Sono Arrivata

Sono Arrivata

I am falling in love with this city. I just ate my first panini and burned my mouth with espresso, but I ordered in italian and I am faring quite well. The panini was made of soft, chewy bread, pillowy mozzarella, juicy but not soggy tomatoes, and crisp lettuce.

Pigeon shit everywhere, but it is all beautiful here. Even the trash ... maybe a little less so. I cannot believe how high the Duomo is. In the morning I hear its bells, and sunlight floods the room once I open the shutters. Our shower is not even big enough to bend over; the radiators hardly heat any of the rooms. Even toilets here are strange, and right now, I can feel espresso running right through me. It might be a while until I get used to their coffee.

It seems my fluency is a rarity among these students. Yesterday I had several wonderful, if not broken, conversations with locals. I am proud of how much italian I retained; I thought I didn't know very much, but I do, and new friends are finding me useful. It's also a confidence booster, and it really feels good to put myself out there with language.

My roommates are nice; Kerry is conservative but laughs easily, and Marisa is apologetic but liberal, and the other never showed up. Both have sharp minds and good hearts, and I enjoy their company.On my left is my roommate Marisa. With two new friends we split a litre of vino bianco; I ordered carpaccio because I was feeling adventurous. It turned out to be seasoned raw salmon and salad. It was good, but I had never eaten so much raw salmon in my life. I enjoy ordering in italian, even though I have to be corrected for at least one word every time.

No hot water yet; we have a little terrace - three feet wide, maybe ten feet long, high ceilings, wrought iron beds, a tiny shower, a tiny fridge. To get to my apartment, I walk up one set of steep stairs, through a courtyard, and up two more sets of stairs. Outside my bedroom window is another courtyard. Outside the kitchen window, a third.

Soon I will buy a cell phone. I thought I wouldn't, but I think I will need one. I don't have internet in my apartment and I want to wander by myself. Already I have missed two connections with friends because we thought we got lost and couldn't find one another and did not have phones. Although in this city, there really is no getting lost, as you can just keep wandering until you find your way back. Just look up for the Duomo.

Send packages to
Diana Means, c.o. SACI
Via Sant'Antonino, 11
Firenze 50123, Italia