So Many updates....

So, I have been here in beautiful Florence Italy for over a week now, and it has been wonderful.

We went to a shop called the Oil shoppe for lunch and it was so delicious. They make your sandwhich and then grill it (a panini), but for some reason it is way more delicious than any other sandwhich I have ever had. We then walked through the outdoor market....very overwhelming. We went to the indoor part of the market where the food is located and were hit with the overwhelming smell of a barn. The downstairs consisted of meats and cheeses, and some items that were supposed to be meat, but actually just looked like of heap of murdered animal. So needless to say, we passed by the meat because and went upstairs to the vendors. Upstairs, the locals were selling fresh fruit and veggies, olive oil, noodles, and spices. We bought lots of fresh fruit and veggies and other necessities to cook with, so that we could start saving some money by not going out everyday. We later found out that it is only cheaper to buy the fruits and veggies there, and buy the rest at our local market. Right underneath our apartment is a market called the Magi. They have the essentials, and Caitlin and I shop there pretty much everyday. Its so convenient because if we need something really last minute, we can just run downstairs and grab it.

On friday night we decided to stay in and do some good old fashioned roommate bonding. I am so blessed..I love my roommates to death. First there is Laurie-Ann. We call her our mom. She is a super senior at her college in Alabama and is 22 years old. Shes like our little southern mama. Then there is Faith. Faith is from the Chicago area but goes to school in California. She is so fun to be around....and her fashion style reminds me of the Olson sisters. She is adorable. Then there is Sarah...she is from the Chicago area also. She is so fun, because she her humor is just like mine and Caitlins. She just comes waltzing in the room, announces something random, and leaves. Her roommate Leah reminds me of our friend Jenn. She is very quiet, but then will burst out of nowhere with the most hilarious comments. She also sasses us right back, so we love it. Then there is Morgaine...Morgaine lived in ENglad for a good deal of her life, but now lives in Hawaii, but goes to school in Vermont. She is crazy, and a ton of fun. Her roomate Tracy is from Boston and goes to school with her in Vermont. She is also a crazy fun girl.

So basically we just bonded this past weekend...doing a personality test that Faith just happens to carry around with her, playing cards, and of course dancing.

On Saturday we went on a walking tour with our school. We walked for about three and a half hours, but it was well worth it. We traveled over the bridge to the other side of Florence, where the actual Florentines live. It is more peaceful there, and there is a lot more greenery. The part that we are in is more of the touristy area. Tomorrow, since Caitlin and I dont have class, we are going to put on our tennies and walk up to the vineyards and the green part of Florence to discover the countryside. I am hoping to get some good hiking in over there these next couple of months. We then had a free cocktail and food at Gonzo, the schools restaurant. And of course we went since...free is still afterall my middle name.

On Sunday the girls and I had a great idea to walk down to the supposedly beautiful park "down the road." Well the down the road was more like a 45 minute walk in the sweltering heat (by the way, its been in the 90's the whole time we have been here). We got there to find construction and tape all around the "beautiful" park. The park also happened to be not that shaded, and well the grass was dead. So we laid our blankets in the dirt and leaves and sat for about 20 minutes before deciding that the park adventure was a bust. But it was great bonding time, especially when an Italian man keep circling us on a bike over and over talking to us in a language we did not actually understand. But it was an adventure all the same!

Monday I started classes. It was so nice to start getting into a schedule and what not. I had Italian on Monday, which was extremely hard for me. Languages have never been my strong suit, and he began the class by talking very quickly in Italian. I kind of wanted to cry. Caitlin is going to help me though, cause otherwise i might just fail!! ahhh.

I also had world religions on monday. I am super excited for that class. We will be looking more in depth into the Buddhist and Islamic religions which I am super excited to explore deeper. Hopefully, I will be able to develop even more spiritually while I am here. We will also be visiting some churches and museums.

On Tuesday I had Women and Religion which I am very excited about. Caitlin was freaking out a bit about the class, because it is a little out of her element, but I think the class is going to be wonderful. We are going to be traveling to Rome for the day for this class, as well as do a lot of
visits to the mosques and other spiritual places. The first day, our professor sent us out onto the streets of Florence to find different portrayals of women throughout Florence.

We also had our history of the mafia class. Our professor has a very strong accent and talks very fast, so it was a bit hard to understand. I think the class will be interesting and probably break a lot of stereotypes that we all have of the mafia due to our medias portrayal of it.

Today I again had Italian (eek) and Environmental Conservation. That class is extremly dull, and it going to be a beast, because our professor is actually kind of boring and the content seems extremely boring also. So we will see what the class brings us.

We have been eating a lot of pizza from this cute little pizza shop just down the road. It is called mi amore pizza, and the women there is a little older woman who is absolutely adorable. She doesnt speak English, and we dont speak Italian (yet), but she often helps us pronounce the words of what is on the pizza. We also had gelato here a few times, and man is that yummy.

Ahh, but enough for now. I will post more after we travel to the countryside of Italy.

For now, I am feeling pretty good, not that homesick, but do miss everyone, especially my family. Hope everyone is doing well. I do have interent in my room, so if you want to talk to me...download skype (its free) and we can chat!!

Love to all..

Amy