My own room!

I would be grateful to share a room with ten or more roommates – as long as I was still living in a city as beautiful as Florence. And, I’m no stranger to roommates, being one of seven kids at home. But somehow, not only am I lucky enough to be here, but I’m lucky enough to be here with my own door, closet, window, and bed. Even after two months, I’m not used to it.

The entire apartment is reflective of the city in which it is located – that is, its small and overflowing with character. Its located right on the Arno, with giant automatic wooden doors that make turning your key everyday an event. Our doorman is very friendly, and he’s there most mornings to say, “buongiorno,” along with two marble statues to each side of the entrance.

And inside, I love how many doors there are. There’s a door seperating the kitchen from the hallway, and the living room from the hallway, and two doors placed within the middle of the hallway. Not that any of these are ever closed – you can always see at least one of my roommates.

And speaking of my roommates, would you believe that I could be any luckier? Abby, Emily, Leila and Janelle were “fast friends” as a boy from London put it. Meaning, we all became close so quickly and easily. If seeing all of these new places wasn’t fun enough already, doing it all with them is truly an experience of a lifetime. No matter how many miles (and miles, and miles, and miles) we walk, hours of sleep we don’t get, and few minutes we have to catch a train when we’re not exactly sure where it is – they keep me laughing constantly. They are one of the best things that I will be able to bring home with me.

Them, along with (though cliche) everything that I have learned and have yet to learn, still. By far my favorite thing to study here is the Italian language. I came to Pitt with one of my primary missions being to study another language, and it is so exciting to finally fulfill that goal. I am also an avid lover of history – at home I study the history of Pittsburgh for fun and the history of Pitt through my job as a pathfinder. And, one of the best parts of doing so has always been being able to see the historical sites in person – to put a face to the historical fact. To be able to do so in Florence, and throughout all of Italy, and so much of Europe even still, is an opportunity that I plan to take full advantage of.

I’m so grateful to have made the friends that I have, learned the lessons that I’ve learned, and to be able to call this place home. And I’m so excited for all I have yet to gain.