My First Day in Rome
Finished my first day in Rome; since I got here at 7AM Rome time, I consider that a full day here and thus official.
Rundown:
Didn't get any sleep Monday night, because my family drove me to SeaTac at 3AM to get there at 4AM, went through security and such (and of course their currency exchange was only open from 6AM-sometime later, and was only open on the pre-security side of the airport. Of course. I realize now I probably didn't have to arrive 2-3 hours early because I was making a connection within the U.S., but....I much preferred the 20-minute wait through security than the long, long, long line at about 6AM.
My flight to JFK had its gate switched twice (once apparently after I got my boarding pass, and then again about an hour before the flight). Had a fine flight minus the screeching child every flight seems to require. I was sitting in the aisle seat and (excepting the first 30 minutes of the flight) had no one sitting beside me except the girl in the window seat.
Connected in JFK, tried to call home and got cut short by the stupid answering machine (there's a dollar I'll never see again), hopped onto the plane to Rome at 5PM Tuesday, and was on that plane until 7AM Wednesday. That flight was pretty uneventful, except for the typical bad airplane food (of which I had to eat with a spoon) and the movies (27 Dresses and Evan Almighty) in Italian with no English subtitles. I had the aisle seat again with only one other person in the row with me, but she was at the other end, so the only downside to that seating arrangement was the fact that I had absolutely no chance at a view (except the lavatory...). In total, I think I got about....3 hours of sleep for Monday and Tuesday? Maybe being generous. But then again, I don't think Tuesday even existed for me, since I was in a plane almost the entire day, doing my own version of time travel.
Got off the plane, went through the hoops of passport check to reach baggage claim, got money exchanged, and shared a car with 2 other girls in my program with a very cute Roman guy (Valerio was his name). Thankfully he practically drove us to the doorstep, and we only had to walk a block to the UW Rome Center. I got my apartment assignment, met coincidentally with one of my apartment mates at the office, and went over with her. The apartment is amazing but pictures are going to wait until A) I have reliable internet access and B) I'm not braindead from sleep deprivation.
Tomi (the roommate) and I went walking around the neighborhood a bit, got something to eat (first Roman meal: a flat-bread-type sandwich with provolone(?) and turkey/ham), and went to the UW Rome Center to get on computers with Internet. Met even more people with the Creative Writing program and directed them the right way, and went back to the apartment with a 3rd roomie. All total, there's 6 of us girls here for an apartment with 7 beds.
There's a farmer's market right in front of our apartment, so we went and got a few produce (I bought cherries, Tomi bought plums). Then came back, and I conked out on the bed for a few precious hours. Then we got some dinner (pizza! With mozzerella, tomato sauce, and mushrooms, delicious) before heading out to the first meeting with the CW group.
We hung out at Professor Kenney's apartment for a bit, then walked to the Forum (pictures to come later). I recited my poem with a few helpful prompts from the printed poem in my back pocket, and...yeah. That's it, really.
I'm just really, really, really tired. Not even physically taxed, but brain-tired. And we're to be at the Pantheon tomorrow at 9AM. Yay.
The heat's intense, and I think I'm going to be brown by the end of the month here, but I think it'll be bearable. Both fans we have in the apartment are broken, and I had my stupid moment of the day by plugging in my alarm clock without a power transformer. Completely blew it, and it smells of burned wiring, so I think it's bit the dust. One less thing I need to bring back with me, at least.....
And I found out my grades. My lowest was The Planets with a 3.5, so I'm ecstatic about that. I got a 3.9 in Chaucer, so huzzah there.
Yes, I have finally arrived to this Capital of the World! I now see all the dreams of my youth coming to life... Only in Rome is it possible to understand Rome. --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
exhaustedRundown:
Didn't get any sleep Monday night, because my family drove me to SeaTac at 3AM to get there at 4AM, went through security and such (and of course their currency exchange was only open from 6AM-sometime later, and was only open on the pre-security side of the airport. Of course. I realize now I probably didn't have to arrive 2-3 hours early because I was making a connection within the U.S., but....I much preferred the 20-minute wait through security than the long, long, long line at about 6AM.
My flight to JFK had its gate switched twice (once apparently after I got my boarding pass, and then again about an hour before the flight). Had a fine flight minus the screeching child every flight seems to require. I was sitting in the aisle seat and (excepting the first 30 minutes of the flight) had no one sitting beside me except the girl in the window seat.
Connected in JFK, tried to call home and got cut short by the stupid answering machine (there's a dollar I'll never see again), hopped onto the plane to Rome at 5PM Tuesday, and was on that plane until 7AM Wednesday. That flight was pretty uneventful, except for the typical bad airplane food (of which I had to eat with a spoon) and the movies (27 Dresses and Evan Almighty) in Italian with no English subtitles. I had the aisle seat again with only one other person in the row with me, but she was at the other end, so the only downside to that seating arrangement was the fact that I had absolutely no chance at a view (except the lavatory...). In total, I think I got about....3 hours of sleep for Monday and Tuesday? Maybe being generous. But then again, I don't think Tuesday even existed for me, since I was in a plane almost the entire day, doing my own version of time travel.
Got off the plane, went through the hoops of passport check to reach baggage claim, got money exchanged, and shared a car with 2 other girls in my program with a very cute Roman guy (Valerio was his name). Thankfully he practically drove us to the doorstep, and we only had to walk a block to the UW Rome Center. I got my apartment assignment, met coincidentally with one of my apartment mates at the office, and went over with her. The apartment is amazing but pictures are going to wait until A) I have reliable internet access and B) I'm not braindead from sleep deprivation.
Tomi (the roommate) and I went walking around the neighborhood a bit, got something to eat (first Roman meal: a flat-bread-type sandwich with provolone(?) and turkey/ham), and went to the UW Rome Center to get on computers with Internet. Met even more people with the Creative Writing program and directed them the right way, and went back to the apartment with a 3rd roomie. All total, there's 6 of us girls here for an apartment with 7 beds.
There's a farmer's market right in front of our apartment, so we went and got a few produce (I bought cherries, Tomi bought plums). Then came back, and I conked out on the bed for a few precious hours. Then we got some dinner (pizza! With mozzerella, tomato sauce, and mushrooms, delicious) before heading out to the first meeting with the CW group.
We hung out at Professor Kenney's apartment for a bit, then walked to the Forum (pictures to come later). I recited my poem with a few helpful prompts from the printed poem in my back pocket, and...yeah. That's it, really.
I'm just really, really, really tired. Not even physically taxed, but brain-tired. And we're to be at the Pantheon tomorrow at 9AM. Yay.
The heat's intense, and I think I'm going to be brown by the end of the month here, but I think it'll be bearable. Both fans we have in the apartment are broken, and I had my stupid moment of the day by plugging in my alarm clock without a power transformer. Completely blew it, and it smells of burned wiring, so I think it's bit the dust. One less thing I need to bring back with me, at least.....
And I found out my grades. My lowest was The Planets with a 3.5, so I'm ecstatic about that. I got a 3.9 in Chaucer, so huzzah there.
Yes, I have finally arrived to this Capital of the World! I now see all the dreams of my youth coming to life... Only in Rome is it possible to understand Rome. --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe