Oh Hey,

So, long time no talk. Here’s what’s up. Never, ever, trust someone in a pizzeria when they tell you that they speak English – it’s simply false. For instance, they will tell you that you picked out the zucchini pizza, but instead lie and serve you tuna pizza, which is just as horrifyingly unappetizing as it sounds. Trust me, I’ve unfortunately learned from experience. Well, now that I currently don’t have dinner, seeing at I threw it away on the street (both the taste and the smell were wildly overwhelming), I have decided to tell all of you great listeners what’s been going on in the ever-so exciting life of ME! Today I had one of the most exciting classes (I would have thought the same of it last week, I’m sure, had I not slept through it). So anyway, my Drawing from Masterpieces class is incredible. Today we ventured to the top of the Capitoline hill (one of Rome’s Seven Hills – for all of you eagerly awaiting to learn great things from me), and drew in the Basilica Santa Maria (Church of St. Mary) for 3 hours, yes, 3 hours. It was amazing. I drew the stunning chandeliers, the baroque-style tombs, and even some small creepy cherub sculptures. I may never leave – unless I have to eat tuna pizza again, and then I’m booking a flight ASAP.

Speaking of booking flights… four of my programmates and I are running off to Barcelona in only a few short weeks! Much to my father’s dismay, I’m sure, there were some impediments booking the trip – like when the site didn’t process my trip and had all of my credit card information. But, all is well now! I will be in Barca soon and hopefully returning to some of my favorite places – the Gaudi houses and getting some tapas!

Oh, I almost forgot my most recent development! The “coffee” that I have so enamored the last two weeks at breakfast isn’t coffee at all – to put it more simply, it’s an imposter. It is called Orzo – it is a powder that tastes very similar to coffee but it is made from the orzo grain, eliminating all of the bad attributes of coffee – a.k.a my favorite things. Like caffeine – AHHH no caffeine!!!! So, my mornings have now become egg-less, cereal-less, juice-less, and NOW COFFEE-LESS … in other words, Breakfast-less. Nothing like starting the morning off with a good glass of water and hard roll! (Except there is nutella, so the world has not yet ended).

Well, I think that’s all of the knowledge that I have to share for now. I have a big day ahead of me domani (tomorrow for you American folk). I would tell you why it’s a big day… but well that would either ruin the surprise or just make me look foolish later on. I guess I just have to leave ya hanging!

Ciao for now (it rhymes, I’m clever, I know)

Kisses and Hugs,

Giacomina

HI! (Out of cute new Italian words!)

So sorry that I have been so remiss as to not write for the past few days. I promise I will be more on-top of my game from now on. So lets see… what has happened since we last talked. Oh right, pasta, gelato, homework, class, gelato, vino… and repeat! So basically, life is tough. Although I have slept through one of my classes thus far, I seem to be doing pretty well (sorry Mom and Dad!) Classes are amazing and seem to be shaping up what is going to be the most incredible semester. All of my classes either involve four-hour walking tours throughout the city (holler cardio!) or wine tasting – so I’m feeling pretty dang good about my academics right about now.

Everyone on the program is SUPER sweet and awesome and we are all bonding by going out every night, yes, every night. I am absolutely exhausted. But, I recharge I the morning with the most delicious Italian cereal bars (literally the most amazing things EVER), Italian coffee, and Italian Gatorade. Oh, also more exciting food stories, the convent has an orchard, where they grow apples and the MOST delicious clementines and blood oranges. I literally take like a million from the dining hall each day and snack on them until I can’t swallow anymore.

Today I signed up with a lot of my programmates for a private tour of St. Peter’s tomb – so basically a once in a lifetime chance to get deep into the Vatican and see what, well not many people see! The sightseeing here is truly unbelievable and I haven’t even seen half of the city yet. Today I also spent one of my classes watching one of my favorite movies of all time – Roman Holiday. Which is also why I have decided to change the banal title of my blog to another not-so-original Rome themed saying. Well, I don’t have much else to share now and I am fading fast so ciao for now!

Xoxo,

Giacomina

Miei Amici e Mia Famiglia (My Friends and Family)

First things first, I am going to teach you some valuable lessons for your next trip a Roma. 1: Do NOT wear heels on the old cobblestone streets (a.k.a never wear heels), you will trip and fall. 2: Do NOT engage Italian men in American bars – there are blatantly only in American bars for one reason – otherwise, they could simply join their friends at Italian bars. 3: Do NOT attempt to use a blow dryer in a convent (haha, so applicable to all of you, I’m sure). Using a blow dryer will either cause your entire room to lose power and it will not fit in outlets, therefore making you resort to blindly blowing your hair dry in the dark hallway with no mirror. So, overall lots of positive advice. Lastly, 4: Do NOT take flowers from other citizen’s backyards because karma will come to you, causing you to be highly allergic to the beautiful roses that you so prettily placed in a vino bottle on your windowsill. Well, I think that is all of the significant information that I have for you now. If other PRESSING matters like these come up, I will be sure to inform you, so that you are not mislead by small, seemingly unimportant facts that will annoy you to death.

Anyway, I write to all of you this morning with puffy blindly-blown out hair, sneezes from my deceptively pretty flowers, and slippers. Today is my first day of classes (wooohoooo, hollerrr) oh, wait, classes?!? So I guess that assuming that I could do whatever I so pleased this semester was wrong since I am taking five classes that meet several times each week. But, oh well, I guess I’ll just be forced to attend Italian food and culture (ugh haha KIDDING). Thus far, my time here has been fabulous filled with walking tours (DRINK WATER, by the way, or your legs will fall off). Oh, right that’s another lesson for all of my avid readers – HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE! Walking around causes your legs to HURT sooooo drink plenty of acqua. Otherwise, you will find, like I did, that it is difficult to even put your socks on.

Well, classes have been great thus far. I have a whopping three other students in my Italian class – so I’m sure the teacher is quite overwhelmed. Other than classes a few friends and I wandered around the nearby town area to explore a bit on our own. Thankfully, we did not get lost! Instead, we were rushing to find bottled water, hair products, blankets, and flowers (the essentials, of course). And we did it! And were still in time for lunch, YUM. We have literally had pasta for every single meal (other than breakfast) since I have arrived and I have yet to become sick of it. Italian pasta is AMAZING – I would simply live and die here for the sole purpose of eating rigatoni bolognese and tiramisu.

Hmmm… let’s see… other exciting things that happened today… OH! I found my camera cord so I can finally show you all my travels versus solely telling you all about them. I will post pictures posthaste! I believe that is all for now, again, I’ll be back tomorrow so look forward to reading more haha.

Ciao! (also means bye haha)

Giacomina