TRAVELOGUE.jesswrites.com

On Saturday, Nikki, Jaci, Toby, and I took a very early train to Naples for only 10 euro. It took about 2 hours and we all slept the entire way. When we got there, the city looked kinda scary… so we didn’t even leave the train station and instead got right onto another train to Pompei.

If you don’t know anything about Pompei, don’t feel bad because I didn’t either until I got there. But it is one of the cities that was completely covered by the Volcano Mt. Vesuvius thousands of years ago. The city had no warning about the eruption and so everyone was killed instantly and all of Pompei was covered in volcanic ash. But now archeologists are working on uncovering and restoring the city so that we can see the ancient city exactly as it was thousands of years ago. It is amazing how much is still intact. You can even see the frescos and the mosaics that were in some of the homes. There was also an exhibit of the actual corpses of some of the people who died, frozen in the positions they were in when the volcano suddenly erupted. It’s kind of hard to explain, but it was incredible to see it all. Pompei is probably the coolest place I have seen in Europe thus far. There was a dog that followed us around most of the day and we named him Poncho. He was our own personal tour guide!!

We spent most of the day in Pompei exploring the ruins until our feet started hurting and we had a craving for gelato. By the way, I’m completely obsessed with gelato. It makes up for not having Coldstone over here.

We went back to Naples for dinner and then shopped around for an hour or so before our train home. We bought junk food and cheap wine for the train, which made the two and a half hours fly by. We sat next to this adorable Italian boy named Lorenzo. We all exchanged numbers with him b/c he wants us to go out some night with him and his friends. I videotaped everything…. Pompei, the train ride, Lorenzo… I can’t wait to show it to all of you.

The whole day was perfect. We had so much fun and everything went so smoothly. And the weather was so great! It was like 65 degrees in Pompei and partly sunny. I didn’t have to wear my jacket at all.

Seriously, I love Italy.

So I’ve nearly finished my first week of classes…. with only one to go. I got my schedule all figured out now. I dropped that cinema class and now I am taking calculus. *ugghhhhh* But it was basically the only class that would work in my schedule that would also transfer back to GVSU as something I need. At least if I take it here I only need to get a C or better.

It’s suppose to rain all weekend, but we decided that we would probably go to Naples anyway (not Tuscany as I earlier mentioned) because at least its warmer down there. Besides, the weather report for Rome is generally wrong… so hopefully it will end up being sunny and beautiful.

So I feel like I pretty much have my bearings here now. I have all my books, my schedule is set, I know where all my classes are, I’ve become a regular at the “Cafe Good” b/c its close to JCU and has wireless and amazing cappuccino, I know where all the grocery stores are around my apartment, and I can get around Rome without using a map. (The last thing is probably my biggest accomplishment… considering how huge Rome is.)

I have a cold right now. So does Amanda. I’ve been trying to go to bed early (like at 10) because I’ve had 9am classes all week. It hasn’t gone away yet, but I haven’t been miserable. I’m glad I threw in that box of Sudafed before I left.

Anyway, hopefully I will get my camera battery today so I can take lots of pictures on our weekend excursion… Naples or wherever. If not, I’ll steal Nikki’s camera (since she has the exact same one as me) and take pictures with it using my own memory card. But in case you haven’t noticed, I did upload two pictures of me and a couple of my roommates and friends that I got off Katie’s facebook. So now you can finally put some faces with the names I keep mentioning.

Love til later,

Jess

I thought everything about my schedule was perfect and exactly how I had requested, until I got to my Italian Cinema class yesterday to find that the registrars office had made a mistake because Italian Cinema isn’t offered this semester. Instead, the class was Intro to Cinema which has nearly the same syllabus as a class I took at GVSU first semester of my freshman year. So I’m pretty sure I have to drop it now and find something else to take. But JCU does everything by hand so I had to take a number to do any dropping/adding and there are about 200 numbers before me. So in the meantime, I’m emailing back and forth with my advisors at GVSU to figure out what I should do. I really don’t want this one class to set me back, but it might as it was a class that I really needed. I’m pretty annoyed about it all.

But anyway, yesterday was cold. Today is cold too. So much for high 50s. But I think it is suppose to warm up again soon. I might be going to Toscany with Nikki this weekend… plans aren’t definite, but they are in the works.

I realized this morning as I was walking to school that since I’ve gotten to Italy, I have been surviving almost entirely on pasta and pizza. The only other thing I’ve eaten here is cereal and fruit… oh, and I made a grilled cheese yesterday evening. But seriously… I eat pasta and pizza pretty much every single day for every meal. I’m not sick of it yet because that stuff is beyond amazing over here, but then again… I’ve only been here for one week. I guess it’s a good thing that we have a Chinese restaraunt across from our apartment… and a McDonalds about a five minute walk away.

I’m going to learn a lot and improve a lot in my Italian class. I can already tell. And my Roman Monuments class is going to be a really fun class as well. Every week we meet at a different part of the city to study all the monuments and temples in that area… pretty cool. JCU even pays for all the entrance fees. There are still two classes I haven’t been to yet… philosophy which I have later today, and my Rome Portfolio Photography class which is tomorrow.

Yesterday between classes Nikki and I discovered a cute little cafe that is only a two minute walk from campus that has wireless internet and cappuccino for 80 cents. I think I am going to be spending a lot of time there. JCU has wireless too but the student lounges and computer labs are always so crowded with students that its hard to find a place to sit down.

I dont’t really have any other news for now, so I’m gonna head back to my apartment in just a minute to make… some pasta.

Love until later,

Jess

We went to the biggest flea market in Rome this morning. There was so much junk, but a lot of really cook jewelry, tapestries, clothes, shoes, and antiques. On the way home we stopped by JCU so I could use the internet quickly.

But anyway, everything is great over here. All of the roommates in my apartment are quickly becoming friends. We’ve been doing a lot together. On Friday we all went out to an Irish Pub where we had the most adorable waiter in all of Rome. I was the only one at our table that knew any Italian so I talked to him a lot, and he asked me for my number before we left. He said he’d call me sometime Sunday (which is today) so hopefully he does. After the pub, we went to this huge dance club in Rome and were only able to get in because my roommate Diana knew one of the bouncers. There were over a hundred people trying to get in with no luck, so we felt pretty special. We stayed there and danced until my feet were numb… and then we stayed for another hour after that. I was actually pretty miserable by the end, but the whole night was a really fun time. The Italian guys are so funny. They love American girls and they won’t take no for an answer. The only way I can get them to leave me alone is if I tell them that “Ho un ragozzo.” which means “I have a boyfriend.” But even that doesn’t always work.

Yesterday afternoon/evening I went out with 3 of my roommates to Via del Corso which is a huge shopping street that goes right by the Trevi Fountain and up to the Spanish Steps. It was packed so we eventually used the tiny little side roads to get away from the crowd. But it was a beautful night and it was so relaxing to just stroll down the streets of Rome. We ended up at Piazza Navona before we caught a bus home, which is gorgeous at night because the three fountains are completely lit up. (I’ll take lots of pictures as soon as I get my camera battery in the mail… I promise.)

Classes start tomorrow morning… 9 am sharp. I’m excited though. I got all of the classes I requested and at the times I requested too. I think it will be a really interesting and fun semester.

I hope everyone back home is doing well!! I miss you!

XOXO,

Jess

I got the wireless to work on my laptop here at JCU!! Last night was the “meet and greet” for new students, but all of my roommates and I slept through it accidentally. So today was the first time we came to the school. I got my school id, signed up for the theater club (haha) and then got online to let you all know I’m alive and well. The walk here from our apartment was probably about half hour. We can also take the bus, but I like the idea of fresh air and exercise in the morning.

So five of the six girls are at the apartment now. Maybe I said this yesterday, but I’m sharing a room with a girl named Amanda who is from American University. Logan and Diana are also from American University, and then Lindsay is a fellow Laker from GVSU. Everyone is nice so far. I hope it stays that way.

We haven’t found a supermarket or an internet café near our apartment yet. But we haven’t really looked down any of the side streets. Hopefully there is something… because otherwise we will have to get our groceries by going to the bakery, the butcher shop, the fruit market, etc which sounds kind of like a hassle. But I guess that it is just another part of living in Rome!

I don’t have much going on today. Orientation for GVSU students is tomorrow. I’m anxious to get my class schedule.

Oh, my mom emailed me and told me that I forgot my camera battery and charger at home… so no pictures until they are mailed to me. It will probably be a couple of weeks, as I hear the Italian mail system is not very good. I hope they get here… I would be devastated if they got lost in the mail and I couldn’t take pictures with the brand new camera I got just for Italy. I’m kinda angry at myself for leaving them at home.

Oh well. Love you all!

Rome was beautiful today. It was 60 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. I woke up at around 9:30, made myself some breakfast, and then read until some of my other roommates woke up.

I finally got around to venturing across the river today for the first time since I got here. I walked all the way over the Piazza Navona to meet up with Nikki and Jaci. I was pretty proud of myself for finding it on my own. I then showed them around to Campo di Fiori, the Pantheon, the Sacred Ruins with all the cats, and we got some AMAZING gelato. The best Ive had thus far. It was fun hanging out with them here because they were the only two people I knew in Rome before I got here.

Tonight we are planning on meeting up again after dinner to go see a movie at the theater across the street from my apartment. I have to make sure it is in English first, but I think it is. Then we are going to go out and have a drink and enjoy Rome at night.

Orientation is tomorrow and I will get my class schedule. Then on Saturday and Sunday we are going on free tours offered by JCU of the fountains of Rome and of ancient Rome. Ive seen most of that stuff already, but I am going to go as many times for free as I can while I am here… that way Ill be prepared to tour others around later.

Anyways, Im pretty happy here so far. I definately miss everyone a lot already, but I bet the next 4 months are going to by so fast that I wont know what hit me. But email me whenever you all have a few free moments. I really love to get notes from home to hear how you are doing.

XOXO, Jess

Well I’m here safe and sound in Rome. My flights here were pretty bad. The first flight, which was express service from Detroit to Phili, was on an extremely small plane. I had to sit next to a very very big man who overflowed into my seat. Not very comfortable. Luckily it was only an hour. From Phili I flew to Rome. I had a window seat, as I requested, and I was sat next to a young Italian man. I was actually pretty excited when I first got on the plane because every seat was equipped with personal in-seat monitor so you can watch whatever movies or shows you want. HOWEVER, neither the man’s nor mine worked. The flight attendant said that we could move to different seats, but there were no empty window seats—and I HAVE to sit by a window. So whatever. Watching movies wasn’t very important and I had my laptop with me anyway. I just decided I’d try and sleep for most of the flight. Then we noticed another problem. The buttons on our arm rests did not work either, which meant that the overhead lights would not turn off. So after dinner when all the cabin lights were turned off so people could sleep, we had this intensely bright light shining down on us from above. Oh well, I was thinking. That’s what eyelids are for… so I tried to fall asleep anyway. In fact, I think I did dose off for a few minutes right up until we started getting to that point in the sky where your ears feel a lot of pressure. And guess what… just guess. I was sitting two rows behind the “baby section” of the plane. (I call it the baby section because the reserve the front row for parents with very young babies because bassinettes can be set up right in front of the first row.) Three babies. Three babies with their ears popping. Three babies all crying as loudly as possible. Bye-bye sleep.

It all kind of sucked, I’m not going to lie, but I got to Rome in one piece and I found the JCU reps right away. A girl walked up, welcomed me, and gave me a sheet of paper to fill out. I grabbed a liquid blue pen out of my purse to write with, and immediately upon pulling the cap of, I had blue ink all over my hands, all over the paper I was suppose to fill out, and worst of all, on the sleeve of my white coat. Welcome to Rome! Seriously, though… I was exhausted, dirty, and I began to feel that I had bad karma or something. But after I washed off all the ink from my hands and attempted to get it off of my coat, I was given my housing placement and keys, and shuttled over to my new apartment.

My apartment is cute, but cute in a relatively spacious way. I really had no idea what to expect before I got here, but I guess the place exceeded the little expectations that I had. However… surprise!! I have five other roommates. There are six girls living together in this little Roman apartment. Six! So with that, I have good reason to believe that this is going to be a very drama filled semester. Luckily, I got here early enough to pick the room where there are only two of us. Since one of the girls requested and paid for a private room, the third room is home to the other three. The place is completely furnished with nearly everything we could possibly need—including a piano. Nothing in our apartment is what you would consider modern, but when you’re living in a city as old as Rome, I never expected it to be modern. There are a few downfalls though. For one, it’s freezing in here. We cannot regulate the heat at all and it doesn’t feel much warmer inside than it does outside. (And right now its probably about 54 degrees out. And to make it worse, they turn the heat off completely every night at 11:00. So I guess I will have to heavily rely on blankets when I sleep for the next couple months.

We have two bathrooms. One bathroom has a stand up shower, and the other has a bathtub which has a handheld faucet/shower head thing. Upon arrival, I decided to take a shower and so I gave the stand-up shower a shot. The showerhead must be as old as the building because only about 4 tiny holes have any water coming out, and it sprays everywhere. And the water goes all over the floor, too. By the time I finished washing all of the shampoo out of my hair, there was a two-inch pond in our bathroom. I guess this is all just going to take a lot of getting used to.

But all in all, everything is good. The street we live on is cute, we’re very close to Vatican City, and our apartment is definitely livable. So if anyone was worried, don’t be… I’m gonna be just fine here.