Traveling in a new area is all about figuring out where you are, and how to navigate the city you are in.
Arriving:
I arrived on January 18th around 2 p.m. The craziness began when I landed in Rome. Gustolab had organized for someone to pick me up at the airport. At this moment I was forced to be apart of the more slow and leisurely way of life that the Italians practice. I was stuck waiting for my luggage for over an hour (simultaneously worried I would miss the scheduled transportation to my apartment). Once I collected all of my luggage and ran across the airport to my meeting point, I saw a million signs but none with my name. I asked a few people for help and they suggested I just wait around. A few minutes later I received a phone call from my transporter saying he will be there in a little and to go get a caffe. Eventually after sitting around for 2.5 hours later, a man showed up seeming to still be in no rush. Little did I know for the next four months of my life I would indulge in this lifestyle.
Adjusting:
I quickly found out that I am the only student in the internship program, and one of the two students who are not from the University of Illinois. I can confidently say that I am out of my comfort zone here. This first week has been jammed packed with orientation activities, culture, and lack of sleep. I ate fresh pasta, homemade pizza and drank delicious wine until I found a grocery store. I've since been buying groceries and having fun recreating (or trying to at least) my favorite dishes that I had eaten out.
Internship at Zappata Romana:
January 24th, 2019 I had my first meeting today to go over one of my three internships that I will be participating in while abroad. The company Zappata Romana is known best for its mission to merge communities and gardens together. Although this is only the beginning I am very excited for what's to come.
Day 7:
Today marks week one. I decided to award myself with finishing up the first week strong by a little day trip with a few girls I have met along the way. We went to Tivoli. This trip made me cross many bridges I have been nervous to cross (trains, buses, language barriers). We met a few people a lot older than us and got to spend the day with them exploring this little city and learning many life lessons. The lesson that stuck with me was "everything isn't always as it seems to be". Tivoli consists of many ancient roman castles, fortresses, prisons, waterfalls, and botanical gardens.
