Italia 2006

I arrived in Firenze, Italia on September 5, 2006. After a plane ride of no sleep, no food, and 2 cups of coffee, I was feeling terribly sick. I got off the plane ran to the bathroom and from there...I guess you could say, I was the first one to vomit on this trip. Although the flight here was a trip from hell, I was fortunate because I was one of the ten that actually got my luggage. 50 students were left for two days with no luggage. It was hectic, but luckily I didnt have to worry about that. The past two days we have been at orientation at our university, Syracuse Florence. The days are long and feel like they are never ending, but the nights have been alot of fun. Last night I met my home stay mom, Signora Diodorri. She is a young, 51 year old, widow and is so much fun. She speaks absolutely no English, which I am so excited about. She is an amazing cook and we live in a two story home with the downstairs all to my roommate and I. The only fault is that there are alot of bugs and the water pressure and heat is horrific...but it can't all be perfect. Last night our host mom made us an amazing dinner and took us to the piazza where the Duomo is. There, we walked in a parade for the birth of the Madonna. It was amazing! As the Italian children held lanterns and walked down the streets, the band played and everyone sang. The sights were amazing and our host mom was so thrilled to have us there. Today we registered for classes and I am taking 3 in Italian and 2 in English...just to balance it out. Overall everyhing has been great and I could not feel more blessed to be here and to experience the beauty of Firenze. This weekend our host mom is taking us to the seaside, I am sure after this weekend I will have much more to write about. Until then I look forward to the adventures that await me.