This past week was pretty low key. We have intensive Italian from 9-11:30 every morning. We registered for the rest of our classes which will start a week from Monday. I am taking four classes in addition to Italian which will transfer to 4.5 UPS credits. I'm taking two art history classes, history of italian theater, and a digital photography class. Should be pretty awesome but five classes in one semester will probably be a lot of work...or at least a lot of seat time in the classroom. I'm really excited because I think I found a position helping a 14 year old girl practice her English and her mom is going to try and set me up with her son, who is university, to do a language exchange. Language exchanges are designed to help Italian students practice their English and to help us practice our Italian. You basically just get together with a student and practice. I'm signed up for another language exchange through IES so hopefully my Italian will improve. We had a second test in Italian class this past Friday and hopefully it went better than the first one, which my entire class struggled on.
This weekend we stayed in Milan but went on two day trips. On Saturday Julie and I went to Torino. Italy had a Seattle colored sky with scattered showers and the gray monotones was actually a soothing, calming comfort. Julie and I really enjoyed the weather, although my pictures are super low contrast now. Torino was really wonderful. The had lines and lines of tables set up to sell books, all kind of books, down the major shopping district. It was incredible and really made me wish I spoke Italian since very few of the books were written in English. However its probably better that I couldn't read them...I might have spent too much money. I managed to order a sandwich and explain no meat and no fish to the barista at a cafe. This was super exciting. We wondered around the city, hitting every piazza with an overwhelming building and gorgous sculptures and courtyards. At the second cafe we went to for a pick-me-up, Julie managed to turn off the power from the bathroom. Go girl go. SO FUNNY.
It was such a chill day, the weather was so calming, we had nothing planned, we just wandered. I love day trips because we just take the train to some semi-random city near Milano and hop off the train, see where it takes us, and hop back on. I love exploring, I love not knowing whats around the next corner. I don't know if its the thrill of not knowing, if theres a natural endorphin rush from every beautiful building around every corner or what it is. But I've clearly got the travel bug.
Then we get back to Milano in time to go out at night. Last night we went out to a club that had just opened called Alcatraz. When we first walked in I thought I wouldnt be able to stay long. Some awful cover band was playing "Hit me baby one more time" and there were defintely some metal heads in the crowd. Next they played the we will we will rock you song. I thought I was gonna die. I decided the only thing worse than being in the crowd was being one of the middle-aged guys with too long hair in the band. FINALLY, when they were done, the DJ started and these huge black curtains were pulled back from another side of the club and some circus acts started up. So random but so cool! One girl on stage was doing scarves, where there are long scarves hanging down and she climbs up and twirls and twists in them. There were jugglers and unicyclers and a unicycler who jumped rope while on his cycle. Pretty cool.
Today Julie and I went to Cremona where the famous Stradivarious violins are. It was sunny today and when we got to Cremona, it seemed pretty sleepy. I guess the biggest issue with day trips is that we tend to arrive in the city just as the siestas are starting up. I was starving and undercaffenainated so we found somewhere to get salads, sandwiches, and coffee. Cremona is pretty small but cute. They were having a salami festival with little, yellow banners advertising it everywhere. Obviously I did not partake in this festival. We then went to see the violin exhibit. It was four euros to go see a room of famous violins from the 1600's and 1700's. And we got to see some made by Stradivari. They were gorgous. After that we walked back and took the train to Milano, exhausted from two days of nonstop walking.
This upcoming week is my last week of intensive Italian and I have class from 9-12 Monday through Thursday because on Friday IES is leading a trip to the Aosta valley. I am so glad I am here. I feel so lucky. Sometimes I am hit with such disbelief that I am actually here, that outside my window is beauty, beauty everywhere. I think traveling abroad was the best decision for me right now. I am learning so much, I can feel myself changing and growing. I love exploring, I love seeing new places, I love meeting new people, I love learning about another way to live. Although some of the adjustments can be difficult at times, I am convinced that travelling is going to be big part of my life from now on. I can't even remember the last time I was this okay with waking up in the morning. My general disposition is now usually fairly neutral instead of being constantly angry or sad. I am so glad I decided to study abroad. It is by far one of the best decisions I have made in my life.
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