Back to school....

So I haven't posted in a while and I meant to almost a week ago but the video I tried to post would not post every time I tried and it still wont so i'm in the process of posting that still ha.

Anyways...The first week of orientation last week went well and quite fast...I like the KSUF school building a lot! My roommates and I have been exploring Florence a lot and are getting really acquainted with the city. I can now go places with no map and feel a lot more comfortable with the area we live. Saturday we spent the morning at Piazza Pitti and the Bobali gardens there...it was so cool and really big. I'm excited to spent free time there. My favorite day here by far was yesterday when Monique, Brittany, and I got up at 6am and took a train to Cinque Terre to hike the 5 cities. 

The name Cinque Terre means 'five lands' and is literally made up of five small towns that hug the southern part of the Ligurian Coast. These five towns are built into the rock-ribbed section between the beach and the hills. It is one of the most amazing places I have ever been and I can't even begin to describe how beautiful it is. The weather was perfect, it was hot but not too hot and the hike at one point felt never ending and I sweated so much and was so gross but by the time we got to the last city it was so worth it when we got to swim in the blue waters that seemed straight off of a computer background. 

Here are the trails we hiked, we did a total of 5.5miles of hiking:

Riomaggiore to Manarola

'Via dell'Amore'

Manarola to Corniglia

Corniglia to Vernazza

Vernazza to Monterosso 

I posted a lot of pictures to my facebook but here are a few from the day....

On the trail there where locks everywhere and the guide said that people brings locks to leave and they lock it and throw the key in the ocean so that they never have to leave. 

We layed out on the rocks in the ocean and swam...the view around us was breathtaking and straight out of a dream

There is so much more I could say about this place but overall it was paradise and the towns where so intimate and cute and I could stay their forever! 

It was so weird to be in such a beautiful place the day before classes start but I can't think of a better way to spend a Sunday before school=]

Today I went to school for my morning class and it settled in that o crappo im back in school hah...I love learning but hate the structure of classes. I think i'll enjoy my classes here the most because of all the field trips and hands on learning experiences i'll have here. 

After class I went to the Piazza my roommates and I have gone to journal. It is a very touristy place but where I sit in the monument it is peaceful and there is normally someone playing pretty romantic music that sets the perfect mood for journaling. As I was sitting there by myself a man came and sat not too far away from me and he got my attention and started talking to me. He was Italian and spoke decent english and I was planning my way out of talking to him right as he proceeded to tell me allllll about him hometown in Italy. It was very interesting but frustrating at the same time because Im not comfortable talking to random strange men...naturally...and we are told not to....duh....so anyways he finishes his speak about his hometown and asks me questions I refuse to answer then says, "okay, I'll let you get back to writing" I should my head yes and said "Ciao" then before I knew it he grabbed my hand, kissed it and said goodbye. 

O goodness...the men here are a different breed and are very forward. This isn't the first time these kind of situations have happened to me and my roommates and for the most part it is unavoidable. Apparently us Americans are "too friendly" and the men try to take advantage of that as much as possible. Just one of the numerous things I have learned here over the last week. I have plans to blog about other differences here in the future.

Anyways...day 1 of classes is over and it is time to go to the market to get some food for the next few days...Ill continue to try to post the tour of my apartment video here and can't wait to blog some more =] I am missing my family and friends back home but am loving life here in Italia <3 buongiorno