A little help from my friends

All pictures from Natalie

These pictures were taken last Friday when a couple friends from home came to stay with me. It's always nice when friends from home and school meet and get along great. I know some of them are blurry, but they were too good not to put in! I have a huge grin on my face in almost every photo. There's nothing like catching up and laughing, all the while being silly. The next morning I went to Central Park with Jimmy, Chloe and Chloe's cousin Megan because I had to write a paper on the Balto Statue. It was the first warm spring day of the year and it was the perfect way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon.

I took my last midterm before Spring Break today! I have lots of exciting things happening in the next couple days, so stay tuned!

First Week Back

1. Tip jar at the Bean

2. Fancy bikes

3. Dirty chai latte

4. Flannels on Bleeker

5. Washington Square Park

6. Watching Girls and snacking with Chloe

7. Wrap with hummus, spinach, sprouts, chicken and avocado

8. Hanging out with Olivia in her new apartment

9. Cupcakes my suitemate brought back from her job

Since I've been back in New York I've been walking nonstop, hanging out in the lower East side, eating just as much as Italy, drinking coffee in to go mugs and catching up with friends. I'm so excited for the weekend, I'm planning on doing work, exploring the West Village and of course eating.

Back in the New York Groove

Hi! I've moved back into New York City and am starting to get back in the swing of things. This semester I'm living in a dorm in the West Village. This is an area that I don't know very well, but I'm so excited to explore! I had my first day of class yesterday and the saga continues today. My classes are super spread out which means that I will be taking multiple trips to campus throughout the day. Mostly I've been enjoying large cups of coffee and eating things with avocado. Yesterday I went out for a drink with Francesca and Chloe to catch up and rehash the day. Afterwards I went down to the East side with Francesca and Joe for silliness and ramen.

San Miniato al Monte

Today I had my Cultures and Context class at San Miniato al Monte. I definitely did not plan enough time for the trek and showed up ten minutes late huffing and puffing...there were so many stairs. Physical exertion aside, it was one of the best views of the city. San Miniato al Monte is located on the other side of the bridge right near the Piazzale Michelangelo.

The story goes than St. Miniato was decapitated then picked up his head, walked up the hill and placed it where the church is now. San Miniato is located outside the walls of the city. I didn't manage to get pictures of the inside, but every inch is covered in decoration. The floors are made to look like carpet, which is reflected in the inlay detail of the floor. I felt as though it would be very rude to start snapping photos while my teacher was lecturing. After class I walked back along the Arno and bought art supplies for my drawing class. I caught the bus up to campus for Italian and then went home after to get work done and sketch. My night wouldn't be complete without a lady date with Chloe where we got gelato and did a lap around the Duomo.

First day of class

Prosciutto and melon

"All my life I had let others provide for me, and while I loved the people who had nurtured and built me intellectually, I felt that emotionally it was time to look after myself" -The Power of One

 Today was my first day of class. Thursdays are my easiest days, I only have Italian at 3:00. I still can't get over how gorgeous the campus is! Pictures don't even do it justice. It's very distracting to look out the classroom window and see rows of olive trees, large cypress trees and villas in the distance. I took my time walking the 4.7 km to class. Unfortunately, it's all uphill. Coupled with the heat of the day, I arrived at class looking as though I had just completed a triathlon. By the time I walked back down after class the sun wasn't as high and downhill was more pleasant. Last night I went to dinner with my roommates and some of their friends from Wake Forest. We then went to a bar called the Lion's Fountain Irish Pub, which is clearly made for the 6,000 American students that flock to Florence. The ceiling was covered in T-shirts from American universities and they played a weird mix of music. For some reason they played 'Sweet Caroline' twice, odd choice.

 These pictures are from a park on my way to school. It seems incredible that it's so easy to stumble upon beautiful, historic monuments.

The Italian slow pace is going to take some getting used to. I've already been enjoying dinners that last hours, leisurely walking and the general lack of urgency that Florence provides. Even the pigeons are more relaxed!