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!!)