The Honeymoon Phase

After all the travel commotion, I have arrived in Florence, Italy! The whole getting here part went seamlessly until I had to roll a fifty pound suitcase and carry a forty pound duffle bag while holding a purse and backpack on crowded cobble stone roads. I basically had a flashing arrow pointing at me that said, “clueless American”. That was a struggle to say the least, but I made it!

It feels surreal to be here. My apartment is right down the street from the Duomo, I can walk ten minutes to the Ponte Vecchio, and I think I am eating the best food on earth. Every new corner I turn there’s a new restaurant that I am eager to try. I think I could live here for a year and never eat the same thing twice!

The jet lag is finally wearing off and as the Dean at my university described today, were all in the, “honeymoon phase”. Every new street is a new adventure. The shopping is incredible, I can walk everywhere in the city, and I can’t say enough about the food. Im in heaven!

We have taken 3 Italian crash course classes to get a few phrases under our belt so we don’t sound like complete idiots while ordering at restaurants. I still think the only two words I know in Italian are “ciao” and “grazie”, but so far so good on being able to communicate. Most people here understand English which has been very helpful when asking questions about directions and such.

I also learned some Italian ettiequte today, which includes not smiling at people as they pass by. I did that for three days straight because I can’t help but smile, so I basically told every Italian man that walked passed me that I was flirting with him. This may take some time to get used to. It is also practically illegal to order a cappuccino after noon. Definitely messed up on that one a few time. No wonder why the woman who took my order laughed under her breath when I asked for one.

Class starts on Monday, so hopefully I can find everything without screwing up Italian etiquette too much. Wish me luck!

-Nicolette