Vivo in Italia!!

So, I wanted to write every night on here, but I guess I should have expected that I would be super busy, especially the first week, and wouldn't have much time. But I have a bit of free time now, so I write I shall! I am officially a resident of Florence, Italy, pretty awesome! I have only been here for about 4 days now, but I already feel at home. The city is amazing! It is so beautiful and clean and so different than anywhere I have ever been; however, I almost feel more comfortable and familiar walking around these streets than anywhere else. Its kind of strange actually. I've heard a whole lot about culture shock and I feel like I could be in the "honeymoon stage", hopefully it doesn't change, but we will see. I have met a lot of people on my trip, mostly girls considering there are like 15 boys out of about 100 people, but I came here to learn about myself and grow more independent, so who needs boys :) I feel like I've definitely made some good friends already, and there are so many other nice people to get to know! A lot of the girls here are interested in the same stuff I am, like art and fashion and the Italian culture and nature and learning etc, so it is really nice because we all have that to bond over. My apartment is wonderful! It is so spacious and eclectic, so much more than I was expecting. I will put up photos onto my facebook. The food, of course, is amazing. Anyone who knows me knows that I live off of pasta and ice cream already, so I am absolutely in heaven!

And the Duomo...probably the most incredible thing I have ever seen in real life. Along with the Ponte Vecchio. It is so crazy that I have seen so many pictures of this city and now I am actually here, looking at it, so close that I can run up and touch. I feel so happy and free. Being here makes me want to embrace each day and really truely live it to the fullest. I am not wasting my time sleeping too much or watching tv or on the internet. I plan on trying something new each day and learning a whole lot. Speaking of new things, I went to my first bar the other night and ordered my first drink. Also bought my first bottle of wine. It is funny how wine is such a huge part of Italian culture. Anyway, this morning I had orientation and an Italian placement exam for school. I'm really excited for all my classes to start! Sorry this isn't going to be my best blog entry because I have a lot of errands to run now, but I wanted to write so that I have somewhere to work off of. Something new I've learned: if you make eye contact with Italian men and smile they take it as an invitation to engage in furthering the length of your encounter. I've heard this before, but it is true. Good thing my father made me practice being unapproachable. Thanks dad. Alright, well I am off to to market! Ciao!
~Ali