Another week has come and gone here in Perugia. Time is a weird concept when studying abroad. I measure my time here by the weekends and what I'm doing that weekend. It's not the best way to keep track of the semester as it takes a lot away from it, but the days seem to run together here. When I try to recall an event I have to place it in the context of what was going on the weekend. "Oh, it was the Wednesday before we left for Brussels" or "The day we got back from Florence." I've been in Italy for about 5 weeks now, which is hard to believe. My professors are starting to talk about midterms, which begin in a week. I cannot believe I'm already at the midterm of my semester abroad. I feel like I haven't done anything in any of my classes that I can be tested on. I'm sure this false sense of comfort will bite me in the ass during midterms week, but for now I'm enjoying my (false?) sense of comfort.
This past week was pretty uneventful. My friend turned 21 so we spent most of the week celebrating. I felt bad because she wanted all the crazy 21st birthday accessories like a light up tiara, sash, flashing button, shot glass necklace, etc. But, unsurprisingly, you cannot find such accessories in Italy. Though a flashing buon compleanno tiara would have been awesome. No one besides the Americans seemed to care that she was turning 21. Again, understandable but I feel like turning 21 is one of those landmarks in every American's life that is over-celebrated. It made me glad I was in the States for my 21st.
This week also marked the third time I went to tandem. Tandem is a cultural exchange event where the American students spend time with Italian students and alternate speaking in English and Italian. It's a great way to practice speaking Italian and meet new people. I'm always hesitant to go. I don't know why because every time I've gone has been great and I've met a lot of interesting people. Anyway, this week the people I was talking with told me that my Italian, while not perfect, was understandable! They said if I keep learning vocabulary I'll get even better. It was a great moment in my life. My broken Italian is understandable! Then they made fun of me because I can't roll my R's. But I'll take any victory I can get.
Next weekend I'm going to London! I'm very excited! As much as I'm "understandable" in Italian, it will be nice to be completely understood in English. Also, I realized that they will probably have a Starbucks in London! I don't miss Starbucks that much but I do miss American coffee! For a culture that prides itself on enjoying everything and taking their sweet time, the Italians throw back coffee like it was a shot of tequila. Their coffee dates can last for hours, but the coffee in question will be gone within the first 2 minutes of their conversation. I just want a cup of coffee that takes more than 3 sips to finish. An iced coffee would be appreciated too. My friend Laura and I were joking about what the chances of finding a Dunkin' Donuts in London were. We're dying for Dunkin's iced coffee. I also miss American breakfast. Breakfast in Italy is usually a pastry and a coffee, if even that. First thing I'm eating when I get home (or first breakfast opportunity): eggs, bacon, toast and hash browns with a giant mug of coffee. If you want to join, I'll be at Tomboy's in Manhattan Beach on May 1st. Look for the person in the corner shoveling food into her mouth. Don't expect any conversation or pleasantries.
Well, I'm off to enjoy a lazy Sunday.
Ciao!
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