La Volpe

Breakfast

Today is Julia Mcghee's 21st birthday. This means that we've known each other for around 20 years! It takes a birthday of someone close to realize how far you've come in life. A year ago I would never have imagined myself blogging while looking out over the city of Florence. To some people 20 years old might seem grown up, when I was young it definitely did, but somehow I still don't feel like an adult. Maybe by the end of this trip I will, or maybe I never will! I feel like it wasn't that long ago that Julia and I were running around our front yards playing some sport or other and imagining what we'd be like when we were older. Happy Birthday Julia!

Yesterday after class I did yoga on campus. It was taught in Italian by an Italian man who is about 40. I was surprised at how much I liked it! It definitely wasn't a beginner class. I thought at first it would be vinyasa, which I'm not a huge fan of, but once we started holding poses and stopped doing sun salutations I liked it alot more (though not as much as my favorite yoga teacher - you know who you are). I look forward to doing it once a week. My body has alas become inflexible again, but hopefully I'll be able to touch my toes again soon!

A lot of bars in Florence have deals and events for International students. Last night there was a beer pong night at a bar called the Red Garter. Despite the gaudy name, it's actually a pretty nice place. I watched as two of my friends played beer pong (I had a nine am class). There was a karaoke stage where we were and despite the drunk, tone-deaf students, I had the greatest time dancing and singing! I ended up running into someone from Montclair, who went to boarding school in Connecticut. When we made eye contact we both started laughing because it was a such a strange coincidence. We ended up exchanging numbers, so maybe I'll see her in the future.

I had the most hectic schedule today! I took the bus up to campus at 8:20 and then had a class from 9:00 - 11:45 (with a break for espresso of course). After class I immediately got into a cab in order to make it down to the Duomo for my next class from 12:00 - 1:15. I stopped by home to eat and then took another bus back to campus and had class from 3:00 - 4:15. Then I stuck around for a series of talks that NYU holds called La Pietra Dialogues. The talk tonight was called "What is wrong with the Euro?" I don't know too much about the subject, so I decided to go to get informed and make my dad proud! I didn't get back home until 8:30!

Chloe and her gelato

I got mistaken twice for Italian in this outfit!

Posing with Hannah and Chloe

Krista, one of my suite-mates

Chloe and I then went on a lady date to celebrate her new work study job (actually at La Pietra Dialogues). We managed to find a really cheap place where we shared a pizza with capers, oregano and anchovies (my first ones!), each got a salad and a drink for 11 euro each! So good...so salty. Also the salads came in giant clear bowls! They look like mixing bowls to me.