Arrival

We are finally in Rome, Italy as of 9:37am Rome time. The flight had its ups and downs, but overall it was pretty smooth. We had some pretty scary turbulence halfway through which isn't really my preference. Though it was amusing to find out that Italians apparently always clap when a plane lands.

The airport in Rome wasn't as scary as I assumed it would be. Most of the signs are in both English and Italian, and we actually all got our luggage and none was lost. On the way to our dorms, seeing Rome was not at all what I expected. The areas we've been in still remind me of an American city without all of the skyscrapers. Some parts are modern, yet some definitely show the history here. I did notice three Chinese restaurants and a Japanese restaurant on the way though - pretty typical for a city.

Our living quarters are nice. We have a view of a large courtyard and have a floor with seven rooms, with a shared bathroom, living space, and kitchen. I'll be satisfied once I completely unpack my room and find an adapter/converter for my laptop and camera.

We went to an Italian market (supermarket) today and got some basic food and toiletries. It was interesting seeing all of the food that Italians normally buy. Most of the toiletries were American... probably a good way to try to rip off tourists. Can't say I blame them. We bought large (1.5liter) bottles of water for 29 euro cents. Score. If only they had that in the States... though usually in the States tap water tastes a lot better.

It is hot here. I finally had adjusted to the temperatures at home and here, its over 90 degrees, 34 degrees Celsius. Most of the clothes I have are probably going to be uncomfortable... not to mention will make me look American.

Finally being here has calmed my nerves a bit, though I still need to adjust. Some things I still don't know how I feel about them. I'm sure we'll all adjust sooner or later.

Pictures in the next post.