Everyday Life

I was talking to my sister Amanda the other day and I realized as she was telling me about what is going on in her life at home, I don't ever tell you about my day to day life.  This year I have done so much out of the ordinary, but there are many things that are not so very different that I don't often mention.  For instance...eating.

Grocery shopping is a part of every day life here.  Although I hate grocery shopping, it is unavoidable with a fridge shorter than me and one shelf of cabinet space for the rest of my food.  I usually limit my trip to the big grocery store, Coop, to once a week, but waiting this long makes the long walk home very long with such a heavy backpack full of groceries and often a bag in each hand.  Don't buy more than you can carry.  Something I never thought about until moving here.  With this kind of grocery shopping I have gotten into such a routine of selecting the same amount of the same items, knowing just how much I can carry home, that I don't have the kind of variation in my meals as I had when I first arrived.  I feel that this is the case even in the United States, that we get into a routine of always eating the same thing, but it is easier to break out of that box when you are familiar with the food can read the labels and directions on the products.

School...yes, I am actually enrolled in 15 units of school while I am here despite the lack of mention.  No, 15 units here is not the same as 15 units at San Jose State.  Either there is not nearly as much homework, or I should actually be doing the assigned reading.  I will let you know next week when midterms start if I am in over my head with senioritis.

I have class Monday through Thursday, some in the classroom, and some out in the city:
Italian Conversation
Italian Grammar
Early Renaissance Art History (on site in the city a lot)
Museum Studies and the Uffizi Gallery (on site in the city a lot)
The History of Italian Opera (We just went to an opera for this one!)

The Italian classes are really the only ones I am interested in taking, but as I said before, the others haven't been too bad with homework (I say this as I commence on a 7 page paper).  If it were up to me I would only be taking 12 units this semester, but the minimum requirement is 15 units (to ensure that students don't goof off all year I suppose).

Well...that's really the normal life of a student in Italy, in the U.S....everywhere, I suspect.  Eating and studying.  And working usually, but seeing as I don't have a work visa that's not an option.  Now that I have enlightened you all with the logistics of my life as a "normal student," you can anxiously await my next post and I assure you I will try to make it more exotic and European.

Bria's amazing box of December happiness!

Meanwhile, if your heart so desires...because I know mine does.... ...You can send me letters!!!
Here is my school address, the most reliable place to send me mail:
Caroline Dennis
Via G. Leopardi 12
50121 Firenze, Italia

(U.S. to Italy is 98 cents for a letter)