I'm sick!

Monday morning I was very tried, and sick! I woke up and had to go to the computer lab in the morning and then I went to the pharmacy to get some medicine. After that I went to Italian, Photography and Abnormal Psych. It was a very long day. We were able to develop our negatives in Photography which was fun! After Abnormal Psych Kate and I went to the computer lab to plan our trip to Cinque Terre this weekend which I am very excited about! We then came back and made some food, and then went to the big Coop by the train station! Very exciting! After that I came back and did some homework, but I did not feel good at all! Jeanette cut her hair! And we had a stretching party!! I watched some Laguna Beach before hitting the sack! Tuesday I woke up still not feeling well. I had to go and print out an assignment and then I went to Italian. After Italian I came back to the apartment and made PB&J for lunch, yum yum! Then I went to Leonardo da Vinci, which I do not like. It just seems long and boring. I went and picked up my negatives, and while its hard to see the picture, at least I got negatives! I came back and did some homework, and freed a bee from our apartment (after it made a B-line..get it? For my head! Luckily I made it out of the way in time!) I then went to the internet to do some research for Cinque Terre this weekend, and then came back and made chicken with Kate! It was very good! We attempted rice but that didn’t happen, oh well! Wednesday morning I woke up and did not feel good at all, so I went to Umbra to find out about a doctor. I got directions and it ended up being about a 5 minute walk. I had a little trouble finding the actually doctor, and the first thing she said was she didn’t really speak English. Great! I figured Id end up with some meds for a condition I really didn’t have. We did our best to communicate, and then she called Umbra to translate the rest! So she gave me two prescriptions. After that I went to Italian, got an A on my first quiz! Yay! On my way to being fluent! After that I went back to Umbra to fgure out what to do with the prescriptions. I brought them to the pharmacy, and got pills and then some liquid thing, but I guess the liquid thing needed a machine. So I went to Abnormal Psych, and we all wanted to be let out early because the President of Italy was in Perugia! However, we weren’t let out early, stupid school! I went to the pharmacy after and rented the machine, yes machine, which I am now breathing out of. The girls say I look like someone with emphazima. It’s like a mask I put over my face and then put this vaporizer in and breathe out of, definitely not something you would find in America. It didn’t help that the women at the pharmacy explained it to me in Italian, so who knows if I’m even using the thing right! After that I came back and then went with Doug to try and find a watch place! He said there was one by his apartment, so we went to “Keys and Shoes” and sadly the guy told me that it wasn’t the battery, it was just my watched. I was devastated! I loved this watch! Oh well life goes on! After that we walked around for a little bit and then had this really good pizza! He also taught us that we can let people our building without having to walk downstairs! Its great! After that I went and did internet for a few, and then came back to be put on my machine! I was coughing a lot last night and I felt really bad because I know I am keeping everyone up! Jeanette was so sweet and made me warm milk with honey, and I think that helped a little bit. I woke up Thursday morning and went to bring my laundry to Yokos, but they were closed and I have no idea why. So then I ended up going to the do it yourself place, but it was annoying because I had to go back and switch and over and then wait for it to dry! Oh Italy! So I had Italian that went pretty well and then went back to switch over my laundry and then came back home. I had Leonardo Da Vinci this afternoon which was ok. Tonight hopefully will be relaxing, and then tomorrow we leave for Pisa and Cinque Terre!

Barcelona con mi madre

I had class until 3:15 on Thursday, and then I raced out to meet Mom at the bus stop. I made it in plenty of time and we made it to the train station to catch the 3:40 train. Luckily we made it ON the train, mom messed up a little when it came to which track we should be at, but we managed to make it on the right one! We had a layover at Foligno, where I fell in love with their yogurt! It was so good! So now I have a favorite when I return. The train to Rome was late, but mom and I just went with the flow. We got on the train and apparently sat in the wrong seats. Luckily we kicked the people out who were in our seats and all was well. When we got to Roma Termini, mom showed me where she got in trouble for taking her rolling cart. We saw another man get in trouble too, it was funny because I could picture her getting yelled at. Then we got some quality American food, McDonald’s obviously! I also got the BEST, I repeat, the BEST chocolate chip muffin! (not at McDonald’s though..) We got on the train to the airport, and checked in and got on our plane which was nice and short. I think I feel asleep for a little bit. We got to Barcelona and took a taxi to our hotel and I was starving! Surprise surprise, I know. So, we had a midnight “snack” at the Hardrock Café (love the American food!) Surprisingly when we walked in at 12:00am the place was packed! So we had steak and chicken and a huge dessert! It was so good! We went back to our hotel and crashed for the night. On Friday we slept in and showered and then went to Starbuck (are you seeing a trend?) for breakfast! We then decided we wanted to take the bus tour of Barcelona. We waited in one line to get our tickets and then in another to actually get on the bus! The tour was really good and informative and I feel like we got to see a lot. However, they started explaining places where you could get off the bus and they would explain the attraction, followed by “however, this is closed!” We thought it was funny. Maybe you had to be there! After the tour we did what girls do best..SHOP! I had a VERY successful shopping weekend! (pictures to follow!) Mid-afternoon we felt that a Hardrock Café snack was in order, so we stopped to refuel and then kept on shopping! I must have been worn out because then we went back to the hotel and I fell asleep! I also wasn’t feeling well all weekend with a cold, so I needed a little down time. After the nap we went back out and did what? (no, not Hardrock..) We shopped! And we were adventurous that night, we ate at a place we had never heard of, which ended up being very good! After, we wet back to the hotel and showered and both got a second wind, but decided we should get a good night sleep. Saturday morning we woke up early because we decided to beat the crowds for the bus tour! And we did! We decided to get off by the Mediterranean Sea and were very disappointed, probably because we are spoiled with nice port towns like Portsmouth! We walked around for a bit, and made it on the beach, with our umbrellas! Oh well, it didn’t rain too hard! We did however, find a pizza hut! I was in heaven! We did a little more shopping and walking around after lunch and then went back to the hotel. We went to a chocolate place that Mom’s “peeps” said was good. It was ok, we didn’t think it was worth making a special trip for (yes, we are chocolate connoisseurs). We went back to Hardrock for dinner (we needed to go once a day while we were in Barcelona!) We then went back to the hotel to prepare for the FIRERUN! We showed up and placed ourselves strategically in the back. We saw people with bandanas around their nose and mouth, so I felt like I needed to get in on the action. We waited and waited, and finally we saw the sparks! It was pretty crazy, people running around with HUGE sparklers and a dragon roaming the streets with fire coming out of its mouth! We had fun! After we went to back to the hotel to pack and attempt a good nights sleep. However, the festivities outside did not want us to sleep. So I had an awful night sleep Saturday night. There was so much going on for the festival that it was so loud and I don’t think I feel asleep until 2:00 and we woke up at 5:45 to get a taxi. We got to the airport and to our gate in no time and were able to stretch out on the plane which was so nice to relax and sleep! We had an easy flight and made it into Rome. I said goodbye to mom which was sad but I get to see her soon! Then I left and got on the Leonardo express to go to Roma Termini and waited for my train to Perugia, which was confusing because the signs kept changing. I walked around but my bags were heavy. So I got some food and got on the train which was nice because it was direct. So I slept on and off on the train, but I was so excited to get back to Perugia! So I finally did and walked back and it was so nice to be home! Jeanette was here and so I unpacked a little. Then Kate came home so we all talked and caught up. I went to internet for a little bit and then came back and finished unpacking and we had our family dinner when Erica got home, which was so nice! It felt like we had all been gone longer. After that I did some more homework. Anyway so I tried to get organized for the week and then crashed after a great weekend!

Mi madre!

My mom is here! Yaaaaay! So Monday I have a long day of classes and all day I waited for mom to call me to make sure she landed ok and figured out Italy. She never did. I tried her phone but it wasn’t working. Luckily I called dad and he assured me she landed safely. So I was stuck in classes all day and at 5:00 I went to her hotel and asked the receptionist to call her room, and then I sprinted up to see her! I was so excited! So she gave me my bag of goodies which consisted of all the thing she lugged from America. She’s so good to me! Then we walked to my apartment so I could show it off and then went out to dinner with Kate. We had a very nice dinner and then mom and I got some gelato. After that I came back but I had such a sore throat. I couldn’t talk and it hurt to swallow. Luckily Jeanette made me some hot milk with honey, and then broth later on, which seemed to help. I went to sleep and when I woke up on Tuesday I felt a lot better. I got my laundry together and brought it to the Laundromat and was on my way to class when I ran into mom! What a small world! So she walked me to class and Italian went well! After that I went back to pick up the laundry and then met mom for pizza at 1:00! After that I went to class and then came back to do some homework. Mom and I went exploring at 5:30 and found a good place to eat. I came back and got dressed up with the girls and we met mom for dinner. We had so much fun! After dinner I went back with mom to the hotel, where I took a real shower! It was nice! Then I came back to our apartment where we had an intense cleaning because we had a cleaning inspection the next day! GREAT NEWS! We got a green card (the best one) from our cleaning inspection lady! YAY! We were so excited! All morning we had to be so careful we didn’t mess up all the cleaning we had done the night before. But we worked very hard and when we got home we had a green card! Wednesday I had class in the morning, and then Mom and I went for a very hilly walk to this photo place so I could get a scrapbook to do some work for my photo class. I felt bad because the woman spoke only Italian, but I managed to get what I needed. After the long walk back we stopped and got some pizza, and then got on the internet to figure out trains and the festival for this weekend in Barcelona! I am so excited! After that we stopped and got some gelato! Then I went to do some homework at my building and then had my other class. After, mom came over and we made pasta and she brought pastries which were VERY good! (a little dry though) Then Kate, Jeannete, Erica and I went to Tandam, which is a place where you can practice your Italian. I was really nervous since I can only say about two things. We got there and everyone sort of paired off. The lady that a couple of people talked to was very nice and she spoke English very well. I tried my best! After that I stopped by to see mom, and then headed back to the apartment to get some homework done. I cant wait to go to Barcelona this weekend!

Walkin' on, walkin' on broken glass

So we finally made it home Sunday night. Kate and I decided we should treat ourselves to the expensive steak we had bought at the store. We took it out of the freezer to thaw, and finally decided (as it was half thawed) that we were just going to cook it. And that’s what we did! So it was on the stove (and you have to understand, we’re lucky to fit two people in our kitchen) and all of a sudden Kate hit her head on the shelves next to the stove, and off flies the Nutella and Peanut Butter, apparently both made of glass (oh Italy) so now on our floor is a mix of chocolaty-peanut butter glass. Yum. So we continued to cook the steak as we cleaned up the mess (with a broom, sponge and vacuum). We were a little worried about the meet, since it was so thick. The middle was raw, but the outsides were getting cooked. Solution? Eat the meat as it cooked! Kate was in charge of cutting; while Erica and I cut up the cooked meat into little pieces, which we then ate (and feed to Kate) It was a great process, who needs a table? However, the ONE counter space we have in the kitchen wasn’t too supportive of this process, as the plate and meat feel off onto the floor (the newly cleaned floor) It just wasn’t our night. We thought about making rice, but decided we had enough adventures for the night, and enjoyed our delicious meat.

1/4 bus. Enough said.

What a weekend. So Thursday night we got back late and were very tried. So we went to sleep and then woke up Friday morning, took a shower, packed, made a garbage run, and went to the bus station. We got a bus and checked in at the train station (which ended up being very easy since we ordered the tickets online) and we got on our train with no problem, and made the switch over at Foligino like we were pros! We made it to Ancona, but realized once we got there we didn’t have the address for the hotel! Oh how much we have to learn! So we went to the info booth and asked and luckily it was literally two minutes from the train station. So we walked over (me with my TWO bags!) and followed the HUGE signs to the hostel, which was of course, CLOSED! We had about 3 hours to kill. So we had a delicious lunch at Pizzy. We thought about trying to go somewhere, but instead found a comfy bench and a gelato shop (what more could a girl ask for) After getting our fill of gelato, Kate, Jeanette and I decided a nap on the bench would be appropriate, but according to Erica, we got weird stares. Oh well, it was a good nap. When 4:30 rolled around we went back to the hostel, and I’m still not sure if they actually had our reservation or not, but we did manage to get a room, 204, which was a very nice room. Five beds right next to the bathroom. So we set up camp and decided to take a nap for the next two hours (do you sense a pattern?) When we woke up we were all VERY hungry, and after a few attempts to wake sleeping beauty (Erica) we managed to head out on the infamous ¼ bus. We were told by many, and I repeat many, that the ¼ bus would take us to the center of Ancona. So we hopped on, hungrily awaiting the center. However, we never made it to the center. Instead, the bus driver brought us to the sketchy ghetto of Ancona, and simply said “finito” as we looked at him with confusion. THE END!? This couldn’t possibly be the end. This was definitely not the center. So, of course, we got off the bus, and said, uh well lets walk that way. The rest is a blur of tired feet and a hungry stomach. We had a map, but of course, our location was not on the map, because who in their right mind would go to where we were? First stop, hairdressing salon, and when we said we wanted to walk to the center, she laughed. So we decided the autobus might be a good idea. She pointed us in the right direction, and we found a T shop to get the tickets and ran up to the man as he was closing shop. We then asked him where to get the bus, and we “think” he said, to the lights, left, down, and it should be there. Bus stop was no where to be found. So we walked some more until we finally found a sign for something on the corner of our map! Oh civilization, a beautiful thing. But, I think that led us to a dead end, where we found a cute Italian who helped us get back to the main bus terminal. We booked it to the first restaurant we saw and food never tasted so good. We then waited about 40 minutes for the bus to drive us back to the hostel (which we later realized would have been a 5 minute walk). Needless to say I think we all slept well that night. Saturday morning we woke up around 10 and got dressed for our day at the beach! I had done some research before we left (am I my mothers daughter or what) and found that Ancona wasn’t a hot tourist spot, but there were some nice beaches close by. So we found out EXACTLY how to get to these beaches, and hopped on a bus which only took about ½ hour to Sirolo. We arrived in Sirolo and grabbed some pizza before heading down to the beach. We ended up walking through this park that had a long list of rules, which basically implied it was a “no fun” park. Very, very sad. There was a sign that explained how you had to hike down to the beach, and it said that it took ½ hour (one way only). I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I thought, and said out loud “one way only? How are we suppose to get back up?” Thankfully Jeanette informed me that “one way only” meant it took ½ hour for one way, we could come back up the same way. I guess I am a true blonde. So from there we hiked down, it said it was easy, but in flip flops, my legs were feeling the burn. Kate and Erica took a different path on the way down, so when we finally made it to the beach (which was beautiful!) we couldn’t find them. We looked, I repeat, we looked, and walked down to the other side of the beach, but still couldn’t find them. So we set our things down, and then we saw them coming down the beach. Apparently there was some miscommunication and they were waiting for us back up on the path. Luckily we were all back together! Jeanette and I went in the Adriadic sea, which was at first very cold but turned out pretty nice! After a couple of hours we were ready to hit the road, and started the hike back up! Not fun! But we made it, and hopefully will have toned legs to prove it! We took the bus back to Ancona, and the hostel shower never felt so good! First of all, it has been about 2 weeks since I took what I will call a shower. The “shower” in our apartment consists of a 1X1 square box, with a shower head that reaches about our chests, which likes to let one hot stream of water in the middle of the shower head, with colder water surrounding it. This, however, was a real shower. A shower head above my head, good water pressure, and hot, hot water! Heavenly! So after the shower, we decided to take on the ¼ bus again. We weren’t leaving Ancona without a fight. We did, however, ask the bus driver if this bus went to the center. So were off to the center, which was nice! There was a lot going on, so we finally found a restaurant and were all excited to get something other than pizza, when the waitress came over and told us all they had was pizza because of the soccer game. Just our luck! So pizza it was! So after dinner we walked around for a little bit, I ended up buy a shirt for 2 Euro which was exciting! We came back home and got another good night sleep. Sunday we were up at 9 because we had to be out of the hostel at 9:30 am. So we packed up and headed to the train station, where we got train tickets for the 11:10 train. We sat in the waiting room and a little after 11:00 went to the tracks. We had noticed that it said our train was leaving from track 2ov, but we just figured we should go to track 2 (how soon we would learn our lesson) So we went to track 2, and it was not our train. We then realized that there was a different track 2ov, and we saw it in the distance, with our train..LEAVING! ugh!!! We had to laugh, there was our train, pulling away from us. Back to the ticket counter, the next train didn’t leave until 2:00. Another 3 hours in the train station, just what we wanted! So we hung out for a while longer! Jeanette and I got some pizza across the street; it was kind of gross though. About 10 minutes before the train was about to leave, I saw 3 girls with huge backpacks walking past us. I was surprised at how much stuff they had, and it made me think of my friend Sarah, who is back packing across Europe this fall. When I looked again, I knew it was Sarah! I called her name, and we both were in shock! What a small world! So anyway, she is backpacking this fall with her two sisters. We were both speechless for a minute, and then she told me how they had been in Greece and had taken a ferry over and were now taking a train to Tuscany. So I guess there was a reason we missed our other train. So we were able to sit together on the train and catch up for a couple of hours which was so nice! It was really cool to see someone from home! So that made my weekend! We transferred trains and then took our last train home. We then got on the bus to head back up to the center. But, as our luck would have it, it was POURING when we got off the bus to take our 10 minute walk home. Guess we didn’t need to shower anymore! We all laughed, it was the perfect ending to our weekend!

Cinque Terra? I think not..

I could not sleep Tuesday night. I read a magazine but still had a hard time falling asleep. I woke up early (8ish) on Wednesday, now I know how Kate feels, so that I could sign up for an Olive Harvest on Saturday November 3^rd. I’m really excited! It should be fun! Then I went to the internet to do some things, there’s always a long line at Umbra 3. Kate and I went to the bank to exchange our $50 for smaller change, Kate asked in Italian but apparently wasn’t right because the lady asked us in English if we wanted smaller bills, oops. So that was exciting, even though we waited in line for 20 minutes. After that I went to Italian, which went well. Lots to learn! I went back to get on the internet to research info for Cinque Terra this weekend (not happening, read further on..) to get train info and so on. I came back and made..what else! PB&J, Pringles and chocolate milk! Life is good! Then we did some more research on Cinque Terra, and then I tried some homework, which I think turned into Kate and I talking and deciding to go research on the internet! So we did and found some train info and stuff. Then I went to abnormal psych which was good. We did a group process so class went by pretty fast which is always exciting. I had watched to switch Italian classes so I could drop out of Perugia Practicum (so boring) but the class was full so I can’t. Kind of bummed..Oh well life goes on! So then I went to Perugia Practicum aka torture for an hour and a half. After I came back and we decided we needed to book our stuff. We went back to the internet (addiction anyone?) but found that no hostels were available. So we randomly decided on Ancona! No idea what is there, or ANYTHING, but we have train tickets and a hostel for 2 nights. Nothing like going with the flow! We came back and made pizza! I woke up on Thursday morning and went to Italian. It was good. Then I stopped and got some milk and snacks at the Coop. I came back and then went and had pizza with Becky, Kate, and Tom which was really fun. Then I went to Leonardo and we watched a movie which I actually enjoyed! After that I came back and went to met with the head of Umbra, who (long story short) was able to change my schedule! I am now doing intensive Italian, which means an hour and 20 minutes every day, so I learn 2 semesters in one, which I am excited about! AND I get to drop Perugia Practicum! Yaaaaay! I was really happy. I did some research on Ancona, and basically..NOTHING IS THERE! Oh well! So then I came back and did some homework and had PB&J for dinner. Jeanette and I went to the cooking class, it was ok. My friend Doug from Perugia Practicum (which we both ended up dropping) called to ask what we were up to tonight. So Kate, Becky (from Stonehill) and I went out with his friends which were nice. Off to Ancona tomorrow!

Never Put Blood in the Microwave

I decided to wake up a little bit earlier Tuesday morning. I took a shower and had some cereal which was really good. Then I got my things together and walked over to get my laundry done, which ended up being about a 10 minute walk. I wore pants and a long shirt because it was cold, but the walk over made me so hot. So I walked over and dropped off my laundry and they told me about 2 hours. I stopped at some stores on the way back and it was nice to check some new ones out. Then I went to my Italian class which was ok, I want to learn a lot but its sort of overwhelming. After that I went back to pick up my laundry, and the people were really nice. It cost 5 Euro and my clothes were so nice and soft. So I think I will definitely be going back there since it is a lot easier and my clothes are more comfortable. After that I came back and made pb&j with pringals and chocolate milk. I was so excited because the chocolate milk was really good. Jeanette and I went to our Leonardo da Vinvi class. It’s a big class, and our professor is nice, but I don’t know if I like it. So far it seems kind of boring, and people seem to know a lot and I know squat! I hope to learn about him and we get to go to Florance and Milan which is exciting. After that I went and got some hangers, and then came back and now I have enough hangers! Yay! I then went to try and buy a stapler, but apparently I used the wrong word because they had no idea what I was talking about. Guess I'm not fluent yet. I went and got some milk, since we go through milk very fast, and then I stopped at the photo store to get some supplies I need for photography. When I got home I made a VERY healthy dinner that I was excited about. Typical pasta, since Kate was getting out of class late and we were going to go to a historical tour (which we didn’t end up doing because it was very boring, not our cup of tea). So anyway, we had pasta, apple slices, cucumber, green beans, bread, and milk. I felt very healthy after! We tried to go get pastries after but the place was closed. So where did we go you ask? Bangladesh of course! Bangladesh unfortunately does not have milk, but they are basically the store 24 of Perugia. So we got some snacks there and then came back to do homework. We ended up having a “homework party” in the living room. Somehow, we got talking about random things, and Jeanette informed us that we should never put blood in the microwave. That pretty much sums up the night!

It's just another Manic Monday

Monday was my first day of classes. I was excited, but I knew it was going to be a long day. Kate was up early because she had Italian at 9, but I slept until around 9. I took a shower and made scrambled eggs because we had no milk, and they actually turned out pretty well! (I just need a little ketchup, which I will be looking for tomorrow) I went early to Umbra 1 to fill out my Permit of Stay so Italy doesn’t kick me out! Luckily it was really easy. I had Italian first, and two girls from Stonehill are in my class. The class was ok, so far I think I like my professor. After that I went and grabbed slice of pizza, because I had Photography at 12. I really like my professor. It’s kind of confusing but I’m excited to learn how to use my camera. The class was long though, 3 and ½ hours. After that I went to Abnormal Psych. The class seems kind of big but I think I like my professor. It’s nice to be taking a Psych class again. After that I went back to Umbra 1 and went to my Perugia Practicum class. Erica (my roommate) Three girls from Stonehill are in it too, and I met some other nice people. There are only 10 people, so I think that will be good. Our professor is very good looking, but the class was sooo boring! I don’t really get what it’s about. But hopefully it’ll get better. After that I went to check my email and snail mail and got two letters from home and brownies and balloons! I was soo excited...especially after a long day! We made pasta for dinner which was good, and then I tried to organize all my papers for today. I think I’m going to like my classes!

The last day of summer :-(

Saturday night I was so tired. Erica and I were going to watch some Eddie Izzard but I was falling asleep. So we all went to bed, probably around 11:30/12ish. I was so tired and fell asleep pretty quickly. Kate and I didn’t wake up until 11:30 and it felt so good to sleep! We had some breakfast and I took a shower. Then I got my stuff together and went to get on the internet. I tried to look at the train info to figure out how we messed up, I think I understand now! I also updated my blog. On the way back I stopped at the one store that is open on Sunday, but they didn’t have milk, so I think we will make eggs tomorrow morning. When we got back I had some food which was good, and then we got ready and went on our Nooks & Crannies tour which was really good and we learned a lot. Colette was on the tour and she finally has a phone so that was good to get her number! Half way through the tour Keane from my Italian class joined too, so after the tour was over we invited him to have dinner with us. We (Kate, Erica and I) got pizza to go and brought it back to the apartment and watched Top Gun. It was really good. Keane knew Portsmouth because he had been to Water Country and he knew the Water Country theme song, which was really cool, I am going to try and learn the words so we can sing along. After we tried to get on the Internet but the wireless isn’t working. Monday is the first day of classes, I’m excited, but nervous. I like my schedule, but Mondays are very long.
Monday
Italian 1100-1150
Photography 12-315
Abnormal Psych 330-500
Perugia Practicum 515-645
Tuesdays
Italian 1100-1150
Leonardo Di Vinvi 145-315
Wednesdays
Italian 1100-1150
Abnormal Psych 330-500
Perugia Practicum 515-645
Thursdays
Italian 1100-1150
Leonardo Di Vinci 145-315
So I’m going to try and get a good night sleep since I have a long day ahead of me! I’m glad I’m feeling a lot better though!

Italian Lover

On Friday Erica had class, so Kate, Jeanette and I walked around. We found out where we can get our laundry done which was nice, and where we can do it ourselves. It’s kind of a hike, but I think it would be worth taking it some where. It just takes so much time and I don’t like how we don’t have a dryer. So then we went to get on the internet and I set up the blog. I’m excited because we can also put pictures, and now it will be easier for everyone to see what I’m doing and stuff. Then we decided to go grocery shopping. We had to take the bus down to the train station (where the grocery store is). So we got a ticket for 20 rides and got on the bus to go to the train station. The Coop (grocery store) was huge and amazing! I think it took us over an hour and we were so excited, it was just like a Shaw’s or something. So we finally got all our food (this woman helped us pick out meat she thought was good!). Kate and I together spent $50 Euro but we are excited to have food in the apartment! After that we left and went back to where the bus dropped it off. I decided to take a picture, so I did, and then “Erso” came over and asked if we wanted him to take a picture of all of us. We said sure, and then he started telling us how beautiful we were, (he said I was the most beautiful!) I felt bad because I couldn’t talk to him and didn’t know what he was saying, but he said he has a sister named Julie. Also he asked for my number, but Kate told him we didn’t have Italian cell phones. He was nice and asked us where we were going and then told us we were in the wrong area. So he brought us over to the train station where the bus picks us up, and told Jeanette he wanted to marry me. I told him (non posso) which means I cant. (if I had said yes, everyone would have been invited to the wedding! Sorry to disappoint…) So then our bus came and it was time to go and I said goodbye to my first Italian love. We came back and dropped off all our groceries. After that we went to internet again and I tried to download some movies. We came back and decided to watch a movie. I made peanut butter and jelly and it was VERY good (with Pringles)! We watched Father of the Bride and it was really funny. Then we went to bed, but I couldn’t sleep because Kate was snoring! So I came out and slept on the couch in the living room. On Saturday morning we woke up and I showered and then Kate and I went to internet to figure out how to get to Orvieto. We couldn’t find out how to go by bus, so we decided the train. We took the bus to the train and asked for a ticket but then found out our ticket didn’t leave for 45 minutes, so then we went on the train to Terontl but found out the train towards Rome didn’t leave for 3 hours. So we came back to Perugia. We need to figure that out though. After we got back we were all tired so I cleaned/organized my room. Then Kate and I made pasta which was good. I was bummed we didn’t make it to Orvieto and even more bummed the trains seemed confusing. Oh well we can figure it out! Anyway we still had a lot of fun and now we will be experts!

Perugia!

I am in Perugia! I had a good flight over. We made it into Rome and then took a bus to Perugia. This is in the main Piazza! We stayed in a hotel the first night and then moved into our apartment! Here are some pictures of what it looks like! On Sunday morning we had an orientation type meeting. It was good to get more info about everything. After that my roommates and I walked around a little bit and got some pizza! We were able to check our Internet, which was really nice as well. Then we came back to the apartment to relax before dinner. We walked around a lot before dinner and then had really good pasta! Monday we had our first day of Italian. I love my Italian professor but I guess she is just my professor for this week and then I have someone else. Anyway there are about 20 kids in my class, and we just started with basic Italian. It’s a lot though, Monday- Thursday 9-12 and then in the afternoon we have an hour of practical stuff (buy groceries, traveling, those type of things). After class Kate and I went to try and get some hangers, and we also went to the notebook store (but they were all sold out!) We also bought a hairdryer and hair straightener which was good. We came back here and just rested for a while. Then Kate took a shower and used the hairdryer and our power went out! Haha! So we tried to fix it but ended up calling our landlord to come fix it. We just sat in the dark for a while. Then our lights got fixed and we went to dinner. I hadn’t been feeling good though so I didn’t eat much. Tuesday I woke up and didn’t feel good at all, so I talked to someone at the school who told me a good place to get medicine. My roommate Jeanette and I signed up for some extracurricular things that should be fun! Tuesday night both Kate and I didn’t feel too well so we went shopping and got some sprite. We made pasta with olive oil and watched *Life is Beautiful* which was nice. Then I called home, took a shower and went to bed. Yesterday I had Italian again which I really enjoy. For lunch Kate and I ate a banana and carrots and lettuce, we’re trying to be healthy. Then I went to the afternoon class, which was so boring. Then I went out shopping. I got a new towel and some flowers for the apartment. I also went to the grocery store to try and get some food I thought would be ok for my stomach. I came back here and did some laundry (which takes about 2 hours) after that we made a family dinner! We had pasta and carrots and cucumber. It was good and we had fun. Then after we made a trip to the garbage (we aren’t really sure where it goes, we think in the big public dumpsters.) After we came back and divided the money we have spent. I showered and did some homework and did not feel good so I went to bed. I woke up at 2am and threw up, it was awful. Then in the morning I took some more meds and went to class. I cam back to the apartment and had some crackers .After lunch I went to class again and it was ok. Then I got my books, no idea how much they cost. Oh well! Then I went down to the lounge to get on the internet. Earlier Whitney Dupery had facebooked me saying her friend from Trinity was here, so I facebooked him, and then in the lounge he came over and was like hey Im Tom! So it was funny, it was nice to meet him though. So then I uploaded my pictures to facebook. Then Lorna and I skyped which was nice. Shes getting excited to come over and Im excited to be able to see her! After that Kate and I came back to the apartment and just hung out for a while. Erica had a long day of classes so then she came back and feel asleep, so the three of us went out to dinner and Ristorante de Sole and it was good. I started to feel a little better which was very good! We walked around a little (it was very cold out!) and got gelato. Then I came back and called home, and then we watched a movie and went to bed (Kate slept on the couch because she spilled water on her bed..haha). So then Kate and I both slept until 11am this morning, and got up and showered and ate breakfast! We all did some errands and now we’re back checking internet again! Classes start on Monday so I am excited about that! Hope all is well! I'll write again soon! Ciao!