Reflections

Happy last day of September! It has been a crazy month! As I look back at my blog posts, I have seen how much I have grown in this past month and all the experiences that I have had. Even my last day of September had adventures!

I woke up this morning full of nerves and very sleep-deprived – I had my very first Italian test today and I prepped all week for it. As I got ready for my 9am class, I picked up directions that were sitting on my dresser, the directions that I wrote last night. They were to the hostel that I was touring with my Sustainable Tourism class… which meant that I had to leave my apartment NOW (aka forty minutes early). It was supposedly a twenty minute walk from my university but of course, I get lost really easily so the extra time is needed. Of course, I get totally lost (I overshoot the street I need to turn on) and I full out run to the hostel, arriving with five minutes to spare (my sister would be SO proud of me).

What makes this hostel really cool is that it participates in sustainable practices, such as reducing their carbon footprint, using fair trade goods, and giving back to the community. They give back to the community by becoming a homeless shelter between November and April. Then they are a normal hostel from April to October (for tourist season). These funds support their efforts to better the city of Florence and raise awareness of certain issues. It was really cool to see. Florence has so many amazing places that have environmentally friendly practices.

After navigating my way home and having some lunch, I trudged off to Italian class. I sat down and reviewed with my classmates before class, dreading the exam. As we painfully learned a short lesson, I began to get more and more frantic. Then I realized something. If I keep panicking, then I will do horribly on my exam. I took some deep calming breaths and made it through the lesson. When the test was distributed, I flipped through it and a smile came to my face. I knew it! I knew all the material! I went through the quiz, going slowly to make sure I had all the answers. After I handed in the exam, I felt free. I think I skipped back to the apartment.

My last adventure was to find Chinese food with my roommate. I know that some of you are saying, “The food is so good in Italy!!!!” Yes I know, the food here is so awesome, but after a month, I am getting a little sick of the pasta (and meat is so expensive here – but it is local meat, so I guess it is worth the price). We walked around our neighborhood looking for this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant. When we finally found it, it felt like we were walking into a Chinese restaurant in the states, only the menus were in Italian. We ordered our food and took it home and had roommate dinner (or family dinner as we call it). It was a fun, low-key night.

So to recap my September, these are all the things that I have learned this past month and a little bit in Italy:

1. Stairs = why Italians are so thin

2. Classes will challenge you, make you think about things in a different way, and make you want to make yourself a better person

3. Italian is a really hard language to master if you have taken Spanish

4. The food here is awesome (and cheap!)

5. Being environmentally conscious is not advised, it is the lifestyle

6. Be a six year-old and always look both ways before crossing the street (maybe an extra time, just in case)

7. Gelato is good and is the perfect pick-me-up after a bad day

8. High heels + Me + Florentine streets = disaster (then again sneakers + Me + Florentine streets = disaster)

9. Always look your best – you never know who you are going to meet

10. The San Lorenzo Leather Market is a money sinkhole – too many cute things!

11. Pasta will be your staple food (look in my pantry - I have at least ten pounds of pasta in there at any given time)

12. Showers will be approximately 6 minutes long because that is how long there is hot water

13. Getting lost is inevitable; the way one deals with getting lost shows their character (apparently I freak out, then find someone, ask for directions, and then feel better when I get to my location - what that says about my character, who knows)

14. You will be tired ALL the time

15. Meeting locals is the best way to practice your Italian

16. Tuscany is beautiful (so I’ve heard…)

17. Trips to amazing locations are fun and memorable – do not take them for granted (Verona and Venice!!!!!)

18. The museums in Florence are awesome… this place has so much creative energy

19. The milk is not the same as the milk in America (who knew)

20. This is an amazing experience and it is teaching me so much about myself and what I can accomplish!

It was an amazing September – I hope October is just as memorable!

Ciao!