So,
Today, I went to Firenze AGAIN. I think it is rather amusing that we as a student body have already gotten tired of the touristy things that Firenze has to offer. We decided to go check out the soccer stadium on the North side of town. This, by the way, is the "bad" part of town. Yikes. There are actually train tracks there that give validity to the term, "across the tracks". It was great, and we left in a hurry. We met a girl going to Leo Da Vinci University who is from Boston. In the rain. Random!

We also made a stop into the Florentine book store(one of many) and bought children's books in Italian. I don't know how long it will take us to read them but we are all getting excited for school to start tomorrow. It has been raining like the dickens here but we're all still in pretty good spirits. Last night, we went out for Gelatto. Si, mi piace. I accidentally got the chocolate liqour and cherry cordial. What are the odds that the only two that I chose happened to both have a little bubbly in them. Oops. It was good and I feel fine but I think I will avoid those flavors in the future.

I gotta go try to make friends with the Italians. It is harder than I thought. Here at the Villa, they are not really interested in making American friends at all. They aren't cold, just not very receptive. I gotta work on that. Maybe at dinner tonight.

Ciao,
Brian

Pictures

I don't know what is wrong, but I'll try to find a way to put up pictures. Just use your imaginations for right now.

Ciao,
Brian

Casa, sweet casa!

I'm stuck in Gatwick. My plane was delayed until 1230 and I finally found some form of relief in this computer console. My laptop's wireless doesn't work. I had to check my mandolin at Gatwick which didn't make me any happier after waking up feeling like I had been sat on by a large hippo. It's 1115 right now and I haven't slept a wink. Death... I haven't lost anything yet, although I did try to give a guy a ten euro note instead of £'s. Guess I forgot I was still in Britain, Toto. I think I will turn this into my first blog abroad. My smokey trip into Gatwick North. I do wish I had a travel buddy. It seems like everyone else in this blasted airport does.

That was the trip to end all trips. I arrived in Pisa, met a guy named Orso who directed me to the train to Florence. I ended up meeting up with my dean and about 6 other ACA students, one of which is my roomie. The school makes up for the deathly trip. I am in a 3 man room that has two windows, one facing Firenze(Florence), and one facing the girls dorm...??? It is absolutely beautiful.

I took my first TWO trips into Firenze today, one in the morning and one after lunch. We did the touristy stuff, saw the touristy things and got zero pictures due to my memory card chillin in my computadora. Dang! Gotta go, but I hope you enjoy the pictures. Kay, bye...

Ciao!
Brian

At home, 10 days and counting.

Most of you won't be reading this until after I'm already eating spaghetti and the best pizza of my life. Too bad. The apprehension before the trip is just killing me. I have been doing some last minute chores done such as buying necessary items for the trip, scheduling a coach bus to take me from one airport to another in England, etc. My next post will be from Istituto Avventista Villa Aurora itself so stay tuned.

I will do my best to blog it up at least once every week or so. At times, it may be hard to do that but bare with me. I am, after all, in Italia.