It is officially my ninth week living in italy and my eighth week as an italian student! Italy feels so much like home that it feels as if I have been here forever. I have been fortunate enough to be in a group full of amazing people and have already made so many friends. It is crazy how much we have all bonded in such a short period of time but it is making this experience so much better!I spent my first week visiting Rome and Verona with my family. We had the opportunity to see the Vatican and even attended a mass there. It was a truly blessed and happy time with my family. After a few days in Rome, we traveled to Verona so that my parents could see the city I would be living in. Once we got off the train in Verona, it suddenly hit me. I will be living in Verona, Italy for the next four months… ITALY! I was just in shock that it was real.
We spent one day exploring the city and it was unbelievable. I was finally able to visit Juliet’s house and I cried a little. My first week was all extremely overwhelming, exciting, and full of happy tears. Later that day, I met up with my group and met my amazing roommates. We all went to dinner and the night was full of laughter. This was also when I met my favorite people that I would spend most of my time and travel with.
After our group dinner, a large group of us walked around Verona drinking wine and got to know each other. This is when I knew I was home. We stopped at the river to introduce ourselves to the whole group. We met a man, Federico, who was just hanging out by the river and he was so excited that we were there. The next two days, we met at school for orientation and had the opportunity to meet other students in our program.
On Saturday, August 31, we took a group trip to Sirmione and spent the day at Lake Garda. It was a beautiful day relaxing by the water with my friends. The water was a little cold and the rocks were super slippery. We all looked funny trying our hardest not wipe out, although some people took some ugly falls. Once we were back in Verona, we had our first night out in Italy and that night is still one of my favorite nights. We walked around the city bar hopping and meeting locals.
My first week in Verona was full of exciting, new adventures! I ate amazing, authentic Italian food and met wonderful people who would change my life for the better. So much more has happened in the weeks since then and I can’t wait to share it all! Stay tuned for more.
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