Italy, Finally

I finally made it Arezzo.  Well, technically I made it about 3 hours ago, but I had a snack, unpacked a little, and took a nap.  After going for 48 hours on 6 hours of sleep, it was definitely needed.  Especially after the annoying trip that I had.  After my delay to Frankfurt, I made it to my next connection with about 10 minutes to spare, but my luggage didn’t make it with me.  Thankfully, it was on the next flight in from Frankfurt and, since I am doing a homestay, it didn’t really hurt anyone all that much to wait for my luggage.  After losing Lucio, one of the OUA employees, in the airport and having an interesting time getting back through into the baggage claim area, we were finally underway to Arezzo.

It was a beautiful drive from Rome to Arezzo, although the first half kind of resembled driving through the Arbuckles in Oklahoma but with Italian houses perched on top! Unfortunately, I didn’t get any pictures during the drive.  A) I really wanted to sleep and B) apparently lanes and merging in Italy are more of suggestions than anything, so I was trying to keep an eye on the road.  The driver of the van used all three lanes of the highway as he pleased.  I think the only time he stayed in his lane was when he was passing people.

Anyway, I have made it to my host family and they are wonderful.  Neither of the parents speak English, but that’s okay.  Means I’ll have to pick up Italian quick! After we put my suitcases in my room (which I’ll talk about in a minute), Federica gave me a quick tour of the house and then Stefania, the mother, made me a mozzarella and prosciutto sandwich.  She also kept offering me a bunch of other things while I ate it, including two different juices, a bowl of fruit, and several kinds of yogurt! Federica had to go to class after that, so I went back to my room to unpack a bit and sleep. 

Which leads me to the amazing room that I have.  It is surprisingly large for a Europe, and is complete with a bed, a wardrobe, a dresser, and a desk.  I also have my own bathroom with a shower, toilet, bidet, and vanity.  I’m not sure I’ll use the bidet at any point, mostly because I have no idea how! The ceilings of the room are over 10 feet high and have exposed woodwork.  I also have a window that looks out over the street below.  While I’m technically just staring at the neighboring house, it’s an Italian house so it’s much prettier to look at! I should probably reach out and close the shutters for the night (I think), but it’s cold outside and I’d much rather leave them open!

My beautiful bed.

The View out my window.  

It looked much better in daytime, I promise.

Well, I’m sure I’ll be posting quite frequently this week, so I guess I’ll wrap it up here. We are having tortellini for dinner I think, although I’m not incredibly hungry right now.  I’m sitting with the girls who are studying for their tests that are coming up soon.  It may only be noon there, but it’s nearly seven here, which I’m not sure I’ll be getting used to anytime soon.  Goodnight from Italy!