Mimi has been a travel agent for many years and helped others discover a passion for travel. Based on all of this, Mimi is probably the main reason that I wanted to travel the world and specifically, experience Italian culture. I emailed her at the beginning of May and asked her advice on day trips to make from Rome. She responded and said that her father's hometown was not far from the city and easily accessible by public transport. Mimi said she went to her father's birthplace, Ortona, and stayed with her cousin's daughter, Rose, a few years ago. Mimi traveled the world with my beloved grandfather, Poppy, and this is one of the last trips they went on together before he died last year. She mentioned that I could maybe see Rose and her family and meet extended family. I didn't think much of it at first, but then we started talking seriously about me making a visit and Mimi put me in contact with Rose. Rose and I emailed back and forth a bit and earlier this week we finally ironed out the details and I was officially going to see my great grandfather's birthplace and stay with my 3rd cousins!

This is what I understand of my family tree on my grandmother's side.. Mimi's father (my great grandfather) was one of 4 children. Mimi's cousin, Giovanni, is the son of one of these children, which makes Mimi and Giovanni cousins. Giovanni is married and his daughter's name is Rose. Rose is married and has two daughters around my age. Rose's family and her parents all live together in Ortona, where my great grandfather was born. Giovanni moved his family to the United States around 1960 and they lived in New York until 1993 when he and his wife retired and the family moved back to Italy.

Mimi spoke so kindly of her cousin's family, so I was very excited to meet them. Through emails I could tell Rose would be welcoming and that I would have a wonderful time. However, my expectations were far exceeded. I simply had the best time with my extended family. It was hard to say goodbye yesterday afternoon.

I arrived (Saturday the 10) around lunchtime on a bus from Rome. Rose and her daughter, Kathryn, met me at the bus station in a town called Lanciano. Rose speaks English fluently which made everything easy because my Italian is embarrassingly terrible (that's what I get for having all of my classes here in English and Penn State professors). We drove to their house and I was welcomed by Rose's parents and her husband. Honestly, I was really nervous to meet everyone. I wanted to make a good impression on behalf of my family! But I was also so excited and they were too. Their house is beautiful and surrounded by the most amazing gardens. It was picturesque Italian countryside. Rose told me that the D'Alessandro family (Mimi's maiden name) used to own large vineyards in the nearby area.

Rose's mother and Rose made a spectacular lunch on Saturday afternoon. It was the first time on my entire trip that I ate a multi course Italian meal. I never order more than one course when out to dinner because it is too expensive. We had fettuccine with porcini mushrooms to start and it was heavenly. I love mushrooms and these were the best of the best. Then, we had veal, salad, and bread. All delicious. They grow almost all of the fruits and vegetables that they eat and everything tasted so fresh and clean! I also had some of their homemade red wine which was just as fantastic as the rest of the meal. We had fruit and pizzelles for dessert and I had my first cup (of many) espresso which was probably the best thing ever and I just died a little bit from happiness at having homemade coffee for the first time. It was still very Italian because it was espresso, but sitting around a table and sipping coffee reminded me of home and made everything feel lovely. Rose left for a haircut and I chatted with her mom for a few hours. Her mother's English wasn't as fluent but we still had a wonderful time getting to know each other and I especially loved hearing about her different recipes. I was appreciative that she was willing to spend time with me and make me feel comfortable. I felt at home almost immediately and that was something very special.

Rose took me around the area on a bit of a tour. Right around the corner from Rose's house is the house my great grandfather was born in. It was so special to see his birthplace. I was very close with my great grandmother on my Mom's side (her mother's mother) until she passed away when I was 13. I was incredibly lucky to have a bond with her and standing in front of the house made me feel like I better understand where I come from. Actually, the whole weekend instilled that feeling, but this moment was when I felt the strongest connection to my ancestry. Then, I saw Crecchio which is a small town with a beautiful castle. There was a children's festival going on and Rose explained that Crecchio is usually very quiet so she was surprised to see so many people out and around town. Afterwards, Rose picked up a pizza for her daughter Kathryn who is a vegetarian, and we took her to the beach in Ortona. It was Kathryn's last day of school on Saturday (school on Saturday! What!) and she was celebrating by the beach with her friends. Rose and I walked down a long path leading out into the Adriatic Sea that was bordered by big rocks and at the end of the path there was a lighthouse. It was beautiful to see the sunset over Ortona and take pictures of the sea and the town. Rose and I drove back to her house and ate a light dinner of fruit from their garden. Fruit for dinner? Check. My favorite thing ever. Fruit from a garden outside? Even better. I ate lots of loquats which I've never seen in America but were tasty! Also, I had apricots, cherries, and watermelon. I was exhausted from traveling all morning and not getting much sleep the night before, so I was in bed pretty early on Saturday.

On Sunday I woke up and had the best espresso drink with warm milk and a touch of sugar. Rose made it for me and I'm telling you I might even give up lattes if I could drink that every day. For breakfast, I had Rose's mother's homemade sweet bread (with anise..YUM) and homemade cherry marmalade with toast. I was so spoiled by their incredibly delicious homemade food all weekend that I am already wishing I could go back and eat with them instead of food from the grocery store! I relaxed all morning and showed Rose and her family many pictures of my family. We shared many stories about relatives and had a wonderful time getting to know more about each other. There was just something indescribable about being able to tell them everything about my family and in turn learn as much about them as possible. We genuinely wanted to get to know each other. Rose's mom spent much of the morning preparing lunch in the downstairs kitchen and I was excited because she was making meatballs that she told me all about the day before. They were probably the best meatballs ever. For lunch, we had those meatballs, pasta with homemade tomato sauce, salad, green beans, bread, wine, fruit, and pizzelles. Just as delicious as lunch the day before! After lunch I reluctantly packed my bags to get ready to leave. I took pictures with Rose and her family and their house so that I can remember everything from my trip there. It was hard to say goodbye to her parents because they were so welcoming, warm, genuine, kind, and made me feel like family (even though I am, I just can't think of a better expression). Rose's mom said she loved me and that is something I will cherish forever because she is such a special person. As Rose, Kathryn, and I pulled out of the driveway Rose said that her father gets very emotional about these things and I understood how he could be so emotional. It was the most incredible experience and I wish I could have spent so much more time there.

Rose drove us to the Moro River Canadian War Cemetery, which is near Ortona. Many thousands of soldiers were killed in the area during an important point of World War II. Germans occupied Ortona and nearby areas and destroyed many buildings. Rose said there is an American cemetery further away to honor Americans killed there. I enjoyed seeing the cemetery and reading a little about the history. The cemetery is kept up perfectly and a beautiful tribute to the many who sacrificed their lives for their country. Then, Rose drove to Lanciano which is a nearby town with the bus station. People of the town were celebrating their soccer team's victory by driving around honking and waving flags. It's always nice when sporting events make communities proud. We stopped at a cafe and I had a cold coffee drink which I enjoyed. Getting on the bus was a bit of a hassle because lots of people were trying to get back to Roma. I luckily snatched a seat on the bus and said goodbye to Rose and Kathryn. I was sad to have to say goodbye so soon. I wish that I didn't have class every day or that I could miss it because I would have loved spending more time there.

I'm sure you can already tell how important and special this trip was for me. As I grow up, I realized more every day how crucial family is for one's happiness and overall well-being. I am truly blessed for my Mom, Dad, Tim, and Katie in my immediate family. But I am also incredibly fortunate for my extended family on both sides, my appreciation for which grew immeasurably this weekend. I now understand that it's not how closely related you are to someone, but what effort you make to relate to them. Family is family, no matter if you're brothers, cousins, third cousins, or family by marriage. Most importantly, I now better know the value of understanding your ancestry. By knowing your family's history, you are able to move forward with a greater sense of identity, knowing your roots and the people who worked so hard in the past to bring you to where you are today. I learned immense amount about my great grandfather on my Mimi's side and this information, along with the memories I made with Rose's family throughout the weekend, is something I will cherish for the rest of my life. I was grateful for their hospitality and willingness to make me feel loved and at home. It was the best two days of my study abroad experience and I can't wait to go home and share everything with Mimi.

Here are my favorite pictures from this weekend (I posted many more on Facebook which you should check out there!)

Me outside of my great grandfather's house

Me, Kathryn, and Giovanni's wife

Me, Rose, and her mother

Me, Giovanni's wife, Giovanni

The sunset overlooking Ortona

Rose's family's house

Vatican Tour

I haven't posted in forever, so I am going to write about my last week in sections. This is part 3/4

On Thursday, the day after the general audience, we had our Vatican tour. We had class in the morning and then just enough time to grab lunch and gelato (naturally) before meeting at the entrance to the Vatican museum. A group of us got huge sandwiches for 4 euro right by Piazza Navona. Then we accidentally found a gelato place we heard about from other girls in our group that dips your gelato in a chocolate shell. Yes, I am serious about that. Of course, everyone had to get one because as we say, YORO, or You Only Roma Once. I debated between a white chocolate shell and dark chocolate shell for a little and then fell back to my old favorite cream on top because I couldn't decide. I had the tiramisu flavor and it was deeeeeelicious. Rose called me right after I started eating it to clear some details up for my trip this weekend and then most of my gelato melted all over my hand while I was on the phone with her. Here is a picture of the yummy chocolate-covered gelato and my gelato with cream on top:

Ok, so now that I have ranted about food for long enough, I should talk about the actual Vatican tour. Our tour guide was very good, more on the passionate side and less on the personality side, but he gave us tons of information and I really learned a lot. We started the tour at the "mini Vatican City," a wooden miniature model of the city that helps you get a better idea of the layout. Then, we went through many rooms with important sculptures which I thought was a little boring because I knew what was coming next from my high school trip and that it was much more exciting! We went through the Gallery of Maps and the Tapestry room which are both beautiful. I love the ornate ceilings in these rooms and the sheer size of the maps and tapestries is enough to wow you. After that, we had 20 minutes inside the Sistine Chapel. In the Chapel you are supposed to be silent and no photos are allowed, but tourists are a rowdy bunch so of course it was sort of loud and everyone was sneakily trying to get a picture. That was a little annoying, but I tuned them out and looked closely at the artwork around me, trying to remember everything our tour guide said about the artwork. It is a beautiful place and I can't think of a better way to describe it right now because I have been writing so many blogs, but trust me, it's something that everyone should see in their lifetime. After the Sistine Chapel we entered St. Peter's Basilica which is another breathtaking sight. Our tour guide was very informative here. I love the architecture of this church and the Latin that is near the ceiling and the words travels around the entire church. I think the Latin inscriptions everywhere is part of the reason I love the Vatican museums and tour so much because it reminds me of my years studying Latin in high school. I pretended to translate some things but failed! Here are a few of my pictures from the tour:

Me and Michelle overlooking the Vatican Gardens

The ceiling in the Gallery of Maps

In St. Peter's Basilica

Me in St. Peter's Square

Pope Benedict XVI's General Audience

I haven't posted in forever, so I am going to write about my last week in sections. This is part 2/4

On Wednesday, June 6, I went to Pope Benedict XVI's general audience, which my professor calls the Pope rally. I was at the Vatican in high school but not for a general audience. Throughout the trip all the girls in my program have been collecting rosaries and other religious items to get them blessed by the Pope at the Pope rally. We had bus tickets to get to the Vatican but we could also just walk along the river, which is a nice walk so we decided to do that. It was about a 35 minute walk from our apartment.

I turned a street corner and all of the sudden was standing in front of St. Peter's Square. It's a magnificent sight. The general audience is every Wednesday and free of charge but you have to reserve tickets in advance. My class sat together in St. Peter's square, where thousands of chairs were set up in front of a stage where the Pope would be. There were projection screens for the people in the back to see better. I would estimate a few thousand people were there (no idea how to tell though). Some groups were clearly identifiable because they all were wearing the same hat. In particular, there was one group of many hundred wearing white hats that were spread throughout the audience but some of them were sitting right behind us. We anxiously awaited for the beginning when the Pope would be driven around and wave to the audience. When this happened, everyone went crazy! It was a funny sight to see people from so many countries and cultures get so excited about the same thing. Especially the group with the white hats. They were hysterical.

The Pope went to the stage and Cardinals began to address the audience. There were about 6 different Cardinals speaking different languages to the audience. Each one announced over a microphone groups of pilgrims, members of churches, and other groups at the general audience. When a group was announced, they cheered for a while, or sang, or even played musical instruments. The English speaking Cardinal announced, "Rome students from Penn State University in Pennsylvania" and we cheered for our group! The whole thing lasted a little bit over an hour. I loved seeing people from different places bond over the same thing. At the end the Pope blessed the audience which was very special to everyone.

I'm not Catholic, but many of my friends are, so I enjoyed the experience on their behalf and also loved it for myself!

Here is a picture of some of the audience in St. Peter's Square:

Here is a picture of Pope Benedict XVI passing by us on the Pope-mobile!:

The Catacombs of St. Callixtus

I haven't posted in forever, so I am going to write about my last week in sections. This is part 1/4

For my group presentation last Monday, I presented on death and care for the elderly in Italy. Not exactly a happy topic, but interesting nonetheless. My professor wanted a good field trip to tie in to this material so we were went to see the Catacombs of St. Callixtus. The Catacombs are located on the Appian Way sort of on the outskirts of Rome. I wasn't sure what to expect, but was really excited.

Catacombs were used as burial sites and places for worships for Christians when Rome's religion was Paganism. The site we visited spans 90 acres, with four underground levels, and with an estimated half million people buried there. Our tour guide was fantastic! She began by explaining the fascinating history of the site and then took us underground to see what is open to the public. The Catacombs are a highly valued archaeological site, most of which is closed to the public. I was able to see frescoes, family tombs known as the cubicles of the Sacraments, and the crypt of St. Cecelia. All of the bodies' remains have been moved to other locations for protection. St. Cecelia's relics are in a basilica right in Trastevere, which is where I live, and I plan on making a trip to that church soon. It was quite unbelievable to travel underground through intricate passageways designed by engineers from so many centuries ago. The larger rooms of graves were used as places for worships so that Christians could safely practice their faith outside the city limits of Rome. I enjoyed this trip because I would have never made it here on my own, but surprisingly, it was one of our most interesting field trips. Unfortunately, there are strict rules about taking pictures so I don't have any photographs to show you. Here is one from the Internet which gives you a good idea of how skillfully this underground burial site was designed:

What I have been up to

Last week I was busy with my Italian Relationships class. I have read through between 20 and 30 articles and learned more about modern Italy in a week than I ever thought I could. I really like the new professor for the program! On Friday my program took a day trip to Pompeii. I went to Pompeii in high school, but I have such a bad memory that I didn't remember much. Our tour guide was fabulous and made everything so interesting. The best part about Pompeii is being able to see how people really lived in ancient times, because in places like Rome development makes it hard to get a feel for that. The tragedy of the eruption is an unfortunate circumstance for the preservation of this city. After our tour was over, Antonio (tour guide) took us to his family's restaurant by the entrance to the ruins. We had alot of fun here, eating good food, trying limoncello for free, and chatting about how interesting the tour had been. This is Antonio's tour guide profile: http://pompeitour.com/?page_id=15

After the field trip ended, most of the girls in my program headed to towns on the Amalfi Coast for the weekend. Emily, Lane, Lee and I decided to skip the trip because we had a group presentation due yesterday and didn't want to spend too much money. Emily, Lane, and I are trying to budget what we can for the last 6 days we spend traveling independently, so we might see Amalfi then. I went to Sorrento and Capri in high school and want to see another place on the coast. Although I was a little bummed I didn't travel for the weekend, I wound up having a fantastic weekend here in Roma. On Friday night the four of us went out together and had a blast. It was nice to have the apartment to ourselves! We spent all day exploring new parts of the city on Saturday, which was the celebration of Italy's unification so the streets were packed with people. By the end of the day on Saturday, I was too tired from venturing around the city to do anything but fall asleep early and get some homework done.

On Sunday I relaxed for most of the day and went on a run in the other direction on the Tiber and saw some attractions I am definitely going to explore one of these days (when I feel like I have a handle on my homework..) I can't believe it's already June 5 and that I have almost been abroad for an entire month. I look forward to coming home on June 28 but I'm not ready for my time in Italy to be over. I am growing closer with the girls in my program, feeling more comfortable in this city with each day, and learning immense amounts about Italy. It's more than I could have hoped for.

Here's a picture of the sunset overlooking the Tiber River on Friday evening:

 Here's a picture of Lee, me, Emily, and Lane at the Spanish Steps while exploring on Saturday:

Sandra's Top 10 in Italy

One thing I miss about home is making lists all the time. I love having everything organized onto post it notes and scrap paper. I can't really do that in Italy because I don't have many responsibilities besides grocery shopping and homework... so I decided to make a list of my favorite things in Italy so far!

1. Walking everywhere- Sure, I have a few blisters. But walking everywhere makes the city of Rome feel much smaller and manageable. The 20 minute walk to class everyday is something I have grown to enjoy. Sometimes I take the metro, but it's actually a far walk to the nearest metro stop, so it's not usually worth it. Walking everywhere ensures that I will catch sight of everything I pass and take a moment to appreciate it, whether it's a delicious smelling bakery or a monument.

2. Gelato (duh)- Hunting down the best gelato places has become a hobby for my program. We even had a gelato contest this past week after class and tried two cones of gelato from two different places and decided which one we liked better. I am not a huge ice cream person, but gelato is completely different. I love the texture, the creaminess, and the insane variety of flavors.

3. Nice weather- State College has nothing on Rome's sunshine. There have been a few rainy days, but I have actually enjoyed those for the most part. The sun is constantly shining and good weather motivates me to go out and explore the city. It also makes for lovely afternoons spent sitting out on our balcony.

4. Pasta carbonara- Yummm. I have only had it a few times, but someone always orders it when we go out to dinner. I'm growing to love al dente pasta and obviously already love the fact that this dish has bacon and egg in it!

5. Pizza- Some of the pizza I've had has been microwaved or reheated in the oven. In America, this would turn me away. In Italy, I'm usually too hungry to care. Although the freshly made pizza is often better, the reheated pizza is faster and cheaper. I'm most impressed by the variety of toppings and love trying different specialities.

6. Crunchy clothing- Oh Italians and their clotheslines. I have a washer in the apartment but no dryer. After my clothes dry on the drying rack, they are nice and crunchy. I don't actually like this that much, but it is funny. I will absolutely appreciate dryers more when I am back in America. For now, I will continue to enjoy having crunchy clothing.

7. Never feeling like you've seen it all- I've seen so much of Rome, but I haven't even come close to seeing it all! This feeling is exhilarating. There are countless things to do in this city and in Italy, I never feel like I'm "used to" something to the point that it bores me. I am always finding new things I want to see, like museums, monuments, and parks.

8. The market- I love going to the market to buy fresh vegetables, fruit, and bread. The atmosphere is intense but fun. I like looking around for the best prices and watching Italians buy their fresh fish and meat. Everything from the market is delicious, nothing like the produce you sometimes get in America that looks great and tastes bland.

9. Non-touristy restaurants- My program also loves finding places that "aren't for tourists." All of the restaurants in close vicinity to the popular tourist destinations have a host out front who tries to convince you to dine at the restaurant by showing you what's on the menu. Usually these places are overpriced and under satisfying. Thus, we love walking down small alleys and finding restaurants away from tourist attractions and without the annoying host out front. Also, if the menu is only printed in English, then they probably only serve tourists. We love to find somewhere that feels like Italian people dine there regularly.

10. Stumbling upon historical landmarks accidentally- When living in a city such as Rome, I pass a piece of history every few steps. I'm not much of a history person, but living among the rich history in this city is completely different. It's a little bit overwhelming to know how much has happened in this city throughout history, but it's also exciting. Unintentionally finding a beautiful structure and then finding out what you're looking at is like a real life version of treasure hunting :)

Ostia Beach & Bar Lillo

Yesterday (Sunday) I impulsively took a trip to the beach with a few of the girls from my program. Ostia Beach is only a 40 minute metro ride from Rome. It was cheap to get there because Rome has a metro line that goes straight to the beach. We rented chairs at a private beach club for 10 Euro because the public beach isn't as clean. I'm one of those people who feels at home by the water (ocean or lake), therefore I was thrilled to be by the ocean all day yesterday. I noticed some differences from New Jersey beaches: the sand was darker, the waves were tiny, it was very windy, and men walked up and down the beach trying to sell people hats, sunglasses, and jewelry (much like every city of Italy I have been to). I spent a long time standing by the water, trying to dare myself to go in, but the wind made everything feel too cold. Instead, I just appreciated the beauty of the area and felt amazingly relaxed by the sound of the waves. Cait and I got hungry and went to the beach club for food and for the very first time so far on my trip, the staff didn't speak a word of English to us! We struggled a little bit, but successfully ordered chicken sandwiches. My afternoon at Ostia Beach was lovely and I look forward to going back on another day. Here is a picture of Cait and I by the ocean:

I have already written about the cafe right down the street from my apartment, but today I ventured there again and had another excellent experience. I ordered a cappuccino and the server asked me, "What about a croissant?" It was nice that he remembered what I ordered the other times I was there! I sat down at a table for a few hours and worked on my readings for class, enjoying the noisy atmosphere of Italians out to lunch. In America, I would find it hard to concentrate with loud conversation nearby, but since I can't understand very much Italian, it was actually a good environment for concentration. I love watching Italians interact with each other. One customer, I am guessing he eats there regularly, walked into the kitchen when his plate was empty to give it to the dish washer. It's a friendly, neighborhood atmosphere that makes me feel at home.

I spent most of the afternoon working on assignments for class and cooking a little bit of food. We finally moved on to modern day Italy for our readings, and I am enjoying learning about what Italy is like today (expanding on my own observations).

It's strange not being home on Memorial Day, but I have been thinking of the veterans and those currently serving our country. I extend my deepest gratitude to all of them, from Italy.

A Busy Week of School Work

After returning from a week of travel this past Monday, stress set in. In the past few days, I had a paper, project, assignment, logs, and many readings due. It was the busiest week of work I have had yet, and I am glad it's over!

Looking back on the past few weeks, I actually have learned a lot in my classes. Friday marked the end of my 'History of the Italian Families' class; during which I studied the lives of Ancient Roman families, Medieval Florentine families, and Jewish families of Rome. I read three books on these topics and found the Jewish families of Rome section the most interesting. Before exploring the Jewish Ghetto on Thursday's field trip, my class took part in a mock trial of Giovanni and Lusana's marriage on Wednesday, part of the unit on medieval Florence. For the Jewish Families section, I read part of the book Benevolence and Betrayal: Five Italian Families Under Fascism, by Alexander Stille. I would highly recommend it! The assigned section for class was about a family living in Rome during World War II in the Jewish Ghetto, which is the neighborhood I walk through everyday on my way to class at the Pantheon Institute. My professor pointed out the location of the family's store discussed in the book, which is now a hair salon. After reading, I was thrilled at the chance to experience the same setting of the book. My class went to the Synagogue and Jewish Museum of the Ghetto. Our tour guide was excellent, taking us through two of the synagogues while reinforcing and adding to what we had already learned about in our reading. The museum attached to the building is also a great resource for learning about the history Judaism in Italy.

On Friday, my family presentation was due. My group presented on the Frescobaldi family and our wonderful experience on the restaurant. I am glad we chose that family because it made for a very enjoyable presentation. Once my family presentation was over with yesterday, I breathed a sigh of relief for making it through the week.

My professor leaves this week and will be replaced by the second professor in the program. I am excited to move on to the next two classes, Italian Relationships and Early Childhood in Italy, because I am not much of a history person :)

I probably could have traveled somewhere this weekend, but I wanted to get ahead on school work. It's been nice so far having a relaxing weekend in Rome! Yesterday afternoon a few of us explored for a few hours and found some good shopping and about 5 different gelato places we are dying to try. It's a terrible thing how delicious gelato is. Really. It is. This morning I woke up early (I still can't sleep in, ever.) and went to the cafe right by the apartment for breakfast. I had a caffe latte and a yummy pastry. The staff are friendly and were happy to learn that I am a student at the Pantheon Institute. Then, I headed to the grocery store and could barely carry home what I bought. I like trying new things, but I have mostly been buying the same groceries because eating familiar foods in the apartment encourages me to eat unfamiliar foods when I go out to eat. Also, I can't read most of the labels in the grocery store so it's a little hard to even know what I am buying sometimes...!

I am off to do some more homework and continue a relaxing weekend at Home (in Rome? Home? Crazy to say that!) Ciao!

Cinque Terre National Park- Part 3 of 3

From Florence I boarded a train to La Spezia, a town close to the Cinque Terre. Emily, Lane, Lee and I stayed at a hostel in Riomaggiore. I wasn't sure what to expect but the staff were actually very friendly and we had lovely roommates staying in the same apartment all weekend.

The main road of the town is steep, leading into the mountains one way and into the ocean the other. Riomaggiore is the southernmost town of the Cinque Terre that make up the national park. Continuing north, the remaining four towns are: Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso. Each town is connected by many hiking paths and also the train.

Friday afternoon we spent most of our time figuring out our transportation back to Rome on Monday, which became complicated because we had to travel back to La Spezia to buy the tickets for Rome. We had dinner at a restaurant in Riomaggiore. Lane and I ordered the same pasta dish; we were really hungry at the point, but dinner wasn't exactly what we expected. The pasta was basically three small pancake-shaped pasta, one with pesto, one with bolognese sauce, and one with olive oil and cheese. I enjoyed the meal but I was still really hungry afterwards! We found one of the only gelato places in town (which gives you an idea of how small the towns are) and had the best gelato I've had in Italy so far. It was inexpensive and tasted creamier than others I have had. I went to bed shortly after that ready for a day of exploring the national park on Saturday.

Saturday morning we bought a cinque card, which admitted us to all of the hiking trails and trains between the towns for the day. We started off on a stunning path between Riomaggiore and Manarola, a short walk known as Lover's Lane. The path was right along the coast overlooking the ocean the entire time. The views were breathtaking. We passed a small cafe on the path and I had to have a cappuccino to savor the scenery I was surrounded. In Manarola we had the option of hiking a detour path to Corniglia that we were told was 2.5 hours long. We decided to skip that one for the sake of time and because it was raining at this point. Right outside of Manarola I took my THON around the world picture which I was really excited to do! We took the train to Corniglia after exploring Manarola for a bit and then set out on a long walk to the town. Corniglia felt more intimate than the other towns, especially when I read a sign that said the population is 250 people! We found a pizza shop for lunch and had delicious freshly made pizza for lunch. One of my goals for the trip was to try many foods special to this region of Italy (the pasta dish the night before failed a little bit) so Emily and I ordered the Corniglia pizza not knowing what would be on it. It turned out to have sweet onions and tuna. It was definitely an interesting flavor but the pizza was so yummy that I ate it happily anyway. Then we explored the town more (the weather was still pretty rainy) and had gelato at a shop recommended by Rick Steves. This gelato was also fantastic! I has cinnamon and coffee favors and enjoyed every bite. We left Corniglia worried about it raining for the rest of the day and not being able to hike at all. The trail between Corniglia and Vernazza was closed so our last hope was the trail between Vernazza and Monterosso.

When we got off the train in Vernazza and walked around town. The evidence of disaster appeared everywhere. In October 2011, Vernazza was flooded and the entire town was submerged in 4 meters of mud. Most of the storefronts were closed and all of the buildings had marks of mud very high up. I kept seeing photographs of the mud and really couldn't believe that I was standing in the same place that less than a year ago was devastated by natural disaster. I walked into what I thought was a store and chatted with a woman who told me about save 5- a charity effort to bring Vernazza back to life with the rest of the Cinque Terre. She told me that the charity was started by an American student studying abroad in Florence, which was inspiring to hear.

The weather was slowly clearing up and we decided to chance the trail to Monterosso. At the beginning of the trail, I caught sight of Vernazza from above and understood how this town flooded so drastically. It literally is situated almost entirely in the water, whereas the others are a little more inland. The beginning of the hike was nonstop incline with stairs for about 30 minutes. The sun was finally shining and it made everything more enjoyable. The views along the trail were unbelievably stunning. I could see the entire coast line and we often were walking on narrow paths that looked right down over a cliff into the ocean. The hike was about 1 hour and 45 minutes and one of the best memories of my trip. At the end of the trail there were stairs on a decline, which were scary because the steps were narrow and there wasn't much to hold on to. I'm also not the most balanced of people so I kept imagining myself wiping out but luckily I made it through the entire hike on my two feet.

The very end of the trail offered gorgeous views of Monterosso, the fifth town that is most resort like and the largest. There was a long stretch of beach visible. Once in town we realized some kind of festival was occurring, and it turned out to be a lemon festival! All throughout the town booths were set up selling different lemon products, including lemonade, limencello, lemon desserts, limencello candy, and more. We wandered around the town and ended up in a cafe drinking lemon ice with limoncello. The owner was very friendly and let us try a lemon pastry which was delicious. We checked the train schedule and decided to spend another hour in the town before heading back to Riomaggiore. We found the beach entrance and sat down by the water until we left for the train. The beach was partly sandy but mostly medium sized pebbles. I enjoyed sitting and taking everything in, once again blown away by the views of the ocean and coast. At this point I was reminded again of how fortunate I am to have parents who could send me on this trip and allow me the opportunity to experience such beauty. They're the best parents I could ever ask for and I thought about them a lot that day because I know Cinque Terre is a place they have to visit one day. When you read this, thanks again Mom and Dad!

Beautiful Florence- Part 2 of 3

The next two posts are going to be long...but I want to be thorough because the past week was spectacular!

The hotel we stayed at in Florence had a very strange smell. The other girls didn't notice a smell so we were thinking it was just the drain in our room or something. It wasn't too bad, but it did make all of our clothes smell afterwards. It was part of the experience of staying in a low cost hotel! Wednesday afternoon shortly after arriving we had a walking tour. Our guide took us through Basilica del Carmine and then through many parts of the city. The basilica was beautiful but our tour guide was perhaps a little too enthusiastic in her explanations of the artwork. I'm not sure if she thought we were art students but it was still enjoyable because she was so enthusiastic about it. Her tour through the city was fun because we saw many of the main sites of Florence in a short period of time. I think the Duomo is overwhelmingly beautiful and loved passing it so many times during our time in Florence. After our walking tour ended, Emily, Lane, Lee and I prepared for a night at the Frescobaldi restaurant and wine bar. We are doing a project on influential Italian families in history and we chose the Frescobaldi family based on the recommendation of our TA.

Our experience at the restaurant was exceptional. The restaurant is highly recommended by American guide books of Italy, and three of the couples we chatted with throughout dinner were American. The service was slow but the manager explained his chef was overwhelmed and sent over a plate of bread with patte. We ordered a bottle of wine for the four of us, made at one of the many frescobaldi vineyards. The restaurant was pricey, especially for a college student's budget, so we only ordered one course. I had homemade linguine with truffle sauce and savored every bite by eating it extra slowly. We told our waiter that we were at the restaurant for a class project and soon after the owner sat down at our table and asked, "What can I tell you about the Frescobaldi restaurant?" We told him, "Everything!" He began a long tale of a family that has been present in Florence for nearly 1000 years. His story was passionate and intertwined with a respect for a family that has produced such a successful business. The owner, though not a member of the family, has close ties with them: he opened the Frescobaldi restaurant a decade ago when the family recognized the need to pair their wine with excellent food. Since then they have expanded throughout Italy and even have a restaurant in Miami, Florida. He was so kind to us and spent what felt like hours sharing stories. The Frescobaldi family owns thousands of acres and many vineyards throughout Italy and are in the top 5 of wine producers on the country. We enjoyed our wine, but I was most impressed by the owner's willingness to educate us. We spent about 3.5 hours at the restaurant, chatting not only with the owner but also with couples eager to hear about our project. Our meal ended with fabulous homemade desserts and a steep bill, but the four of us didn't care about the prices, we were too impressed by the atmosphere and dining experience offered at the restaurant.

The next morning was another favorite memory of my trip to Florence. Our group visited the school for the innocent, a preschool in Florence with about 100 students ages 3-5. A teacher met us at the entrance and our Pantheon Institute guide translated the teacher's Italian as she told us about the education provided at the school. She explained that every classroom integrates all age ranges and learning ability. Some activities are age-based but the classroom relies on the different-aged children learning from each other. We walked though all 4 classrooms and each time we entered the teacher in that room would instruct the children to say some form of hello. We then sat outside as the teacher told us about the annual project completed by the students. This year the school encouraged their students to appreciate art collectors, so the students visited several art museums in Florence and recreated the work with their own style. She passed around examples of their recreations and they were adorable!

We then watched as some of the 5 year olds learned about bubbles. The school is fortunate to have ample space outdoors for the children to play; space in both Italy and the urban environment is limited. The teacher explained they make good use of this space by allowing the children to play outside many times during the day. Shortly after the teacher brought a group of 5 year olds over to play with us. First we showed them the hokey pokey and then played London bridge. They were very shy at first but most of them warmed up to us in just a few minutes. After our games the children showed us one of their games which was basically red light green light but they shouted, "Stella!" Next we tried to teach them tag but it turned in to a chasing game. We were sad to have to say goodbye. My morning at the Florence preschool allowed me to draw comparisons between Italian early education and American early education, such as the integrative classrooms and emphasis on outside play. Also important in the Florence preschool is art curriculum, as the teacher explained, the children live in a prominent city of renowned artistic work that must be appreciated.

After our morning at the school, Emily, Lane, Lee and I ventured to the leather market. I had a blast buying presents for family and friends and even found a leather bag for myself. Many of the Italians we encountered in Florence were very welcoming to Americans. Later that afternoon we went to the Academia to see the David. I saw this in high school as part of a guided tour and we were on our own for this museum and I'm not sure which I liked better. Either way the David is an incredible sight to see. The four of us went out to dinner at a restaurant across the street from our hotel and I ordered my first salad so far on my trip! They messed our order and it took at least 30 minutes to get our new salads while Lane and Emily had to eat their pasta before it got cold. In a way, slow service is part of going out to eat in Italy because taking an extra long meal time means you are enjoying yourself. We were a dinner pretty late, so I went to bed shortly after getting back to the hotel. The next morning we went to a museum of a Florentine tower house. This tied in nicely with the information given by our guide on our walking tour the first day in Florence. We learned about how medieval families lived in Florence. The museum was the end of our organized field trip for class. The 14 girls in the program were eventually all going to Cinque Terre for the weekend but we didn't all travel together. Half of us left Florence on Friday morning and headed for one of the most beautiful places in the world- Cinque Terre (5 Lands).

Venice In 24 Hours- Part 1 of 3

Tuesday morning we were off to the metro bright and early to make our trenitalia train to Venice. Termini train station in Rome has the level of chaos of the main Philadelphia train stations during rush hours. The train ride was long, about 4 hours, but it was exciting to take the train across so much of the country. We had with us a member of the staff from the Pantheon institute who made our travels much easier because she's a resident of Italy.

I went to Venice in high school and enjoyed it more then than I did on this trip. We were only there for about 24 hours and didn't make the best use of that time to see the entire city. My professor took us through the Doge's Palace in St. Mark's Square, which brought back memories of AP Euro in high school. We also stumbled upon the University of Venice and strolled through their campus, which was beautiful. A lot of us wandered around the city in the afternoon and evening, taking in the uniqueness of a city situated on water. Venice has beautiful glassware that makes for perfect window shopping. My favorite part of Venice is the countless bridges connecting the complicated streets of the city. They make for beautiful photos. I did a double take in front of a hotel and realized it was the hotel I stayed at in high school! Being in the cities I visited in High School this time around brings back memories I haven't thought about in years. I think that two trips to Venice is enough for one person for a long time.

We were told that checkout time was 730am Wednesday morning so my roommates and I woke up extra early, checked out, and then had nothing to do for 3 hours because it was pouring. It turned out that our professor forgot to tell us that check out time was actually 3 hours later and she had the chance to sleep in while we didn't! Though frustrating, we actually had fun in the cafe we spent all morning in waiting until our train to Florence departed. I am now a regular purchaser of cappuccinos and growing to like them very much.  However, I still think that steamed milk tastes like soap when it's foamy on top of a drink! Probably the best part about drinking a cappuccino is the style in which they are served; in a small cup on a saucer with a spoon on top of a bar. I have noticed that many Italians drink their morning cappuccinos standing at the bar only for a few minutes. This replaces America's coffee that is served in to-go cups, which i have rarely ever seen in Italy. I think this reflects the slower-paced lifestyle of Italians. I enjoy it, but it's definitely an adjustment!

After a rainy morning in Venice I was headed to Florence, which I will write about in another post soon!!

To Venice, Florence, and Cinque Terre

Yesterday afternoon, Emily, Emily (we have two Emilys) and I wandered around the city looking for the Trevi Fountain. We didn't plan an exact route, so it took a while to find, but it was magical when we sort of stumbled upon it! The crowds were insane; we only stayed for a few minutes, took a few pictures, and then left. Here are a few of my pictures:

                                                                  Emily, Emily, and I

This morning we had class in the Pantheon Institutes's classrooms for the first time. Last week we had class informally where ever our field trip was each day. I definitely loved being in an actual classroom, it was much easier to focus! Emily and I left early for class to stop by a cappuccino stand. I am quickly becoming addicted to Italian espresso drinks, I have now tried four different cappuccino in the Trastevere neighborhood! After class we headed to Diocletian's Baths. This was the first time I used pubic transportation in Rome and it was pretty easy. We have been reading a lot about the Roman baths, so I was excited to see the area, but these baths are actually now a church. The church, Basilico Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, was very beautiful and recognized the history of the Roman baths in a gallery about them. When the group was finished at the church, some of us rode the Metro to the Circo Massimo stop, which is about a 20 minute walk from our apartment.

Emily and I were really hungry by the time our class and field trip were over. We found a small restaurant near the apartment and ordered pizza, croissants, and cappuccinos. The prices were very reasonable (less than 5 euro for all of that) and the staff were pleasant and friendly! The restaurant is also one of the discount partners with Pantheon Institute, so we even saved a little bit by eating there. The atmosphere was enjoyable and I definitely plan on going back there frequently.

I have been busy all afternoon packing and thinking about the week ahead of me! Tomorrow morning, we leave on the train for Venice. Our group will spend one night in Venice and then take the train to Florence. I look forward to returning to Florence because I loved it so much on my trip in high school. We will spend two nights there and then finish our class field trip on Friday. Nearly everyone (about 15 girls) has booked hostels in Cinque Terre for the weekend. Cinque Terre is the name for five small towns along the coast of Italy that are connected by a hiking trail in a National Park. I could not be more excited to see the beauty of this region. Emily, Lane, Lee and I are spending three nights in a hostel and plan on exploring as much of the five towns that we can.

I won't have my computer for the next week, but perhaps I can update from my phone. I am ecstatic about experiencing more of Italy in the next seven days!

Running in Roma

It's starting to feel more and more like home here. I successfully used an Italian washing machine (almost 90 minutes for one load of wash through the washing machine)! I hand-washed most of my clothes because the washing machine is so small. It has been a lazy Saturday here, which is what most of my Saturdays are like at home too.

I finally went on my first run (really, I jog...but who likes the word jog? Sounds too much like the 90's) and it was amazing! There is a paved bike path along the Tiber River that I walk over every time I cross a bridge, so we knew where to head but we weren't sure of more than that. Emily, Thea, and I walked down the stairs to the path and ran to the end of it; a few miles from here is a completely different Roma. The historical beauty of the city was absent when we went out that far, but I still enjoyed every moment. It is just hot enough out to make you uncomfortable, but not so hot that I couldn't stand running in the heat. I'm very happy I finally went on that first run because now I know exactly where to go always. Working out while I am here is definitely not a big concern, but there are two reasons I think it will work to my benefit. First, I want to blend my lifestyle from home with the Italian lifestyle in order to have the best experience. Second, I will not feel so bad about eating endless gelato or cannoli. Ha!

The past two days have been wonderful. Yesterday morning we had class at the Forum and explored the scenic views from the top of the Capitol building. We had to pick up information packets for our trip next week to Florence and Venice at the Pantheon Institute in the afternoon; once we did that, some of us went to the grocery store and replenished the food we keep going through so quickly. By the end of the afternoon, I had walked all around the city in different directions! Emily, Lane, Lee, the other Emily and I went out to dinner in a restaurant Trastevere (our neighborhood). Our waiter was this precious old man who made the mediocre food worth the time at the restaurant. I'm excited for the night when we find truly excellent Italian food, because that hasn't happened yet. After dinner, most of the group went out together. Italian night life is amazing! It was lively, loud, chaotic, and fun. Our group of about 10 girls had a fun night together.

Tonight, we are attempting to make chicken parm without bread crumbs because they were nowhere to be found in the grocery store. Our efforts to communicate what bread crumbs are miserably failed. It was pretty funny. Yesterday, we made my Mom's version of caprese salad for lunch! Everyone loved it Mom :) I even took a picture. I have to write my child observation logs, read more, and write a paper by the end of the weekend. I guess I should go get started on that! Ciao!

To the Colosseo!

Today tested our ability to navigate the complicated streets of Rome using a map. It's difficult to visualize the layout of the city because it contains so many winding roads and alleyways. Our class was meeting at the Colosseum (in Italian, "Colosseo") at 8:30am. Emily, Lane, Lee and I left the apartment at 7:45 with a map in hand and little idea of how to get to where we needed to be. Fortunately, with a well-labeled map, it was easy! The four of us made it on time without problems. One of the best resources I have on this trip (besides a map) is the teaching assistant for the courses, Amanda. She lives in our apartment with us and both lends a hand and encourages our independence. It's nice to know that we can go to her for advice, but also that she wants us to mostly figure things out for ourselves. Developing that sense of independence will allow me to make the best of this experience. Successfully navigating places is the most tangible way to feel independent, like this morning.

Lane, Emily and I also went to the grocery store last night on our own to buy needed ingredients for our dinner. I have been moderately struggling without my routine morning coffee. I stared blankly in front of the espresso and coffee section of the aisle in the market, unable to read any of the directions or understand what products I was looking at. I could just buy a cup of something each day, but I know that would get expensive and be the easiest solution. I wanted to try something on my own! I finally decided on an instant (the horror! I know!) mocha cappuccino. It's actually not half bad, but I will savor my first authentic cup of Italian cappuccino dearly.

I am still overwhelmed with what I am seeing here in Rome every day. Though I did see many of the major monuments of Rome on my trip in high school, I enjoy the independence of exploring these pieces of history on my own. After a short tour of the Colosseum by our professor and a few hours of class in a nearby park, Emily, Lane, Lee and I bought sandwiches and wandered around the city. We passed some incredible sights, which I hope to go back to soon with more knowledge of their history. As we crossed the bridge over the Tiber River, the calamity of the atmosphere subdued. Our neighborhood is much quieter than what we explore across the river. I appreciate this little escape from the chaos!

I am looking forward to this weekend to have a break from class so that I can spend an entire day exploring the city. Also, we leave for Venice and Florence on Tuesday! That trip is with the program, but many of us are traveling to Cinque Terre for the weekend after we are finished in Florence.

Here are some pictures from today:

                                     Lee, Lane, Me, and Emily in the Colosseum

                    Me, Emily, Lee, Lane, Cait, Raquel, and Thea in front of the Colosseum

                                      Lee, Lane, and I on a bridge over the Tiber River

Morning at the market

This morning our class went to the open-air market in the Testaccio neighborhood. The market sort of reminded me of the farmers' market on Locust Lane in State College. We shopped around for fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, bakery items, poultry, fish, flowers, and more. My first purchase was a pint of strawberries (in Italian, "fragola") for 1,50 euros. Emily, Lane, Lee and I decided to sautee vegetables over pasta for dinner, so we bought red peppers, asparagus, and zucchini. The purpose of our trip the the market was to buy ingredients to make caprese salad back at the apartment. Since the four of us already bought these ingredients on the first grocery trip, we just purchased other goods at the market. We walked back to the apartment and stopped at a bakery along the way, where Emily and I shared a croissant. After a complicated process of 16 people trying to use one European-sized kitchen, we finally could enjoy caprese salad, which consists of sliced tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. A variation of this dish is a summer staple in my house; though familiar, I still enjoyed every bite.

After lunch, we held class in the apartment for a while. Class was over by 1pm but I got right to work on my readings. We discovered a porch/balcony area outside the apartment that overlooks the garden, so I sat outside reading in the intense sunshine. I started to get burnt within a few minutes and put on sunscreen soon after that. I have had too many threats of sun-poisoning to risk that at the beginning of this trip. The last few hours that I spent reading were peaceful, pretty, and full of sunshine. I'm glad we found such a wonderful spot to relax right outside the apartment!

I haven't been taking enough pictures, but tomorrow we head to the Colosseum where I am sure I will snap plenty. It's hard to stop and take a picture when I want to focus on remembering how to get everywhere! I'm off to getting more homework out of the way so I can enjoy tonight. Ciao!

A Drowsy Arrival

Ciao! My flight from Philadelphia to Rome was delightful. Well, that's a stretch. However, I am a huge fan of personal televisions, a four-person row occupied by only two people, and direct flights across the world. I flew overnight and arrived at 9am Rome time on Monday morning. I only slept for an hour on the plane, which left me completely exhausted all day Monday. We arrived to our student housing facility, called the Santa Maria in Cappella. The facility borders the Tiber River and contains the oldest privately owned garden in Rome. Elderly people share the facility with students of the Pantheon Institute and wander the garden during the day.  A little weird, but also charming!  Here are pictures of the view of the Tiber (from our room) and the view of the garden (from a different bedroom in the apartment):

After a yummy lunch at the apartment provided by our professor, Dr. Cheek, we walked to our classroom building. Our classroom is steps away from the entrance to the Pantheon. How can that be real? I don't really know, but I will never take for granted walking past that beautiful piece of history every day. We took a delusional walk to the grocery store. Emily, Lane, Lee and I bought groceries together. It was difficult to function properly with 1 hour of sleep in 36 hours, but we managed to make it out of the market with the necessities. We wandered back to the apartment and I fell asleep at 5pm and woke up at 7am this morning. I'm glad I slept for that long because I feel 100% better today.

There are fifteen girls (fourteen students and our teaching assistant) living in one 'apartment' at the Santa Maria in Cappella. We basically live on the third floor of one of the housing complexes, with six bedrooms, three bathrooms, a kitchen, and a common room. It's plenty of space and we have everything we need, including many tour books on our book shelves! I'm sharing one of the bedrooms with Emily, my friend from school.

This morning was our orientation at the Pantheon Institute. The president of the school gave an excellent welcome speech that reminded us of the importance of this journey. He told us to consider the nature of perception and appreciate the distinctions of an unfamiliar culture. It was the perfect speech to start off the rest of the morning. We then met at our classroom and received syllabi for the 3 courses of the program (Italian Relationships, Early Childhood in Italy, and Historical Roots of the Italian Family). I have a lot of work ahead of me, nine credits in six weeks is intense! I will be writing papers, leading discussions, doing projects, posting blogs, keeping a journal, and reading many books and articles for class. I won't let myself think of my homework as a burden, though, because when else in my Penn State education will I be able to take a field trip to the Forum after a morning of learning about Italian commerce? Never. That's the most exciting aspect of this trip; I will learn about Italian culture as I experience it on a daily basis! Once our syllabi were reviewed, we had a lunch break, a brief introduction to our resources at the Pantheon Institute, and then headed back to the apartment.

I would love to write more, but I have a lot of reading to accomplish. I will post again when I feel I have stories to share, which I am sure will be soon enough! Next week, we head to Venice and Florence. Emily, Lane, Lee and I bought tickets for the Uffizi in Florence, which I remember was one of the best parts of my trip to Florence in high school. I'm so excited!

Off to Roma

My cousins bought this wonderful cannoli cake for me a few days ago. This thoughtful gesture made the trip feel like it is actually happening! And now I am about to leave for the airport. I am so excited! Next post will be from ITALY! Ciao!

Countdown: 6 days

Hello!

Thanks for visiting my blog! I hope that my family & friends enjoy reading about my abroad experience this summer. I am incredibly grateful for my parents, who are sending me on this journey. If you're reading this, Thanks Mom and Dad!

There are just a few things standing between me and Rome. Lots of hours at work, heading home, a trip to the Poconos, and the dreaded packing. I keep opening my Fodor's Italy book to a random page and finding new towns I want to visit in Italy. I love Fodor's recommendations for hotels, restaurants, and hidden gem tourist spots. I should probably stop spending so much time reading about Italy and finish up my take-home final and officially finish all my work for my classes this semester... I'll get to that right now.