Dall'Inizio

I’m happy to inform you all that after a month in Florence, I am still alive and kicking. It’s strange to say that it’s only been a month since I feel like I have been here for months already. I thought it was going to take me longer to get situated here but, I had to hit the ground running...and I kept running.

The first week was full of meetings that dealt mainly with what to look out for, what to do in order to register for classes, etc. Then, we started classes a week later.

I am taking 2 at the Sede (Middlebury’s study center) and one at the University of Florence. The classes at the Sede are interesting - Storia Contemporanea (History of Italy and the Unification) and Storia dell’Unione Europea (History of the European Union) but follow the Middlebury standard of being challenging (endless readings, short essays, quizzes, etc.). The class at the University is pretty easy since I need to attend lecture and read the book at home - it's the reading at home that is the hard part. I think it has to do with the fact that I didn't really have the downtime to adjust to this new environment, so I do that instead of my homework.

Palazzo Vecchio, Firenze, Italia

Living with foreign roommates is nice. We all speak in Italian and sometimes talk about the differences between our cultures. I also ask Valeria, my Italian roommate, to explain words, expressions, and/or just anything that I notice everyday and don't understand. I think I've started to blend in.

And just to be a little more specific of what I have learned and what I would like to accomplish this year, here is a list: 

1. What I have learned:
2. - Italians are always dressed nice. (For the most part...)

- If there is a crowd of men in front of the door to a bar, I need to go first if I am accompanied by a woman. Then, I open the door for her. (Instead of letting her go first and getting the door as she gets to it.)

- Friday and Saturday nights are for partying.



My Goals:

1. Improve my Italian skills - speaking, reading, and writing.
2. Not get lung cancer or any other kind of disease that I may be exposed to walking the streets of Florence.
3. Complete my homework assignments and not pull any all-nighters. (HAHA - This is definitely going at the bottom of the list - I already stayed up 'til 1 am on an essay that was a page and a half.)

I'll be adding to this list, hopefully and I hope to update this on a regular basis. Let's see what happens.