Perugia/Roma

I can’t believe it is March already! Time is flying by it feels like. It is crazy to think that spring break is coming up and my family will be here is just ONE short week. I remember thinking when I left that the middle of March seemed SO far away, and now, we are already knockin’ on the door of sun shine and warm weather. It has been about mid 50s and dipping into the 60s here in Perugia, I have been enjoying it. Walked around in just a t-shirt a couple times, it was nice. But, usually late afternoon it gets cold and rains every day for a couple hours. And the nights are fairly chilly. You can tell it is getting warmer though! So the earth still works.
Well, in the past week, I let Tom go mid last week. I don’t remember if I wrote that last time or not, but he left. And the end of last week was pretty normal, trying to survive my classes… I think this past week has really hit me that I need to constantly be thinking about the Italian Language and it’s not just going to come to me like I would like. I am pretty used to willing my way to getting something I want or achieving something in my life and I’ve been lucky enough to get through life that way so far. But, I think I am going to have to ‘will’ myself to study a little bit more than I have been. Like constantly. Yesterday, I went out and bought some grammar books as well a book with all the Italian verbs listed and the meanings in English, as well as all the tenses it has. (All these books are in English, thank GOD). I first started studying in Perugia; I thought it would be nice to just learn Italian IN Italian, totally. I have learned over a month of blank stares at the board and the teacher that I need a little more help. Haha.
The professors say that everyone in A2(my level of study now) will move onto B1 no matter how good you are. They say they kind of just look the other way on some people. Right now I am afraid I am one of those ‘some people’. And I don’t like that. So, my goal is to make it into B1 without a doubt. I think it’s possible, it’s not that hard. I just want to think about it constantly, which I have been lately. I am making more and more connections with Spanish which is helping too. I wish I would have taken more Spanish in high school or at UNI. Would have helped immensely.
Forget about school, last Sunday I went on a day school trip to Rome. You got to pay 30 euro and they drove you via bus from Perugia to Rome. I thought it was a good deal at first because it said we would get into the Vatican Museum for free, and later learn that the Vatican Museum is always free on the last Sunday of the month. Hahaha. So if I went on the trip by myself, I would have only had to pay 20 euro, oh well. I went with some friends from my class, all girls; I have no first that are guys here, still. Hahha, I don’t get it. At home I only hang out with guys, mainly because I only want to hang out with guys. Here, I only hang out with girls. I am half way around the world if that has anything to do with it. We waited in line for the Vatican Museum for 2.5-3 hours... The line was crazy long; stretched from the entrance of the Museum all the way to the side entrance of St. Peters Square. Way to long! But we made it in. And I thought I saw everything the first time I saw the Vatican Museum a month ago, but I saw so much more this time, it was great being there with people you know too. After the museum we grabbed something to eat, and made the mistake of eating at the café right next to the exit of the museum which was a bit expensive, I should have saw that coming. Spent some time in St. Peters Square and then headed for Piazza Novana, the girls didn’t want to wait in line to see the Basilica (that was the only thing I wanted to see) But I am always over ruled being the only boy, so I kept my mouth shut, I am learning my lesson quick hanging around girls, just be quiet. Walked through Piazza Novana, which was totally different than the last time I was there, it was actually full of people, a little market throughout the whole square, it was great. So many people. Made the short 5 minute walk over to the Pantheon, which personally, I loved and was so surprised how much it didn’t look has I pictured it. Haha. It was like in the middle of apartment buildings. You walk through an ally and them, poof, there it is. It was great though. That’s the best part of Rome, you walk through and ally here or an ally there, and then there you are at some historical site you have been studying since you were in grade school. Truly is the Eternal City. After the Pantheon, it was about another 10 minute walk to the Trevi Fountain, which was easily my favorite site of the whole trip. It was soooo big and so many people just sitting around enjoying the day and tossing there coins into the fountain for luck! (Back turned to fountain, coin in right hand, throw over left shoulder…. Or was it the other way around?) Haha that is what I was told so I did it that way, but however you do it, I think you get the point across! Ran into the Italian Changing of the Guard in some square which Italian soldiers and the Carabinieri (I think). It was pretty special. They marched around and had a military band their blasting the anthem and some man standing in the doorway overlooking the whole thing, we were told by some Italian lady standing next to me he was the ‘President, not Obama, not political’ so I don’t know what he was. Maybe a General or something. He seemed important though. After that, I tried to figure out where we were and after I did, I found the girls talking with 2 officers of the Carabinieri and knew were to go too, another perk of hanging around girls, they always can rely on their looks and being a girl to get where they need to go. We made our way to the Coliseum to find it was closed, so we just walked around. You forget how big it is, it’s huge for how old it is. Hopped on the subway to Termini, changed to the A Line (Red/Orange) and stopped by the Spanish Steps before we headed back to wear the bus was to take us home to Perugia. I really like the atmosphere at the Spanish steps, lot of people just sitting around, doing nothing, a nice lazy Sunday for the people of Rome and the tourists.
I moved into my new apartment last Saturday as well, it is two floors up from where I lived before. I share it with 6 other GIRLS and actually now there are 8 girls here because 2 girls from Lithuania are staying here for a week. So, I am really haven’t some back luck, or the BEST luck, with my friendships and living situations here in Italy. They are all very nice. And I love the apartment. To make it so much better, half of my walls are pink with light blue trim; Italy is trying very hard to test my sexuality. I am still stayin’ strong though. To be fair, it is a manly pink.
I am still alive in Italy. I think I get an email or a facebook message everyday telling me to write a blog, so to all of you who check regularly, thank you, and I am sorry. I will suck it up and write more often. Hope all is well where you are!
Take care ALL
God Bless

Ciao,
Michael DiMarco