Blogs from Monza, Lombardy, Italy, Europe - page 2

Europe » Italy » Lombardy » Monza July 18th 1999

Things are going fine here. I feel a little overwhelmed sometimes and i have this amorphous fear of running out of money. I have a very vague sense of what I'm spending and I don't know when I'll start earning...I do have this job but it will probably be a mostly part time affair. Maybe teaching English is the answer for the rest of the time...Its pretty darned hot here, and humid and the italians pretty much don't use air conditioning. So, i sometimes find myself sleeping in the middle of the day wondering what i would do if my fan ever broke. But on the up side, the fruits and vegetables here are fantastic. They are SO flavorful! All the coffee is great and I must meter my consumption or i will surely become a ... read more

Feeling the space: A letter to Ryan

Europe » Italy » Lombardy » Monza July 9th 1999

Jennifer James

Dear Ry, I am sitting here at an old fashioned writing desk which I have adopted for my work. I am smoking a clove cigarette that I brought from the US as I write to you. The french doors are wide open and there is a cool breeze coming in through them. I have no alarm clock so I woke up without pressure. I got up and opened the doors to the great wardrobe that covers most of the length of the bedroom wall to figure out what I could wear that would look presentable, be comfortable and not too hot. I discovered that it was only 8:00, so I left the house and walked down a couple blocks to have a cappucinno (or cappuccio as they call them here). I stood at the bar alone ... read more

Getting Lucky

Europe » Italy » Lombardy » Monza July 8th 1999

Jennifer James

So, I am sitting here in my new apartment which I was by some great miracle able to get for 6 months rather than a year. Last night was my first night here. It's all coming along pretty quickly. I can't believe I have a job and an apartment already. I wouldn't have any of it if there weren't all these amazing people helping me. I feel so endebted to so many people. This woman Charlotte that i have been staying with has completely opened up her life to me and I have been staying in her apartment downstairs since my arrival on the 22nd of June. I am glad to finally be able to get my stuff out of her way, but I am still heavily reliant upon her for so many things. I need ... read more

How it all began

Europe » Italy » Lombardy » Monza July 7th 1999

Jennifer James

When I was 20, my Uncle Gene greatly facilitated my taking a trip to Europe for a couple months over the summer. As long as I can remember, I have dreamed of living overseas--first it was Russia, then it was India. In my first years of college I must have given some thought to Italy because I had taken one Italian class before I went over that summer. When I saw Europe, I was overcome. I thought it was the most beautiful and culturally rich place I had ever seen. That's when I really decided that living there was something I wanted. So, basically for the last 8 years, I've been talking and dreaming about this. After I graduated from college, I moved to Hawaii to live with my dad rent free and save money for ... read more

Welcome to Italy

Europe » Italy » Lombardy » Monza July 6th 1999

Jennifer James

So, I arrived by myself on Saturday morning around 8. I got really worried cause Charlotte didn't show and didn't show and by 10:30 I was pretty scared. I had all this luggage and didn't know what to do. It took me about an hour to figure out how to call her and then when I did, I couldn't get through. Finally, I called ry, and asked him to call her and told him I would call him back. Of course as soon as I heard his voice and he was being all nice, I burst into tears. Anyway, Charlotte slept through her alarm and her cell phone battery was dead so Ry managed to get her at her regular number. She came to get me around 12. The next day we had a meeting with ... read more

Brief history of Italy

Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the city-states of the peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI establis...more history

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