Assisi

Sorry it has taken me so long to sit down and write! I have actually been fairly busy. Last week was like every other week I have had here in Perugia. Classes are getting more and more interesting. I am actually now starting to learn and not spend the whole day figuring out what the professor is saying to me. I think I have some of the basics down now, but I know there will be a lot of work to be done outside of class as well as in the class room. I actually have to study, this is just like home, only at home I know what they are saying and still don’t understand, here I have the excuse that they are speaking a different language at least. Haha. No, I am learning. And am having thoughts of not speaking English at all throughout the day. That still seems a little impossible right now but hopefully soon, I will be at that point. I have talked with my friends about it and we tried it for about, I don’t know, 3 minutes, and 2 of those minutes were spent with our noses in the dictionary. Ha. So, we have some work, me the most probably.
I was told half way through the week that I would have the pleasure to provide shelter for my good friend Thomas Pannicucci (one of my best friends from home, he is studying in Austria and came down for a few days to visit, how nice). I just so happened to have a bunch of extra blankets and comforters in my closet that I never open because I think it smells absolutely horrible, but for some reason, Tom actually really, really liked the smell. I don’t.
So, having Tom around was great. I hope he didn’t get too bored; he got a good taste of what life in Perugia was all about. Chilin’. Sitting around and relaxing. Even though we didn’t do much, it was still nice to not do much with one of your best friends I think, just like home.
I met him at the train station Saturday morning around 10:38am. I had to walk from my apartment to a part of the city that I had never been to... I am assuming none of you know Perugia, so little short lesson; I live in the Centro (Center), most Italian cities have a Centro, which is basically the old part of the city. The Centro in Perugia (about the size of Des Moines) is located on top of a very large hill. So, the new part, including the train station, is located down the hill. And of course the roads are not straight and there is no easy way to get there. So, I looked up the directions on Google and it said it should only take about 15-20 minutes on foot. Not bad I thought. So I took a picture of the map and transferred it onto my iPod so I could have it with me when I walked. Which I am SO glad I did.
In Italy, the street signs are on the side of the buildings which makes it hard for you to see what street you’re on and what direction the street is going sometimes. And the signs that are like normal street signs never seem to be where you need them to be. So after a few wrong turns and walking up and down the same hill a couple times I finally found a little ally way which was the road I was supposed to take. I figured if I kept going downhill I would find it. My reasoning ended up working. And found the station.
While waiting for Tom I was stopped by a kid about my age speaking way too fast for me to understand so I told him what I tell about everyone. Non parlo l’italiano bene. He was persistent, which then I knew he wanted to sell me something, and asked what language I spoke, I told him. And he got his friend to speak English with me. He wanted me to buy a 42’ flat screen TV from him. I laughed and turned around and there was Tom walking up the stairs. And HE laughed at me when he saw me. Well, first he looked about me then looked away then looked back at me (didn’t notice me at first). I don’t think he expected my hair to be as long as it is. In reality it isn’t that long, just abnormally long for me, I guess. And it doesn’t look good. Haha.
So, Tom and I started our climb back to my apartment, which by the end we both were panting and sweating, luckily I remembered the way this time. We got some pizza and I showed him around Perugia a little bit. We relaxed all weekend, had some tea and coffee with my friend Marthe from the Netherlands and on Monday we decided to get out of Perugia and head to Assisi. (about 25 minutes SE by train).
We looked up the weather for Assisi and it said an 80% of rain and 90 mph winds! It rained but thankfully we had maybe 3 mph winds, the weather site was a little off. We arrived into Assisi and took the train to the Centro of Assisi which too was on top of a hill and our plan was just to walk down and see what we could see because we had no idea what was in Assisi, besides St. Francis. We got dropped off at the top and just started walking.
Assisi was great. It was just like Perugia only SO much better. Everything was SO nice, every stone perfectly placed. Everything was done with care and well taken care of. We hopped from church to church looking for St. Francis. We grabbed some paninis and eventually our way to Piazza San Francesco. There was really, no one in the city the whole day and the church was empty. Of course, breathtaking and absolutely perfect. We went to the basement to the tomb of St. Francis and it was a very, very, very surreal feeling to sit in the dark room with a Saint’s Tomb ten feet in front of you. It brings faith into something that is tangible and right in front of you. The date on the tomb throws you back a bit too. If I remember right, I think 800 years old now. Or something close to that. He was 44 years old when he died. In 44 years on this earth he was worthy in becoming one of the most respected and known Saints out there. Crazy to think about. I am truly blessed to be able to have the opportunity to visit St. Francis and have Assisi so close to me in Perugia.
Tom and I spent the rest of the day journeying through Assisi, walking through little paths that took us to places we felt like no one had gone before but was really just a path to a huge old castle that over looked the whole city. It cost 8 euro to enter and we were havin’ that so we just stood and looked. And listened to the French guide as he spoke to the 25 middle scholars from France about the Castle. The whole time as Tom and I walked through the city we wondered why in the shops there would be a whole bunch of crosses and then right next to them, cross bows or swords or guns. We couldn’t understand the odd combination of items next to each other until we made it to that castle. And it made sense.
I had my first Gelato in Assisi, my flavor was called ‘After Eight’ (that is the actually name, I did not translate that). Haha it was mint. And I will have to say, I can promise you that that will not be my last gelato cone. It was phenomenal.
Our day in Assisi was great, although wet and left us with tired (but very strong) legs, still a tremendous city in so many different ways; the churches, the Castle, the buildings, the food, the curvy roads, the history, the Saint. Everything rolled up into one little city nestled into the side of a mountain overlooking the plains of Umbria. Not a bad place to be.

My Address

Michael DiMarco c/o Francesco Fabbri
Via Annibale Marriotti, 1
06123 - Perugia, Umbria, Italy


The 'c/o' is very important so don't forget it, so is 'Francesco Fabbri' if you do not put those two things they will not be able to find me. And write the address information in all CAPITALS because its easier for Italians to read I guess or something like that. I guess it is just how they do things.


All letters are welcome!

La Dolce Vita

Second week is done. Things are continually getting better here in Perugia. I am learning more and more in class, and understanding more and more but still need to do more work outside of class to ‘catch’ up to my other classmates. We finally were told what book we needed to buy, and everyone was complaining how much it cost (20 euro) and I was happy how much it costs, my books at UNI cost 5 times that much for one book. But, now that I have my book I can do more and more exercises at home when I am bored and have nothing to do. Class is going really well and I am still very thankful to everyone that helps me out in class, including my professor. I knew my smiles would pay off!

Now that the first week and things are over with and I am settled in, I have been thinking about the rest of my time here in Perugia. And I realized, I have no idea what I am doing for school after March. My class now goes until March, but I was never told what I do after that. And Study Abroad at UNI has been no help. I don’t know if I will be continuing studying Italian at my university now or if I am moving to the other university in Perugia, which is called Umbria. At Umbria I would be able to study subjects more directed towards my major and potentially would be able to transfer credits back to UNI. That is not totally confirmed. But, if I stay at my university now, Stranieri (foreigner), I would study Italian the entire time I am here in Italy. If I chose to do that, I would most likely come back to UNI with no transferable credits from Stranieri. But, I could if I wanted, transfer to the University of Iowa next fall and double major in Italian and Sociology. (I have already looked into it mom and dad, and the costs are fairly similar than UNI), but the only bad thing would be I would have to move out of my parents basement! Hahaha. Just kidding, that was only a temporary thing. SO, I have options. But need to figure out my plans as soon as possible. I enjoy learning Italian, but looking towards my future, I don’t know how Italian would help me in the United States, besides jumping out on paper in an interview. Then again, who says I will live in the United States my whole life. .. this next week or two I have some big decisions to make I think. We will see! I have to ask some questions at Stranieri as well as find Umbria University and speak with them. Which will probably lead to nowhere at first but will give me something to start with.

I started cooking this week too. It’s been great. I first made some pesto penne, but I made the mistake of cooking to much pasta so wasted quite a bit because I hadn’t bought anything to put my leftovers in yet. So I ate as much as I could. I will admit, it wasn’t the best pasta I have ever had, but I have potential I think. How hard is pasta to mess up anyways, right? But, it still tasted good, I don’t know if it tasted good because it was actually good or because I was proud of myself and convinced myself it tasted good. Regardless, I like cooking now. I made pasta last night as well, and again cooked to much noodles. So, it is a learning process I think. The one thing that is hard for me to get used to is there is no microwaves! Anywhere! I don’t think they exist in Italy. And I don’t have an oven. Just two burners that are more like hot plates but it takes too long, so I just eat my leftovers cold.

I am a juggler now as well, my new hobby. My friend Ozan who I believe I have talked about before showed me how to juggle and I picked it up very quickly and am convinced everyone can learn quickly. Alls you need is good hand eye coordination and your set. Ozan and I are even going to make me my own juggling balls with balloons and rice. I can’t wait! Right now I practice with oranges in my room when I have nothing to do. I love juggling.

Life is good, I am in Italy and I feel it would be a sin to complain about live because I am living in Italy right now. A place I have always dreamed of visiting, and now, I am living here. Crazy. I am very blessed with everything I have and very thankful. Undoubtedly, one of the best experiences of my life so far. And am very excited for what is to come, but still am taking things slow and enjoying the moment of the now, I think its important to not only look forward to what is to come in life but to remember how good life is in the now, we are all very lucky to be here, to be where we are. Stop and smell the roses sometimes.. If there is one thing I have learned here in Italian so far, is they always stop and smell the roses. There is no urgency, whatever needs to get done will get done in time, is the mindset. Enjoy the moment, and it doesn’t hurt to live in Italy, because every moment is a great one. I think in the states we are so consumed with deadlines, agendas, and countless commitments; that we forget who we are and what is most important, we forget what life is all about. And even though Italy has horrible heating systems, no microwaves, and no mustard; they know how to live life in the moment. They know how to stop and smell the roses. La Dolce Vita. And if there is one thing I hope to take back to America is that. The sweet life.

Perguia

Ciao! Schools started! Thank goodness. Gives me something to do. But, school is going to be a lot harder than I had expected I think. I was told at UNI that my classes here in Perugia would be taught in English (I think) haha. I am starting to second guess myself on if I was actually told that or not now that I am here. Reguardless, my classes are taught in all Italian. No English or any other laungage can be spoken. So, I am very behind the rest of the people in my class. I think it will be good though, because it forces me to actually learn and not just sit in class. I have to focus to even try to understand anything the prof. says. She speaks so fast. Their are 30 students in my class but we split into two groups so for some classes we are with everyone and some classes we are with our group...

M: 2-6 (Verbal Practice) Everyone
Tu: 2-6(Verbal Practice) Everyone
W: 9-11(Grammer) Everyone
11-1(Grammer) Smaller Group
2-6 (Verbal Practice) Everyone
Th: 9-11 (Grammer) Smaller Group
F: 11-1 (Grammer) Smaller Group

So my Wednesdays are long, but other than that fairly simple. A couple of girls form Japan and the Holland girl and me know the least in the class. But, my professor knows that. She yells my name, Michele!, in class and asks if its hard or easy (always in italian), I always say its hard. Becuase it is right now, I need to build up my Italian vocab and then I will start being able to say things. And then there is the grammer and the verbs and the ending changes. But, if I am here for 5 months everyone says I will be able to speak very well when I leave.

Out of half of the people in my class about half are asian (as I had predicted) and there are about 10 Isrealian and Palestinian boys in class. and the rest of us. I think I am know as the typical dumb American that only knows English. Well, it is true. But at least I am trying to learn another language and travel half way across the world to do it. No, but everyone is very nice to me. The girls in my class have taken pity on my not knowing anything Italian well. There is a girl from Spain, two girls from Brazil, a German girl, and the Holland girl. We all sit by eachother and they each help me periodically throughout the lessons. I am very thankful for them. They all can speak English except for one of the Brazilians and the Spainish girls speaks about as much English as I do Spanish. But all no problem communicating, its actually fun. But yes, the girls are very nice and write down important things to remember about the grammer and stuff like that. The isrealian and palestinian boys always are together and go out and smoke all the time in the middle of class. Everyone here smokes. Everyone. I am the wierd one because I do not smoke. Something I was not used to was all the smoke breaks we get in school. Like every 45 minutes haha. Its insane. I usually have to stay in the class and stuff, its usually me and the Japan girls in the class studying when everyone else is smoking. But, they still know way more than me. I am always the first one to class, and class always starts 15 minutes late. I know that is normal or whatever, still wierd to me. And no one is on time, everyone shows up 30 minutes or 45 minutes late. hahaha, I don't understand it. There is usually just me the Japan girls and the older man from Finland on time and for the first 20 minutes. So, wierd. I feel like a good student. Everyone came in with at least 1 month of intense laungage course of Italian before this course. Oh yeah, I don't remember if I said or not, but I am in Italian 2, they call it A2 but its not the begining course. A good number of the kids in the class have like 4, 5, or 6 months of studying Italian in their home countries.

I have been meeitng some people, I am good friends with a Turkish boy name Ozan who is a juggle that wants to go to Orlando, FL to join the circus. That is his life dream. haha, he is a very good juggler. I met him in my Hostel in Perugia and we talk and I see him on the streets and stuff. So I am not completly alone, he has introduced me to all his friends from Turkey, but I forget their names very quickly. I feel horrible, but they are all very nice.

I decided to move into the 6 bedroom apartment upstairs in my building. So, on the 28th I move agian. I am excited for that to alwasy have people around even if there is nothing to do, at least there are people around.

I walked out of class the other day and looked down the hall and saw a guy with a flat billed New York Mets hat on and an old faded yellow Xmen shirt on. And he was a bigger guy, not fat just had a little puff to him. I realized now how you can spot the Americans so quickly when I saw him. haha. My professors thought I was from Greece. So, I guess that is good.

My hair is getting longer, don't know how to tell the barber how to cut my hair so I will just keep growing it out. Um, I bought a plant the other day. Don't know why, but just gives me something to take care of, which I like. The old lady kept talking to me in Italian, haha, she knew I didn't understand anything I was saying but it was fun. She was sweet. I might go back just to talk with her.

I am doing well, no drastic problems. Except, I am not able to watch Lost online becuase of international viewing rights or soemthing like that. Which sucks. But, I think I am going to to dowload the Super Bowl off of Itunes so I can Watch that on Monday which will be good.

I miss a lot of the little things, which I think is very typicall, heres just a little list of what I miss....

Aunt Nancys Salad
Pablos Quessadillas
My Blanket (haha, seriously)
Mustard
Driving
Flavored Chips

A few things that I love here in Perugia...

Kababs
Pickels (I bought a jar a day ago and they are all gone)
Walking very slowing
People Watching
Pizza place up the street (I'm becoming a regular)
The Market


All is good in Perugia for me. Had a semi rough week for me last week. But things always turn around for the best it seems. So my mindset is very postive. Now that I know what to expect in school and talked to my classmates. I'm set, now things just start falling into place.

Hope all is well back home and wherever you are!

Ciao!
Michele (Mee-Kay-Lay) ...not michelle. ha

Perugia

A lot has happened since my last post. I have a new home! A single room in Via Annibale Mariotti. It has everything I need. I am here at least until the 27th and then I have the option of staying in the room I am in now (but pay an additional 50 eruo per month) or move upstairs to the appartment which is shared with 6 students from my university and pay the amount I am this month. I will most likely be moving upstairs, beacuse of money reasons and I will at least have someone to talk to, hopefully, ha. The landlord told me that I would be living with 5 other girls. I've never lived with girls so it will either be a complete disaster or great. I am hoping for great, either way a good experience. Today I went and took care of some business at the school and got placed in my classes and received my schedule. I originally thought I was going to be taught in English, but the more and more I think about it and go to the school I am getting hints that I will being taught in Italian, sooo I hope I am ready for that. I will have to pick up on things fast.
When I got to the area where we were to meet to have an oral exam and be placed into classes I waited and waited to hear my name called, but it never was. So finally when the ladies in the room were walking out, I walked in to talk. They didn't really notice me or show me attention that they saw me in there so I just stuck out my paper that said I was supposed to be there. Then the three of them looked at eachother, looking at me. haha like they were sizing me up for something. They asked if I spoke any Italian, thats about all I understood them say. I told them no. They read me name out loud and asked if I had Italian background, I said yes. Then they started talking fast again to themselves. Finally, they gave me my paper back and it said A2 and not A1 so I dont know for sure, but I think they signed me up for Italian II. I dont know how they decided that, haha, but I will see tomorrow(wednesday) is my first day. I start with 8 hours of Italian language and grammer tomorrow. Wednesdays will be my busy days. But, I am SO ready for school start. I have nothing to do right now and am soo bored.
I didnt pack enough warm clothes either it is about 30-40 degrees here everyday, 40 on the warm days(sunny days) which we have had 2. I havent decided if I should buy a jacket yet or not beacuse I still think it will warm up soon. We will see.
I have two friends. They are Turkish and speak little English, but enough to communicate with me. I like them. I dont seem them really at all but when I do I like it. They are very busy with their schooling, they are here for a month and then off to Roma for 4 months studying some more. Other than that, I havent met anyone. The past week has been pretty hard and have felt a little homesick. But, things will start picking up here now that school starts and I will see more or the same people everyday. I am ready for that.... No fun being alone.

Ill let ya know about school tomorrow!

ciao ciao amici!
Michele DiMarco

Perugia

Today was a good day in Perugia. I found a little park area that looked over the whole south side of Perugia and it was so beautiful. I had no idea how high up we were compared to the rest of the city. The part of the city I am in is known as the old city. It has all very old buildings with very curvy paths they called roads. And the old city sits on top of a very large hill and you can over look everything. You can see the Umbrian country side with the rolling hills and mountain peaks in the back ground. Straight out of a painting. I spent the whole day just walking around looking in shops. Got a piece of pizza, soo good. Sat around at the piazza again, today it was a warmer and the sun was out so it was a more enjoyable experience. I am able to get around to places now without a map and I can walk to school from my apartment (that I am not in yet) no problem. Now I just have to learn the short cuts. I gave up trying to find a way there downhill and a way back downhill. So I looked for the most flat pathway possible. Still will be panting when I get to school and come home. The city is awesome. There is one main road in the older part of the city and today I stood and watched a guy draw a woman’s face on the ground with chalk. It was sweet. I had nothing else to do. I get kicked out of the hostel for about 4-5 hours every so I have to make sure I have stuff to do for that long. And I am running out of places to walk and stuff to do. I don’t know what I am going to do if it rains… I don’t even want to think about it. Oh well. It was a much better day than my first in Perugia. I am staying in a room with a boy from Turkey he and his friend, who is a girl but the girls and boys are separated in this hostel, are looking for a place to live for a month here in Perugia so they have been looking all over. He likes me, I let him use my headache medicine and gave him some peanuts and skittles. Him and his friend seems to like that. He is a nice boy, he is a juggler and hopes to find a room here in Perugia with the juggling crowd ( I haven’t seen any jugglers here yet). I like it here better than Roma, a lot let chaotic and a lot more young people. I hear a lot of people speaking English here and I am sure they are students at the University for Foreigners; they seem to be having a good time so I hope my experience will be the same!

Perugia

What a day… train was an hour or so late this morning which made me late to my hostel which closes from 11-430pm so when I got there at 1130 I realized I have to wait 5 hours to put my bags away. I thought okay, not bad, five hours isn’t long. But then it started getting cold. So those 5 hours sucked. I hated it so badly. And the only church I could see was locked. So I got my blanket out and acted like a hobo for a good while. Got into my hostel and found they don’t have internet, great. Went to the place where the lady at the hostel said I could get internet, the place is under renovation, awesome. Walked down to my university where I will be studying the next 5 months. Translated a sign and realized I miss orientation, which was the past four days when I was in Rome, great planning Mike. Walked down to where my apartment is, found it, nice little area, but still haven’t heard from my landlord yet on confirming me living there yet. Perfect. Not my most favorite days nor the way I would have liked to start my stay here in Perugia, but tomorrow is another day. ..
I can honestly say, today was the first day I started feeling a little lonely and homesick. Never thought it would happen, but I am starting to wonder if I will be able to handle doing this alone. We will see. I just want to get into my apartment, wherever it is. And just get settled in, then hopefully things will start rolling in my favor.
Tomorrow is a new day….

Roma

I slept in a bit this morning, too long I guess because when I woke up no one was in my room. All of the other 7 people had left. Haha, weird feeling but I didn’t mind the room to myself. I decided to be productive with the day and go to the Coliseum. It was great, right when you walk out of the metro station it is right there and you and cant even see the top of it until you are all the way out of the station. I didn’t pay to go in, because I didn’t want to and I will probably go back and do all that again. Yeah, kind of taking the experience for granted I know. Oh well. It was a good day to be outside, well no rain at least so I walked a mile or so down the road to a big church that was on the map. St. Giovanni I think it was. It was gorgeous. Like a mini St. Peters. Only all white marble and huge statues down the side. I loved that church and I thought St. Patrick’s back home was beautiful. After getting lunch at this little place by the metro I went back to the hostel to take a quick little nap. I knew I was going to have to be up early in the morning for my train to Perugia so I thought I would squeeze a 2 hour nap in.
I went to the Spanish steps because I hear it is a cool place, I wasn’t that impressed but I mean it still was cool. Maybe because I had gone from the Vatican to the Coliseum, that these steps just looked like steps. Iv spoiled myself I think for two days. I was going to go back to St. Peters Square at night but I wanted to make it back for free pizza at the hostel. And I am not sure but I think the pizza I got was liver and onions. It was free though and didn’t taste like anything really so I ate it. Tomorrow I leave for Perugia.

Roma

Decided to go to the Vatican City with some people I met at the hostel in my room. It poured rain all day. When we got off the metro and started walking towards St. Peters Square we were bombarded with people asking one after another if we wanted to have a tour in English, or Spanish, or any language. And then there were lines and lines of people holding out umbrellas just waiting for you to take one because of the rain. Haha it was great. I figured if I didn’t take the guys offer on the first umbrella then I shouldn’t on the next guy because I was already more wet. You just had to hold strong the hold time and not pay for one. I was successful. The Vatican was phenomenal. I was amazed first at the size of St. Peters Square. My favorite part of the square is all the statues on top of the outside facing into the square. Everything about it was just so perfect. And when you go into the Basilica it only got better. Unlike anything you will ever see, no matter who you are or where you come from, you will find beauty in St. Peters Basilica. I could have spent the whole day in there but one of the girls we were with wanted to see the Pantheon that afternoon so we had to keep moving. We went into the Vatican museums and into the countless number of rooms filled with wall to wall, ceiling to ceiling, art. The most old and beautiful art I have ever see or will ever see. Sistine Chapel was obviously the high point of the museums. When you walk in and see all the heads looking at the ceiling in silence you know you are in something special. The paintings on the ceilings felt like they were falling right down onto you. Amazing. After that it was back into the rain. I made it back to the hostel and decided to nap a bit before I went to meet my new friend Carla who is a friend of a friend that lives in Rome, I took a bus to Piazza Novana and she took me to a little place for some food. It was good to talk to someone that shared a commonality with home. She was a great help on little questions I had about Rome and Italy. So, it was a good night, a good day all in all.

Roma

Traveling was the worst. Had a delay in Chicago which pushed my arrival time in Washington D.C. back about an hour and gave me 5 minutes to make it to my next flight. I was off the plane sprinting along with about six other kids my age and a family of five, all trying to make it to the same flight to Rome. When we got to the terminal we found it to be delayed because the guy that fills the jet, overfilled one of the wings and gas was everywhere. So, they had to clean that up which took about forty minutes. When I arrived in the terminal to Rome I knew I was in the right place because all that I saw were a lot older men, very well dressed in suits with dominant facial features (including the big nose) and two priests were on the flight; you wouldn’t have even had to look at the screen to know you were headed to Rome. I got into Rome this morning at about 9am local time. Long flight, but I slept as much as I could. My luck on my third flight finally showed through; unlike my first two flights who not only sat in their own seat but also shared half the seat with me, I was blessed with a little pitite girl studying vocals in Florence. She was nice and quiet, and had food allergies so I was very happy to see her sitting next to my seat. I probably got about 3 or 4 hours of sleep on the plane, mainly because of boredom. When the sun rose in the morning while we were flying over France is was a beautiful way to view my first sight of Europe as I peeked through the clouds. But, I would have to say the sight of the Italian coastline and the rocky hills from above, the stretching broccoli type forests of trees, was a very beautiful way to start a morning. I couldn’t help but think what it would be like to live in some of those villages I was spying on from above. The sandstone style houses with the red clay tops, something you see only in pictures. To say the least, I was very happy and excited to finally land.
After landing into cold, wet, rainy Rome; I realized how bad of an idea it was to not get up the throughout the whole flight. My legs were sooo tight and the minute I stood up I realized that I had to use the restroom very badly. So, I spent the first 15 minutes or so in Rome in the restroom relieving some much needed pressure. Found my way out of the airport and into the stazione (train station). Had my first Italian short convo with the lady at the ticket counter. More or else was two words and she helped me by repeating them back to me, but still a confidence boost, at the time. Made sure I validated my ticket, because my father made sure to tell me at least 4 times in a day to do so. I spotted an American girl waiting for the train into Termini too. She wasn’t hard to decipher, she was blonde had three huge bags. I helped her put her bags on the train and we shared little seating area. Even though we didn’t talk much we still liked the company of having someone that spoke English around at least for such a short time. It was her first time in Italy as well. She headed to Florence for school right after the train into Termini, she looked completely lost when I left her. But, so was I so I wasn’t much help. I helped her find where to buy some tickets for Florence and that was that. I had my own problems, somehow my perfect planning and preparation to walk from Termini to my hostel failed me. I came out on a complete different street, so I just picked a direction and walked that way. I knew which way the train came from and I knew that was south and I needed to go north a bit so I walked that way, it eventually worked out. I got into my hostel but had to wait until 15:00 (3pm) to check in. So, I decided to check out a local convenient store. I walked in this little closet of a shop and asked, in Italian, if he spoke English, he looked at me with a real puzzled look and said something and pointed behind him so I shook my head up and down and walked out. I had no idea what he said, so much for the confidence boost, ha. I walked and hung out at Termini because that was the only thing I knew and I figured they would speak a little bit more English than anywhere else that was close by. I usually wouldn’t think that way but I wasn’t feeling confident at all in my Italian by that point If there is one thing I have noticed about Italians is that everyone of them has something beautiful about them. Something that sticks out and makes them unique, I don’t know if it is the attitude about life and the heritage or what but it is a very attractive sight. They are very confident and deliberate in their movements and actions.
I haven’t had anything to do today, so I have spent most of the day on the computer; making sure the Vikings lost (glad to see they know how it feels to have a late Favre interception cost them a playoff game) and other things. I’m sharing my hostel for the night with 5 Brazilians, 1 Chinese/American (from Boston), and 1 Australian girl. I feel bad for the girl. It’s going to be an early night for me, but I think I will be woken up later because these Brazilians look like they mean business about going out tonight. So, we will see!
All in all, I would consider it a day of survival in Roma. Didn’t do a thing. Just sat around and tried to sneak in little naps here and there. I am glad to be here. I think tomorrow, if the weather cooperates I will go see more of the city.