here we are

Finally settled in but still exhausted even though I slept for almost 12 hours last night!  We got in around 7 AM and quickly got through customs only to sit around the airport for about two hours. Tired and hungry, we arrived at Medag to get our apartments assigned only to wait in line for information from our R.A.  It took about six hours to get 35 people through!  Apparently things really do move a lot slower and much less organized here.  While we waited we went and explored a bit.  Found: ATM.  Found: a little sense of direction. Found: a little shop where we picked up our first bottiglia di vino for 3,50 euro.  I still don't have a sense of whether or not that is cheap, but it definitely tasted like it.

We ate at this cute little restaurant with a long bench that we almost broke.  Everyone had pizza so it didn't really feel all that Italian.  Afterwards we made the 40 minute walk to il Campo de' Fiori which included il Piazza di San Pietro with a Christmas tree almost taller than the Vatican itself.  St. Peter's Square was beautiful and the weather is mild, a far cry from what I imagine it is in WI right now.  When we got to our destination we immediately headed to an American bar where we encountered all kinds of comments, most notably "Stupid Americans, just 18 years old waltzing in like they own the place."  They don't give us enough credit.  Regardless, we had a great night and walked home and settled into bed by 4 AM.  We aren't doing much to help our jetlag situation, but I don't remember the last time I got to sleep in until 2! The first night was amazing and the ND in me is actually making me excited to see school, buy books, start classes? I forgot we had to go to class for a minute.

It's Sunday, so everything is closed including the supermarket.  This means that we are currently living on a box of crackers and small container of orange juice until tomorrow.  Lindsey already came down with the flu, but at least we have the sick essentials of water and crackers to offer her.  

It's 60 degrees today and I love it!