Florence

Wow, I am amazed at the advancement of technology. I am able to have this lovely little website to keep you all updated on my whereabouts and to know how I am doing.
I am blending in quite nicely here and I am beginning to really get the flow of things. I am loving the reduction in vehicle size and just how many people are walking about. I have noticed a difference in my diet, much more carbs; faccacia, rolls, pasta, the list can go on. People enjoy carbs around here and I am not complaining. I am thankful that my Mom taught me to cook just about anything because I've been putting together meals from an odd assortment of goods in the fridge. I am planning on checking out more of the museums because now I have a Amici di Uffizzi pass which rocks, I have access to all of the state museums and front of the line too. I feel like I have that fast track pass at six flags. Italians have a contagious way of life that I have been familiar with as long as I can remember. They are pretty clean, seriously it must be that I live in a touristy area but I always see someone sweeping something. It is a laid back mentality which I relate to I just wish I knew more Italian because I know I would love meeting the people and truely understanding their way of life. I could see myself living here in the furtue, not long term but it could work for longer than I plan to stay this semester. Italy is in a bit of an economic crisis but the EU is holding onto them and helping it not seem so bad. My friend Olga who lives here for school informed me of the irresponsibility that Italy practices with their ecconomy and just how lax they are with labor laws. It is quite amazing how vast the world is and how easy it is to get sucked into the overwhelming things going on just in the states. We are fortunate to have internet because it is so crucial being here to be up on the times and know even just what's going on in Italy because I try but fail at reading Italian.
I have been taking a lot of photos but I have been unable to upload them, not because I havn't gotten around to it but because the uploader will not download to my computer, if anyone can help me that would be wonderful. I have looked online and still no luck. I will need to look more into that. Good news, I met a photographer on the street just yesterday and he is actually quite established. He works for NBC, CBS, Harrington College and an Aboreum. He was listing all these things and I got a little lost but he gave me his contact information and he stressed that I need to get a hold of him or he would be disappointed. I think I am getting the hang of this networking thing, you just have to start a conversation, people will for the most part just keep going on and on about themselves. I love to listen so there we go.
I think it is good that I am here, it is helping me grow and I can see just more of who I really am from living life through a different perspective. I have the opportunity to be more of an observer while being here. The problem is that observers do not participate and I am at that point where I am itching to participate fully here but when talking to my mom she just told me to lay low for right now and that I will enventually get more in the flow of things and truely interact.