Shot Bar

So our favorite hot spot to go to is Shot Bar (Actually called Shot Cafe, but for some reason we call it Shot Bar). The bartender is awesome, his name is Armando!  The drinks there are delicious. He always gives us some for free haha. It is funny because all my friends here call me Mom, since I am the responsible one. So the other day we saw a poster for a Reggae concert, so when we got back to the hotel, we started telling everyone about it. Later we heard everyone talking about it! But the only thing was that we didn't read what street it was going to be on. So everyone knew about it, but no one knew how to get there. As it turned out, we google mapped it and it wasn't even in Florence! It was sooooo funny, but we felt kind of bad that we had everyone arrange their night around the so-called reggae concert. Today, I bought a cell phone! I can't use it to talk to anyone at home, but I can use it to keep in contact with everyone in italy. We move into our apartment tomorrow! I am so excited to stop living in a hotel and to actually put my clothes in a closet! A great aspect we found here, is the 1 Euro store! It is great! Everyone flocks there to buy cheap things. Well I am very excited to move into our apartment, and then I will be able to update this blog a lot more!  

Ciao!

Apartamento!

We found our apartment! It is the best apartment in all of Florence in my opinion. It is in the heart of the city, overlooking the famous Duomo. Within our apartment, there is 3 floors. On the first floor there is a double bedroom, the second floor is the bathroom and the kitchen, the third floor is a huge living room/dinning room, and the another twin bedroom with 2 nooks for the beds (one of which is mine), and then there are more stairs that lead up to our terrace/patio/balcony. It is basically on the roof and you can see the entire Duomo. It is simply perfect! The picture was taken on our terrace.

The nightlife here is amazing. We went bar hopping last night to 3 different bars. It is crazy how late these Italians stay up partying, it never seems to stop! Dancing to Italian music is so cool. We have been meeting so many students from all over the U.S, mostly from the East Coast. We have been also meeting some cool italians. I am really picking up a lot of Italian. Last night I was speaking it constantly, it was awesome. Also, someone asked us for directions last night, which shows that we probably are starting to not look like tourists anymore. 

I still have yet to try gelato, I need to soon! Everyone keeps saying how delicious it is, so I am very excited! All the street signs are in italian, but the STOP signs are in English. Very funny. I currently have 2 mosquito bites. one on my arm, one on my leg. They are huge! I thought I would gain weight once moving to Italy, but I found out that I am actually losing it. We walk so much, so I am definitely getting in shape. I also found out that we eat less because we only eat at mealtimes and it is much smaller portions that in the U.S. I really need to invest in good walking shoes because I am getting blisters! So it is considered rude in you walk into  a store/shop/bar/anywhere without saying Bongiorno or  bona sera. I really need to start learning how to order food in italian. Today is a lazy day, we are just relaxing and hanging out. 

First successful day in Florence

So today we walked all around Florence, and then we went out to eat for lunch where I ordered my first legal glass of wine! It was great ordering a real drink without being 21. I was surprised that I actually enjoyed it! I ordered bruschetta and it was so refreshing with all the yummy tomatoes. It was sooo flavorful. After that we walked by an outdoor market. We passed a bag/purse stand and the guy working there said that since we are Americans, we get half off. I wasn't looking to buy anything, but I asked him how he knew we were Americans. His response was, "Because of the beauty." Haha typical Italian man. We went back to our hotel for the ciesta, where I took a nice, long nap. Then we ate dinner with all the CSU students and now we are going out for the night! Ciao!

Hello Firenze

I am here! It is sooo hot. I am trying to get on Italy time, but no such luck, I slept all day. First meal I had here was penne al pesto and sparkling mineral water. We learned our first cultural lesson after eating. Apparently it is rude to ask to bring home your leftovers. When one of the girls asked out waiter, he rolled his eyes and did not look happy. We haven't ventured too far from our hostel, since we might get lost. But hopefully tomorrow we can go explore a little more. I am glad a brought a Klean Kanteen with me because it is an absolute necessity when walking around in the burning heat. So I won't be able to post any pictures any time soon because I forgot my camera's USB cord at home! I'm going to have my mom send it to me and then I will post a million pictures. What they say about vespas and Italy is completely true! There are so many! They are everywhere and they go so fast! The pedestrian definitely does not have the right of way in this city. I am so excited to learn my way around and meet the locals that live here. I wonder how long it will take me to get used to this time change. Going apartment hunting in a few days, wish me luck!

1 day left!

So, tomorrow is the big day. I leave for the airport around 11:30am to make my flight at 2:15pm. I am currently in the process of shoving everything into my suitcase. I can only bring one suitcase that can weigh 50lbs! I am also bringing a backpacking backpack and a purse. Everything is completely filled, yet I am still trying to fit in a little more. I am excited- yet at the same time, it still doesn't feel real. I think that it will feel real when I wake up tomorrow morning. I have a layover in Frankfort, Germany and then we fly to Florence. When we land, we have to take a taxi to our hostel. I am really curious to see how jet-lagged I will be. While I am there, I plan on writing in this blog to keep everyone at home updated on my life in Europe. I also plan on writing in a journal so that later in life, I will have something to look back on. I am keeping my mind open to all new experiences and my goal is to come back to the states completely fluent in Italian. This is going to be the adventure of a lifetime. My next post will be in Italy! Ciao!