Week 1

We made it! I have made some pretty fun people. Most the kids are from schools on the east coast. I met a kid that went to La Jolla High. He, still, talks about how much better LJHS is than Bishop's and he graduated in 2005. He goes to Boulder in Colorado and is in a 5 year program. He took a year off and took a gap year so thats why he is still in school. Anyways, I am really enjoying it here. Matt and I have been hanging out with a few kids that go to Syracuse and they are in the Architecture program and they know a bunch of people that are traveling with us. Last night was the first night that we had a chance to walk around. We got completely lost but I guess that is the only way we can learn the city. I am starting to look like THAT tourist. One of my new friends, Liz, and I walked back to the hotel from school for the first time, and it took us, sadly, 45 minutes to walk 2 miles...but we got there.

We find out our living arrangements for this semester later today. I am very excited/anxious to see who I will be living with for the next 3.5 months. The director said that we could be as far as a 25 minute bus ride or a 5 minute walk to school. I just bought a chocolate cookies for the host family. It's not much but at least it's something.

I have a phone now that works. The iPhone is perfect out here. It is so much cheaper here than in the states. 12 euro per month for 1000 texts per month, data plan (including unlimited internet), free incoming calls (including coming from the states) and free calling to and from other students that use the same cellular provider that I use. I will send a separate email with my number if you wish to contact me so that my number is not accessible on the internet.

Today, I had my first true shocker. I was walking with my new friend Elie and I just wanted a coffee so I walked in to a cafe. The only coffee I could understand on the menu board was an expresso. I ordered a small expresso and little did I know that the small really means TINY. The cup was about 2 inches tall and less than half of contained expresso. I was blown away by it.

I am really getting along with a lot of kids here but sadly some of the kids are really getting annoyed with Matt (my roommate). I don't know why they are getting annoyed with him but its just sad cause he has good intentions but I guess some kids are bothered by it. Yes, he is hitting on every girl that walks by, so that is probably the reason. HA!

The weather is not all that bad here. It is around the mid-50s day in and day out. It rained the first day we got here but since then it has been sunny and gorgeous. From reading the earlier sections of the blog, you might have gotten the perception that I only have girl friends here. Well there is a reason for that. There around 270 kids here and there are maybe 215 girls. But as I said earlier, my two best friends here so far are the 2 guys from syracuse in the architecture program.

I am not too sure how often I will be updating this blog but I will continue to do it. Cait, you were right. The blog is probably the best way to communicate. I'm sure mom would like to send this out to friends around the country and if so, feel free.

Hope all is well in the states. Please let me know if there any updates in the country that I should know...like if Verizon announced the iPhone?

I just noticed that all the good coaches in San Diego football are leaving. Ron Rivera to the Panthers? and Hoke to Michigan?

I will really be out of the loop for when I return to the states.

That is all for now.

-Ciao