Ciao, Perugia!

Italy has been a whirlwind so far. Arriving in Rome went well, but I felt immediate culture shock, in the bathrooms no less! Once we all figured it out, we realized that in Italy, the air conditioning in buses don't work to the same degree that American ones do. Driving two hours in a 90+ degree van was pretty miserable. The view and the drive were amazingly beautiful. The dry mountains around Rome and leading into Perugia looked like the western United States. Dry, dusty colors, broken up by the silver-green leaves of olive trees, were familiar features of the landscape. Arriving at the Hotel Gio on the outskirts of the city center was exciting, but nerve racking. However, my stress eased once I started meeting people. Everyone in the program is so nice and welcoming. Getting to know people is, and will be, very exciting.

The second day they took everyone to the apartments where we will be living for the next three and a half months. The courage it takes to drive on these meandering, extremely narrow side streets astounds me. Our van barely fit! But driving through the densely constructed side streets made me finally realize where I was. The apartment my two roommates and I are in is probably around 200 years old. It's quaint, with a small kitchen and eating area, a tiny corner bathroom, and two bedrooms. It's the perfect size, and being on the top floor gives us a great urban view of the terra cotta roof line. In the distance we can see a bell tower, and beyond that, the Tuscan mountain hills that surround us. I am blown away by the age and beauty of this city.