Day 32

I've had a pretty efficient day today. Despite the fact that I slept through my three alarms, I managed to get to the exchange program office by 11 to finally have a paper that I needed signed sent to Chile. After the whole 10 minutes that took, after a week-long search I finally found stamps- or francobolli- to send off a few post cards I bought in Pisa. All the stamps I had to put on covered some of what I wrote though...but hopefully it will be decipherable (which is a real word by the way). Then I proceeded to the computer lab to put in some time for Italian class. After all, I was starting to wonder where my obsessively responsible self had gone this whole time. Granted the 2 hours I sat there won't make up for all the time I'll be missing while away, but...it's a start.

After that, with somewhat of a studious rhythm going, being that I have to walk through the park that's in front of the basilica I thought I'd hang out and read the short story for English that I would also be missing because of the trip. Of course my attention span lasted only so long before I was daydreaming and looking around. It's funny how typical everything is. You think you're being free spirited, reading in the park...but how free spirited is that really? Everyone's sitting under a tree reading. Or sprawled on the grass with a boyfriend or girlfriend. And a little girl runs after her dog laughing. Typical. I know this sounds a little cynical, but don't get me wrong, I love all of it. I smiled as the little girl ran after her dog...because it's cute. I was just surprised how things can be typical like that. The same anywhere you go. Sort of classic. I think maybe that at any given time around the world in some park there's someone sitting on a bench reading a book, or a group hanging out eating lunch. That's what parks are for after all. Wouldn't it be odd seeing a park empty all the time.

Anyway, amidst this typicality...I also realized I have never seen such an obvious spring. Maybe I never caught it in time to really notice it...but I looked around and you could literally see the transformation of the trees. Some were still brown, others were spotted by a few buds and leaves, and some had already bloomed with these unusual purple flowers. It looked different than last time I was there, two days ago. Really, how could anyone not like spring?

At around 3 I realized I should probably get going because my characteristic to-do list was not getting any shorter. And on my way back, two things happened: One, I finally figured out what was moving in the bushes. Every time I had walked past green areas with little bushes, I always heard little things scattering. And at first I thought it might be lizards, but it didn't really make sense to me in the middle of a city.  But, today it happened again and I managed to spot one of them, and yes, there are lizards. Little blue and green Roman lizards. Mystery solved.

Two, as I walked on over the bridge towards my street, I looked around and it dawned on me again that I was in Italy. I forget sometimes. It's like you slowly and unconsciously assimilate where you are and what you're doing at a certain point in life and then it comes at you like a wave and you suddenly think about it for a second and it surprises you. It seemed like everything just looked foreign at that moment..and it was like I was watching myself walk along a bridge in some movie and it was like oh look, there's Nasha in Italy. I'm laughing at myself as I type. Anyway...

I'm taking too long to write this. I have to throw some sort of lunch together that involves as much of the food in the fridge as possible so it doesn't go to waste. I have to get organized and pack. I'm thinking I'm not going to have any time to run today...I would if I had gotten up earlier. If I had...

How many times have I said that before.

Day 31

It's been a month. I'm not sure yet whether it feels like less or more. Either way I feel good so far, very happy to be here. It's really all just beginning.

Italian Lack of Stress Exhibit Number 328:

Today I was like fifteen minutes late for class and as I hastily walked into the building I saw my teacher going the opposite direction...(sometimes I have that class in another building so I was worried I had gotten confused or something) and I think I sort of looked at her weird because she stopped and explained that I was in the right place but that she just had to get some coffee first. Oh right. Great. 

And I had Italian today. It's moving along I suppose...It's looking like most of it is really going to have to be individual effort since it's more of an online course, so I'm curious to see how that works out. It's really a bit of a conflict...I want to speak Italian by...last year, but the learning part really gets in the way of my doing nothing but travelling. I'm going to have to figure that out. 

Besides that, Milan on Friday!! We leave really early so I have to figure out how to get to the airport so early, since the metro doesn't run at that time. We'll probably take the night buses, which means us waiting outside with our suitcases for a while just to make sure we get there in time for our flight. But that's the fun part of travelling. I remember being little and going to Chile. I must have been 4 or 5 years old-yes I remember-and we had to get up at 3 in the morning and it was just so cool. I was so excited being up and having breakfast while it was still dark out, and I knew something special was happening, that I was going on some crazy adventure. So yeah...I don't really mind it. As long as I'm able to sleep during the flight. All 60 minutes of it haha. Anyway, we'll be staying with a friend of Coni's who knows his way around, so it should be good. Then Budapest, then Paris! I can't wait. Anddd I can't stop thinking about the food I'm going to eat. Next to Italian food, French pretty much takes it. I seem to have been pretty influenced by some of my grandparents...

For now some tea, then bed. Sogni d'oro (sweet dreams). 

Day 28- Secrets of Rome

Just booked flights for my first trip outside of Italy, for my Easter vacation. We're off from April 5-11, but I'm taking off the first few days of that week and we'll be leaving March 30th. So it'll be Rome-Milan-Budapest-Paris-Rome. I can't even. SO excited. Tomorrow I have to look for places to stay and of course being the way that I am, will try and make some sort of itinerary of must-do things.  Any suggestions?

Besides that, not too much has gone on.  Went out last night for a little and there is definitely a big difference between weeknights and weekends...the city was so much more alive. And Campo di Fiori was nice, because it's like a plaza with a bunch of bars and pubs, so while you're at one bar you can sort of people watch everyone that's walking around. It's funny you can always tell who's American...flip flops in April? I learned that lesson when I moved to Chile and tried to wear sandals in September. People must have thought I was crazy too.  And then there were the bridesmaids out for what I'm guessing was the bachelorette party. All in their matching dresses with sashes that said "bridesmaid #1, #2, #3", very methodically avoiding the spaces between each cobblestone with their stilettos-definitely not walking in a straight line anymore. That's one I'll have to practice. But I'm surprised at how early places close, everything was closed by 2:30. Which, if I think about it, is actually a good thing considering it takes me at least an hour to get home. Dumb buses.

And then I'm starting to notice little things about a place that you can only notice by living there. Which really kinda makes me happy because that's why I'm doing this. It's why I made the effort of making this my experience instead of just coming here on another vacation. I've learned through being in Chile that there is nothing more special than actually starting to feel like you're part of another culture. There are little details that are like secrets; only those who stay long enough, know about them. Know why things are a certain way, or how things came to be. And of course I'm not there yet...but there are some details that at first were just that-uncommon things that I noticed where different than in Chile, or United States.  And now...now they blend into my routine. They have become common.  Like the sirens. I hope it's not that more people have emergencies here, but a siren wails through the streets at least 4 times a day. And the birds chirp so much earlier than anywhere else.  I mean these are the birds the saying was based on...they're up and singing right now. It's 1 in the morning. Chilean birds are much more lazy. Which is ironic because you would think that being Italian birds, they would be as relaxed as the people. I went to go buy something yesterday and everything but the pizzerias were closed. Lunch break. Nap time. For 3 hours. Amazing. And there are the constant motorcycles and vespas that go by. That vrrooom sound that is starting to put me to sleep like an ocean would. I now understand that just because they are talking loudly and gesturing grandly doesn't mean they're fighting. It's just a conversation. I wonder if I'd look foreign doing that when I can actually complete more than a few sentences in Italian.  Anyway, I like these things that are no longer details for me. I want so much for the list to grow, to feel less....in a bubble? Or outside the bubble? But that is only possible with time, I know.

Day 26- Bigne di San Giuseppe

I must say I feel like quite the writer, sitting here in my little room, overlooking the river and the little specks of gold reflecting off the basilica. This laptop should be a typewriter though.

Anyway...There have been some new developments in my knowledge of the Italian language:

Verb to be

• Io sono
• tu sei
• lei/lui è
• noi siamo
• voi siete
• loro sono

Okay so I barely wrote any of that without looking at my notes. But at least I have notes. And all 8 of the people in my class know just as much as I do, so that makes it a little less painful. So I have to log in 40 hours at the computer lab and I have class once a week with a teacher to help with any issues we might have. Allora sono pronta! I'll be fluent in no time.

Going back a few days, I forgot to mention the most beautiful thing I have eaten since I've been here. Actually I don't know if I can say that, I don't want to offend the pizza I had. Or  the cannolis. Ugh..too good. But this little piece of heaven was a gift from Valerio, as goes the tradition on the day of Festa di San Giuseppe (Italian Father's Day).  And thus it's name: Bigne di San Giuseppe, also known as zeppoli. A wonderful fried dough puff, that is unbelievable light and airy, filled with a vanilla cream custard. In other words a miracle. I looked up a recipe just to make sure someday if I need to have one I can make it.  Just in case.

Last night I got lost again. After our Italian class we went back to Coni and her roommate Pilar's house with our newest addition, Francisco from Portugal, who we picked up in class-looking just as confused as us. We made dinner and had numerous bottles of wine. And after a lot of intense conversation, that ranged from earthquakes and Charlie's Angels to religious views, Francisco and I had the journey home ahead of us, which is no small feat thanks to Rome's oh so efficient nightly transportation system. It took us 2 hours. A lot of wandering and 3 buses later we were both able to finally get back and sleep. We decided that next time we would buy more wine and just not leave. Wait out the Metro until it opens in the morning. Much better plan.

Besides that I've been reading for my English Lit. class...which so far has gone well. The books in the program have been a pleasant surprise, not nearly as dull as I thought they would be. Although not by any means anything I would choose off a bookshelf on my own, they have been surprisingly good reads...interesting styles of writing. They are after all considered classics I'm sure. So far Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway and Graham Greene's The End of the Affair. So...I'm not getting less smart.

But before more reading I'm going to go make dinner. There's some prosciutto and chicken and pesto in the fridge...so I think I'll try and be creative today.

And Friday's almost here...

Day 23- (Due) My First Pizza

After Pisa, my plan was to sleep in.  However, yesterday morning, I awoke to the claps outside my window-cheering for the runners of the Rome Marathon.  As it goes, marathons are close to my heart, so I went out on the balcony and had myself some coffee while I watched.  And as I saw the first fleeting ebony panthers, then the larger majority, and few scattered one's near the end, I became curious...A typical marathon is 24 miles or 42 kilometers...

You start off and find your pace, feeling good.  After the first 7 kms, you're sweating a lot, your heart rate has increased, you feel okay. Then past km 15, you start to feel uncomfortable, a little strained and thirsty.  So you drink a lot of water and soon notice you feel bloated, nauseated even.  Several kms later, you're past halfway and your glycogen is gone. That means no fuel.  The body begins to burn fat to keep going. You start to feel that your joints are forced and fatigue in the muscles.  At 30 kms, the body begins to desperately repair the damage, resulting in inflammation and excruciating muscle cramping.  You lose any pace you had left.  Now, as you pass km 40, you can barely breathe, you begin to feel disoriented.  Mental and physical exhaustion sets in, you're not even running in a straight line, your heart rate is too high, and you aren't getting enough oxygen. You black out.

I found out (http://www.marksdailyapple.com/physical-effects-poor-training-marathon/#axzz1pbcNaqNh) this is what happens to people if they don't properly train for a marathon.  And they're lucky if they're treated for arrhythmia, dehydration, heat stroke, and exhaustion, and not for cardiac arrest or renal failure.  The first man to run a marathon died after all.

So how crazy strong do you have to be to finish a marathon and feel great after you do it? Say go dancing afterwards? How strong do you have to be to do it 11 times?  As strong as my mommm! Where those genes went, I have no idea. They're still developing maybe. Anyway, I knew she would have made me go if she were there with me, so in Sofia's honor I went to watch the runners cross the finish line. And cried, okay?  It's just insane to me really. Maybe one day.

But, instead of going back to the apartment and throwing on some sneakers, I ended up having my first pizza. I was just waiting for the right moment. Sort of like a pizza virgin. Valerio, has an obsession with Est! Est! Est! a historical restaurant from the 1920's in the Cavour area, famous for their special crust-making technique, so he, Maria and I made our way there. The pizza was perfect. I mean, beautifully light and thin, yet doughy at the same time.  Not too much sauce, not too much cheese. Pizza di Funghi: pomodoro, mozzarella and mushrooms. Per-fect. Heaven. I ate the entire thing.

Today...I had class. Blah. Tomorrow too. Blah. Maybe I won't go. Maybe I'll just be Italian about it...

Buona Sera!

Day 23- (Uno) Pisa

My first trip in Italy was to see the leaning tower of Pisa. "La Citta di Pisa" is about 380 km from Rome, and it took us about 4 hours to get there on the regional, non-express train. Dani and I were successfully woken up by our alarms this time, so we were on our way to the Toscana region of Italy around 6:00.  Now I must admit I was dreading sitting on a train for 4 hours, but as it turns out, getting up that early for the first time in oh, many months, made me sleepy. So, after looking out the window for a little (and catching my first glimpse of the Italian coast!) we basically slept for 3 hours and woke up in Pisa.

Once there, we went to buy our ticket back just to be sure, however it seems Italian transportation workers are not very happy lately, and went on strike. For us, this meant we were out 45 Euros if we wanted to get back that day. Upside: only a 2 hour trip. So, glass half full. End of story. Now, I had previously googled "what to do in Pisa, Italy", so we had some sort of plan...we just had to find everything, which was pretty easy once we got our hands on a map, because the city is quite small-185 square km to be precise. 

So we made a few stops around the city (and by stops I mean looked at shoes haha), and walked down the picturesque streets, taking everything in. And watching the people, I thought about those that live in the city-the locals. The Piseans. I mean you think okay, Pisa, Italy...that place exists, there's the leaning tower of Pisa.  But who actually lives in Pisa...is born there, grows up there?  Does anyone really? And of course they do. But it doesn't seem real until you're there. Until you're looking at this beautiful door, with the tarnished wood and iron knob, taking a picture, trying to capture how mysterious it is...when suddenly a woman walks up to it, unlocks it and goes inside. Because she lives there. 

And then, even what you expect of the city becomes sort of unreal. We kept walking, and out of the blue, we could see the tower in the distance. It made me feel smitten, because when you're younger you hear about the  Leaning Tower of Pisa, this crooked building somewhere in Italy and you think about how it doesn't fall over, and that the name sounds like "pizza", and do people eat pizza in Pisa? And then I'm older and I'm walking along, and boom, there it was. 

So we took the pictures (yes, we ridiculously posed holding up the tower) and then had a most delicious lunch at La Buca, with a view of the tower. What better than pasta while looking at something so legendary. And Daniela...ate pizza in Pisa. It was great. But the old man who was the owner was even better than the food. Him and his little wife who strut around serving the wine and bread...It made me want to move there and just be a waiter at his restaurant for the rest of my life. Can I please?

Pigeons in Piazza Garibaldi

Just a regular old window reflection.

For more pictures: Pisa

The rest of the day went well...we saw a few more things-Piazza dei Cavalieri, Chiesa di Santa Maria della Spina on the River Arno, a Keith Haring Mural (apparently one of his lasts) and were about ready to go home, at that point very satisfied that it would take us only half the time to get back to Rome. 

Around 11:00, I literally sighed walking into my room and fell into bed. It felt a little like coming home...

Day 19- Communication

Watching people trying to understand each other is really pretty entertaining. Definitely so much more entertaining than actually being the understandee or understander. Last night there was a lot of that. I should definitely get points for my effort, I was sort of proud of myself because I wasn't completely mute the entire time. Granted most of the Italian spoken was Spanish with an Italian accent, but the point of speaking to anyone at all is to communicate and I'm pretty sure everyone understood at least 85% of what I was saying...So I'm going to go ahead and call that a success. Oh I'll get it soon enough.

I do admit I miss being understood a 100% of the time. It's details like that that have made me miss home a little. I always thought it was absolutely ridiculous when people said they were homesick while being in such amazing places (and even now it's me I still do), but at certain times...at specific moments, it seems that nothing really compares to the familiarity and comfort of your own life. Your own room. Your bed. Pillow. Just the tiny things that I wish I could maybe try and fit in a third suitcase. But. My bed here isn't all that bad. 

Tomorrow I have class. English Literature, which means more sitting by myself amongst 50 other students...until someone picks up on the fact that I speak English fluently and can be an asset to them and their grade. Hopefully. That's my strategy right now. Although it's not like I read what I was supposed to for next class so...I might not end up being very helpful. I should go read. 

One more Top Chef episode and then I'll read.

Day 18

Well, finally more classes.  Ironically, I'll be studying English and Spanish lit here in Italy.  But i'm looking into Italian cinema and modern architecture, which both sound quiteee intruiguing. So going to class has kept me more busy, although today classes were cancelled because of a subway protest or something that immobilized public transformation for the day. Not too much of a let down really, I slept.

I took my Italian test...and it went as well as I thought it would. So Level 1. Back to basics. Although that would imply having been more advanced at some point, which I haven't been at, so it's more like...starting at the basics. Buongiorno.

I did make some new friends though..I went out with another Chilean girl that's here, Coni and we had our first night out.  We met a few Romans (one of which is a chef...thank you) who took us to "Testaccio", which for a Monday night was not bad at all. So we danced and had a few unpronounceable shots, and were home in time to sleep a few hours before class this morning.

And now, after a beautiful parmesan taglierini dish and half a bottle of wine, we're off again, hopefully to meet more people and discover new places. And no class tomorrow. So much better.

This Sunday is the marathon, I know I should probably make my mom proud and run part of it, buttt, let's just say it's too late and I'll be watching from my window. Valerio says they run right on our street, so watching it while having lunch seems like a perfect plan.

And this weekend, Pisa. NOT missing our train again. We're thinking Naples for next weekend. So more stories to come.......

Day 15

It is so odd how sometimes you think you want something and then once it's happening, you feel the opposite way. I fueled this trip with the thought of an adventure, telling myself I wanted so badly to feel scared, out of my comfort zone, doing something new. So why is it once I'm finally in that position, sitting alone in a classroom full of 50 Italian students, that I want to turn and run.  Really, why would I do this to myself? It's the awkward introductions that kill me. "Hi, I'm Nasha..I don't know how to say anything else in your language. Be my friend?" God.

I finally went to my first class last Friday. It's an English Lit class, kind of a cop out move on my part, but I thought anything that could help me ease my way into the system and give me some sort of cushion language-wise would be a good thing. The lectures are all in Italian, but the texts and novels we have to read are in English and the teacher said I could give the final exam in English as well so that's enough cushion. We'll see how it goes.  So Tuesday is my next class. English Lit or Social Skills 101?

Also this week is my placement test for Italian classes, tomorrow at 9:15. We'll see how far a language learning app can get you. At least it means I'll be surrounded by people in the same position I am.

So...I'm hoping both classes will help me turn around my social life here, which has been a little non-existent so far. People keep telling me I haven't even been here a month, but it honestly feels like three. It's a little confusing because I feel like I've done so many things, and new things, which makes everyday so long. And makes me a little homesick.  But at the same time I'm getting antsy thinking I haven't done anything at all. I mean I woke up after 12 today. I really feel like I should be off doing something.  On that note, remember how I was going to go to Pisa? Daniela and I went to get the ticket and we were going to leave at 6 the next morning (4 hour trip to get there), so I stayed at her house because it's closer to the station. So the alarm was set and we should have been ready to go around 5:30, but....we both jumped up around 6, when her roommate walks in more aware of our trip then we were telling us that we were tardi tardi. There went our train. And Pisa. Thankfully, the train ticket is valid through May, so we can go next weekend. Oops.

After that, the weekend left much to desire, so when I did wake up today, I went running, and then went out and walked around with my camera a little. A few times I wanted so badly to take pictures of random people...the old couple sitting on the bench or the little boy stuffing his face with gelato...but I don't have the vocabulary to ask permission yet and even if I did I'm not so sure I would.  Some people in a pastry shop saw my camera and posed for me though, without even having to ask. So there you go. 

View from my room-Basilica di San Paolo

Eat and Run

While these were uploading, I had dinner. I thought I was eating a weird cut of beef until Maria told me it was veal. So. Much. Better. Haha. Any takers?

Day 12-Laziness

The awe effect is beginning to wear off. Maybe a little too much so. Are you allowed to be lazy if you're in Italy? I've been ticking things off my to do list slowly, boring official stuff for school...getting papers back to Chile to prove I'm here I guess. And now I just want to develop some sort of a routine. Half of me wanted to come to get out of a routine so I'm confusing myself a little. Perhaps I just wanted a new routine? I'm definitely a creature of habit so I know it's more comfortable for me...but whooo knows. I haven't had any classes yet- the whole system here is as lazy as I feel right now...you do what you want and then just see if you can pass the exams. Most of the classes I want to take start in April (YES April)...So that gives me some time to...walk more. and travel. and see things. But then again I have a placement test for my Italian language course on the 12th, so I can't go too far.  I'm trying to go to Pisa this weekend, see if they've figured out how to get that tour straight yet. It's probably lazy too. From all the pizza. Get it? Sorry.

But the food here does relax you. I mean it's comfort food on a whole different level. All I really want to do is eat. And the fact that I've been watching Masterchef episodes on my computer every chance I get, does not help. Anyone who watches any sort of cooking show knows how the second you see people making these beautiful dishes all you want to do is go out and buy fresh ingredients and make something yourself. Which I just did. They had a ravioli challenge, and ohhh I just happened to have newly-bought authentic Italian (albeit packaged) ravioli in my fridge-or section of the fridge that belongs to me- and so I ate. And it was great. I have been out running a few times but I can't help feeling self-conscious...it's like people know I'm a crazy outsider running around trying not to get fat from all their irresistible food. Oh well. Maybe I'll do something indoors today.

Something else always happens to me when I watch these reality shows. I always wish I was on one....like this unhealthy envy that I could be changing my life or following my dream like the people on the screens are...like whyyy can't that happen to me. And then I think, well you are doing something you've been wanting to do. It just doesn't feel that amazing. Maybe you don't feel that amazing while it's happening? Maybe you have to be filmed for it to seem like something more special. Then of course I'm in my room on my computer instead of having a gelato in front of the Fontana di Trevi...or reading on the steps of Piazza Espagna...or walking through flocks of pigeons at the Vatican.

Maybe tomorrow.

Day 7- Not Homeless

Buona Sera. Everything is right in the world. I have a place to live. A lottt has gone down in the past two days...yes, finally more than just a lot of walking. Yesterday was do or die. I was freaking out and really had to find an apartment so I set up a bunch of meetings to see apartments around the Marconi area in Rome, which is closer to where my classes will be.

I left around 11:30 (with sneakers on, I gave up on nice looking shoes when I found blisters on my feet from the day before) and went to the first apartment. Which I liked. Good price, nice roomate, but roomate still, which I wasn't really planning on. So I kept going, and saw the next place which was a lot less impressive than the first. Crossed it off my list. The next room I was going to see was a lot further, and we had agreed on 3:00 so I had some time to kill.  I basically just walked around because it had proved the best way to get to know the area...and behold, I randomly found myself in front of the section of the school I'll be going to, the Facolta di Lettere y Filosofia...(I just looked at my school website for the first time since I got here to make sure that was spelled right). But I was going to meet Daniela there later to look around so I just hung out around there a little before taking the metro to the next place. I walked and found the address, but when I explained I was there...all I understood was that the lady wasn't coming. That the apartment would only be available after March 20th. Now how do you get mad at someone without being able to speak to them in their language? I tried to say my coldest thanks possible and hung up. Bitch. BUT I told myself it was too far anyway and went right back to where I was before to meet Daniela and tour our school so as not to be completely and utterly lost on Monday. It is preeetty big, but small classes, and very oddly constructed...There are random doors that lead to nothing but more doors, and doors that look like exits but actually open up into more hallways. Weird. At one point we were in a 5x5 white, empty room, and three of the walls had doors leading to other places. Very twilight zone. So it would seem getting lost is going to be a big possibility even after all the exploring. I can just picture myself in the Three Door Room trying to guess which is the way to my next class. It's gonna be great. But we finally found the cafeteria, which was enough for both of us to be satisfied with ourselves. I got a salad (igual que las de la cato....con lechuga fresca y aceitunas, bolitas de mozzarella, tomates cherry, aceite de oliva...aceto balsamico jaja) because by then it was 4:30 and I was famished-my purchase of the day until then had been a bottle of water. Daniela had nutella pizza. Yes. Nutella. Pizza.

At the next place I went to look at, Valerio (I always want to call him Valentino I don't know why-maybe my fantasy of living with a high fashion italian designer) let us in. Daniela offered to go with, to have a second opinion. Now even at the front door of the apartment, we were looking at each other confused because the amount the room was posted for in the ad did not coincide with how nice this place was. I was almost scared to ask again because clearly I had misread. But indeed it was within my budget and I get a room all to myself. Valerio is about 30 and lives there with his girlfriend, along with another student, who'll be leaving in April. We talked a little, I looked around, thanked Valerio and left. And the night was young, and so are weee, so it was decided that we should resist just turning in. On our way to getting my jacket...oh my god is that a chocolate market? Why yes I think it is. Everything chocolate. Shoes, phones, cheese, scissors, roses....Amazing. And then there were the plastic cups of strawberries. There to buy with melted chocolate poured over them. And cannolis. Beautiful sicilian cannolis. It will take all my strength to not go back and eat all my meals there.

After a while, we tore ourselves away and kept walking through the night. I noticed that the city smells different that late-better I think. It's like those nights where you're not freezing or anything but the tip of your nose is kinda cold and you can sort of see the cold in the air. It was nice. We casually ended up at a few tourist spots-the Colosseo and Fontana di Trevi, Piazza di Espagna. Things that make you realize-no you are not in just any city. YOU ARE IN ROME. "Yeahhh buddy."

Then I took the wrong bus home because obviously the route of the number 3 day bus is different from the number 3 night bus. Oops. I don't know..I didn't even care being lost. It's not like I had somewhere to be. Really, why wouldn't you want to be lost in Rome? Soon enough, my keen sense of direction led me back. So to the pillow it was, to sleep on my decision to be made.

And after weighing the pros and cons, I decided on the second one. So moving day tomorrow. 12:00. Yesss.

Day 5

Apartment hunting under pressure succckks. Nothing else to say.