I haven't been able to get a connection on my laptop since I've been here, so the posts may be a little slow. I am having the best time here, and our group has clicked really well. I can't believe that I have only been here a few days, because I already feel so comfortable here. My first day of class was on Monday, and it was a little intimidating. My teacher speaks only in Italian, but it's been good, because it really makes me pay attention in class. Italian is really similar to Spanish, and I have been catching on fairly quickly. It's still hard though, because Alanna and I are the only ones in our group who have never taken Italian before. Today is the Festiva de Repubblica in Italia, so I don't have class today. I actually got to meet up with my parents today, because they just finished their Mediterranean cruise in Capri and came to Firenze for the day.Last night our whole group went to a club downtown, and it was the most fun I've ever had! It definitely beats the nightlife in America. The vino here is amazing, and we are going on a Chianti tour next week. A few of us decided to go to Verona this weekend, and maybe I'll even write a letter to Juliet:) On Sunday, we are all going to the countryside to have cooking lessons, so hopefully I'll come back with a few new recipes!

When in Firenze...

I can't believe I am actually in Italy! I got here yesterday afternoon, and a taxi took my roommate, Alanna, and I directly to the apartment where we are staying. My host family is a very nice, older Italian couple. They have four grown children, and their daughter actually left today to interview for a job in New York City. Their apartment is in a really nice area, and it is actually much larger than I was expecting. There is also a Japanese lady who is staying with us for a week. The house mom, Gabriella, spoke English at first, and then said she was only going to speak in Italian, because it would be easier for her and us. When we got there, Gabriella made us a butter and parmesan cheese sandwich, which was surprisingly really good. We finished the meal with brioche and Nutella. Brioche is similar to a croissant, but not as flakey. After lunch, Alanna and I were exhausted, so we took a 4 hour nap. We woke up in time for dinner at 8, which was probably one of the best meals I've ever had in my life. The first course was a penne pasta with tomato sauce and cheese. It was really simple, but delicioso! Gabriella took away all of our plates, and brought us our second course, which was was asparagus wrapped in pancetta. The third course was bucelli and parmesan cheese. Bucelli is kind of like edamame. For dessert, we had homemade blueberry, banana, and vanilla gelato!

Today I woke up around 8:30, ate breakfast, and got ready for the day. Alanna and I left around 10:30, and didn't get back until 7! We walked to the Piazza della Repubblica, where our school is located, so we would know how to get there tomorrow. After that, we met up with two of our friends in front of the Duomo and then randomly ran into our instructors, Gabriella and Lidia. We walked around for a bit and then had lunch. I decided to be adventurous, and I had risotto with porcini mushrooms. After lunch, we met up with a few other people from the group and went to Gabriella and Lidia's apartment for afternoon coffee. Then they took us to their favorite gelateria in Italy. I had coffee and white chocolate gelato, which was a fabulous combination. After a long afternoon of walking, we were exhausted and stopped for a glass of wine at the Piazza di San Lorenzo. Now, I'm just resting and trying to learn some basic Italian for class tomorrow. Ciao!

Every new beginning is some other beginning's end...

I have to admit, I'm not much of a "blogger", but I'm going to give it my best shot this summer. I will be spending my summer in Florence, Italy and Chicago, Illinois. I leave for Italy in 5 days, and I will be taking a few classes while I'm over there. I'm a little nervous about my lack of Italian, but I'm hoping I will catch on quickly. I've always wanted to learn Italian-not really for any practical reason-but just because I think the language is beautiful. Italy is my favorite place in the world, and I absolutely cannot wait to be there. While I'm in Chicago, I will be interning at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. I will be working at an "active kids camp", where I will be exercising with kids daily and teaching them how to make healthy snacks. I will also be teaching education classes to the parents about various topics, such as obesity statistics and related diseases, portion sizes and label reading, healthy lunches and snacks and the nutrient content of various food items, etc. I will also be involved in the clinical aspect of nutrition, focusing on brain and spinal cord injuries. I'm really not familiar with either area, but it sounds fascinating and will be interesting to learn about. I am so excited about everything that is to come. I have been blessed with two great opportunities, and I know that I am going to learn so much from both.