Finally Arrived in Florence

Me and the airport - nervous before my trip but it went pretty smooth and I met a couple interesting people on the flight over.

Zach and I on the drive up to O'hare, missing him already...

Well I just got into Florence and I am loving it already, considering there really is not much that you can dislike about a place like this anyway.  On the flight over from Switzerland I sat next to a very nice, talkative, Italian man named Alexander, he talked to me about everything and told me to try everything.  It was nice to talk to talk to someone who knew the land so well and he spoke English so that was a plus.  The flight was supposed to only be an hour long but Tyler, Erin, and I did have some trouble on the flight concerning the wind in Florence, so we had to land early in Bologna, which is about an hour and a half away from Florence.  Since we had to wait longer for a bus to arrive to drive us to the Florence airport I had time to purchase my first euros, they are pretty compared to the US dollar.  Since our flight was running late we were not able to get to our hotel at the correct arrival time, so I asked Alexander, the man on the airplane, if he could call the hotel for us and tell them our problem.  Once we arrived at our hotel we finally got settled in and went out for a walk in search of some dinner.  We went to a cute little pizzeria called La Lampara and enjoyed our first real Italian meal.  The water is all bottled here in glass bottles and is not free, not cool but I think I will survive.  One of the waiters there, an older man, was really sweet and bought us all a shot, can’t remember what it was called but it was very tasty.  He gave me a 15% off card too for the next time I go in there.   

Missing home a little bit, not seeing my sisters, dogs, and parents will be hard but I know they love me and support that I am here, so that helps a lot.  It has also just hit me that I won’t get to see Zach till October..hurts my heart because I usually talk to him everyday, its also nice to know that he supports my decision to study abroad.  I still cannot believe I am here.  Sitting in our hotel room, with the door to our balcony wide open, listening to people outside and being here, calm, its just amazing and surreal. 

Love-Jess

Italy.. Here I Come

So the day has finally arrived and I can not sleep anymore.  I am so anxious to get the flight over, 13 hours is a long time for me to sit still..but I think I will survive.  I can not wait to get over there, although I have been crying a lot lately, I think it is just because I have never had to leave my home and my comfort zone for such a long period of time.  I know it will fly by and in no time I will be wishing I was back in Italy, so I am going to enjoy every second I have over there.  I am very happy to know that I am a "yes" person, I don't like to sit back and watch others do new things, I have to be apart of it.  I love trying new food and experiencing whatever life throws at me.  I think this study abroad trip will have plenty new adventures and opportunities for me and I can't wait to see that they are.  I do know that once we arrive at the airport today I will cry and I will be hugging my family like I won't ever see them again.  Leaving my boyfriend is going to be hard too, but I did get very lucky and know that he supports me and is very excited for me.  It has been calming to me to know that in October my parents and Zach will be coming over to see me.  Wish me luck on the flight =)

SOFIA Program

I recently was involved in a research program called SOFIA through Monmouth College.  It was a wonderful learning experience for myself, not only as an artist but as a person.  I learned a lot in that three week period, about my abilities artistically, my knowledge of painting, and my drive to be an artist.  I wanted to study Michelangelo's statue of David, and did so by researching the tiny model he used.  Since I am leaving for Florence very soon I figured I could use this program to help guide my thoughts into the mindset of living in Italy.  Painting the David helped me become better prepared for this trip and I can not wait to see the statue in person.

Blessed

Well I haven't updated in a while and am getting down to the last few days before I leave =)  I have about 11 days left here and have been spending this time at school working on an art research project through Monmouth College, its called the SOFIA Project.  It has been a lot of fun and working on my art has really helped me loosen my nerves up a bit about leaving. I have been painting the statue of David by Michelangelo and have been getting more anxious and excited to see the David in person.  Its going to be an incredible experience, and breath taking I'm sure.
I have also been spending these last days with the people I am closest with. My parents had a going away party for me this weekend so I could see all my family and some friends before I left.  It was wonderful.  Lots of wine, bread, and pasta!  I think everyone had a great time and it was really comforting to see my family and friends so excited for me.  That is another thing that has been pretty cool about this experience so far, seeing everyone's reactions and excitement for my life and my adventure I'm about to go on.  Its also pretty nice to hear my loved ones concerns about this trip and their willingness to share their own experiences and advice.  I have noticed that people who find out that I'm going abroad become very interested in my life and want me to make the most out of my time in Italy. Its awesome to know that others are excited for me and really want me to take in everything about the lifestyle and language.

I am blessed.

Preparing Myself

Well since I have been sort of nervous about my upcoming adventure I have found myself being over prepared, if that's possible.  I have packed and unpacked and repacked multiple times, just to make sure I have everything I need.  I have made tons of lists to organize my mind and been reading and studying Italian with Rosetta Stone.  I got pretty lucky with preparing for this trip because one of my girlfriends, Alyse, went last year during my junior year at Monmouth College, and she has been there for me step by step.  Some things  she has let me know about studying and living there was that shampoo, conditioner, face wash, and other girl things can be quite expensive there.  So I bought those things here and then wont have to worry about finding places to buy them over in Italy.  I was also told that students over in Italy dress a bit nicer than students in America.  So her advice was to layer clothes with plain shirts, cardigans, and jackets. Another friend of mine suggested I get some boat shoes, for the rubber bottoms because the roads in Italy are not the best for heels, flats, or sandals.  I also bought a bigger black canvas bag for my carry-on and it will also come in handy as a book bag and a travel bag on the weekends. 
As for classes, my handbook says students can not miss more than two classes..don't quote me on this, but I think that's a good rule since I am there to learn and grow as an art major.  Plus I am pretty sure we have some day trips and visits around Florence for some of the classes, which is pretty awesome! 

I am almost done with my required reading for my orientation class and will start reading my blue guide book on Italy for Florence, Rome, and  Venice.  The required reading was pretty good, easy read and once you get accepted into the program anything about Italy is going to be interesting to you, and if it isn't..then why would you go.

I am so excited to meet the other students going to study abroad with me, I hope we all get along.  That is something I am nervous about too.  I think of myself as a pretty laid back person but you never know what others will think of you, so all I can do is be myself and hope for a couple, if not all of them, to be really cool and friendly too.

Getting Excited..and Nervous

So I have about 5 weeks left in the states and I am getting so ready to be in Florence, Italy.  I never thought I would actually study abroad, but here I am, learning Italian, reading required books, packing, saving money, and getting nervous.  I will be there for 4 months, and its kind of difficult to pack for that amount of time in a foreign country but its been fun getting ready for this experience.  My parents are getting excited too and decided they would come see me during my fall break in October. They also thought it would be romantic if they bought a ticket for my boyfriend as well, so I am very excited to spend some time in Florence with them all.

I think I am most nervous about learning the language, but I'm sure being in the classes and living with a host family will help me out a lot.