Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't posted in a few days; we've been so busy with orientation activities! Perugia is unreal. On Saturday, we moved into our apartments. Mine is an old, beautiful looking building on a narrow street with stunning views! We have three bedrooms (one single and two doubles) and two bathrooms (but only one has a shower). I have four other girls in my apartment: Michelle, Erin, Ashley and Dani. They're great! Two are from Pennsylvania, one is from Maryland, and one is from California. I share a room with Dani. Here are some house pics. The bathroom is a palace! I was happily surprised!

Courtyard

My room

Bathroom! The toilet flushes from the ceiling!

There are a few unique differences between American and Italian houses. For one, Italians only heat their homes for a few hours a day (fuel is extremely expensive here). Therefore, we've had to get used to being cold! The first night it was bad because our heat did not work for any part of the day (but someone came and fixed it). We also had no hot water the first night, but that was fixed as well. Additionally, no Internet! This has been surprisingly easy to deal with. I can go online at school, and my roommates and I have three hour conversations and play games at night instead of being glued to our computer screens.

Check out some interesting decor that we found our first day in the apartment: yes, it is a stuffed dead squirrel.

On a less disturbing note: The unbelievable view from my bedroom window!

We did a lot of exploring on Saturday. We went into a small cafe for lunch. The owner was like a jolly grandfather! I decided to take a chance and initiate an Italian conversation with him. I held my own, and he was so patient with me! I felt like I had accomplished something huge.

Saturday night, we went out for our first Italian dinner. Wine is only about 1.50-2 US dollars for a bottle. So naturally, we bought one. Here is my first "legal" drink!

We all ordered "personal pizzas." Only in Italy is a individual pizza this big. Unfortunately, it's considered rude here to take leftovers home, so you have to either eat all of your food or throw it away. In true Maria fashion, I conquered mine. Just because I'm small, doesn't mean I can't eat! Mangia, mangia!

Here is some unbelievable street art that we saw, along with some pictures of Perugia in general!

Yesterday (Sunday) we went on a walking tour of the main city. Perugia has a beautiful main square called Piazza IV Novembre. A stunning fountain built in the 1200s overlooks it (my roommates and I are standing in front of it in the picture above). Very few buildings in Perugia were built later than the late Middle Ages. You literally feel like you're stepping back in time. There is a mystery behind every corner; when you walk around an alley or into a shop, you never know what you're going to find. Example: Yesterday (Sunday) morning, we had a walking tour of the city. Our guide took us down a seemingly normal escalator running underneath of a bank center. As we went down, we entered an ancient world. The bank (or whatever it is) was literally built on top of the ruins of the "old" Perugia! We got off the escalator and were walking along streets that are over a millenium old. It resembled catacombs or jail. But all of this is underneath the current city! We will be learning a lot more about the history behind Perugia and these ruins in the near future, so I'll have more to say. I also forgot to take pictures (I was so amazed) but I will next time so you all can see the sights that left me in awe!

I've heard a lot of people in the past say, "Oh, Italy is almost the same as the United States. It won't be much different." LIES! I may as well be on a different planet. In my short time here, I've already noticed the tremendously unique ways that people speak, act, and carry themselves. Not to mention the fashion! I will get more into this in future posts, but Italy and the US are definitely not alike!

And for a story would totally happen to me. On Sunday, we were waiting for our tour guide at the fountain when a women who looked like a news reporter shoved a microphone in my face. She began casually asking me questions (in Italian) about what it's like to be in Perugia, etc. She knew we were students. I have no idea whether this was for a news channel (or as someone joked, a Youtube video making fun of Americans), but it was absolutely hilarious. She didn't even ask us our names, just a few questions and she was on our way! I tried to answer her as best as I could. Just one of those study abroad moments that leaves you baffled, yet amused. :)

I miss all of you! I am so blessed to have people who will share in this journey with me. You are in my thoughts and heart all the time. Ciao for now!