Orientation Day

Ciao!

Today was orientation day and so much information was thrown my way. We got up early and headed over to the Odean Theatre where we waited for an hour before it started because apparantly italians take there time to do anything. We learned about things to avoid and to do in Italy for a safe stay here. We also met our advisors and after 5 hours of information thrown at us, lunch time. Jess and I went over to a pizzeria and sat down for a nice lunch. I got bruschetta and let me say it was some of the best bruschetta I've ever eaten while Jess ordered a delicious cheese pizza. Not your typical Papa Johns, much better! After lunch we wandered threw the streets in between all sorts of outdoor shops where they sold purses, leather jackets, souveneirs and more. We saw some of the crime we were told to avoid in orientation such as the guys from Africa selling purses from the black market and we even saw gypsies! We also walked by a gorgeous cathedral. I commented to Jess how I felt like I was living in a museum. We went over to meet our advisor with the other 300 students we'd be sharing her with. She talked for about 3 hours from a packet we all had in our hands. The whole time I was thinking "doesn't she know we can read english, it's the italian we don't comprehend yet!" but it was over soon enough and we got to meet the two professors that would be leading us on our field trips! They are two of the greatest old italian men I've met. Very humorous and very intelligent. Needless to say I'm very excited to have them lead me threw pompei, capri, sorrento, arezzo, cortona, montepulciano, and pienza! The first field trip is next week and I cannot wait. This afternoon Jess and I have been discussing our travel plans for the semester. We're considering going to Germany, France, and Ireland for our Fall Break but we're going to speak to a travel agent first. I also looked at some of the day trips they offered on the site and let me tell you I am obsessed with that site now. They offer day trips to Chianti for wine tasting which I must do. And the other one I must do is a 3 day trip to Interlaken aka the Swiss Alps! That trip offers a ton of outdoorsy stuff that I can't pass it up. It also had a blog on it where past Florence students wrote about the places to go and I took a ton of notes. Well I'm off to a free dinner with the LdM students. Ciao!