Greetings from Perugia!

Ciao!
It is only my third day in Perugia and I already know I'll never want to leave.

We arrived in Rome where it was warm and sunny and then rode on a charter bus for three hours through beautiful hills. We stayed in a hotel our first night and moved in our apartment the next day. Italy is veryyy different from the U.S. in so many ways. One of the most noticeable differences is how much they conserve resources. We only receive 7 hours of heat a day and since the weather is very cold, we wear all the layers we can around our apartment. Last night, my four roommates and I were eating dinner at our little kitchen table with hats and mittens on... a funny sight to see. Also, the water heater turns on and off so we've started to wash our hair in the sink in order to make our freezing showers as quick as possible! Little things like the water, very little lighting, a little laundry machine that we thought was a dishwasher, and a sink on the floor of the bathroom by the toilet.... will just take a little getting used to!

This week we are only taking our Italian class. We go from 9am-5pm, but with many breaks in-between. They are teaching us how to "survive" in Perugia; we are learning how to say things like, "Two tickets for l'autobus" and "Sono Americano"... these are the only things I could think of off the top of my head- obviously I am not very fluent yet. Usually I just speak Spanish and can get along okay. The Umbra Institute I is about 25 feet from our apartment door. There is also Umbra II, where I go for two of my other classes. It is about a 15 minute walk down winding, narrow, and STEEP cobblestone streets- quite the leg work-out. All classes start next Monday, so I am eager to see what they are like.

Internet access is limited, but I hope to be posting pictures and maybe a walking video tour of our apartment soon. More to come later!

Much Love,
Jenna