BOLOGNA

Hi there!

So I left Gravellona Toce on the 8^th to go visit my friend from Michele who went to Thailand with me. He lives in a town called Novi Ligure and it is famous for chocolate. He showed me around it was a pretty cute town and bigger than Gravellona Toce. I only stayed there for one night and we just went out for appetizers and then had some good old Italian pizza for dinner. It was a Thursday night and the holidays had just ended so most of Michele’s friends had left town for University. We hung out with his friend Francesco and just drank some beer and talked. The next day Michele and I went for some delicious Nutella pastries and then he drove me to the train station. I lugged my bags onto this train and then got off at another station and then lugged my bags on another train until I finally arrived in Bologna. I got off in Bologna and called my friend Simona. Simona and I worked together at Lago del Bosco, an Italian language camp offered through Concordia language villages. She asked me what track I was on. I replied 6 and she said she would be right there. She called back and asked if I was right on six or right by it. I explained again and she said she would be there in a minute. Then she called again. She said I am at track six where are you? I replied no I am at track 6 where are you? Then a random guy told me I was at track 6 Ovest (west). So I was like Simona I am at 6 ovest…6 ovest….6 ovest. COSA (What)? She responded. She didn’t understand until the 7^th time I said ovest and she went oh, OH-vest not ovest. So finally I see her coming up the stairs and we do the running and hugging and jumping thing. IT IS AMAZING to see her. This is the first time in 1.5 years I am seeing my fabulous co-counselor and I was soooooo happy. Well we grabbed my bags and we started walking back to her apartment. It wasn’t that far and I got a mini tour as we went. We finally got back to her apartment and we sat back and relaxed. We couldn’t stop hugging and kissing cheeks! Finally we calmed down enough to go grocery shopping for dinner. Simona made me Pumpkin risotto and we hung out with her roommates. The next day Simona had to go back to her hometown for a few hours. So I hung around the house and made some lunch while I waited until the time passed and I could go pick up my friend Desiree from the train station. Desiree and I worked together last year at the school of public health survey center and then had Italian class together this year. She found a cheaper flight if she arrived just 2 days earlier so she asked if she could stay at Simona’s place as well. Simona being so nice as she is said yes. So it turned out that Des’s plane got rescheduled a bunch of times because of 3 inches of snow in Madrid. She finally got into Bologna at around 630. Simona was back by then and we both helped her lug her stuff back to the apartment . That night she was dead so we decided to stay in. Giulia (Julia), one of SImona’s roommates, came back to the house around 1030 with some friends and we all got to drinking beer and wine and talking in the kitchen. A nice night just hanging out. Sunday Simona Des and I did a little shopping, but really just relaxed more. Sunday night we decided to do aperitivi. Aperitivi is a little like happy hour but better. Between 6-9 (before dinner) almost every bar you can buy a spritz (prosecco and campari) or wine or prosecco and with that drink you get to eat as much you want from the buffet of appetizers. When I do this, I usually eat a lot and then count that as dinner! That night we went to a really good one that cost 7 euro for the drink, but then we got enough food to be dinner. So Des, Simona, Simona’s roommate Katia, and I went to this café’ right by the 2 towers (the city is famous for these) and then afterwards we walked around and stopped and got some very good beer at a place called Arteria. It was like cool underground (literally) club/bar and there was some snl/comedy sports show going on with a band to play afterwards. We all got different kinds of beer that were on tap and they each came in their own glass. We finished our beers and then watched the political artsy humor skits for a while and then decided to call it a night.

The next day I saw 7 apartments. I liked 2/7 enough to live there and hoped they would call me back soon. In Italy you do not choose the apartment, but instead the flatmates choose you. I had to make a good impression on everyone to get chosen to live there. 2 days later the apartment I liked the best called me back and asked me to come back and meet the last flatmate. I did and they said they wanted me to move in!

I have 4 flat mates. There is Antonio (23) and Franceso (21) whom share a double, then Pasqua (27), the sister of Fra, whom has a single, and then Costanza (23) my roommate! They are all from Puglia ( a region in southern Italy) and they are all very chill and nice! I have lived here for about 5 days now and I already feel at home. I am very happy I am rooming with them and our apartment is really nice. I will include pictures on here and more on photobucket. We eat/cook together half the time just depending on schedules and levels of hunger. Lunch is around 2 and dinner around 9! It isn’t hard changing my schedule and I like eating real meals at home instead of getting a sandwich out. I cook twice a day everyday and then just eat cornflakes for breakfast. I like this kind of life!

My program started last Monday and I meet the other people. They all seem pretty nice, but having Italian friends is more important to me. I hang out with Desiree and Flor (she is from UPenn). My roommates and I usually hang out the most, but I have fieldtrips and class with my program for these 3 weeks.

So for the first week I was helping other people find apartments since I found mine so quickly and just going to meetings about safety, drugs, medical stuff, and whatnot. Our class started Monday and it is ok, but I am not having that much fun. Tonight I have some homework to do and then I will probably just hang around with my roommates.

Friday night we have an event at our apartment. Fra and Antonio have 2 friends that are photographers and we are hosting aperitivi at our apartment with a photo exposition! I am really excited because I can invite friends and meet more Italians! Life is good and hopefully I will update more frequently now!

Love you all!

My address is

c/o Fiormarino

Kelly Crawford

Via Irnerio 23

40126 Bologna Italy

BYE!