So the last few days have been a whirlwind of adventure, fun, and amazing Italian food. I can say I've tried my first taste of Italian wine, pizza, and I have rode on the autostrada which is the Italian freeway. Katie (my roommate) and I were driven to Porto San Giorgio to attend an orientation and meet the other tutors who are also in the region. There was a girl from Corvallis also in the program which was funny. It was nice to meet the other tutors and to realize I'm not the only one who was nervous and anxious about this adventure. My placement is like winning the lottery. I my own room, the staff at the school makes my bed, washes my laundry, and cooks us meals 6 days a week and the seventh (because the school is closed on Sundays) we stay at a bed and breakfast which is super nice and right down the road. I am really finding my way around the city now and it feels so comforting to know where everything is, how to get there, and most importantly how to ask and answer the right questions. At the moment I am definitely picking up on more Italian and it's making me think a lot more about English and just the phrases we say, it's a very new and interesting perspective. I am starting to miss home cooking (someone please make me an omlette)!! I need to learn how to say that in Italian. Not that I don't enjoy all the pasta and bread I'm eating but I was so glad to find a non-breaded chicken salad for lunch today. The lack of protein is really starting to affect my body. I am coming down with some sort of illness too and that coupled with sleep deprivation because of jetlag is causing my body to be under a lot of stress. Hopefully it's just a cold and it will go away quickly. Katie and I have had a chance to walk around and explore Macerata and my goodness, it is so beautiful. It's such a picturesque Italian town with its cobblestone roads and beautiful architecture. I absolutely love it. It's the perfect balance of rural farmland and quaint city. It's a university town so there are a lot of students around the area. That makes it nice because the population is mostly our age. There is something though about passing a little old Italian couple that just warms my heart. Anyway, the fashion in Macerata is a lot like at home but a lot more conservative. Katie and I took the train yesterday to Civitinova, a town bordering the Adriatic coast and the fashion there was very European. I could have just sat and people watched all day because it is so interesting. I start real classes tomorrow and I am very excited to see the students again and to work with the teacher on some activities I have planned. I have made a Powerpoint of some pictures of my family and Eugene and some of the other "American" things about my life. It's funny some of the stereotypes Italians have, like everyone knows a celebrity ect. I'm not sure who spreads that rumor lol. Anyhow, I always write before nap time and that's all I can think of for now. There is definitely more but I'll have to save it for next time.
Ciao, Ti amo!
Linsey
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