First Post in Italia

Buongiorno!

This is my first post when I'm not in the USA. Today is day #3 in Siracusa and I am getting more and more used to it everyday. The language is tough, yes; the sudden switch of cultures is a change, yes; and the weird looks I get when walking through the streets of Siracusa are unwelcoming at times, yes. But I will say that I am having a great time thus far and I am very excited to see what this year has in-store for me. So now I'll give you a (somewhat) brief summary of days 1, 2, and 3.

Day zero: I am going to call Saturday "day zero" since I wasn't technically in Siracusa, therefore my exchange hadn't officially started. So on day zero I woke up at 3:30 AM, got dressed, made sure everything was in order, and then left the house at 4:30 AM for Sioux Falls, SD. Once I got the Sioux Falls, I said goodbye to my family and friends who went to the airport to send me away, and boarded plane number 1 of 4. Once I reached Minneapolis, I went to Caribou Coffee to get something to eat and drink. While at a table, I saw my travel partner, Mats Hansen so I called his name at we met for the first time. We boarded plane number 2 of 4 and we went to Toronto. In Toronto we ate at a small place called "Toast" and then found our gate. 3 hours of waiting really is boring.

Day one: We boarded plane number 3 of 4 for Rome, a massive airplane! Once in Rome, we rechecked security and went to our gate. On plane 4 of 4, the anxiety was building and we were both ready to get off the planes at land in Catania. 30 hours of travel is very tiring! Once in Catania, we waited for about an hour for our bags, some people never got theirs. After the bags were collected, I found my new host family. Giovanni and Elena picked me up from the airport. We loaded the car, went to Siracusa and there my host mother, Maria Grazia, was waiting at the door. We ate lasagna for lunch at the flat and then went to Ortigia where we had pizza for supper. I laid down that night exhausted.

Day two: I stayed at home and played Monopoly with Elena. I am very, very bad and she is very, very good! I think she ended with 75 million dollars and I had -45 million. We took Perla for a walk and relaxed for the day.

Day three: It's only 3:00 PM here so I haven't done much. We're going to the beach soon!

Sorry this post was so short, once school starts I'm sure I'll have a lot to write about.

Come back tomorrow for the "Wednesday Word of the Week"

Thanks for reading my blog! I miss everyone at home but I am enjoying Siracusa so I'm not too homesick thus far.

Until tomorrow, grazie, e ciao a tutti!

AF

P.S. The Internet is slow so I'm not able to upload pictures at this time. We'll fix it soon so you can see this beautiful place too! Arrivederci!