#checavolo2014

And my blogging has surely plummeted. So much has been going on that sitting down to write it out has been tough, I'll probably incorporate some videos just so I don't have to put aside an hour to relay how beautiful.gorgeous.generous.kind.funny.amazing and great Italy is. I haven't left Reggio Emilia yet, our first field trip is next week so thats really exciting. I wanted to list a few things that have happened since I arrived

I have been waking up at 6am on the dot everyday, call it jet lag or call it random but it gives me time to do yoga, shower and enjoy cookies and cappuccinos with my host mom every morning.

It doesn't matter where you go in this city EVERYONE is willing to stop and help you even if you don't ask. I got the strap of my sweater stuck in my bike on the way to school and some man and his wife spent half an hour helping me get it off, in America people acknowledge that they can help but continue to pass as if they have something better to do 

I am the only person in my group who chose to do the home-stay option and I cannot possibly explain how great it has been every moment with Manuela, Dario, Luca e Matteo. The mom and the younger brother don't know any english but my Italian has us talking and laughing for hours. Luca is 17 and he's currently in school to improve his English. He's also this super talented artist he mostly does real life portraits!! He even offered to draw me eventually I'll have to remember to take pictures of some of his work. Dario(Dad) has been helping me adjust to Italian life, we take walks in the afternoon and just kind of compare cultural lifestyles over wine, he actually used to work for Max Mara which is amazing!! Matteo is young and full of life, we played Uno the other night and this kid won like eight times in a row but refused to let me quit playing lol All in all I am in love with this family and all that they have offered to do for me is more than I could have ever asked for.

THE FOOD!!!! aghfhjgoiefdjhdshbdash <-----an appropriate way of saying I am in cibo (food) heaven I eat all of my meals at home with the family and every time I am just so amazed at every component of the meal. Breakfast is usually cookies and coffee and then after I get home from school Manuela has lunch ready. We usually start with pasta and then move on to vegetables and a type of meat(fish, roast, prosciutto you name it) all whilst sipping on wine and talking and then we finish with fruit THATS JUST LUNCH GUYS! Dinner is normally similar give or take a course and add gelato before bed but when I say that I have had dreams about the food it is not a joke!

I have officially learned to ride the bus and bike to school, both with similar time frames ~20 minutes. This city is actually very bike friendly and flat. They have red roads designated just for bikes and almost everyone uses that as their mode of transportation which is nice to see. 

I have put so much effort into speaking and understanding Italian that when people talk to me in English my mind get very tired of it very quickly lol I read somewhere that studying Italian language the way that I have chosen to do it leaves Americans with very poor English at the end of it(this explains my lack of proper grammar)