Roughing It.

Not actually roughing it, just a big culture shock.

Yesterday, Lauren and I went to pick up our European sim cards for our cellphones, for when we travel outside of Italy. Located on a little side street off the main busy street, Via Nazionale, we finally found it.

Laundry.

After shopping and walking around, I get back to my apartment and realize it's not in my purse where I put it. Tore my whole room apart...could not find it. It's 3:15pm, I have to meet with the student travel company I'm interning for at 4pm, and I cannot remember how to get to the cellphone place that closes at 6pm. Extremely flustered at this point.

Meanwhile, I had to wait for my laundry to be done before I can leave, and realize that I have been doing it the wrong way. Apparently when using a front loader washer you put the detergent in the pull out little drawer...I've been just throwing the detergent in with my clothes.
To add to my frustration- I now have to hang dry my clothes on our clothesline outside the apartment, where there is construction workers doing work to our building. Not trying to hang my underwear and bras outside in front of all of them...

To end that scenario; I come back later after it had rained a little, so my clothes ended up still soaking wet and dirty again. About to get to a laundromat next time I do laundry. It was worth a try, I guess.

So after meeting with the travel company, I make my way to find the cellphone store. I have a little over an hour to get there. Of course I get lost. No joke, it felt like I walked from one end of Florence to the other, four times. The amount of walking I did to find this small cellphone shop was insane. And I found it 15 minutes before it was about to close.
It's not like I am extremely out of shape. I have been working out here and I work out every day at home. But when I got home after walking around, I have never been in so much pain. I woke up this morning and almost started to cry that's how bad my calves are hurting... Something is seriously wrong.

The workout gym is super small. Only a couple treadmills, one bike and other equipment. I went for a short run around the center of Florence and ran to the gym to run a little more on the treadmill. The windows were open behind me, so I had to cut my run short due to the amount of smoke coming through from two people having a conversation, smoking cigarettes right outside. Only in Italy.

On a lighter note.

I stopped at the Mercato Centrale and got some dried fruit.... I think I'm addicted. It's so good and so much better than stuff at home. Actually, besides the little stuff like laundry and heat.....I think everything here is better than back home.

Dried fruit!

Like I mentioned, I met with the Euroadventures travel group just to talk about my internship and what it entails. Very laid back. We met at an Irish pub, had cappucino, and they explained some trips to us, gave us flyers to pass out to students and talked a little more about themselves and the company. Looks like I may be traveling for free to some places, which is a big plus!

There was free coffee at an American coffee/bagel shop yesterday morning, so me and Heidi took a walk. All the way across the Ponte Vecchio, down some little alley...yes, we got lost.

I guess we looked a little lost, so a guy happened to be standing by us and asked if we needed help. He actually lives across the hall from Tara and Heidi, real coincidence. He brought us to the coffee place and invited us all out to a dinner later at night; 15 euro for bottomless wine, 3 appetizers and 3 different types of pasta at Il Gatto e la Volpe. It was amazing. I love that everyone eats dinner around 9-9.30, takes their time and enjoys every second of it. Everything is so rushed in America.

I totally lucked out with my classes. So far, I have only had to buy one book for 16euro. We got an Italian book for free and my Intercultural Communication book is online for free use! It's so nice not having to worry about finding books and having to spend so much money...Nothing at all like Iowa. 
I've met soooo many new people. Our program seems to be mostly Southern and East Coast students. I met a select few of Midwest kids today, from Wisconsin, Kansas City, St. Louis and a couple from the Chicago area. Real cool, can't wait to hang out with everyone.

We are going to Carnavale this weekend in Venice! We will spend the day there Saturday, and then me and Tara have planned to visit our family in Viareggio for the day on Sunday. Extremely excited!