TAKEN.

Just kidding about the title, but that seems to be the underlying concern for this entire trip. Anyways, it's been a very interest past couple days. Time is all just a blur here, I can't keep track of the time, date, etc. I like it like that too.

So Friday was fantastic, we met up at the Auditorium al Duomo for Day #2 of Orientation. The roomskis and I made it there on time, per usual (very proud of us). The staff talked about classes and we were introduced to all of the teachers. They are all so precious. The classes all sound amazing...I think this is the first time in my academic career where I want to take every single thing offered. Of course I'm only taking 4 classes, which I'm disappointed about. Orientation went by fast. We had to fill out our PERMESSO DI SOGGIORNO paperwork to obtain our residency permits. Someone accidentally marked down that they were a refugee...oops.

Onward, we had a short break between orientation and a mini walking tour with the Institute. Our goals: eateateat and buy our cellphones. We found this little place with a ton of delicious food. Gnocchi for me. Delicious. Then we ventured out to find the small cell phone store and stumbled into the Duomo. I cried. Why? Because..

The Duomo is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It seriously is just like a picture, it doesn't feel real at all. I LOVE it. I want to walk past it all the time, it is fabulously perfection.

Okay so after I wiped my eyes and blew my nose, we bought phones and barely made it to the walking tour. The tour was extremely helpful and we were able to find the best gelato in Firenze: GROM. I tried Baccio as my first true gelato sensation and it was a great choice. I can't wait to go back every single day.

Friday night was absolutely the most fun I've had here yet. We went out to dinner and I had a salad. Too many carbs = too many food babiez, so I decided to switch it up. We left dinner around 10, which is perfect to meet up with friends at Naima for happy hour til 11. We got the best room to sit in: couches along the walls, little tables for drinks (and for some, sitting), and pillows everywhere. It's pretty. The Italian boys met up with us, as well as a few groups from school. It was a blast, until one of the students got kicked out. Oops. What else can we do except finish our drinks and go to the next bar?

We went to Twice Bar, which was a blast, for the most part. It was actually kind of scary because this bar is more of a nightclub with a dance floor and everything...but also swarms of grabby Italian men. So the girls and I stuck together and enjoyed ourselves in this wonderful city. Emily and I talked with Cosimo and Pietro for awhile outside of the club and when I heard an Italian nearby mention Mumford and Sons, I had to befriend him. We talked awhile about how M&S will be playing in Bolognia, so we may get a group together for that. How AMAZING. Friday was a huge success. I love my life, roomies, and Florence.

Saturday was Day #3 of Orientation. We woke up early to get to the Institute. I may have gotten hit by a bus the night before. Anyways, we picked up our schedules.

I am taking:

• Identity & Culture in Italy
• The Florence Experience (a.k.a. Beginner Italian)
• The Art of Florence
• Florence: The Story of the City

I've never been so excited for classes to start in my entire life. I really excited to learn the language too. It's surreal that we've only been here for five days. I've learned so much already just about this city and am pretty good at navigating...without a map. I can't wait to see how much I'll know by the end of this semester. Wow, I don't want to think about that.

Anyways, Saturday was spent back in bed for a nap to fully recover and prepare ourselves for Saturday evening. After a little napskis, all of us went for an adventure across the Arno. We went through Ponte Vecchio for the first time. MY SECOND LOVE. It is gorgeous. I can't believe we're living here for four months. Again, very picture-esque. The gold and jewelry shops on the bridge are absolutely stunning...I want to buy everything. I was craving pizza so I've been told by everyone who's anyone that the best is Gusta Pizza across Vecchio. After asking the police how to get there, we found it BUT it was closed. That is one thing I hope I get used to, the afternoon break where all of the shops close. They lose so much business, but I've learned that money isn't everything. It's a different mentality here.

So had pizza at a little caffe and then needed to buy a few groceries. Another thing that I hope I can get used to = no Walmart, Target, Wegmans, etc. There are no superstores here. The people buy from specialty stores so if we need bread, we have to go to the bakery, meat from the butcher, etc. The market we found was an adventure. The best find - by far - was BOXED WINE. I know anyone who knows me will appreciate my love. It felt wrong buying it so I held back. I'll stay classy (for now). We also found cheapo water bottles and bought them and then remembered we had to carry them all of the way across the city back to our apartments. Well, I'm glad I did my workout for the month.

Saturday evening. Well, we survived our first international blackout. Annie and Amanda blew a fuse in the kitchen so we lost power on the first floor and in the Internet Cafe (a.k.a. the hallway where Emily, Jess, and I creep on our computers). After about an hour of looking, trying, failing, calling the emergency numbers, failing, failing, losing hope, and failing, they were able to get back power. Everyone - literally everyone - had plans for meet up at Space (http://www.spaceclubfirenze.com), a popular discotech conveniently right around the block from us. Okay, so if Twice Bar is clown fish then Space is a shark. All of us had heard horror stories about getting completely robbed, being groped by creepy Italians, and such. We all get ready (myself thanks to the help of Emily and Allie) and prepared ourselves for an out-of-this-world night, literally. Around midnight we headed out, walked through the gangs of Firenze, and made it to Space. They give you a drink card which you have to return at the end of the night. If you lose it, you have to pay 50 Euro to get out. So what if you don't have 50 Euro? I wouldn't want to find out...

The place is actually ridiculous. The first floor is karaoke and bars. We got our free drink right away (Tea for me) and wandered our way upstairs, to the dance floor, which actually has a moon and spaceship suspended from the ceiling. It wasn't even real how crowded, crazy, loud, and fun the dance floor is. We made sure to keep one hand always on our wristlets and danced with each other like only American girls can do. Emily & I practiced our dance moves to keep the creeps away. My goal for the semester: get into the VIP room, which only costs 200 Euro. It's gonna happen. Pictures to come later.

Today: we all slept in. Woke up at what we thought was 5 a.m. actually turned out to be 11 a.m. We live in a cave. It is very misleading. Up and about, a bunch of us were craving eggs. Emily is convinced Italians don't eat just eggs like in America so we found The Diner, Florence's first all-American restaurant. What a fabulous find because the service and food was refreshing. Emily and I split a bacon cheeseburger and eggs benedict. At last!! We went on our very first of many walking tours, with Guide Emily as our proud and knowledgeable leader.

So our tour consisted of 11 site visits:

1. Ponte Vecchio
2. Piazza della Signoria
3. Palazzo Vecchio
4. Rivoire
5. Basilica di Santa Croce
6. Vivoli
7. Museo Nazionale del Bargello
8. Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore
9. Campanile di Giotto
10. Battistero San Giovanni
11. Basisilica di San Lorenzo

All of these places are breathtakingly beautiful. Unfortunately my camera died at The Diner, so Guide Emily is going to do this tour again with me. We found the flea market near San Lorenzo. I WILL be buying a leather jacket there. Also, Palazzo Vecchio is surreal. Besides the museum, it's all outdoors, which is deceiving by just looking at it. I can't wait to go to all of Florence's museums with my art history class, but I'm most looking forward to the Uffizi.

So walking tour complete, Jess, Emily, and I bought some pasta so we can finally cook a meal at home. Tonight seems to be a stay inside and relax night...but then again, we're only in Firenze once.

Ciao.