Siena

I've offically been abroad for a week now. It feels like I've been gone forever! I feel like I've done so much in so little time. London was so quick and we did so much then we hopped on a plane to Italy and have been getting settled here ever since. I think when I got here I had never been so tired in my life!! I had the worst jet lag. The program we're on took us out to dinner at a great restaurant in Florence the first night here. Unfortunately we were all so tired we were practically falling into our food.
I got some sleep that night and finally felt better the next morning. We had our orientation meeting and met our roommates and got settled in our room. I have 2 roommates who I found out will also be my roommates in Italy. They are really, really nice, which I'm excited about. They are also really fun and pretty much just like to enjoy life. One of them has a boyfriend like me so we can relate to each other in the missing them department. Unfortunately she is really homesick and is having a hard time. This is the first time in my life I feel like Rob and I being apart since we've been together (haha, oxymoron) has actually helped me. I'm used to him not being around, unlike my roommate. Communication, especially with him, has definitely been a challenge. I'm 6 hours ahead of him in Italy and now 9 hours ahead of him because he's in CA training for now. Speaking of Rob..he booked his tickets to come see me in Italy and I'm really nervous for us that something is going to happen with his pre-deployment leave and it's going to get pushed back and he's going to miss his flight. Please pray about that!!
The internet at the hotel is pretty bad. All of us (200 people in my program) all try to get on and the system starts going slow and then pretty much doesn't work. Most of my internet access has been done at internet cafe and restaurants. Rarely anyone offers internet for free in Italy. (They're quite behind in that area it seems)
We started our italian classes on Monday. We have class about 3.5 hours a day. It is intense, to say the least. I'm excited I'm learning so much though and will hopefully be able to communicate with Italians better once I get to Florence. We have our first test this Friday..Yikes!
There we're all different events we could sign up for, so I am doing a tour of Siena, going to a wine tasting, and taking italian cooking classes. I think all should be fun and interesting.
I've started going for runs in the morning (gotta do something to work off this amazing food) and it is so beautiful looking out over Siena. This whole place is surrounded by walls that look medieval and just make it seem so secluded and like it's your own world. If you have seen the Truman Show...that's how I feel! It seems so unreal, it seems fake. I feel like I'm in a movie and everyone around it knows it but me. When you're here it's like nothing bad could possibly happen. Everyone is happy and just simply enjoy each others company.
I can't believe I'm going to be here until May. It still seems like I'm coming home in a week and this is just a vacation. I've never been this relaxed in my life with no worries, job, commitments (well...except learning a whole new language) It's just so refreshing. I'm already realizing all of these different things I never thought about and just our relation as Americans to citizens of other countries. I feel like this is going to have such an impact on my life.
I really do miss everyone back home. That is one thing that's really difficult. Not being "in the loop." I'm getting more and more over that by the day though! I also have a cell phone now! .30 cents a minute for me to call the US and free to receieve any calls! So email me if you want the number! Please keep me posted on what's happening in the good ol USA. Obama inauguration soon! dun dun dun...!
As for me..I'll hopefully be able to grab internet every once in a while. Next weekend we're taking a trip to Venice, and then back here until the 30th ! Well..off to get gelato. (...best thing ever)
Missing you all! Arrivederci!!