I arrived in Siena via train after navigating two different changes at stations in Empoli and Pisa. I decided to brave the bus system and asked a friendly officer in Italian to point me in the right direction. I found it but unfortunately realized after a few minutes that this particular bus stop was closed for the weekend! So, I joined some other Italians, exchange students, and tourists as we all walked to the next stop and then I made my way through the winding historic center in what I call "walking or pedestrian" rush hour. Trying to get around with luggage can be quite the challenge and I was extremely grateful to finally make it to the apartment of Silvana and Paulo who would be my Italian family for the next two weeks. I have a small room filled with antique furniture and a window overlooking historic buildings in the heart of Siena. The smells and sounds of this apartment remind of my time abroad in Granada, Spain which is familiar and comforting. This family is very nice and I am grateful their colorful stories of Siena (those that I can understand)!
For those of you that have not lived in a foreign country with a family, it can be quite overwhelming at first, but you just jump right into speaking their language and using your hands to describe words if you forget them. I also found out that another student from Austria named Roberto would be living at this apartment. At first, I was not super excited about another student living in the same apartment (i.e. an American speaking a lot of English). However, Roberto speaks several languages and is serious about learning Italian so it has been wonderful to practice Italian with him and it takes a little of the pressure off of me during our dinners (la cena) and allows for a more interesting conversation. Silvana and Paolo have an adult son named Marco who sometimes stays with them and he is art professor in a town nearby and has written two books on the art history of Siena. They watch the news during dinner which sparks lots of conversations, sometimes a debate if it has to do with politics! I have wandered around Siena only a small bit because with classes more than the half day and then lunch (il pranzo), time seems to slip away. The teachers at my school called Saena Iulia are fabulous and I have a small class consisting of 4 students. We begin the class with a little grammar and let conversations flow naturally in Italian with our teacher Elisa correcting and helping us along the way. I am truly amazed at how much I understand and the amount of information that I'm learning. Sono come una Italiana!!!
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