Wow, I’m IN ITALY!!! The flight in was so beautiful beyond words can even begin to describe. We flew over Morocco and Sardegna, which was a very mountainous sight before we got to the great homeland. We flew in North of Rome and then landed at the Aeroporto di Fiumocino a Roma. After waiting for everyone else in the group to arrive, Paulcarlo and Mike drove us to Siena. This was a three-hour drive that actually took about four because we took a long stop at an Italian rest stop. You can pretty much can say for most of the ride, we were all conked out from the over night flight to Rome. When we arrived in Siena, Mike gave us a quick tutorial about the program overall, our agenda for the next day and told us that we will be meeting our host families individually. Well I wasn’t nervous to meet my host family until this point but after I stepped out of the van I was greeted with kisses from Maura and her six-year-old grandson Matteo. Let me tell you, there is no cuter thing than a little boy or girl speaking Italian. We watched a cartoon together and he tried to explain to me what was happening in Italian. I couldn’t understand half of it but it was pretty darn cute anyways. I was also able to give him a USA baseball t-shirt, (thanks aunt bon!) which he loved J Oo ya definitely thought I clogged the toilet but turns out I didn’t know how to flush it properly. I guess they flush from a top pull down handle. Luckily, I didn’t have to explain that one in Italian to Maura, who speaks nothing but Italian. I can understand her for the most part and vice versa. This is definitely the immersion experience that will force you to learn and speak the language. I went to the supermarcato to buy some water, snacks, tic-tac’s and get change to call from a pay phone. I think I tried to work the pay phone with euro coins for about a good twenty minutes, which proved to be unsuccessfully. I will definitely try again tomorrow. I definitely got beeped and whistled at walking there today by this creepy old man; sorry Italian dude that you are that desperate yelling at someone with jet lag bags under there eyes and two day old clothes. Maura is also a wonderful cook. I think I ate my weight in pasta fresca and pesto today. P.s. have only spent 2.83 euros so far! I think the craziest thing is coming to a realization that other societies exist other than English speaking ones. My ignorant American eyes have disguised me from this thus far and I am honored to be able to learn from a new culture and una bella lingua.