Benvenuto!

If you have found your way to my blog, then chances are you already know that in two short months, I will be beginning my spring semester abroad in Rome, Italy. Because being halfway across the world will make it slightly more difficult for me to keep in touch with all of my fans back home, I have created this little corner of the internet so I can share my thoughts, my experiences, my travels, and my shenanigans with you all. (Sidenote: Don't worry, Mom - shenanigans will be kept to a minimum, and only taken part in when I'm done with all my homework.)

For those of you keeping track at home, here are some important numbers:

- 59: As of today, days until I leave for Rome. My (yet-to-be-scheduled) flight leaves January 2nd and lands January 3rd. My classes start the next day. Bring it on.

- 3: Months I will be abroad. That's right, kids. My last day of finals is March 31st. Don't pretend you aren't jealous.

- 4750: Miles between South Bend, Indiana and Rome. Needless to say, I won't be in the Midwest anymore.

- 55: Average temperature in Rome during the months of January-April.

- 15: Average temperature in South Bend during the months of January-April.

And now for some backstory: I was accepted into the Rome Program last spring and began preparing for it almost immediately. First thing on my to-do list: Learn how to speak Italian. I am currently in my 3rd semester of Italian, and have somehow managed to keep hold of my sanity while actually learning how to communicate with some level of proficiency. The language itself is beautiful, but a far cry from the German that I studied throughout high school. (Frau, if you're reading this, I'm sorry.) I am currently toying with the idea of minoring in Italian, mostly because I have spent to much time and energy on it in the past year in a half that it only seems right. And where better to study Italian than in Rome?

And then there's room and board. Unlike the other study abroad programs offered at Saint Mary's, students studying in Rome don't live with a host family or in a sketchy flat with a bunch of strangers (Sorry, Kim and Kelly). For three months, I will be calling the Hotel Tiziano home. A four-star hotel located in the heart of downtown Rome, the Hotel was actually once a private residence of a rich Italian family in the late 1800s, then converted to a hotel in the 1970s. Nearly anything worth seeing in Rome is only a short walk out my front door - everything from my class building to the Spanish Steps to the Colosseum to the Vatican. I get one meal a day in the hotel, and another meal at the fabulous gelateria (ice cream store) next door. The only downside? No laundry, and no free continental breakfast. I'll let you know which one I end up missing more.

That's all I have for now. If anyone has any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I want you all to be as much a part of this incredible madness as I am. More updates will follow as I learn more about my class schedule and my travel plans. Ciao!