Italian Fever

"Home is now behind you. The world is ahead." -Gandalf

Oh Italy, how you have managed to capture my heart in even more ways than I thought possible in just the short week I have been here. It was a rough start, with a 3 day plane layover in Detroit and a long final ride with one of 3 parts lasting 16 hours, but we made it. We are here and ready to concur the world!

From the friends I made on the plane to the wonderful people I have met through Kent's program I am happy to say I am making it. I was a bit homesick for my friends in the U.S and my cats but the people here are amazing. I also bought about $30 worth of groceries for around $18, fresh food and all. It is great.

With the second week of classes starting soon I am starting to appreciate the unique opportunity this semester holds for me. I am on my own completely now, no 2-3 hour drive if I need my parents, no calling home regularly, no more fast internet that rarely goes down. None of that matters though because every time I look out my window, or climb down my 5 flights of steps to go outside I am greeted by a new culture. One steeped in history, calling me to be apart of its majesty.

All of my classes require me to get out into the city, to learn, to explore, to get lost in some way. To sketch and find the hidden treasures a camera can't reveal, to try new things and be okay with it being awkward on your first go, and to study like the great architects before us did and absorb the beauty we can that will make our work in the future better. I cannot wait to learn even more than I have in this first week. Here's to a great semester and an amazing adventure!