The First Few Days

CIAO!!

So I am finally here. It took forever to arrive but i am here. The plane had a few bumps here and there. That combined with my fear of flying and my nerves made it an unpleasant 8 hours. However, we arrived an hour early so that made up for the rest. I would rather be on the ground than in the air. Once I got to the airport and made it through customs I found some of the other girls from Siena and we waited for the whole crew to arrive. Because we were there at 7 am it was a long wait; we didn’t leave the airport in Rome until 130/2. Then we had a lovely 3 hour bus ride to Siena during which most of us tried to catch up on some sleep...FAIL!

When we got to Siena we met with our host families, which was awkward and completely nerve wracking...everyone was freaking out...which proved to be unnecessary because we all LOVE our families. I got very lucky and I'm rooming with a girl from Siena, who I also went to high school with, Amanda. We were so excited and relieved to be living together...and we got even luckier because our host family is amazing. Alessandra, Renato and Edowardo are their names. Alessandra and Reanto are our host parents and Edowardo is their son who is 19. Alessandra and Edowardo speak a little English so it makes communicating easy...we help each other...and do a lot of pointing and miming hehe.

The city is divided into Contrada's or neighborhoods and each one is represented in the Palio...the famous horse races in Siena... my family comes from the Contrada Pantera..Or cheetah...and they are OBCESSED WITH IT! On the first night here Renato showed us a video on the Palio and explained his Contrada the best he could to us. On Friday night they took us to the Contrada and showed us everything! I think it is a mix of a country club meets a knights of Columbus meets a rec community center...but 10 xs better and nicer. Renato showed us the museum of the Pantera. We saw all of the old armor and flags they wore during the Palio and all of the Palio's they won. They are very proud and enthusiastic about it all.

After all of that we met some of their friends and sat in this tiny little alleyway at tables. Their friends say "New York New York" and American Patriotic songs for us...they had been drinking a lot of vino. Apparently Courtney is not a name in Italian and is difficult for them to say...so after trying and failing one of the men renamed me Maria...and sang Ave Maria and Maria Maria to me...it was hilarious! Then we went to hang out with the "young people" as the call them and danced the night away in one of the contrada court yards.
Oh and our transportation to and from the Contrada...on the back of Alessandra and Renato's VESPAS!! It was the COOLESET thing I have ever done... I got too see some spectacular views of Siena and the surrounding area on the back of a vespa. It was amazing

Siena, and all of Italy is more beautiful than I ever imagined. The pictures I have taken do not even do it justice. I wish you were all here and could see how amazing it really is.

This weekend we did different things around the city and were able to get a feel for Siena and each other. On Sunday I went to the San Gianno Spa...it was a natural hot spring sulfur spa...It smelled like rotten eggs...and I saw more men in Speedo’s than I ever wanted to see but it was simply beautiful and so so relaxing...It was molto bene after walking up and down the giant hills of Siena for two days.
And Siena has lots and lots of hills...Our main school building are at the bottom of a road ...that goes down the steepest hill. Hopefully all of the walking and climbing will work off all the pasta I am eating...Speaking of which the food is FANTASTIC! My host mother is an amazing cook and everything is delicious.

We just started our Italian lessons and so far things are going really well... I can understand it better than I can write and speak it...hopefully soon I will be able to communicate more!

Other than all of that... things are going great. I love love love it here. We sit in the Piazza del Campo most of the day and come back at night just to people watch and hang out...have some vino... haha. But it is so nice.
I miss you all lots and lots!! And love you all even more
CiaoCiao

P.S. Mom and Dad figure out that camera situation kay?!? And Suzanne...GET A CAMERA!

---

---