My Italian Boyfriend

I know you're jealous. I hadn't even left the continental US before a very charming Italian man sat down next to me to chat. He even bought me a cappuchino and gave me a number.

Now before you get all jealous, Andrea, while very charming, was completely plastered and about fifty years old. He'd hit up the bar after realizing we had a three hour delay for our flight, and I could smell the whiskey on him. But, he was super nice and chatted with me for quite a while. He was from Rome but moved to the United States when he was twenty-one, and was going back for the first time in several years to visit his sister and brother-in-law. When he found out I was studying abroad in Italy, he gave me a CD to "keep me from getting homesick." I haven't listened to it yet, and I'm not entirely sure, but I think it's his own CD. He even loaned me his National Geographic for the flight when I expressed interest in his copy (since he was only going to sleep off the drink while on the flight). I caught up with him again at the baggage claim and gave him back his copy. After we went through customs, he introduced me to his sister and brother-in-law, and the three of them bought me my first cappuchino (and I smell a habit forming). He also gave me his sister's number in case I ever needed anything in Rome.

But after they left, I was on my own and the real challenges started. I had to take a train from the airport to Roma Termini. Somehow, I accidentally bought a van taxi ticket. So instead I took that with six other people, which was cool because we drove by the Colosseum. Then I wandered around with all my luggage until I asked someone where to buy tickets. The ticket office -- which I never found -- was supposedly right around the corner, but he told me to just use the automatic ticket center, and it was very easy. I got on a train bound for Ancona, and about three hours later was sitting on a non-moving train. It pushed my arrival back even later. Then, I got off at the station at Fabriano and minorly panicked. Because of our delay, the last train to Macerata was already gone and instead had to take the bus. By then, it was dark and I was way late. If you know me personally, you know it's my least favorite thing in the world (besides spiders) to be late. Finally, I took a taxi to our hostel.

When I walked in, I didn't see anyone. What a feeling. But I had just walked in the wrong door, and two turns later my day turned all around. I got into the room and met someone from the program, who walked me over to the meeting to meet Filiberto and the other seven students here. If I was worried about being late, I didn't need to be, not with Filiberto and not with Italy in general.

My kitchen!

So pretty!

Mountains!

View from my kitchen!

Balcony.

These past two days, we've just been getting acquianted with Macerata - possibly the most picturesque town, ever. We can see the Adriatic Sea and the mountains from the city! And we've now moved into our apartment. I have three roommates and our view is fabulous.