Studying in Italy.... It Hasn't Quite Hit Me Yet.

I don't think it has really hit me yet that I am going to Italy. I've been doing a little research and reading, but definitely not enough. I've been trying to contact other students who will be there with me. It's been hard. SAI has so many weeks to choose from that everyone I've met so far isn't going to be there when I am! I want friends! haha. I know that is will be an incredible 7 weeks. I think it will both be exciting and scary. My eyes will be opened. I'll be challenged. I'm sure I'll get frustrated at times. I'll feel lonely in the midst of thousands of people. I'll forget simple things that I should know. I'll make a fool out of myself. But... I know that you learn the most and grow the most when things don't come easily to you. I don't want this to be some "Letters to Juliet" kind of trip. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to meet my prince charming along the way and some cute old ladies and men named Lorenzo, but for the most part, I don't want this to be some happily ever after love story. I think it will be somewhat of a roller coaster, and I hope it will be. I'm gonna have days when I feel like I'm on Cloud 9 and other days when I feel lost and in the pits. I mostly just want to learn. And, I don't want to learn in the classroom so much. I purposely picked courses that will force me to go out into the streets and into shops and restaurants. I want to explore. Discover the unexpected. I want to taste all kinds of foods. I want to drink wine - real wine. I want to go to Operas, museums, and fashion shows. I want to go to Italian movies. I want to eat real gelato. I want to have an espresso or a cappucini. I even want to live the train life of Italy. Even though it's going to make me frustrated, I even want to experience that! It's a different life from America there. Italy is very different from other European countries too. I already know that Italians do not understand the concept of a watch. They do not live by the clock. They are always "fashionably late." And they eat for a really really really long time. Today in Italian class, I learned that Italians hold their knife and fork differently. They don't switch hands after cutting like most Americans do. The fork is in the left hand and the knife in the right. You put food into your mouth with your fork in the land hand still. These are proper manners.... I've always been eating that way so I'm all set for that! But, I'm used to eating very quickly. Getting a quick lunch, then work, then class, then quick dinner, then clubs. It'll be weird have multiple courses for one meal. It'll be weird having a course that is specifically just cheese or just a cafe (coffee). It'll be so exciting though! Experiencing a different way of life. Scary, but exciting. I think that it is important for Americans to get outside of their box and really see how others live. The American way isn't always the right way. I know that stereotypes of Americans are that we are self-centered, arrogant, egocentric, overweight, promiscuous, etc. I wonder what other things I'll hear about the US while I'm over there. We, Americans, always think that everyone wants to be us. And I do know that many europeans come to the US to study abroad. I always ask, "Why would you want to come to the US when you can go easily anywhere in the Europe?" It's not like we have really interesting art, architecture, or history. I guess the Americanized cheeseburger from Five Guys is just too amazing to pass up. I met a guy yesterday at the dining hall. His name is Felix. He's part German, part Finnish. He's here at UGA. I'm not sure how long he will be here. But he said one of his favorite things so far is Five Guys. I was shocked to hear that Chick Fil A is just okay! Maybe I'll become obsessed with some Italian fast food place.... although I'm sure they do not have many fast food restaurants.... Italians are too good for that. That probably explains why they are so skinny.