Bambinas
Today was a really slow paced day that was only filled with classes, and of course some more rain! In our cooking class we made Bucatini all’amatriciana which is a pasta dish that has a tomato and pork sauce – it was so tasty. Chef Desy calls us all his Bambinas since he has 2 daughters our age already he said we did a bellismo job today! We also learned how to make a homemade sausage/salami “toscana style”. This simply means that a lot of the fat of the pork is left in the mix and it is also in bigger pieces than the typical salami would have. After class I grabbed a coffee with the girls then headed to Italian which was a review session for our upcoming quiz on Thursday. Lastly, I had my Italian Family Business course where we learned about the different types of companies in Italy and how they are based off of size and type of business. That class was really slow but at least we don’t have any classes tomorrow since it is the first day of the gelato festival here in Florence!
struggling!
Sorry for not posting yesterday – the internet here wasn’t working. Yesterday we all went out to get some gelato after our first day of classes and then we walked around and went to a local bar for a bit. We tend to go across the bridge more than staying in the city center because there are way less tourists and it is a lot cleaner and cheaper on that side. Everyday here is getting easier and easier. The jet lag has finally worn off and if people speak slow, I can mostly pick up what they are trying to tell me. I cannot begin to describe how different life is here! Instead of constantly being on my phone or internet, the only way I know what time it is from the church bells that go off every hour. The streets are chaotic with people everywhere but my experience has been amazing here.
I love my classes so far, my cooking teacher is very fun and we’ve already made pork with apples and a soup. My Italian language “professoressa” is very sweet and my Italian business course seems like it will be interesting which is good. Tonight a group of 20 of us are heading to a restaurant called Ganzo which is a student run restaurant that has a ten course meal and drink for 5 euros. We can’t wait! After that, we’ll probably sit out by the bridge or work on some homework. Side note: I think I sprained my finger (if possible) from climbing our orange tree with the roommates haha.. the good thing is we now have fresh orange juice 
The countdown is on..
“You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him discover it in himself.” – Galileo Galilei
With 3 weeks until classes start, I was able to finalize my schedule in Italy! Every class is taken on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays.
- Tradition of Italian Food, 9:00 am – 11:30 am
- Italian Language, 12:00 pm – 2:30 pm
- The Art of Italian Family Business, 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Over the next 3 months, I will take on 5 different countries, cultures, and languages. I will submerse myself into the different lifestyles by speaking as little English as possible, eating the local delicacies, and wearing the same style clothing as them. Easy, right?
My main goals for the trip are:
- See Casalduni, the town in Italy where my family is from
- Be able to understand Italian by the time I leave
- Find a vintage clothing/antique store in every country (sorry mom!)
- Don’t gain more than 5 pounds, this by far will be the hardest.
- Take this journey for what it is – a life changing experience. Explore, Learn, Experience daily.