Day One and Growing

I think Rome is growing on me. Yesterday it seemed okay, but yesterday I was tired and basically just ragged from traveling all day. I went to bed early because at about 9:15 I couldn't keep my fuzzy brain on Harry Potter anymore, and was asleep almost immediately.

This morning I woke up at 6:30 with the alarm my roommate had set. She went running in the nearby park. I got up and dressed and went to the park myself. It seems enormous, as I wasn't even able to explore close to all of it.

Random gates.. to make you THINK the park is over. But it goes on.

In Nashville we have a Parthenon in our park. In Rome, we have mini churches.

Breakfast was delicious, and then we had an orientation meeting. After the meeting we all had walking tours of the immediate neighborhood area.

The weather in Rome is amazing. Imagine the best, most comfortable temperature ever. Okay, now add like five degrees. That's it, and it's perfect for me because I prefer the warm.

The Centro has small rooms since it used to be a convent until the 70s or so. Meals are served "family style" which actually means they put big bowls of stuff on your table and you help yourself, or the lady comes around and puts it on your plate if you say "si" to what she carries. Breakfast is half self-serve though.

There's a lot of stuff in easy walking distance, including a supermarket. There's a bbq pit in the garden which we are allowed to use on weekends since they don't provide meals then. The garden is spectacular because it has tables and chairs, and two fountains that trickle into fishponds. There's also an outdoor terrace thing overlooking the garden which is right outside my (barred) window. The window is open now and the open door at the other end of the room gives it a good breeze moving through a lot of the time.

There are trees and lots of shade in the garden, and I think that is where we will have dinner tonight as part of our 'welcome day' which is nice. Yesterday was kind of loose.. a little bit of being on our own, which is fine, and I found food with my roommate and some other girls. It was cheap and pretty good as pizza goes.

I wish I spoke more Italian! Sometimes I feel like this place is still a convent since the program is full of girls this semester. I think there are seriously ten males and 26 females. It's ridiculous, but not a travesty.

I've also been told we will have access to the American Academy's library, in addition to our bus passes and other perks of being here. There is also a phone on which we can recieve calls, and I'll post the number sometime or send it to my mom.

I think I'm ready for school to start, even though I kind of had school-type work to do all summer. It's what I know how to do, you know?

I might take a short nap before my personal classes orientation meeting..