Today was my first day in Italy. I'd known for months that I'd be living here for this semester, and today it was finally real. I stumbled off the plane this morning in Firenze at 11am local time, (5 am EST) full of excitement, regardless of sleeping a mere 4 hours on my overnight flight. The satisfaction of finally arriving at the place I'd been anticipating visiting for so long hit me as I stepped off the plane and onto the tar-mac.The weather was a beautiful, brisk 50 degrees, and any feeling of sleep deprivation had left my mind instantly. I was finally here.
My journey began in a manner that was a bit un-orthodox, but I'm thankful for my slight delay. I think the unexpected 'dilemma' I experienced two days ago made me more appreciative of what I was to experience. Despite the 16 inches of snow we'd received in the days leading up to my arrival, I'd made it out safe and sound, with nothing but a 'bumpy ride' to tarnish my trip. How can I complain? I'm in Italy, and loving it.
This afternoon wasn't super eventful. About an hour or so was spent in orientation, a good amount of time was spent wandering around, and the majority of the time was occupied by my frequent, loud outbursts exclaiming my love and excitement for what was to come. The only thing I bought today was food. And oh, it was so worth it. I had a wonderful pomodorini provolone pizza for lunch, followed by an afternoon cappuccino to keep me alert until the evening. Around 5pm I drank the best drink I've had in a long time. A cappuccino, with....NUTELLA. Words can not even describe the awesomeness that this cup contained. Every sip was like a magical explosion of chocolate, hazelnuts and coffee. And to top it off, the waiter made a butterfly out of the foam on my cup. Obviously, this was an amazing experience for me. For dinner, my roommate Amy and I went to this place a few streets over. I can't even remember the name, but I ate a tuscan vegetable soup, and we drank the house wine. The meal was very good, not exceptional, but very good. The waiter, though, was great. Just after we'd finished eating, I asked for il contro, the check, and he denied my request. He pointed out that we still had wine left in our glasses, and told us to calm down and relax. After all, tomorrow is Saturday, and we don't have class. So we sat, for a good while, drinking our wine and chatting. And when we had finally finished, he brought us our check. It's interesting how sometimes it takes someone that you have never met to get you to do something that is so hard for you to do. Maybe the waiter has been reading my blog. ;)
Today was great. By all means, everything I did was average. I ate pizza. I drank wine. I drank a cappuccino. I walked. (I think it's obvious the nutella cappuccino was far above average, but that's beside the point.) Anyone observing what I did today would have the reaction of "meh." Nothing I did was outstanding. But, I experienced all of this in Italy. Being here allows me to see activities that I would normally consider 'average' as exquisite. It allows me to gain a greater appreciation for the things I do everyday. And for that, I am grateful.
My journey began in a manner that was a bit un-orthodox, but I'm thankful for my slight delay. I think the unexpected 'dilemma' I experienced two days ago made me more appreciative of what I was to experience. Despite the 16 inches of snow we'd received in the days leading up to my arrival, I'd made it out safe and sound, with nothing but a 'bumpy ride' to tarnish my trip. How can I complain? I'm in Italy, and loving it.
This afternoon wasn't super eventful. About an hour or so was spent in orientation, a good amount of time was spent wandering around, and the majority of the time was occupied by my frequent, loud outbursts exclaiming my love and excitement for what was to come. The only thing I bought today was food. And oh, it was so worth it. I had a wonderful pomodorini provolone pizza for lunch, followed by an afternoon cappuccino to keep me alert until the evening. Around 5pm I drank the best drink I've had in a long time. A cappuccino, with....NUTELLA. Words can not even describe the awesomeness that this cup contained. Every sip was like a magical explosion of chocolate, hazelnuts and coffee. And to top it off, the waiter made a butterfly out of the foam on my cup. Obviously, this was an amazing experience for me. For dinner, my roommate Amy and I went to this place a few streets over. I can't even remember the name, but I ate a tuscan vegetable soup, and we drank the house wine. The meal was very good, not exceptional, but very good. The waiter, though, was great. Just after we'd finished eating, I asked for il contro, the check, and he denied my request. He pointed out that we still had wine left in our glasses, and told us to calm down and relax. After all, tomorrow is Saturday, and we don't have class. So we sat, for a good while, drinking our wine and chatting. And when we had finally finished, he brought us our check. It's interesting how sometimes it takes someone that you have never met to get you to do something that is so hard for you to do. Maybe the waiter has been reading my blog. ;)
Today was great. By all means, everything I did was average. I ate pizza. I drank wine. I drank a cappuccino. I walked. (I think it's obvious the nutella cappuccino was far above average, but that's beside the point.) Anyone observing what I did today would have the reaction of "meh." Nothing I did was outstanding. But, I experienced all of this in Italy. Being here allows me to see activities that I would normally consider 'average' as exquisite. It allows me to gain a greater appreciation for the things I do everyday. And for that, I am grateful.
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