Installment # 1. . . After the first few days

Ciao tutti!

I think the first thing that pops into mind as I am sitting here at my desk is how much more I now value the ease with which Americans can contact each other. It has been rather disorienting not being able to call anyone because my regular cell phone doesn’t work out here and my European one is currently out of minutes on the sim card, and it has been really frustrating that I haven’t been able to reassure my friends and family that I got to Italy safely because I JUST got internet last night.

So, 197 euros worth of Internet connection later, I would like to let you all know that I have arrived in Florence in one piece! However, the journey here was not without it’s interesting moments. The ride from DIA out to Munich, Germany was without incident. Sleeping on the plane was rather difficult, but staying awake had its rewards: I found great amusement in facial soicism of the old Italian man next to me as he watched endless streams of American movies.

The five-hour lay over in the Munich airport was also rather uneventful: I took the time to catch up on sleep, people watch, and socialize with other SACI students. The excitement came when the airplane to Florence was due to land. . . The pilot came over the P.A. and told us that due to winds we weren’t going to be landing in Florence. Most of us took this opportunity to panic, and chat animatedly with one another about how this detour was not scheduled into our planes. Interesting how chaos establishes community faster than any other emotion. In fact, up to that point, the man sitting next to me had been busily typing away on a PowerPoint presentation. After the announcement, we started chatting. I found out that he graduated, several years ago, from the SAME high school that I did back in Aurora. Then I found out that his son is a sophomore at the same university where my sister just started school. Then I found out that his daughters used to dance a dance company out in Aurora where my best friend, Kristin White, teaches dance classes. . . Then. . . I found out that this man and his wife, who was seated behind him, actually hire Kristin to sit their house while they are away. Can we say crazy coincidence??

Once the plane landed in Bologna, rather than Florence, we were instructed to gather our carry on luggage and checked luggage and file onto a bus that would drive us the hour and a half out to Florence airport.

A couple hours later, I found myself lugging my trunks up dark winding stairs to the apartment I was going to be sharing with four other girls. Living on the fifth floor, not knowing how to work the sketchy looking elevator, and having nearly 130 pounds of weight to lug up a set of unfamiliar stairs is definitely something I will remember for a while! What made those last moments of day even more memorable was the fact that the hot, sticky humidity enveloped me so securely that I was pouring buckets of sweat when I introduced myself to my new roommates. Haha

Believe it or not, I have lived in Florence for three days now and haven’t actually seen much. I have had the opportunity to GLANCE at many plazas, famous churches, and beautiful buildings. However, the packed SACI orientation schedule, jet lag, and the haze of being overly-stimulated in the visual department means that I have not taken the time to see that city as I would Like to yet. I do suppose I have three more months to do this.

Other Florentine discoveries and realizations:

1. The hot humidity makes it nearly impossible for me to style my hair attractively. My hair ought to curl, but it doesn’t. It rather looks like a limp dead creature unless I pull it back into some semblance of a bun. However, I can rejoice in the fact that it means that I do not have to spend money on a European hair dryer and straightening iron.
2. Florence is SO expensive! Living on a college budget in a tourist city will be interesting even when shopping at the supermarkets.
3. The produce is to die for! I bit into a banana yesterday and jumped for joy at the tangy sweet taste that burst forth! My taste buds revel with excitement each time I open my fridge for another fruity treat.
4. Various street performers sit on the street corner near my bedroom window and play classic Italian tunes late in the evening. The morning is not nearly as romantic when I awake to the noise of overly loud street sweepers. However, I think living in Florence until December will train me in the art of sleeping through ANYTHING!

I suppose that is all for time being. It is still weird to think that, back home, you are all snug in your beds on this Saturday morning and I just finished lunch. I should be writing these blogs in weekly installments to keep you all generally informed about my Florentine and European adventures. Please stay in touch and do not hesitate to contact me back! I am hoping, provided the Florentine electricity demons don’t come out to play, that I should be able to stay in better contact with you all after this.

Love to all! I miss you greatly and think about you often!

Brandi