Via delle Belle Arti

19/09/2013

Remember that apartment I was excited about? Well, I GOT IT! However, I have to tell you all the story about how that happened. The morning after I saw the apartment I tried to call Margherita (the landlord) but my phone didn't have credit, which was weird since I bought a plan. Anyway, I bought some credit, tried to call her, got her husband who speaks no english, got her other number, called but it didn't go through, then didn't know what to do. So, I chose to walk around the two apartments and the University area hoping I would run into her or something. When I passed the Via Marsala apartment I was looking at, I ran into Ana, the Canadian girl who lives there now. Long story short, the number I had was wrong so she gave it to me and I called Margherita to say I wanted the room. Ana was the sweetest thing ever as she let me cry and finally release the fear and frustration I had been feeling, which apparently she had been through only two weeks earlier. We then got coffee and spent some time together until I was able to move into the apartment. I cannot tell you how glad I am that I met her. I haven't seen you in two days and it feels like forever but tomorrow we have plans which makes me happy :)

I have officially been in MY apartment on Via delle Belle Arti for 4 days now! It is located right next to the university (you literally walk outside my door and the library is right there) and it gets a lot of light. I have 4 flatmates so far; three Italian girls and one French girl. Apparently I finally have a roommate as well who will move in this weekend. Before I get to today, let me pick up my story from moving into my room!

So, Monday, the day before Orientation, I got to move into the apartment I would be living in. It is under my budget and although the room is small, I really like it. Hopefully my new roommate will be someone I get along with. Then Tuesday I spent the entire day in a room with all of my new classmates. We got a ton of information concerning GIOCA (Graduate Degree in Innovation and Organization of Culture and the Arts) and we had some time to get to know one another. On top of that, the International students had a meeting concerning all of the legal stuff we need to do now that we are here. Let me tell you, I was NOT looking forward to doing all of the things I needed to. However, so far it has all gone very well. All I have left to do is finish the Permessio process in October, Pay for my apartment, get a fiscal code and enroll in the University. Two of those should be done tomorrow! Anyway, our group is 30 students: 15 Italians, 4 Europeans, and 11 “others.” I am the only American here not associated with the Carnegie Mellon exchange program. There are two Dutch people, a German guy, a Macedonian guy, a Romanian girl, a Slovakian girl, a girl from Mexico, a girl from South African, two Chinese girls, and a Vietnamese girl. We are quite the bunch. Yesterday we started our crash course and surprisingly I have really enjoyed Strategy I and Organization! Economics is tomorrow so I may be speaking too soon, but I think it is going to be a cool program.

This time in Bologna is so different than the last time. I feel better. But on top of that I have already met so many international students (and even half crossed paths with Marcello Sav... remember him?!) and feel like this time I am not in a bubble. I am immersed in a different culture. Although I really want to travel and stuff, I am excited to be part of a community. I don’t want to travel every weekend (nor can I afford it haha) but rather explore the city and get to know it better than I did last time. In five-ish days I have already realized how little I knew of the streets. I am excited. Not scared anymore, which feels really good!

The other exciting thing that happened recently is that last night I went with Ellen (the director of the Dickinson Bologna program) to play soccer on a women’s team! I am so pumped! I am sure I will write about that all year but for now I’ll just say that I loved playing and it actually helped my hurt back! SOCCER=MAGIC.

Just saying.