life...thats what i am student of.

The New Infinity (title of the Marche tourism brochure we got in Fabriano)

Saturday- I took a fantastic little adventure to Fabriano with my friend Chelsea.  Little know fact-there is an entire museum dedicated to the paper making process in Fabriano, because it was here that many fine techniques for paper making were invented,  including the watermark.  Chelsea, is a bit of book fanatic, and consequently loves paper.  I was eager to do some exploring of the local area., and thought that a paper museum might be interesting...

History is a narrative that we invent now (Professor Marc)

So we began our day with the train from Macerata to Fabriano-success. Once in Fabriano, we managed to procure a map, for free (either I have simply gotten lucky, or maps are often free here) Then, we found the paper museum on said map and began to head in that direction, with the intention of stopping for a small snack along the way.

While we were standing at an intersection, an older Italian man came up and asked us if we were from Fabriano and where we were headed.  He was very nice, and talkative, but missing a few teeth, and therefore a little difficult to understand (Chelsea has 2 years of Italian under her belt, but was also struggling)  When we told him our destination, he gave us directions involving hand gestures, a park, a bank and a post office… What we were supposed to be doing at each of those landmarks, neither of us were certain, but we did figure out that we at least had the right general heading out of the train station.  We thanked him and moved on to the pastry shop across the street.

After a brief bout of mild disorientation, we arrived at the museum, having encountered what we assumed to be the aforementioned landmarks.  The museum gave tours in English, which after some slight miscommunications we were able to take.  It was just the two of us and our guide who wants to get a masters degree in tourism.  She explained all about the paper making process to us, and allowed us to take pictures when the guide giving the tour in Italian was not around.  We saw how rags were originally turned into pulp, and even got to feel some of the pulpy water (one of the best parts about this museum was the fact that you were allowed to touch many of the exhibits)  We also saw how “simple” light water marks were made, by hand sewing designs onto the sieve so that when the pulp, which is 90% water, is pulled out of the vat, it will be thinner in those areas.

Art is the manipulation of Objects and Elements into something new (art history class)

The reason I called those simple water marks is because of what we encountered next, dark and light watermarks.  There are made from a bas-relief carved on a wax mold, which is then used to make 2 copper casts, that fit together and the two copper pieces are then pressed over the sieve causing it to have different depths and thicknesses when it catches the pulp.  The result is breathtaking.  Artisans in Farbriano have recreated famous paintings using this technique, and they look almost like monochromatic copies, it seems impossible that these intricate designs and distinct shadows are actually in the paper.  I bought one… so you will be able to see it.

At the end of our tour, we asked our guide where we could go for lunch, and followed her advice.  After getting some lovely gnocchi tucked away in our stomachs, we began to wander about the city, stopping occasionally for Chelsea to draw out our path of breadcrumbs on the map.  At one point we ended up at the same intersection, opposite corner where we met the old man, and we saw him again, this time with his wife. He wanted to make sure we found the museum and that we bought ourselves some prizes.  He looked at the pieces we each picked out and then he and his wife explained how to display them.  He was so sweet, and seeing him twice was quite a highlight.

Lots of wandering, some gelato, and a nap on some church steps later, we headed back to the train station, feeling tired but quite victorious.  We had entered a city with a goal, reached it, found nourishment, wandered, and returned to the train station, with only brief periods of disorientation.  We both brought our umbrellas, so it didn’t rain, and the day was wonderful.

Sunday- Laundry, housecleaning, and a wander around Macerata with Lisa.  Relaxed, and easy, the weather was nice and cool… which we are discovering causes the clothing to take longer to dry…a revelation that is somewhat distressing considering the popular trend in this hemisphere of air chilling as it gets closer to winter.  The air temperature is important, because we dry our clothing with simple, untreated air… not fancy machines.

Lose it in sweet music, and dance with me (Macy Gray)

Monday- We had our last 3 hours long intensive Italian class, because we are finally starting our official classes this week.  I had a planning/brainstorming session with my travel buddy Chelsea for our trip to the north (the ALPS!!!!!) on our 10 day break in October.  Then, I went to my first Italian dance class.  It’s a modern class at the University of Macerata Rec Center.  Another girl from my program, Rosie, is also in the class.  It was so much fun, I think it have been almost 2 months since my feet hit dance floor, and it was fantastic.  Pretty sure I am going to be a bit sore in the morning, but it will be worth it, and the class is twice a week, so I will be going again on Wednesday.  It is some form of intermediate level, and our teacher’s name is Monica.  I also met 4 girls from the European based study abroad group that is in Macerata, 4 from Spain and one from France.  All in all, it looks like it is going to be a wonderful class.

Tuesday- Full day of classes…. A bit tiring, but at the end of it, we had a lovely little dinner at our house with a few friends.  Lots of talking and laughing, and a very crowded kitchen, but crowded in the best way.  We also had a sampling of treats from the chocolate shop that is ever so conveniently placed just a short trip out the front door…. This may be a problem for me later, but for now we are just enjoying it.

I met my “tandem” partner Thursday, it is an optional program where we are paired with Italian students who are looking to learn more English and more about the US.  My partner’s name is Giulia, and I think we are going to have a great time.  We will get together for a couple hours each week to give me a chance to practice my Italian and another chance to get to know an Italian student.

See the sky and all the land together again.... (Tally Hall)

Friday, our excursion included an optional hike…which I opted out of.  It felt a little too intense for my taste based on the description.  So instead, I got to meet a wolf-dog (he was very nice, and a world champion in shows) and go to a town called Gubbio, near the monastery we would be visiting that afternoon.  Gubbio was quite lovely, we visited their cathedral, and also walked “on-set” for an Italian TV show that is filmed there, I don’t recall the name of the show, but it is about a crime solving priest I believe.

I loved the Monastery in Fonteavella.   There is something about the heavy stone walls that feels very safe and protective, when they could easily feel a little scary since they are so heavy, and there are not tons of windows.  But I did love the windows in this particular monastery.  They were stained glass but the design was simple and elegant and there was a consistent theme throughout.  They were mostly white with a few veins of lead running through them, mostly vertically and on one side.  Then there was a flash of golden yellow, like a brush stroke….hard to describe and photography was not allowed, but if I can get my hands on some watercolors, we are in business with a few copies. 

I have discovered that I love the sound of old church bells even more than I knew, especially hearing them in a small secluded abbey in the mountains.  The sound is like a call that rings straight though me, incredible.

Also incredible though, today we saw a manuscript that is like the rosetta stone of music.  It has some of the earliest notations of music that we have, and they are what modern notation is based on.  The book itself was written on parchment in this monastery, and has been kept there.  One of the monks made an incredible exception and brought the book down for us to see.  None of us could touch it of course, but we could see the pages, the perfect writing, each letter hand drawn.  Sadly, I do not currently recall the year it was written, but it is hundred of years old.   Unbelieveable.

Like a tree with many leaves… (art history)

This week has really been a reminder about the simple pleasures and the little things in life.  I found (thanks to Chelsea) the fair trade shop in town.  I also made myself a little bit of Argentine chimmichurri, and bought a jar of Nutella.  Tuesday night, Erin and I had one of those amazing conversations where you COMPLETELY lose track of time, and ended up a bit worn out on Wednesday, but I didn’t really care.  Visiting the monastery in Fonteavellana was beyond incredible.  Walking through the stoen hallways in silence and hearing the call of the bells was more amazing than I could have imagined.

Lots of pictures going up on facebook this weekend!

Salve! (health to you)

Sorry it's been forever and a day since I posted, and because of this... You have a super long post in store for you.  Hope you enjoy and that the world is treating you well :)

This past Friday, we took a walking tour of the city, a four hour walking tour.  This idea was not exactly thrilling at the outset, because in order to get or bearings in the city we were taken on several “survival and landmarks” tours, and yet another in the heat of the day was just not making the top 10.

But it turned out so well.  We went into the Cathedral and admired the art work, and learned about San Giovanni, the patron saint of Macerata.  Sitting in the “humble” Cathedral of Macerata, I can’t imagine how profoundly beautiful the Sistine Chapel must be… I also marvel at the craftsmanship, building such monumental and ornate structures centuries ago.  Next week, we start our Music in Italy class, and I can’t wait to learn all about the carefully orchestrated acoustics of all these buildings.  I always love the feeling that I get listening to music in a sanctuary with such high ceilings, its like each note is soaring, and it takes a little bit me with it. 

We also went through a small chapel built in honor of Madonna de la Misericordiae, credited with saving the town from the plague.  It is beautiful inside, with marble and stained glass, and small silver hears that have been donated as representations of answered prayers.

From there, we headed to climb the clock tower.  Not for the Faint of heart… We headed in and began our ascent on some cave-like brick stairs.  They were at least well lit, but that doesn’t really make up for the size.  After several flights of these with two rooms along the way to stop off and admire some of the previous historical fixtures which kept the clock ticking, we came to a room with windows, and we thought the views were awesome, but we had no idea.  We continued climbing on a new set of stairs, which were new, metal stairs with a single support bar running like a spine beneath them.  They were also open in the back (although unlike in my favorite lighthouse they were not also open grate) and that was the most nerve-wracking part of the climb for me.  As logic would tell you, it got warmer as we climbed up, but then suddenly I felt a cool breeze, and saw sunlight.  We made it to the top.  360 degree views of the city, and far, far beyond the walls.  I was pretty much speechless.  Amazing.

After the clock tower, we crossed the Piazza and went into the local opera theatre.  It is a small horseshoe shaped theatre, full of beautiful sky blues, and some fairly convincing fake marble (very carefully painted) We sat on the stage, and went into the boxes, and someone said it felt like Hollywood Squares.  Super awesome. 

From there, we went to the Sferisterio, athletic arena, turned into and outdoor opera venue.  There are several girls in the group who have danced, so we overtook the stage.  We goofed off for a while, and a few people threw a Frisbee around.  The Sferisterio is not quite as pretty as some of the other buildings, but in the summer it is home to a huge outdoor opera festival, that I am incredibly sad to have missed, but I will hopefully be seeing some opera while I am here, even if it has to be inside. 

I had the most amazing pizza for dinner, it was arugula, tomato, proscuitto, and mozzerella (and by mozzerella, I mean legit pieces of fresh mozzerella, not some little shredded stuff)

Spent some more time out at the sea.  My friend Shannon and I would swim out a ways and float back in because the sea is so calm.  One time we swam out and ended up with a school of fish.  It was pretty cool.  Its pretty normal to pay to rent a beach chair along the beach, so our group claimed a couple and when the attendant came along to for us to pay he complimented us on how wonderful and respectful we were.  Quite often college age kids that come to his beach are rowdy and disturb other beach-goers.  He encouraged us to study hard, and reminded us that God gave us this incredible, world, but to truly appreciate it, we need knowledge.  But he also said if the weather was nice, don’t forget to come back to the beach.

Monday, we finally got the much-anticipated rain, and it has been glorious.  And there was a rainbow outside the apartment.  That afternoon, Erin, Carlye (my roommates) and I headed to il supermercado, on the bus.  On the way we played a game of Gilmore Girls style “1, 2, or 3”  (if you don’t know what that is don’t worry about it…)  Then we (mostly Carlye) made some carbonara for dinner, which we ate with a loaf of bread that was still warm when we pulled it off the shelf.  After dinner, we made attempts at homework, but were frequently overcome by many healthy fits of laughter.  Eventually the homework was finished and was rewarded with gelato.

Tuesday, it was still rainy, and I have taken a few walks around town in the rain, but no umbrella. Walking in the rain reminds me of Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina, instructing Linus Larabee on how he is to spend his first day in Paris.  He is supposed to walk in the rain, but not to carry an umbrella (and being the powerful man that he is, he can order a rainstorm for his first day) Now I may not be in Paris, but this is the closest I have ever been…  In Roman Holiday, one of Princess Ann’s wishes for her perfect day is to walk in the rain.  So this morning that is what I did…but I am planning to bring an umbrella to my next class.

So…Today was incredible.  We started off our day be going to see the ancient Roman ruins at Urbs Salvia, just a little bit outside of Macerata.  I touched a wall that was built over 2000 years ago.  Urbs Salvia had one of the largest amphitheaters outside of Rome in its day.  Then we walked through a temple with remnants of frescoes on the walls.  Our “tour guide” let us walk outside the fenced areas and get up close to everything, which was pretty much awesome.  We also saw a chunk of an original Roman road where you could see the ruts from the wagon wheels.  It was crazy to walk amongst the walls and think that people were walking between those same walls 2000 years ago….

A short distance away, there was an abbey and monastery.  “Abbazia di Santa Maria di Chiaravalle di Fiastra.”  The monks pray seven times a day, and we were allowed to sit through their noontime prayer service.  It was my first experience hearing singing in a building with such a cool acoustic design.  And although all the prayers were in Latin, I was reminded that God is everywhere.  It was a beautiful moment.  After the prayer service, we looked at some other artwork around the church and learned the history of the campus, which is now also a historical site and nature preserve.   But then we got a lunch break, and there are a few small pizzeria type restaurants next to the abbey.  I had an amazing sandwich made with 2 pieces of rosemarino pizza (crust with butter, sea salt, and fresh rosemary) and proscuitto, simple but incredibly delicious.   We had a nice long lunch break, so we hung out on the expansive lawns around the abbey, then continued our tour, through the cloisters and the chapter room, and the gardens.  The chapter room is where the monks would sit to hear chapters from the Benedictine Rule.  This abbey was actually used as a holding cell for Jews on their way to Aushwitz.  But at the time, no one knew the ultimate fate of the Jews.  One who survived, Paul Pollak, has a quote on a plaque “In the gray and obscure hours of Auschwitz we always saw before us, like a mirage, the luminous garden Abbadia di Faistra, in Italy, coutry sun and good people.”

Because of the close proximity to the Roman town, most of the marble in the abbey (built in 1142) was taken from Urbs Salvia.  At the base of one of the walls, you could see the capital of an ionic column.  (the kind with the scroll-like top) Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!!!!  Haha.

After monastery we went to small winery and got a tour.  And then we got a sampling of wine with a delicious spread of appetizers.  We tried a red before it was actually released to the public, because we are that cool.  Granted, it is being sent to stores tomorrow, but hey, we were a day early.  Then I bought myself a couple bottles of red that I am anxious to try soon. 

But… I took approximately 500 pictures…today.  Soooo… new pictures will be coming soon, I hope.  I am going to be lots of editing and selecting, because I also have a couple hundred from last week, YAY DIGITAL! 

Question of the week, what three words in the English language start with “dw-“…?

Il Mare & More

Saturday was our trip to il mare (the sea).  Italy’s Adriatic coast is beautiful, and incredibly comforting to a girl who grew up with Lake Michigan in her veins.  If it wasn’t for the saltiness and the bathwater temperatures, I almost wouldn’t know the difference.  I laughed out loud at a couple class mates who said the water was a bit chilly…. I didn’t notice at all, it was certainly warmer than Lake Charlevoix in June. 

On Saturdays, Civitanova has a huge open air market, and we wandered around there for a while between getting off the train and hitting the beach.  I bought a very cute dress for just 5 Euro, and then was showing it to a friend and discovered she bought the same one.  We plan to have a twin day at some point soon…

We then took a brief walking tour through the fishing harbor, which was full of boats, because there is a seasonal ban on commercial fishing until October.

After the walking tour we split up, and a few of us grabbed lunch at a beachside restaurant.  The beach is very rocky…but not rocks like in Charlevoix, these are thousands of perfectly smooth flat rocks, and more amazing skipping stones than you could dream of.   Also, there was a TON of beach glass.  I picked up lots of it with my friend Myranda, another Michigan girl who loves beach combing, but had never seen beach glass before.

When we headed for home, Myranda and I sat across from a sweet, older Italian woman on the train, and had a very broken, but semi functional conversation with her (and the aid of my pocket dictionary/phrase book)  But then when we got to Macerata, we had to figure out how to get back to our apartments (which are technically within walking distance but it was not an appealing option)  The group of us there saw a bus, and ran to grab it, because it was a line number we recognized as one that headed the right direction…  And it did, eventually.  We took bus 7, which goes all the way out to the mall before coming back toward the old city and the walls.  So about 45 minutes later we were able to get off and walk the rest of the way home…

Saturday night I went out for gelato, and then bumped into a few classmates, we went to my friend Lisa’s apartment and chatted about life for a few hours, and then I went home to go to bed, after a very long, but very good day.

In other news: A pigeon has successfully entered our apartment through the large, alluring, unscreened windows, but did also successfully exit without any damaging physical injury to any parties involved (to the best of my knowledge)

I was in the kitchen when I heard intensely flapping wings and a scream from Erin and Carlye’s room.  I ran in to see that the pigeon, quite frightened by his situation, was trying to crawl behind the dresser.  We coaxed him out of there, but he flew around the room looking for somewhere to land, and even grabbed onto the valance of the curtain before rediscovering the window.  It was intense.

The rest of the week has been fairly normal.  We have our Italian language class at 8:30 each morning….and it goes until 11:30.  We still have one more week of language intensive before our other classes start.  I feel like we are making TONS of progress in our beginning Italian class, but doing it for three hours a day probably helps. 

I have also been learning all kinds of fascinating etymologies, like the origins of the telling someone that something is bologna.  The Italian city of Bologna was famous for its fake gold…Oro di Bologna…things that seemed farfetched or false would also be referred to this way.  And TADAH!  Its bologna.  I have also learned the origins of the bourgeois.  In the feudal system, a lord would be given a piece of land, and would build his castle at the highest point of the area.  There would be one road that lead out of the castle, known as the burg.  Initially, all the skilled craftsmen the he hired would live within the walls of the castle, but eventually their population would grow to the point where they needed to live just outside.  They would build homes near the castle gate, along the burg.  As the population continued to expand, they continued to build around the castle, eventually forming hill towns, but those who lived nearest the castle were not the poor class, they were middle class skilled workers, who became known as the bourgois. 

And for all my Grand Rapids people…ever wonder what Mangiamo means?  It always sounded so regal and magnificent to me, well… it means “We Eat!”  Just thought you would like to know, I almost burst out laughing when we conjugated that verb in class.

Also... If you want to see pictures, use this link :)  Its easier than putting them up here.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150790346585705.726518.703125704&l=f91e3c5417&type=1

Happy Weekend!

Bella Vida, Bella Vista

After what feels like weeks, and is in reality only about 4 days, we are finally moved into our apartments!  But before I delve into the ravishing details of how much I absolutely LOVE my apartment, I will fill you in on the past few days, now that I recovered from my trans-Atlantic voyage.

This week, we have been doing orientation, primarily on foot…Macerata is gorgeous, and most everything is within walking distance, especially within the walls, on the labyrinths of Vias, Viales and Piazzas.  I am still not entirely able to navigate solo… I often recognize where I am, but I do not know how that relates to my destination or the path of least resistance to my destination.  But, we are learning, ever so much.  Our program director Filiberto has an encyclopedic knowledge of nearly every building in the city, when it was built, by whom, for whom, and what it has been used for in the years since.

Perhaps almost as daunting as finding your way around the city are the hills, one that is a main artery of the city is Piaggia del Torre… a delight reserved only for pedestrians.  The piaggia stretches for the equivalent of several blocks, and is an alternating series of stairs and these fantastic brick ramps.  For the past few days, while the students were staying in a hostel, it was part of our daily commute to the class center (lucky for me, it is not on the way to my apartment!!!...but I do have my fair share of stairs…) 

Speaking of the class center… it is in a former palace.  Macerata is filled with palaces that have been put to new use.  Because the university here was founded in 1250 it was has been filled with nobility and royalty for centuries.  One of our classrooms is the ballroom.  It has lovely murals on the ceiling that tell the story of this particular noble raising a force of 100 men to go fight in the first crusade. 

Our first few weeks are going to be spent in intensive Italian language courses, and then we will begin our other courses.  This Saturday we are going off to the Adriatic coast, just a 35 minute train ride away.  From certain points around the city, we can catch glimpses of the sun gleaming off the water. 

So the apartment…its just around the corner from school, and on the Italian 2^nd floor, which is really the American third floor, so lots of steps.  It is absolutely gorgeous.  It has a bit of an art deco style interior, but with its own character.  I turned my key and walked inside for the first time and absolutely melted.  When you walk down the corridor, my bedroom is the first room on your left.   If you walk through my room you can get to the kitchen through another set of double doors.  But if you skip my room, your next stop is the living room.  It holds a couple of decent couches and a very small TV that gets a couple of channels.  BBC news at 6 AM  (don’t think I will get that desperate to hear the English language)  After the living room is Erin and Carlye’s room.  The bathroom comes off the kitchen, it is very pink, and has a great view from its little window.

(pictures coming soon, internet is far too slow today to try to load them, sorry!)

The kitchen has one of the best views, although it is basically the same as the view from my window, only a wider swath.  My room technically has only one narrow window, but if I leave my doors open, I can take in the view from the big window in the hallway.  The windows here don’t have screens, but they do have shutters.  The best way to keep cool is to keep all the windows open, but close the shutters on those that face the sun.

Tuesday night we went out for dinner to an amazing little restaurant.  Our first course was a pasta with a light sauce and finely chapped bits of meat.  Then, a small pork chop (a name that does not quit how delicious it was…) and an incredible thin chicken cutlet, with a lemon to squeeze over it.   There was also fresh mozzerlla, properly prepared eggplnt, and fried potatoes. We also had a delightful, gentle red wine and yummy white wine.  Then for dessert, a custard dish whose name escapes me and coffee (café).  It was almost paralyzingly delicious. 

After dinner, we headed back to the hostel, and the 6 girls in my room stayed up just a bit too late gabbing.  But so far I don’t think any of us are any worse for wear because of it. 

On Wednesdays and Saturdays there is an open air market spread throughout the city selling everything from fruit to dresses, to Chinese style fans, to jewelry and purses.  We walked around it for the first time today, and I am excited to explore it more each week.

We have continued our walking tours of this gorgeous city, and I have been having lots of delicious food (I think gelato is officially a food group)  I have tried a few new restaurants and made my first trip to the grocery store.  Today, we are going to the mall… The mall originally a concept invented by the Romans as part of the governemental forum, transformed and commercialized by Americans, and then brought back to Italy, so I am quite curious to see what it will be like. 

Tomorrow is Civitanova, the birthplace of Enrico Cecchetti (what luck!!!!)  Enrico Cecchetti designed them method of ballet I grew up learning.  Hopefully I will get a chance to see his house, if not tomorrow another day, because it is only a 40 minute train ride away J  Civitanova also has a beach, so after a week of hot hot heat and humidity, we get to take a dip in the Adriatic.

Peace & Blessings  :)

Day 1 (?)

Warning... I wrote much of this post while completely exhausted and reallllly jet-lagged.  I have edited it some, but I think I will leave the rest for you to enjoy.  It feels like it has been weeks since I left...and really its less than 48 hours.

The journey officially began at around 8:30 AM, when the truck was loaded (and the trailer attached to fetch Christopher’s car…)  But I had been awake off and on for a while before then….more consistently awake than not since 5 AM in part thanks to my beloved dog, who decided that granola bars would make an excellent snack…

So we ate pancakes, and mom sang “I’ll be home for Christmas.” Then I bid farewell to the dog and the brother, and we headed off.  Mom started “going over the check list” in the car, and by the time we got on M-6 I realized I’d forgotten my phone, which may come in handy for the portions of this adventure in which my feet are touching American soil. But more importantly, I had promised to call  Tanis… (which turned into a misadventure all its own)  So, we called Alex and he met us to deliver my phone and charger. And we continued on our way again.

Coming into Chicago, we hit traffic…shocker.  But we did manage to play a few exciting rounds of the alphabet game to distract us….well me.  Into O’hare, we have to locate Terminal 5, which was possible, but stressful, especially navigate the ever so slightly chaotic mass of vehicles also traversing about O’hare.  Then…in line to get ticket in hand, and from here to Mc Donalds since Terminal 5 is also distinctly lacking in food procurement establishments.

Lunch/snack time is done and it is time for final farewells in the security line.  I picked the slow line….but still made it to my gate with plenty of time to spare.  My flight scheduled for 3:35 was pushed back to 4:00, and our wheels lifted off at about 4:45. 

I got a decent seat but I couldn’t sleep… shoulda taken something that would just knock me out, but oh well.  As I right this… it feels like I have been up for 25-26 straight hours… even though that isn’t true I dozed off a few times, and each time someone adjusted their vent, and it made alittle click sound before changing the ambient noise of the cabin, I had a dream that someone opened the window on the plane.  Currently however…. I am sitting in Roma Termini fighting to stay awake, at least a little.  I have fallen a asleep a few times while writing this… like classic kid falling asleep in class, like waking yourself up because your neck can no longer support the weight of your head.  My fingers really have no idea which way is up, making just the typing of this a new sort of adventure. 

I also should have packed lighter or lifted weights while running on a treadmill.  My arms are really tired.

Despite all of this, I did have an interesting morning, in a good way.  Customs was a breeze (suspectly so…. I feel as though I must have done something wrong it was so easy….)  And on the way to customs, I began to talk with another American woman.  We ended up on the same train from the airport to Roma Termini.   Turns out she is in Rome for a conference on the Vigotsky theory of social psychology, and is also a Michigan native.  We reached Termini, and parted ways, but it was definitely a bright spot in my day. 

When I first arrived here, it was HOT.  The section of Termini I was in was very much plane aire and I was quite warm.  But, I found a snack shop, and got myself an ice cream bar and a cup of pineapple juice.  (probably not the most pleasing combination to the palette, but it was cold, and so worth it)

After several hours of hanging out in Termini, I finally got on my train, but instead of car 7, where my ticket said, I got in car 9.  Luckily though, car 9 was almost empty, and no one had a problem with me staying there.   I got my first views of the lovely countryside, but I did nearly scream when we went through our first tunnel, because I had not idea it was coming.  

Then after the train was the bus at Fabriano, which I ran off the train to catch.  It was incredibly difficult to stay awake on the bus, I was so tired at this point.  However, the ride was not smooth, especially not on the upper level where I was sitting, and that helped me to stay awake.  Only about 5 people got off the bus in Macerata, and then I had to find a taxi.  Luckily, two women offered to share one with me.  The taxi driver walked with me down one of the narrow alleys to the Ostello (hostel) where I am staying these first few days.  

I cannot even express how glorious it is to have a bed, a real pillow, and a shower.  

As the day goes on, the other students should be arriving here as well.  Thanks for reading :) 

View from my window-

 

Planes, Trains and Automobiles!

The suitcase is packed.... It meets the limits imposed by the  airline...assuming we trust our bathroom scale.   My train tickets are purchased, and I have my passport, visa, International Student ID card and a few Euros to eat and catch a cab....

 

I have done better than Santa, because I have not just checked my list twice, but many times over...and I have probably still forgotten something.

 

I have said good bye for now to many friends and family members.  Lots of hugs and a few tears, well-wishes and warnings. 

 

So Saturday morning, the journey of planes, trains and automobiles begins (literally! how awesome is that...)  We head out of Grand Rapids and drive to Chicago's lovely O'hare airport, where I will parade through the corrals and crowds, pick up my tickets, and board my flight with Alitalia at 3:35 PM straight to Roma, the Eternal City.  I'll be landing in Roma (assuming all goes well) at about 8AM (which is about 2AM Michigan time)  Then more corrals crowds and customs... an out to catch a train to Roma Termini.  Once I am there, I will hopefully have a few hours to rest, and find some food.  Then it is off again!  From Roma Termini to Fabriano, and from Fabriano to Macerata by bus.  Once in Macerata, I will hail a cab to my hotel, and best case scenario, be there by about 9:30PM Sunday (which is 3:30 PM Michigan time)

 

And then the adventure begins :)

 

I can't wait to start this chapter of my life, I feel like it is full of opportunities that I can't even describe, because I don't even know what they are yet. The next semester is like a blank canvas, a bit daunting, but begging to be filled with something beautiful.  I really have no idea what the picture will look like when its done... a few general sketches, a lot of reference pictures, but the results are a mystery, and to me, thats the best part.

 

Thank you so much to all of you who have loved me and suppored me as I have prepared myself for this endeavor.  I have been blessed with a wonderful family (blood related and otherwise) and I am so grateful for each of you.