And what a grand birthday it was!

Alright, so before I tell you about my birthday (I always seem to be a few days behind) I must tell you about my weekend in the Amalfi Coast. 

Alexa and I were planning to meet two other JMU girls down in Sorrento, which is a beach town.  So after departing from the train station at 6:40 A.M. on Friday, we promptly fall asleep and wake up in Naples around 10:30.  We then have to catch a smaller metro-like train that takes us to Sorrento but takes forever because its a local train and we stop

 at EVERY single stop. By the time we get to Sorrento, we are very excited because it is beautiful, you can see the crystal Mediterranean, the mountains and all the little houses tucked up in them.  

Then to our dismay we find out that we have to wait a half hour for the bus that will

take us to our hotel.  Which then turns into 45 min and in an hour we finally leave.  We then discover that this bus is also used by local junior high students to get home from school.  I now remember why I HATED riding the bus.  Italian 

middle schoolers talk very loud.  By this time Alexa and I were starving and just tired of being crammed on a bus.  After an hour of winding around the mountains and Alexa feeling motion sick, we are left on a little one lane road about a 2 minute walk away from the ocean. We had made it past the journey!  We checked in and found that we had a cute little bungalow to ourselves. But that did not interest us, we wanted FOOD.  And of course, the only places to eat nearby were the hotel restaurant and pizzeria that had just closed and wouldn't reopen until 4:30. Great.  We find a little convenience store and stock up on cheese, crackers, chips, and prosciutto and run to the beach to bathe in the glory of the Mediterranean sun. 

The plans were to meet up with the other girls who were staying in Sorrento.  Of course, now we knew that they were an hour away and not very convenient. But of course we didn't check the bus schedule until we were all dressed and ready for dinner which was around 7 and found out that the l

ast bus home from Sorrento was at 8. Again,great. We have no choice but to make it a date night and have a cute dinner at the hotel's restaurant.  Alexa and I were both very adventurous with our meals.  She had a fish and clam pasta in a cream sauce while I had pesto

 and sea urchin.  (I wouldn't really recommend sea urchin)  That night was just very relaxing

 and we got a good night's sleep minus the cat screeching outside our window. 

The next day comprised of more beach-laying and our trip home started at 2:30. We didn'

t get hom

e until 11 P.M.  Train travel is not always the most efficient....  

We learned a very valuable lesson in the train station though.  

Just like Italian men, never make eye-contact with stray Italian dogs.  We were on our way to the bathroom and of course Alexa and I being dog lovers were looking at the stray dogs laying in the train station- bad idea.  They hopped up and started following/trying to head us off. They followed us all the way to the bathroom and 5 minutes later when we came back out, followed us again. We were so confused and didn't really know what to do except keep walking. Thankfully they didn't try 

to go into the cafe with us!  

Once we returned home we settled down and got some sleep when we found our shirts and numbers had arrived!  The next day was the Corri la Vita! (the Italian version of Relay for Life) The next morning at 9 am we were all decked out in our orange shirts and race numbers

 and joined thousands

of people in the Piazza Della Signoria.

 We got there just in time

for the walking part of the walk/run as the huge masses in

 the piazza slowly move towards the street. Everyone was very 

enthusiastic as we walked along.  People had children, babies,

strollers,dogs, signs...everything.  We walked for an hour or two all through the city.  The funny thing was the difference between Ame

rican and Italian mentalities at events like this. It happened to also be free museum day so on our walk many Florentines were enticed into the museums or stopped to have lunch or a caffe.  And we of course had the American mentality of "go, and get it done. Power through!"  It's just very telling of the relaxed Italian lifestyle.  If you're going to do an event like the Corri la Vita, you might as well make a day of it and do it leisurely. We just ended up getting lost though and going home but it was definitely something worth doing and very fun to participate in.  

The interesting thing was that our wine and food pairing teacher is a Frescobaldi which is a very famous family in Italy. They have been making wine for 700 years, have a bistro, a castle, and a bridge and a piazza named after them. They are very active in the Florentine community and were a primary sponsor of the event and our teacher's aunt started off the race.  We thought it was really fun to not feel like a tourist and participate with the rest of Florence in this giving event.  It is now time for me to write a paper (yes, I unfortunately actually have homework here). A domani!

A day in the life

I have lots to tell you all about my weekend adventures, but that will have to wait until after I finish my homework and classes tomorrow.  Today will be some random stories I have left to tell of the past week.   

Last week our art history class went on a trip to the Uffizi museum which I referenced in my last post's title. It was originally a palace that was made into an art museum to hold the many frescos that reside in Florence. We were waiting outside of this ancient museum and on a bench nearby a young attractive(they're always attractive) european couple were making out and having the time of their lives.  At one point he even picked her up and twirled her around. This was 10 A.M..  Of course all of us were slightly bewildered and awkward, but the rest of Florence was unfazed by the couple.  We quickly have found out since then that PDA (public displays of affection) is very normal here. We just try and keep ourselves together and not gawk.

The dinners here just keep getting better and better at Mamma Lo's house.  The first half of the dinner we speak in Italian to each other to try and immerse ourselves into the language, however, telling stories of the day is very difficult when one only knows so many words and tenses.  After a while we give up and cannot help our exclamations about the food in English.  It's so wonderful to have our "family dinners" as we call them.  Sometime Michael (our German student who lives with us) joins us and it's just a full happy table 6 eating dinner and chatting away.  Our last dinner together was a going away dinner for Michael because he is leaving us to go study in Rome for a year. Sad for us.  We had the most delicious pasta that night though, with a pumpkin sauce...I didn't know such wonderful things existed!  I relished every bite and Michael seemed very amused as I did my happy food dance.  He probably thinks we're crazy American girls, but we all genuinely liked him and I think he'll miss us a little too. We might even visit him in Rome!  

Last story is about this awesome Italian clothing designer named Geoffre.  He speaks barely any English but owns this shop that we pass every day on our way to school.  Jenny introduced us to him one day and now we see him all the time and we say Ciao!  He is very sweet and tries to speak English to us as Alexa usually translates his Italian and Jenny and I stand there and smile because we have are now friends with a real Italian designer...sweet :)

That's all I have time for for now, but I will write later. A Domani!

I will wait for you forever in the Uffizi!

Ok, so as I promised, the rest of my stories.  The water first: the past week has been an adventure every day to see if the water will come on. At first the pump didn't work. So if the water refused to come on, we would have to go out of the apartment into the pump room and reset the pump.  Finally, a few days later the plumber actually came and of course the only solution to the bad pump was to take it away and fix it.  So for about 4 days our water pressure was about 50% of what it is originally. My favorite experience was one day, mid-shampoo, the water starts waning and just turns itself off.  I stand there for a moment praying I will not have to go out in a towel through the apartment with soap everywhere to reset the pump. I turn off the water, turn it on again, and a few drops come out.  Still reluctant to leave the warm bathroom, I tried once more and more water came out, but was ice cold.  The last attempt I was greeted with a loud rush of hot water.  Victory! It wouldn't be Italy without the water going out. 

Angel, one of the girls living in my house had her 21st birthday last Wednesday...it was a celebration starting Tuesday night at dinner with Momma Lo.  We had a glass of wine with dinner, a scrumptious apple crumble for dessert and then a little lemoncello after dinner. We went to this club called Bebop which evidently has a Beatles cover band that plays on Tuesdays.  The minute we walk into the club, we are dripping sweat.  There are so many American and British students all mashed together dancing and singing along to "It Won't Be Long". There was practically no air to breathe. Angel of course got free drinks for her birthday and we celebrated an hour or so into the morning of her birthday. We decided to leave because these other American girls were making complete fools of themselves. Being black-out drunk they invaded the stage with their drinks and revealing ensembles and generally disrupting the band.  We did not want to be associated with them and had to get out as soon as possible.  We were so mad that these were the kind of girls representing American females. Thanks girls, thanks.  

On a happier note, the next night all 10 of us went out to Dante's restaurant which happens to be directly across the street from our flat.  It is this great restaurant that takes care of students and doesn't charge them a cover-charge, bread, or the first round of drinks.  We of course then made friends with the owner and he just kept giving us free carafes of wine and brought us plates of a special homemade mushroom and ricotta ravioli in a cream sauce.  It was like hot fluffy pillows of heaven in my mouth.  Needless to say we are going back for my birthday next week :)   

I can hear music coming from the kitchen...that's a good sign that dinner is on the way! A domani!

Lucky to Know You

I somehow feel like a part of this wonderful place already. Granted, most young residents are international students or Americans, but that just adds to the eclectic nature of this city. Florence is also very accommodating of American students which is nice, but I wish they would force us out of our comfort zone a bit more. It's really up to the student on how immersed he or she will be in the Italian culture.  For example, this weekend is a pastry festival and I intend to be all over that!   

My days pass in a pace and disposition that I will attempt to explain... People rarely rush anywhere yet the city is always busy.  There is an air of leisure always in the air, yet an intense focus on interpersonal relationships. Italy is so much about its people and culture rather than status and the independent self. It's nice to feel a part of something which is why I think people like JMU so much because it creates a college community and attitude unique to itself.

I love how classes are obviously important here, but are not the main focus of being in Florence. Also, the classes offered here only enhance my cultural understanding of Italy and Firenze. For example, we learn about how wine is not a drink here, it's a way of communing with people and sharing with them. It's also sweet that part of our homework is to try 3 different wines to evaluate and compare them. :) But for class time we go to museums and historical places which makes art history real and just hits you in the face with how amazing it really is rather than seeing it in a book. 

This weekend is the first of Oktoberfest so of course all the girls are making a trek out to Munich to celebrate German beer.  Alexa and I were the only two to stay in Firenze, but we are going on a walking/eating tour of Firenze and attending a pastry festival this weekend.  (We also get to meet mamma Lo's grandbaby!) I think we'll do just fine...

Even though this place is the most freeing place, it's wonderful to know that people back home love you and are missing you while still supporting your exploration abroad.  Don't let me forget to tell you about Angel's birthday extravaganza, a designer named Geoffre, family dinners, and PDA in Museums.  Ciao ciao a domani!

Imagine if you were sleeping for several months or years and suddenly you were woken up. You would be a little confused, right? Wine is like that.

To finish my thoughts about this weekend....

Sunday was a day of relaxing.  We woke up late in the day to the sun shining into our window.  After lounging around we finally got ourselves together enough to go and find some little place for lunch.  We decided upon this place that is very good to students of Florence called Dante's. The drinks, cover-charge, and an appetizer were all on the house. I enjoyed a traditional Florentine pasta dish of penne pasta lightly covered in a tomato creme sauce with cooked Florentine ham. It was such a big portion that I got to eat it as my dinner also. 

After lunch Diana and I walked all over Florence and picked through a little antique market in our closest piazza, Piazza de Santo Spirito.  I didn't purchase anything but was so tempted by all the antique jewelry, purses and hats...I could go on.  

I actually did some yoga yesterday which, I am very excited to say,  the girls also liked so hopefully I can keep up with my yoga teaching skills while away in this beautiful carb-filled place.  

Getting to know the people in your group is inevitable, but I really suggest you find a close connection with as many people in your group as early as you can.  It's great having only 10 of us because we are small enough to do things all together, but we don't necessarily HAVE to stay together.  Another blessing about this group is each person is determined to get the most out of their semester in Italy.  Some have different goals than others, but we each have the same mentality of, "I'm in Italy for 3 months, I must experience as much as I can."  

Today was a full day.  Four classes and a meeting. Italian class is coming along slowly and my brain is struggling to remember what I've learned. English class...we'll see if it picks up speed.  My two new classes today were Political Science of the European Union and Wine and Food Pairing.  Both will be challenging.  We had a nice sparkling Prosecco that evidently can be paired with anything except super heavy meals and we toasted the beginning of the class and to many more wines!  Salute!

Way to put on your big girl pants...

Being in Italy is such a grand adventure.  I can't explain the feeling of freedom and solace I get from exploring the streets of Firenze. The wind blowing from the river Arno and the savory smells of some trattoria drifting by. On the weekends there are open air markets with all kinds of wonderful treasures such as clothes, bags, furniture, and even candy and fruit! 

Today was a day of lazy wanderings after my first time enjoying the night life of Florence.  The discoteque is great because Europeans LOVE American music. It's a few months behind, but that just means we all know the words. The drinks are usually very expensive at the clubs, so if you want to drink, do so before hand with your friends. (Have dance parties in the kitchen even;)).  Something I had never seen happened to my friend and I the first time we broke out onto the dance-floor. There we were dancing by ourselves and after a few moments there were a few more guys around us than I remembered, and then after a few more moments of dancing, we were completely surrounded by partner-hungry Italians!  We were like poor fish being circled by sharks. Always bring boys in your group to grab and pretend to be your boyfriend. If it were not for Kevin we would have been done for. Otherwise, it was a great time and it's always fun to let loose and dance your heart out. 

During the day on Saturday was our first excursion outside of the city.  We drove about an hour outside of town into the Tuscan countryside to a town called Siena. This place is beautiful and filled with a vibrant culture.  Evidently the town is divided into 17 Contrade, or districts, that is represented by an animal or nature.  There is the goose, porcupine, caterpillar, panther, eagle, snail, owl, dragon, unicorn, she-wolf, seashell, wave, forest, tortoise, tower, ram, and the one I'm going to become a part of, the giraffe!  Evidently you are baptized into your contrada and are what you are for life.  There are of course rivalries among the contrade usually with neighbors and even alliances. There is a huge deal of a horse race each year and each contrada hires a horse and jockey and they race around the main square and whoever wins gets to put another painting up in their museum and get bragging rights for 2 months.  Each contrada is also usually associated with the trade they practiced back in the middle ages for example wave residents were carpenters and the goose people were dyers. It's all so full of community and pride, I love it!    

Tomorrow is my first full day of classes, but I will write more about my weekend tomorrow.  A Domani!

Wake up, you're in Italy!

It's been 3 days in Italy and I am finally starting to feel like a part of the city. I awoke after our first night in our lovely flat to my housemate reminding me that I was in Italy, what a way to greet the day! Our top floor flat is beautiful and eclectic along with our house mother who is an amazing british ex-model.  We had our first homemade dinner by mamma Loraine (as we call her).  Turns out Italian food is a lot lighter than America thinks. I don't see any overweight Italians yet almost every meal contains some sort of starch. It's magic!  

In a few words my first day was underwhelming. I was excited to be in the city but was more interested in getting settled and falling asleep.  We had been in transit for 17 hours or so. The two days following were much more exciting.  

We did a walking tour of the city with our on-campus coordinator, John Scherpereel.  I however, only know where a few key points of the city are thus far. I think a little independent discovery is really needed to become familiar with a city.  Getting lost is a good thing in this case! 

Another lesson learned: When going out, make sure to get a cup to drink any kind of alcohol. (also bring a bottle opener!)  You feel pretty silly sitting around in a circle of 10 girls trying to open a beer bottle with a mascara tube.  Well, I am going to the opera to see Rigoletto to enjoy the culture of Florence.  

A domani! (until tomorrow!) 

Packing, who me?? Noooo

I hate packing to begin with, but this is crazy.  How does one pack for 3 months of the unknown?!  Of course there are foreseeable things like school supplies and toiletries, but then there arises the question of what toiletries will it just be easier to buy there instead of shipping overseas making my bags that 16 oz heavier.   Also, what happens when it rains? I have no room for rain boots! I've decided that one suitcase is just going to be filled with shoes and I'll fit everything else into the other suitcase.  Probably not.  

I guess the best tactic is to sit down, suck it up, and just pack. Lists are also helpful.  Thankfully I have this great notepad with a checklist of the "Basics", "Miscellaneous", "Clothes", and "Hygiene".  I highly recommend something like this if you're like me and can't stay focused on getting one thing done at a time.  

I also need to gather together special items to remind me of my friends and family back home.  I'm expecting to love Florence, but I know I'll miss everyone home too, so pictures will be coming with me.  Ok, I'm off to actually put some things in my bags. Wish me luck! 

"Bring half of what you think you need, and twice as much money."

Preface

Hello Readers, 

I am Jordan (A junior at JMU), and I will be narrating my experiences for you during a semester abroad in Florence, Italy. Of course I will also be traveling all over Italy and the rest of Europe and can't wait to reveal what I learn about living as a European and being an American studying in Europe. I will be taking 5 courses: Italian, Italian Literature, Renaissance Art History, Politics of the European Union, and Wine and Food Pairing (My favorite!). I'm so excited to actually Live in the beautiful city of Firenze and all its charm. I'm warning you though, I love new and delicious foods so be prepared for detailed accounts of fabulous meals. I will be living with 3 other girls in a host family's house (Seniora Trapman is supposedly a very fun den mother),  and the girls already are planning adventures.  This should be a life-changing experience...let's go!