l'appartamento

I'm finally somewhat settled into our two bedroom apartment.  There are three of us staying here, and I'd say it's a pretty good deal; we have two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room with two couches and a TV (with programs all in Italian except, ironically, Jersey Shore which they didn't bother to translate).  Our apartment is about a five minute walk to the school, seven minutes to the Duomo.  If you turn right out of our courtyard and walk 50 or so feet, you end up in a little Piazza which leads to a bridge over the Arno River.  We call this "our" bridge (actually called Ponte alla Carraia) and it is two bridges Northwest of the Ponte Vecchio.  Below are some pictures of our neighborhood and inside the apartment.

Our apartment - we live on the 1st floor (which is actually the 2nd floor) above some shops

Piazza Carlo Goldoni, close to our apartment

View from "our" bridge with Ponte Vecchio in the background

Bedroom

Kitchen

Next post: Gluten free in Italy!

I made it! (Physically, not mentally)

I don't have real internet until next week, but for now I'll just say this: Florence is beautiful but I am completely lost.  It took me half an hour to get back to my apartment, which is actually only a five minute walk from the school.

Physically, I am here in Italy.  Mentally, I have no idea where I am....more to come once I get settled!    

Tomorrow?

I had to check iCal for sure, but apparently I'm leaving for Italy tomorrow!  It feels like a joke and I'm not sure it will seem real until I land and have no idea what to do as I struggle to lug around my 60+ lb suitcase (FYI, packing for four months in one suitcase really sucks).  On a less stressful note, I finally received my class schedule.  I'm taking five classes (15 credits):

• Italian 1
• Art History II: High Renaissance to the Present
• Advertising Principles
• Public Relations
• Workplace Psychology: Building Effective Managers

I only have class Monday through Wednesday, which leaves my weekends open for lots of traveling and exploring.  Classes start a week from today and until then I will be getting settled and attending my program's orientation.  


Also, a friend showed me this article and I couldn't agree more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/story/2012-01-18/study-abroad-global-economy-travel/52650834/1.  I wish every college student got to have a similar experience to the one I'm about to embark on, but I understand not everyone is able to.  I'm so thankful my parents are letting me do this! I promise to learn a lot and stay out of trouble :)


My next post will (hopefully) be coming from Italy unless my flight gets delayed/cancelled or this is all just a dream.......Until then, ciao!

First Post

Hi everyone!  I'm not quite sure why I am even posting yet....perhaps I need to change my blog title to "Kendall will be in Florence soon."  But as I prepare to leave for Italy in just two short weeks, I wanted to preface by saying a few things.  First, I have no idea how much (or how little) I will actually be blogging.  As of right now I am planning on using this as a way to jot down my experiences so as not to forget them when I return home in four months. (Yes, I know that sounds impossible, but I'm not taking any chances!)  


Also, I can't promise that this will be entertaining or even interesting to anyone except my parents (hi, Mom and Dad).  What I can say for sure is that I have never been more excited/nervous/anxious in my entire life.  Not only will this be the longest I have ever been away from home, but it is also the first time I will truly be on my own.  I can't wait to see what excitement comes my way and how I will adapt to becoming an independent individual while abroad.  I know this semester will teach me real-world life lessons that I will use for many years, and I am hoping this blog allows me to remember all the tiny details that constitute an overall amazing adventure.  


Arrivederci, America!