Ooo I feel like Monte (wk 1)

You know what? I'm just going to come out and say it. You don't have to agree with me, I just need to get this thought off my chest because it has been bugging me all week. Italy is a phenomenal country. There, I said it.

Mom told me to look out for pickpockets while I was over here, but there was no way for me to anticipate that one of the professors would be the first victim of pickpocketing no less than 30 minutes after landing in Rome. As a result, we had a long layover while that whole backpack-theft situation was being straightened out. During that layover, we just happened to stumble across the UCONN Women's Basketball Team.

Just the greatest women's basketball team ever. No biggie.

After we finally got on our bus, I tried my best to stay awake and look at the views of the Italian countryside. Unfortunately, the zero hours of sleep on the plane had caught up to me. I ended up sleeping through the majority of the ride from Rome to Monte. I was, however, able to get a few good pictures before I slumped over, drooling into my neck pillow.

This is the last picture I took before I fell asleep

I guess there really wasn't anyway for me to truly prepare myself for what this place would be like. It is very similar and very different to what I had imagined, all at the same time. I knew that the hills and the heat would be difficult at the beginning. I knew that air conditioning and ice cubes in my drinks were going to be a thing of the past. I knew that the hot water would be different than I am used to back home. But I didn't know how I would be able to adapt to these changes. But I feel like I have adapted to this life rather seamlessly. I do not feel as though "culture shock" has grabbed ahold of me just yet.

The food has just been fantastic. I feel as though America has been lying to me my entire life. Have these flavors always been out here? Hidden from me all this time? Authentic Italian spaghetti, the best tiramisu I have ever had, by far the juiciest and most flavorful slice of watermelon I have ever eaten, and even salami flavored potato chips are all on the list of what I have experience within the first week of this trip. It will be hard to imagine it getting any better after this.

Forgot to get a picture of the salami chips that I had as a snack on Wednesday

I know the heat will not last much longer, so I refuse to let that bother me too much. The one thing that I really struggle spinning in a positive way would have to be my shower. I want you to picture a small shower in your mind right now. Ok, now take that shower and cut in in half. Now you have my shower. I'm sure I will get used to it eventually, but right now it is pretty terrible...

That drain in the floor is kind of worthless... the entire bathroom floor gets soaked

But in the long run, when you have views like this just a short walk from your front door, there is really no reason to complain about anything... Ever.

No caption needed, really