Halfway to Christmas

Ciao tutti-

This week is the first week of the new quarter at SYA Italy! My classes are going well and I hope they'll continue that way! The quizzes and tests here are relentless, but we don't have midterms or finals, so that's a pretty nice trade-off.

I've been doing a lot of planning in the past couple weeks- plotting out budget management, trips to Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, Venice, Siena, and Perugia (some I've done and some to come), and thinking about my future plans, once I'm back in the U.S.

A couple Saturdays ago, I went to Perugia for the world's largest chocolate festival! I stuffed myself with chocolate, bought a choco-lamp for a friend at home, and brought even more chocolate back to Viterbo with me. It was my first trip outside Viterbo for which I was truly on my own. (What a way to start off my independent travel!) Luckily, there was only one train change and I have really come to appreciate the ease of the trains in Italy. It was a busy weekend; the very next day, I joined my friend Gracie for a trip to Siena with her host family. Siena was beautiful and we just walked leisurely through the streets, saw the Piazza del Campo and the Duomo... I can see why it is a major tourist destination.

I'm feeling more comfortable here. The SYA administrators had said at the beginning that "every day wouldn't be better or worse, just different". It's far more true than I had expected. I thought that as the year went on, things would begin to get exponentially better each week. Instead, I find that things have changed without me even noticing; I'm more a part of the family than before, I am more relaxed, and I am always ready to jump into a conversation with an Italian, even if he or she is someone I just met on the street. That doesn't mean that the conversation will necessarily evolve into a two-hour philosophical discussion, but I feel more confident as I solidify my new understanding of things like the imperfect tense, which doesn't exist in English. Some days, though, are rougher than others. I miss the familiarity of home, just the small things, like the smell of Mom's coffee in the morning, looking forward to my favorite shows, bundling up in a fuzzy blanket.... Still, all the things I found so strange in the beginning of this adventure have become the elements of home; I wake up to the sound of my little sisters struggling to motivate themselves to get to school on time; I like that my bedroom door opens onto the living room, so I never miss out on anything that happens in the apartment; I am learning to peel all of my fruit before I eat it (the effort makes it taste better).

In essence, I am so happy I'm here (most days). I love you all and miss you. When I come home, I'll be sure to tell you all every story I've forgotten to put in here.

I hope this finds you all healthy and happy and warm (I don't think my host family understands how to heat their home).

Happy Halloween and Thanksgiving! Sing an early Christmas carol for me!

And happy birthday to me (I'll be in Venice!!)

One Month?!

Buongiorno!

Has it really been almost a month since I left home? It seems impossible that the time has gone so quickly... and still it feels like I've been here forever!

I've really started to build a life here: I've joined a gym on the outskirts of town, I've started to cook for my family, I understand more of the language than I ever expected in the first month, and I have wonderful friends! Granted, all of my friends so far are Americans, but I think Italian friendships will come as my language skills increase and as I become even more immersed in the activities around Viterbo.

I have to look at my diary to see what has happened to me since I've been here- it's just too much to recall off the top of my head!

The first weekend was the Festa di Santa Rosa, which consists of massive parades through the town for three straight days. It culminates in the transport of a 12,000-pound sculpture (the Macchina di Santa Rosa) through the streets of Viterbo. The sculpture is five stories high and is carried by 100 men. (The test to become a Macchina-carrier? Carry a 250-pound block on your shoulder for 2 kilometers!)

School has started off well for me. I'm really enjoying Art History, which I've never taken before, and Italian, of course!

The food continues to be delicious. Tiziana and I are going to make a pizza together sometime soon! I can't wait to learn how to make everything! I'm going to join a cooking class as soon as the schedule for it is finalized!

During the second week, my family took me to Rome. We saw St. Peter's Basilica, which was incredible, as well as the Spanish Steps and the Roman equivalent of Rodeo Drive. We ate dinner at my host family's favorite pizza place, took the Metro back to my family's tiny car, and drove home.

The day after my Rome excursion (I was the first student who got to go to Rome!) was a trip to an Etruscan museum inside the walls of Viterbo. We saw the remnants of a chariot and lots of papal crests. The museum itself had once served as a fortress for the pope!

On the third weekend, my family and I loaded up into their RV (who knew?). We took the weekend away to lie on the beach and soak up the September sun. We spent the weekend with another family with two daughters. The daughters are Emma and Sara (ages 15 and 13) and I think I count them as my first Italian friends. They speak English fairly well and we made plans to cook American foods together!

Everyone here is really into all things American, especially our movies, TV, and music. I walk down the street every day and I see two or three people wearing Mickey Mouse t-shirts or graphic tees with misspelled words on them. Sometimes, they just don't make sense (one said "I can't do much but if you give me shoes"). Still, it's nice to already be up to date on what is popular. Katy Perry is huge here, as is the Disney Channel. At least, that's what my little sisters love to watch.

Still, the people here are very proud to be Italian. They would look at our huge houses and supermarkets (Tiziana says they are super-supermarkets) and laugh at how ridiculously big and wasteful things are in America. In Viterbo, things are precious. Space is very limited and utilities like electricity and water are spent with utmost care. Cooking is an art; the Italians believe that every meal should be something truly worth savoring. This philosophy about material things extends to their outlook on life and interaction with others. The Italians, as far as I have learned, value every conversation highly. They don't spend time on many pleasantries, and when they ask how you're doing, they really want to know. They want the long version of whatever story you're telling, and if you can tell the same story three times in different ways, that's even better. For them, relationships are paramount.

It seems to be the same for me; no matter how many places I explore here, or how many beautiful views or astonishing architectural feats I see, I think that the things I will treasure most about this experience are the relationships that I build with the amazing people here. They have so much to teach me! I've already learned so much about parenting by observing my host parents with my sisters. My host mom teaches me about art history all the time, even if we're just walking down the street. She points out little details on the walls of the apartments and crests above doors that I would otherwise have missed. My little sisters are in the process of teaching me patience (although Benedetta's slow progress in the study of the recorder is getting on my last nerve) and my host father has shown me how difficult it is for him to live under a Prime Minister whom he despises.

I am so excited to bring everything I learn back to the U.S. I miss you all and I hope you are all doing well! Send me updates whenever it strikes your fancy.

A dopo!
-Eleanor

Ciao, Viterbo!

Buonasera, miei amici!

Today is my second day in Viterbo! I still can't believe that I made it here! I am so happy- I thought (and had been told time and time again) that it would be a very difficult transition, but I haven't found anything to be worried about... except my Italian!

My family is wonderful; my two sisters are very talkative and seem to like me. My dad is pretty quiet, but when he does talk, he is nice and very funny. My mom speaks English very well, and my little sister Benedetta is also learning English. With their help, I understand most of what goes on around me. The grandmother (la nonna) is staying with us for the holiday (Festa di Santa Rosa, a festival which celebrates the statue of the town's patron saint), so we have six people staying in a space meant for four! Still, she is great at explaining, in Italian, lots of idioms and phrases that I don't understand right away. My whole family is working in sieme to help me learn the language. I think my Italian will improve quickly because of them.

Tonight, I took my first tour of the town. It's pretty small, but it has a surprising number of kids my age and lots of shops (many of which appear to specialize in shoes! hooray!) all along the cobblestone streets. There are several squares and I am sure that I will be exploring those more later.

People say that Italian dinners take a long time, and this is true. What they don't tell you is that a "snack" can take up to an hour to have and then discuss! I am enjoying every minute of it, though.

I hope everything is well at home and that summer is coming to a fabulous end.

Arrivederci for now!
-Eleonora

Two Weeks!

Hi everyone!

I hope you're all having a great summer.
Is it possible that I'm leaving in just two weeks?!

I've started to pack up... so far, I have a flash drive and an assortment of pants in the trunk.
I'm also learning Italian! My teacher is wonderful, but I'm having a hard time with the verb conjugations, since I've never taken a Romance language before (I struggled through Chinese class for five years). Still, I'm sure that I'll pick it up quickly once I'm totally immersed.

I've recently received emails from my new host family! I have two little sisters, Benedetta (10) and Agnese (7). Their picture is adorable. My parents are named Tiziana and Massimiliano. She is an art history teacher and he is a NCO at the military base in Viterbo. My mom, Tiziana, is the one writing these emails to me; she says that she loves traveling, cooking, reading, and watching films!

I'll be living about five minutes from school, so I'll be able to walk through the little town every day! I am so excited for the cobblestone streets, the piazzas, and the cappuccinos!

I will write again once I am in Viterbo!

Ciao!