Landing

August 16, 2021

It’s 9:28am(3:28am EST) and I have a little over an hour before my landing. I woke up to another disappointing kosher breakfast: a processed and flavorless egg on a soggy bagel, a fruit appetizer bowl and a mixed fruit cup. Ya girl been drinking a whole bunch of water on this fight cause it just ain't no way.

6:59pm

I made it to my apartment! Across the street from the local tram, up six floors is my quaint living quarters.

After unpacking my things and reaxing a bit, I’m finally laying in my twin bed at Viale di Trastevere in Rome, Italy. Its so hard to believe that I'm here right now. My roomate and flatmates are cool, easy going and nice girls. They are all very easy to talk to, but, I will say, my introvert did act up quite a bit. It’s like I can't ever seem to interject myself in a conversation properly or without awkwardness. Or I'll just be quiet altogether because I don't feel I have anything valuable to add. Maybe I’ll try to work on that more here. I still have to figure out my personal and academic goals. I know for a fact I want to try new cuisine and explore the city on my own eventually, but I’m really not sure what my true purpose here in Rome is. I just feel like I’m lost here, wish not many ways of direction. I’m ready to see how this experience will benefit (or damage) me, and I’m already ready for it all.

10:10pm

I had dinner with my flat mates. We had cheese pizza and Nutella pizza delivered to us from our school, CIEE. I really wasn’t impressed for that to be the first authentically Roman meal I had. We chatted for about an hour, and I can tell that my social skills are improving little by little. With a little wine and a relatable subject I think I will do just fine. I don’t want to become someone I’m not, and I know that I’m not a very social person, but I don’t want to seem standoffish and isolate myself from nice people. But when we get to talking about AP High school classes, universities with 200 student classrooms and paying $280 for sandals, I just can’t relate. And I refuse to force myself to be someone I am not just to fit in. Rome is definitely an enormous culture shock for me because the lack of privacy and space in any given area. I was expecting more from the housing considering the price that was paid but nevertheless I am grateful to have a generally (?) safe roof over my head. I’m grateful for the people who supported me and helped me to this point. I hope tomorrow goes well, 9:30am-5pm for am orientation is crazy considering the time difference and jetlag. Especially when we have to turn around the next day and begin classes for the block.