The Mona Lisa

For the past 5 semesters "Introductory Art History" has never fit into my schedule. My mom took many art history classes in college and throughly enjoyed them so I was determined to keep trying and make it fit into my schedule somehow. As luck would have it, FUA (my university here in Florence) offered an introductory art history class and I was determined to take it.

Today I attended my first class.

I can't believe I have to wait until next Tuesday.

My teacher, Jeremy Boudreau, who happens to be American, is beyond fabulous at what he does. He absolutely loves art. It intrigues him in a way that he wants and must know everything about each work and why the artist chose that particular subject or medium.

I found it interesting when he asked the class, "when was the first time you remember seeing or hearing about the Mona Lisa?" Easy. Or was it? When was the first time I had seen or heard about the Mona Lisa? There was no answer. I was stumped. I truly had no idea. It was as if I had known this painting my entire life without actually ever being told what it was or who painted it. Yet, somehow, every single student in my class knew exactly what it was, who painted it and where it is located. He continued and said, "it's as if we are born with this image of the Mona Lisa in our brain without ever really knowing it."

Leonardo would be proud.

Simply amazed by what he said, ( I actually could not stop myself from thinking about the question he asked) I was determined to remember the exact day, place and time when I was first exposed to the Mona Lisa but, I fell short and was answerless) the class only got better. We concluded the class with a historic walking tour of Florence where Mr. Boudreau pointed out different structural influences around the city, which will be helpful in our next class.

Tuesday cannot come soon enough.

...

Io mi chiamo...

Io mi chiamo Monica. (apparently "Meggie" does not have an exact Italian translation)

Sono Americana.

Sono di Charlotte, NC in Negli Stati Uniti.

Studio Italiano.

E tu?

I would say my first Italian class was a success!

 However, I'm a little nervous about it... My class is centered around "service learning," which is a unique concept but, will be difficult considering I only know a few sentences thus far.  Each student is required to pick a non-profit organization from the list (which is either local or country wide), and present to the class a 5-8 minute video about their organization. This portion of the project will be done in a group (thank goodness). However, each individual is required to submit a 3-4 page paper about their organization. We are also required to engage in 2 service hours per week with our specific organization and keep a journal about our time volunteering.

For the first time while I've been here, I'm actually feeling overwhelmed. It's just so different from America, not good, not bad, just different. Like the old saying goes, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

Bring it on Florence!

The List

"The List." Everyone has one. Whether it's a place to visit, something to eat or some crazy activity, we all have a list of something that we want to accomplish. During our first few days in Italy, my roommates and I compiled a list of "must-sees" and "do's" while in Italy.

After a long day of shopping, we decided it was time to find the best gelato in Florence and cross it off our list.

#1: Grom

After turning down several side streets and asking for directions several tines, we knew we had reached our destination when there was a line out the door. If you don't know, it is actually quite cold here in Florence. The fact that there was a line out the door to get gelato in the middle of January says something.

Each scoop of gelato was carefully blended to ensure that each bite was creamy and smooth. The list of flavors were endless but, I stuck to my roots and ordered chocolate chip. Or, in Italian, stracciatella.

By far, it was the best gelato I've had to date. We can now officially cross it off our list!

#1: Grom.

...

I can't believe I live here...

This is just the beginning...

I still think I am living in a dream. I can't get over the fact that I'm actually living here for the next 4 months. This cannot be real life.

This is what I get to eat....everyday.

My first Italian Pizza ("Margherita" apparently is cheese and not tomato, basil and mozzarella)

Gnocchi. 

I'm so thirsty!

So...it's official. Wine is the equivalent of water here in Italy and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I understand that this is probably the best wine I will ever have in my life but sometimes a girl just wants a glass of water (especially after indulging in chocolate gelato).

Also, by the time you order enough water to quench your thirst, it would have been cheaper to buy a liter of wine to share with the table. I'm also not a fan of paying 2 or 3 euros for a bottle of water that is usually only good for too small glasses. I've considered taking my water bottle into restaurants but figured that might offend the Italians. However, I might have to make an exception and ignore their feelings on this one.

xoxo,
Meggie

Roma. Roma. Roma.

Well first of all, this entire page as well as the internet is all in Italian so this should be interesting.

For the past three days, I have found myself in the beautiful city of Rome, which was where my Italian adventure first began.

There, I saw the Coliseum, The Forum, The Trevi Fountain, The Spanish Steps and of course, The Vatican. However, seeing the Trevi Fountain was actually a mistake and happened after several failed attempts to see The Spanish Steps.

You see, it all began around 5 P.M. when my roommate Nicole and I decided to take an adventure around Rome. With my map in hand we set out for The Spanish Steps*. After turning right out of our apartment (instead of left), we found ourselves asking a local cafe owner how to get there. We should have taken a hint when she said, "Are you going by train or bus." However, determined to see the city and find The Spanish Steps, we continued to walk. This time, in the correct direction. Due to our lack of common Italian phrases, we had to rely on pointing to the map and doing our best to correctly pronounce the few words we did know. After being told to go straight for a "little bit" and then turn left and then right, we found ourselves at a fork in the road and no way to continue straight. We then decided to ask a local street art artist where the Spanish Steps were located. And, by ask, I really mean, we pointed to his painting of the Spanish Steps and used hand gestures. He then proceeded to direct us "straight" once again, which eventually led us to another fork in the road. However, it was there that we ran into some other foreign exchange students who were in search of an Apple Store. There, one thing led to another, and we eventually found our way to The Trevi Fountain.  Not quite The Spanish Steps I had in mind but hello, it's THE TREVI FOUNTAIN. Excited, I tossed my coin** into the fountain and made a wish: to find The Spanish Steps. After a 10 minute walk through quaint alleyways filled with restaurants and gelato shops, we eventually found The Spanish Steps. Was it worth it? Maybe. The steps were not the magical picturesque image, I have had in my mind since I was 8 but, it was definitely an incredible adventure and worth the 3 hours. ***

*When I was 8 years old, my mom gave me a poster of The Spanish Steps and ever since then I was determined to go to Rome and find them.

**They say if you toss a coin in The Trevi Fountain, you'll return to Rome.

***I took my other roommates to the Trevi Fountain the following evening for dinner and it took 30 minutes round trip. Looks like I did learn something after all.

Now, for The Vatican. That's a different post.

Ciao!

How will I live without...

1. The US dollar -I hate not knowing that the extremely large gold coin is 5 euros... {however, I will enjoy not paying sales tax}

2. Lifetime Movies -If there is one thing I NEVER get sick of, it's lifetime movies. I could watch these all day, everyday {let's hope there is an Italian equivalent}

3. Casa Linda- My absolute favorite mexican restaurant in Columbia--nothing like good food and margaritas

4. The Super Bowl- While I'm not a die hard sports fanatic, the Super Bowl is the culmination of tailgate season and football and that, I will miss, along with the commercials

5. Girl Scout Cookies -Tagalongs, Trefoils & Thin Mints. {Don't worry, my mom has already promised to freeze the Tagalongs for me, my favorite}

6. Dean and Deluca- One of my favorite places in Charlotte to get the best sandwiches and sweets when I come home

7. Pretty Little Lairs -How will I find out who "A" is??

8. Cupcakes- If I had a dollar for every time I  ate/bought/made a cupcake, I'd be a millionaire {Cupcake Bakery in Columbia is my favorite}

9. Peanut Butter - I guess you could call me a peanut butter snob. If it's not Jiff, it's not peanut butter.

10. Texting.

...and so much more {my room, my bed, my friends, my snuggie and of course, family}. However, I am almost more excited to come home after 4 months in Florence and indulge...

See ya 2 weeks from today Florence!