Ciao a tutti!

Benvenuto a Perugia! I arrived in Perugia, Italy on Friday, August 31st, and by Saturday I was moved into my apartment with my four roommates. Everyday has been so busy; taking in the sights and buying needed items and groceries for the apartment, that sometimes it feels like I have been here much longer than just a few days. So far Perugia has lived up to its reputed hilltop beauty, but the brilliant panoramic views and winding, narrow, cobblestoned streets come at the price of walking uphill most of the day. The workout however will probably be needed to counterbalance my new diet here in Italy. All the food I have had over the last few days has been delicious (except the dinners my roommates and I have tried to cook so far-we’re still learningJ)!

Even though I have loved being able to soak in the sounds, sights, and smells of my new home in Italy, a concept I have not been fully able to accept yet, I have still experienced a few differences in daily life between Italy and America, some very inconvenient or frustrating. Upon landing at the airport in Rome I was so thirsty I immediately bought a water bottle and drank it greedily, but a second later I almost spit it out. Due to misreading the bottle label, I had ended up buying mineral water, which is a very common drink throughout Europe, but which I personally think tastes disgusting. Needless to say, I quickly learned to look for the word naturale rather than frizzante the next time I bought water. Speaking of water, I have also had to abandon the notion that water will be free in restaurants and other places, because in Italy they charge for water. To my frustration I also learned that some stores will charge you for putting the items you bought into a regular brown paper bag!

More significant differences that my American roommates and I have had to adjust to include sorting our trash by type: organic, paper, or cans and bottles, putting them in different colored bags, and leaving them outside of the apartment everyday according to which designated trash pick-up type it is. Also, while shopping for apartment supplies and groceries we have sorely missed the convenience and accessibility of Wal-Mart, an equivalent to which we have not yet found in Perugia. Instead, we have to buy towels at one store, certain groceries at one market, fresh produce at another, and we have still not found certain items like hair dryers and other essentials. However, this kind of scattered shopping is typical to daily life in Italy, and I am slowly learning to adjust my habits and preconceptions accordingly. I am excited for all the new possibilities and experiences I’ll have once I feel more comfortable with my new daily routines in Perugia.

Alla prossima!

Location: Perugia, Italy