La Mia Nuova Casa

Ciao friends,

Hope that you're all keeping it real in America!  I'm missing you and thinking of you.

I am writing from across the pond in Florence, Italy!  For nearly three weeks, I have been living the Italian dream, and now I realize how difficult it is going to be to recap the experiences that I have had so far.  I will do my best!  

Oh, Florence.  This is and will be the greatest adventure of my life.

I said my "ciao ciaos" to everything that I've ever known on January 8, 2013.  My flight from J.F.K. lasted about six hours (seeming like 12), arriving in Frankfurt, Germany on the morning of January 9.  It may have been 5:30 a.m., but a couple of students from my program were more than happy to order some German beers!  The flight connecting to Florence was only an hour long and very smooth--  I finally landed in the motherland with absolutely no sleep, no lost luggage, and no problems!  

The students on my flight were whisked away, 2 people at a time, into Italian cabs.  We came here with absolutely no clue where we would be living-- or who with!  I shared a cab with Caitlin Shay, who lived in my dorm at UConn for the past two years.  Driving-- at the speed of light-- from the airport to our apartment, we passed several very small cars, a couple of stone statues, and some graffiti walls.  I questioned whether or not I was really in Italy when one American song after another played on the radio.  Caitlin and I were dropped off on a VERY narrow, cobblestone street called Gino Capponi.  

My first impression walking into the apartment

The kitchen-- Where I get domestic.

Living Room

We really lucked out with our apartment.  Not only is the hallway totally fun to run up and down, but we also have spacious rooms and a terrace connected to our kitchen and living room!  I'm really looking forward to the spring where we can cook dinner and then sit outside :)

The view from the terrace

I have five roommates who are all fantastic: Caitlin, Margo, Kim, Steph, and Alex.  Three of us are from UConn, and three are from Penn State.  With nearly 27 hours without sleep, we were all pretty wiped out the first night, so we walked down the street to a cute restaurant called Il Grullo.  I enjoyed my first meal in Italy: A glass of vino bianco and a four cheese (quattro formaggi) pizza.  

First night at Il Grullo

The following couple of days included orientation for school, meeting so many people, and exploring the Florence nightlife.  A lot of the bars and clubs we checked out the first weekend were really Americanized, but a lot of fun:  Astor, Twice, Lion's Fountain (old school music and American university t-shirts hanging from the ceiling-- I found UConn!), Uncle Jimmy's, and.... Space.  

The girls at Lion's Fountain

A note about Space Electronic:  Anyone who plans to visit Florence in their lifetime should experience this club-- It was by far one of the funniest nights of my life.  Lots of lights, loud music, and a whole lot of Italian men.  What I learned from Space is that the Italians really just want to get their groove on-- BADLY.  My girl Kim broke it down the whole night on the stage... at some point my roommates and I got up there too.  The place was mobbed, even when we left around 3 a.m.  It was certainly a memorable night.  

My first Saturday in Italy, I met with my family who lives about two hours outside of Florence!  They visited me and I joined them and their friends for an authentic Italian lunch.  Even though I hadn't seen Michele, Celeste, and Joe since I was probably seven years old, they were so loving and genuine.  It really made me feel at home.

School... I am taking five classes at the International Studies Institute of Florence: Palazzo Rucellai and Palazzo Bargagli.  

• European Union
• Business of Art
• Identity and Culture: A Comparative Approach 
• Italian 1 with David (pronounced DAH-VEED)
• Cultural Literacy

So far, I am really enjoying my classes-- as a Communications and Journalism major, I haven't taken many history or business classes, so this is a treat for me.  Already I have been learning about the development and structure of the E.U., the art market economy, and intercultural communications. 

It's a pretty busy schedule on Mondays and Wednesdays when I have almost every class, but Tuesdays and Thursdays are sweeeet because I only have one... I'm able to mosey through the city all morning.  The school is about 30 minutes from my apartment, but honestly, the walk is one of the highlights of my day.  I love taking different routes to Palazzo Bargagli and Palazzo Rucellai (my schools) and checking out new stores and cafes.  I've realized quickly that when I'm completely lost, I find the coolest new places (and people)!  I've met a lot of friends through my classes and have already gained some insight and understanding about the Italian culture.  

I have yet to go through a day without being really impressed by something in Florence.  The Ponte Vecchio bridge is one of the first really beautiful places that I ventured to.  I walked along it with Margo one of the first days of school and we stumbled upon a quaint panini/pizza shop on the other side-- the man handed us a piece of bread through the window and lured us in... My self control for carbs has only gotten worse (NO SHAME)!  I thankfully have breaks in between some of my classes, so I like walking across the Arno River to window shop and grab lunch.  

First time across the Ponte Vecchio bridge

Potato (patate) pizza from Amici Di' Ponte Vecchio Da Stefano... recommended!

Through class (and through trial-and-error), I've been slowly learning a bit of the language.  Thanks to my Italian teacher, DAH-VEED, I can carry out a short but sweet conversation with the locals.  I like to practice on shop owners and waiters, because most of them are patient and seem to appreciate the effort.  One time, someone stopped me in the street to ask me for directions in Italian-- I unfortunately couldn't help them out, but it made my day!

One day after class, Mike (friend from UConn) wanted to climb the Duomo, which is a huge church in the center of the city.  I pass by it every day and its beauty never ceases to amaze me.  The sun was setting and the timing was perfect!  We climbed 463 steps up through narrow stone walls and spiral staircases.  Standing on the top of the Duomo was hands down one of the coolest views of my life, with the mountains on one side and Giotto's bell tower on the other: phenomenal.  Words and pictures cannot do it justice.  Add it to your Florence (or life) Bucketlist for sure!  

Top of the world!

More than half of the time, I feel like this is not real life.  The places I've visited, the people I've met, and... the GELATO... make each and every day in my new home so special.  My main man Marc Castonguay was right when he told me before I left that I'll be telling these stories to my grandkids.  Here's to four beautiful months!  SALUTE!!  Ciao ragazzi! ;)

More to come...

-A