Made it!

Well folks, I made it! It was all smooth sailing until I arrived at my apartment. The flights went well, no delays. I made it to the school, checked in, found my apartment…then freaked. After lugging my oversized suitcases up two floors of stairs, the key wasn’t working. It fit in just fine, but the door just wouldn’t budge. I kept trying the key, with no results. Then self-doubt began to set in. Maybe I was at the wrong place.

Although calling runs up quite a bill over here, I called my landlord. No one answered. I called the school, and they contacted the landlord and said to go downstairs.

So, Maria arrived and I had to carry both heavy suitcases (that I had just dragged down to the first floor) right back up two levels. I was exhausted, and embarrassed. My landlord took my key and opened the door with ease.

Luckily, I arrived early, so none of my future roommates saw this startling show of inadequacy. Now, I’m all unpacked, waiting for my roommates to show up. I’ve tried to get WIFI to work, and failed. So I unpacked, and tried the WIFI again (still, no luck). Then I decided to take a shower BUT the water was freezing cold, so I got into sweats and started typing. Not that I can post this now, as I don’t have access to Internet.

I’m too scared to go out alone because I honestly don’t understand how to open my door. Also, I haven’t showered in a long time and should really figure that out before going out in public again. So, hopefully my roommates get here soon! I’m about ready for some authentic Italian pizza.

--- After my nap ---

I ended up falling asleep for a few hours, and when I woke up, my roommate was just coming up the stairs. We all went to get pizza and groceries and got completely lost in Florence, before finding a nice place to eat. We ended up each ordering a pizza so we have plenty of left over’s for later.

I’m trying to get used to Italian, but nearly everyone speaks a little English, which makes it fairly easy to get around. We’re all still exhausted from traveling, but it was amazing walking by the historic center, seeing the David replica, the Perseus statue holding the head of Medusa, walking by the Duomo on our way to find dinner…I think I’m gunna like it here :)

(Nearly) Sunrise at LAX

I’m waiting at LAX at 4:35 AM. The good part about having the first flight is, no lines. The bad part? No sleep the night before a long trip, which will inevitably be followed by some serious jet lag.

Living in Florence seems like a dream. And in less than 24 hours, it will become my reality. Over the past three years that I’ve been a student at CSULB, I’ve been constantly on the move, it seems. from Long Beach to Santa Barbara, traveling to Europe a few times, and volunteering in Costa Rica. I have been presented with many wonderful opportunities as a student, and I rarely let an opportunity pass by unexplored.

I’m both unbelievably nervous and excited for the next 6 months.

Things I’m nervous about:

1) Language. I barely speak Italian and I’m about to move to Florence. Probably should have used Rosetta Stone more this past month, but now there’s nothing left to do but memorize key phrases such as mi sono persa (I’m lost).

2) Forgetting something important

3) Cold weather

But, mostly I’m excited! For the food, for the culture, for the beautiful city that will be my home for the next four months.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

-H. Jackson Brown Jr.

And in that spirit, I’m off to Europe. Ciao!