The Trip Over

Day 1

I have arrived at my house! Yes, it’s 8:52 PM, in Bagnaia, in the province of Lazio in Italy! I’ve finally made it. When our flight from Paris landed here we claimed our baggage and took the two-hour bus ride from Roma to Viterbo.  It was rather unpleasant at first, as everyone was perspiring in the 90-degree weather. We all felt a bit stupid after complaining about the intense heat of the bus until one girl pointed towards the vents above us and suggested we open them. Ahh, fresh, delicious cool air! I don’t recall too much of the bus ride or even the flight to Roma because I managed to sleep. I do know, however, that a newly married Japanese girl gave me her centre seat so Reed Bruce and I (SYAers) could sit together. How do I know she’s a newlywed? Because I am such a sketchy person that when she pulled out her camera to look at pictures I saw dozens of pictures of her in a white dress and veil standing next to a smiling man. Yeah… I’m fucking creepy.

            Moving on, when we arrived in Viterbo we stored our bags before enjoying a lunch of penne pasta and crustless mozzarella tomato mayo sandwiches along with orange Fanta(the Fanta here tastes like it's made with pure sugar, which, now that I think about it, it probably is). Afterwards came the suspenseful wait for out families. One girl commented (rather truthfully in my opinion) that “it felt like an auction.” We all sat in chairs and one by one our family’s  name and then ours was called. I was in the last 10  sitting of the 45 students there. Yeah, stressful.

            I finally met my host mother. She is a short, dark haired smiling woman who always seemed to be laughing or talking or congratulating me (in the beautiful, false encouraging way mothers are known to have) on my Italian. Her granddaughter, who accompanied her, is also named Bianca, has fair skin and prominent freckles and is adorable. She was a bit shy around me, but kissed my cheeks willingly and when we dropped her off at her parents’ house, shyly presented me with her drawing.

            The last thing I can talk about before I unpack (yeah, that’s right, I sacrifice everything for you guys, I haven’t unpacked, showered or even brushed my teeth. Lovely) is the LANGUAGE. God, it hit me like a fast moving, giant (albeit beautiful) train. I am, in every sense of the word, a train wreck. However, I did expect this train wreck so I’m not devastated, but merely trying to stay afloat before I learn how to swim. Wow, I just changed metaphors. Grr, the train one isn’t even a metaphor! It’s a simile! Kind of! I really should eat and sleep and shower and...make myself presentable. Until next time my lovelies!

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Thalia