So...it seems that after 2 1/2 weeks of classes, I should probably finally write down how the schooling part of this journey has been progressing. I am enrolled in four classes currently, two history and two language, and all are turning out to be quite interesting. So here we go: The first history class I am taking is Roman Civilization. The class is taught in English by a fairly aged Italian man who speaks extremely slowly and (even more dangerously) in a monotonous tone. He is clearly an intelligent man, and he knows English quite well in the end....but it just [View Full Entry]

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Alas, some time to sit and write! I cant say that I'm always out and about doing all that many amazing things, but still it seems like there is very little time to just sit and write. All in all, the past week was fairly calm though. The most exciting thing came over the weekend because we headed to Rome again, but even about this there isn't all that much to say. We left for Rome intending to go to the Vatican, but this never happened. We got there Friday night, just ate some dinner and walked around a little before [View Full Entry]

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These are pictures from the Bagnaia fire festival for St Antonio and from our weekend trip to Rome! Enjoy! [View Full Entry]

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The past week and a half has seen very few breakthrough things happening, which is in no way a bad thing. We were all pretty exhausted after the trip to Rome last Sunday, and actual classes began this past week, so we decided to just take it a little easier and spend some more time familiarizing ourselves with Viterbo and settling into our living spaces. Perhaps the most exciting thing is that our group has started a tradition of gathering every Monday night to cook some sort of meal together....actually more of a potluck since there are so many of us. [View Full Entry]

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I think I finally figured out how to upload photos...so here is the first try. These are pictures of Viterbo, the city I am now living in. Please let me know how accessible they are for all of you on the receiving end of this blog.. More updates and pictures coming soon... love [View Full Entry]

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Mamma mia what adventures have come the past few days! In fact, the last week has been just incredible overall, beginning with last weekend. Friday afternoon we headed for Bagnaia, a small town about a 15 minute bus ride north of Viterbo, known for its beautiful Renaissance gardens. We wanted to go see them because of their high reputation, but by the time we got out there it was nearing sundown and the gardens were about to close...so that remains for another day. The reason we were heading there in the first place, though, was not for the gardens but for [View Full Entry]

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Well, at last, on day 5 in Italia, I finally have internet access. So many wonderful things have happened over the past few days...allow me to try and relate some of them... So, January 8th at the bright hour of 6am my plane took off from Reno, passing through Denver and Washington DC before heading to Rome. Naturally the flights went well...19 hours of sitting, sleeping, reading, eating, and some movie watching (I watched Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants II). In Washington DC I met up with the rest of the students studying here through the USAC program, and all looked [View Full Entry]

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