Firenze!

I made it to Florence by 2:30ish in the afternoon on Monday, no problems, no lost luggage, no crazy airport stories. I'm still amazed. My study abroad coordinator, Richard, was there to meet me. My roommate, Tara, had landed at almost the exact same time as I did so we met right then and there.

It's just the two of us in our apartment, which has three bedrooms. It's so nice!

My Bedroom!

Nice big closet :)

Looking out of my door onto the kitchen-
Love the archway!

Please notice the washing machine (!!!!!)

And dish washer! (The refrigerator is next to the window)

Out my window to the right

Out my window the the right

The dark stairs of death that are three flights
and take us to and from our apartment.

 Isn't it cute!? I can't believe it's so nice.

So today was my first full day in Firenze. Richard met us at our apartment and we were off to explore for the day! We walked around seeing places of interest, for bars, restaurants, trattorias, markets and anything else we might need. We walked by the Uffizi museum, Ponte Vecchio, which was my favorite. I rented a cute little bike that I can see from my window, which is nice since they tend to be stolen. We stopped by Santa Reparata just to see where it is. Then we ventured over to Il Duomo, which I had been looking forward to the most. And it was beautiful! More than pictures can show.

And while I was riding into the main square of Il Duomo, I experienced my first Jersey Shore encounter! Vinny and Pauly D walked right in front of my bike with their film crew tagging along. I laughed, stopped, and by the time I thought to get my camera out they were almost out of sight, but I got what I could.

Tara and I rubbing the Bore's nose and dropping
 a coin out of his mouth for good luck!

View from Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio itself 

Santa Maria Novella

Il Duomo-
with Vinny and Pauly D waaay in the background to the left :)

Those were my adventures for the day. I also ventured out to il mercado to buy some food, and that may have been the worst experience I've ever had at a grocery store! I didn't know where I was going, and I had no idea what I was doing. But I figured enough things out, remembered enough Italian, and got the essentials. We'll probably check out a local market sometime soon and stock up on fresh produce.

Orientation for class isn't until Thursday, so until then I don't think we'll be getting to know many people. My Italian is doing alright, and I can understand enough and speak enough to figure most things out.

All in all, it's been a good first day, and I can't wait for the days that follow!

A domani,

Kelly

Waiting

We made it through the storms, security and I've said goodbye to my family and now I'm waiting at the O'Hare airport to board my flight to Zurich, then from Zurich to Florence. I've been anxious all day long, and it seemed like it's taken forever just to get here.

I've started to not look forward to this trip, just because the complications of living overseas are starting to set in. Of course, it's not going to be that difficult, since I'll be in student apartments and will be taken care of very well. I'm sure that once I land in Florence and set all of my stuff set up in my apartment, this anxiety and nervousness will go away. But for now, I don't know what to expect, and that makes me uneasy.

However, I think the major influence on this feeling is knowing that I will be on a plane for close to 12 hours.

I hate flying. But above all, I can't wait to get to Italy. I can't wait to be able to get to know Florence and the people I'll be spending my summer with. I can't wait to be able to take my mom around when she visits and be able to be her tour guide. I just can't wait!

This will be my last post while in America... so look forward to lots and lots of pictures soon!

Ciao per ora!

Ready, Set, Go!

Eleven days until I leave for Italy... 12 until I actually land in Florence! Words cannot express how anxious and excited I am!

I received my schedule in the mail earlier this week, so weekend trips are now being planned and reality is truly setting in. During the month of June I will be taking Italian Renaissance as well as Batik Making (I'm a little bummed Jewelry Making was full!), and in July I will be taking Italian and History of Contemporary Art.

While in Florence I will be traveling to Rome for a weekend in June and to Bologna in July. I'm also going to try to visit friends in Ireland, London and Paris sometime in between there as well.

Also included in my packet from Panrimo was the address of my apartment, which lead to more exploration on Google Maps...

View of my street according to Google

That's all I have for now. There won't be much to talk about until I'm actually there... so talk to you then!

Buonasera,

Kelly

The Countdown Continues

I have 24 days until I land in Florence. I'm still waiting for my packet with all of my information for classes and apartment and such, but the packing (or planning) is already underway.

Thanks to one of my friends, I've been reading a Florence travel guide and planning what cities in Tuscany are must-sees. I've also been spending a lot of time on GoogleMaps attempting to navigate the streets of Florence.

Il Duomo in Florence

Lastly, I would like to warn you that this is my very first attempt at a blog. Chances are that it will start off a little rough and most likely go through a lot of changes while I become more comfortable with the design and all of the features I have yet to learn. Thank you to those of you that will put up with the rough patches; hopefully it will be worthwhile!

24 days and counting...