Working out the kinks

We've officially been in Florence for one full week now. The first few days in the hotel were luxurious, the next few days were exciting as we explored the city, but the last few days in our apartment have mainly been about adjusting and working out the kinks. Now that's not to say these last few days haven't been fun in their own way; there's simple gratification in overcoming everyday obstacles. Sometimes stumbling is half the fun.

One of the first things the staff warned us about was, “be careful drinking the water!” The water in Italy is safe, don’t be alarmed if you want to visit, it’s just that our bodies may not be accustomed to it. Well, let me tell you mine surely was NOT! I tried incorporating the tap water into my diet slowly with tap water ice cubes in bottled water, but nonetheless the water won. I had a rough day but thanks to my amazingly supportive roommates letting me rest and buying me juice I was well and able to go out dancing that night! Our time here is just too precious to waste being sick, so I figured if I get sick while out it would make for a really funny story-hopefully (sorry mom). Being sick abroad is scary, but certainly doable. 

The staff’s advice for going out dancing?…“watch out for those Italian boys!” This would be helpful if I could actually tell which boys are Italian. I literary heard two boys at a club whisper to each other, “Just say ‘ mi scusi’ and they’ll think you’re Italian!” I call the boys at the clubs here ‘piranhas’ because they love to sneak a pinch whenever they walk by. Luckily the universal sign for NO (the hand wave under the chin and a shake of the head) seems to do the trick. The nightlife in Italia is really fun, lots of dancing just as I like it. And thankfully most of the music is from America so we can sing along. Our apartment motto- when in doubt, go to higher ground. A.k.a- dance on a balcony, table, or even in the DJ booth just to get where those grabby boys can’t reach you! We had a blast the first weekend; I’m excited to see what the rest will bring. (Switzerland is coming up!)

Other than that, we figured out how to do our laundry, attended our first classes, and shopped at the local fresh market. Sunday we cooked our first family dinner! We made pasta-no surprise- with diced sausage, sautéed mushrooms, onions, zucchini, and olive oil. Two of my roommates have mastered stuffed peppers, and two of my other roommates have creatively made the most delicious croutons from fresh focaccia bread and spices! Mm! Our bags are mostly unpacked and everything is almost in its place. The whole thing still feels like a vacation it will be funny to see if this place ever feels like home! Either way, I’m enjoying it. Cherish each day<3