As I breathed in such powerful words, inhaled its beauty in hope that it would caress the soul, the towering trees creating a protective shade that filters all but a few rays, I felt such pleasurable isolation. Oh what splendid joy. Oh what...a mosquito! I gave him a glare that signified disgust and quickly swatted it away. I attempted to submerge myself in the realm of Ms. Woolf once more, but I knew it was of no use. The mosquito would return. Normally, I would not have let an insignificant blood sucker ruin such joy, but these incessant pests have taken a liking to my blood. As it stands now, I have about eight, itchy bite marks all over my body. An increase in that number is not an option (although I know it is likely to increase), so I departed from that haven and made my way down to the more frequented path. Thus, my excursion to Il Castello Miramare ended and I made my way towards La Barcola, a promenade along the Adriatic.
The Castello Miramare is a very beautiful sight. It is situated on a cliff overlooking the Adriatic. There is also a huge park that makes up the area. Definitely a sight to explore. Once you leave the park grounds, La Barcola begins. Since Trieste lacks any real beaches, people lay their towel on this promenade and sunbathe there. It was interesting to see everyone taking in the sun and enjoying the beautiful weather. It was also nice to see the freedom people exercised while sunbathing, something I'm not accustomed to in the USA. I brought my running attire and decided to jog from the beginning of La Barcola back into the city. Oh what exhilaration one feels while running and taking in the beautiful and free-spirited atmosphere. I eventually reached my destination, Trieste's central train station. Drenched in sweat, I boarded the number 17 bus and made my way back to the university.
Besides this wonderful excursion, I haven't partaken in anything of real interest. I spent four days and traveled to 5 different offices in order to apply for my permit of stay. Unfortunately, my application was two days past the due date (Italy only gives you 8 working days to complete it). I hope it won't be a problem, since much of the delay was out of my control. I have also chosen my courses for the year and I'm very excited. I'll be taking some philosophy courses, some political science courses, and some history courses...all in Italian. This week I hope to start meeting more people. I am attending a meeting with an organization directly involved with ERASMUS (the study abroad organization of the EU) and I plan to join an Italian-American group in October. Classes begin the first week of October, so I really want to do something exciting before they begin. Hopefully I can take a weekend trip somewhere.
Oh, and I killed my first mosquito last night. Hopefully that will serve as a warning to the other mosquitoes that I am no longer playing nice.
Here are some pics: Click here!!!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Oh Trieste, What a Fickle Mistress You Are
As I begin the fourth day of my stay in Trieste, I am becoming aware of how intricately complicated she really is. Although I have only had but a morsel of her, that morsel has been sufficient to create an infatuation that will undoubtedly grow to love as I discover and understand more of her complex nature.
I have awoken every morning with the wind singing through my window, stirring me to wake...at six or seven a.m. I also take the wind as a sign of how the day (in relation to the weather) will be. I dress the part, only to realize that the wind is a false warning. This happened to me on the second day while my friend Abby and I were going to run errands. I changed into some warm weather clothing and we both headed out. I in shorts and a t-shirt and she in shorts and a blouse. Our mission that day was to locate a school building in the historic district and attend a meeting. I, of course, being in charge of the map, managed to get us lost. As we wandered in and out of quaint streets, we noticed dark skies heading our way. She, being from Vermont, was quick to point out that rain would soon be upon us. Surely enough, the rain began to pour some minutes later. The first drizzle was like heaven. It had been so long since I had felt rain. Each drop renewed my spirit and solidified my joy; it solidified how truly happy I am to be in this exact location at this exact moment in my life. The drizzle soon turned into a downpour and I fruitlessly tried to find our way. I finally decided to give the map to Abby (something I should have done in the first place). I found out that she has a much better sense of direction than I. We continued through beautiful streets and neighborhoods and got closer to our destination, but the rain was falling with more vigor, so we found a building that had some shelter and took cover. We waited until the rain passed and continued our trek. After our meeting, we explored a little more of the historic and waterfront district and had dinner at a lovely restaurant. I must admit, it was quite the romantic evening, ha ha.
Yesterday, on the other hand, was not nearly as great. I spent my whole day helping my friend Abby (and may I add my only friend here) buy a ticket back home. Unfortunately, this city and this program were not a good fit for her. She was not happy and needed to go back. She's currently on her way back home. I dropped her off at the train station last night. I wish her the best of luck with everything and it was a pleasure getting to know her.
So now, I find myself in a precarious situation, but one that will reap great rewards if I am successful. As far as I know, I am the only American at this University and I have not had the opportunity to get to know anyone else. I chose this particular program because it was labeled as "full-immersion," which I found to be very exciting. I now know that label was in no way an exaggeration. The dorm I live in is not set up in a way that promotes interaction and the "orientation" mentioned in my packet is nonexistent. With no real direction or guidance, it is basically up to me do figure everything out, which both excites me and frightens me...nay, it ONLY excites me! I look forward to this challenge and figuring out ways to overcome it. I am sure it will turn out great...
But anyhoo, here are some pics of the University and Trieste. Enjoy!
I have awoken every morning with the wind singing through my window, stirring me to wake...at six or seven a.m. I also take the wind as a sign of how the day (in relation to the weather) will be. I dress the part, only to realize that the wind is a false warning. This happened to me on the second day while my friend Abby and I were going to run errands. I changed into some warm weather clothing and we both headed out. I in shorts and a t-shirt and she in shorts and a blouse. Our mission that day was to locate a school building in the historic district and attend a meeting. I, of course, being in charge of the map, managed to get us lost. As we wandered in and out of quaint streets, we noticed dark skies heading our way. She, being from Vermont, was quick to point out that rain would soon be upon us. Surely enough, the rain began to pour some minutes later. The first drizzle was like heaven. It had been so long since I had felt rain. Each drop renewed my spirit and solidified my joy; it solidified how truly happy I am to be in this exact location at this exact moment in my life. The drizzle soon turned into a downpour and I fruitlessly tried to find our way. I finally decided to give the map to Abby (something I should have done in the first place). I found out that she has a much better sense of direction than I. We continued through beautiful streets and neighborhoods and got closer to our destination, but the rain was falling with more vigor, so we found a building that had some shelter and took cover. We waited until the rain passed and continued our trek. After our meeting, we explored a little more of the historic and waterfront district and had dinner at a lovely restaurant. I must admit, it was quite the romantic evening, ha ha.
Yesterday, on the other hand, was not nearly as great. I spent my whole day helping my friend Abby (and may I add my only friend here) buy a ticket back home. Unfortunately, this city and this program were not a good fit for her. She was not happy and needed to go back. She's currently on her way back home. I dropped her off at the train station last night. I wish her the best of luck with everything and it was a pleasure getting to know her.
So now, I find myself in a precarious situation, but one that will reap great rewards if I am successful. As far as I know, I am the only American at this University and I have not had the opportunity to get to know anyone else. I chose this particular program because it was labeled as "full-immersion," which I found to be very exciting. I now know that label was in no way an exaggeration. The dorm I live in is not set up in a way that promotes interaction and the "orientation" mentioned in my packet is nonexistent. With no real direction or guidance, it is basically up to me do figure everything out, which both excites me and frightens me...nay, it ONLY excites me! I look forward to this challenge and figuring out ways to overcome it. I am sure it will turn out great...
But anyhoo, here are some pics of the University and Trieste. Enjoy!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Sono Finalmente Arrivato
After what seemed like ages, I have finally arrived at my final destination: Trieste! I must say that from what I've seen, I'm really going to love it. It is beautiful and much bigger than I pictured it in my head. It's also a city on a hill, which makes for some amazing views. It took some time to get here, though.
I started from SFO and had a very pleasant plane ride with British Airways. Great movie selections so I spent most of my time watching them instead of trying to sleep. I ended up getting an hour of sleep, BUT, I was able to watch Fargo and see the famous wood chipper scene; the highlight of my plane ride. I also sat next to this nice, young couple from Lille, France. I arrived in London and things continued to flow smoothly. I changed airports with little hassle and before I knew it, I was waiting...and waiting...and waiting at the Gatwick airport for my flight to Venice. There is nothing like sitting around and doing nothing to add weight to the eyelids. After a 3 hour wait, I got on my plane and went onward to Venezia. As soon as that plane took off, the eyelids dropped and I was snoozing for most of the plane ride. It was definitely an uncomfortable snooze, but I needed it. Once I arrived in Venice, I was able it easily find my bus to the hostel. I really enjoyed my stay there. It was outside the city so I wasn't able to see anything, but the hostel was very self-contained. I didn't get to enjoy any of it, however, because my body craved rest. I finally fell asleep around ten p.m.
I'm not sure what it was, but it hadn't fully dawned on me that I was actually in Europe. I enjoyed seeing the countryside while switching airports in London, but it still seemed unreal. Plus, my lack of energy made me too tired to feel emotions or think. It wasn't until this morning that I realized: "Wow, I'm in Italy and beginning an incredible new phase in my life." It all came rushing into me as soon as I caught a glimpse of Venice. Its beautiful silhouette as the bus drove closer was like a splash of cold water to the face. I could do nothing but smile. I am happy. I am in Italy...I really wish I could have explored the city, but I had to go straight to the stazione Santa Lucia. There, I bought a ticket to Trieste. I was very fortunate, since the train departed only minutes after I bought the ticket. I was on my way to my final destination.
There is something truly magical about trains. It stirs the soul in ways other modes of transportation can't. It must be the hypnotic rhythm of the wheels hitting the tracks mixed with the possibility of discovery. It is definitely my preferred mode of transportation and I hope to take many more train rides as time unfolds. (I'm growing tired once more, so I will end this quickly). I arrived in Trieste, ate, and began looking for the university. I felt adventurous (for some strange reason) walking around the city and trying to find my way around this foreign land, all the while dragging two heavy pieces of luggage. That sense of adventure soon turned into a feeling of malcontent, as I realized I was not acting in the most efficient way. Although I did enjoy seeing more of the city, I could have easily bypassed the sweat and fatigue. I caught a bus that took me directly to the school. That was when the fun started...I spent about two hours going up and down hills, asking people for help and all to no avail. All the while dragging these suitcases that seemed to get heavier as the minutes passed. I felt so pathetic. I can only laugh at it now, but I was feeling a little frustrated, and VERY tired. I finally found my dorm (on my own, since everyone I asked didn't know where I could find it). It was fitting that I had to make one final push to reach it. I had to drag my two suitcases down four or five flights of stairs. I'm sure I made a great impression on the lady at the front desk who gave me my keys. Picture a VERY handsome man, literally dripping with sweat, and out of breath. Once that was over, I got a quick shower and went out to run some errands. I met the other American here and we're getting along well. She's from Vermont.
I started from SFO and had a very pleasant plane ride with British Airways. Great movie selections so I spent most of my time watching them instead of trying to sleep. I ended up getting an hour of sleep, BUT, I was able to watch Fargo and see the famous wood chipper scene; the highlight of my plane ride. I also sat next to this nice, young couple from Lille, France. I arrived in London and things continued to flow smoothly. I changed airports with little hassle and before I knew it, I was waiting...and waiting...and waiting at the Gatwick airport for my flight to Venice. There is nothing like sitting around and doing nothing to add weight to the eyelids. After a 3 hour wait, I got on my plane and went onward to Venezia. As soon as that plane took off, the eyelids dropped and I was snoozing for most of the plane ride. It was definitely an uncomfortable snooze, but I needed it. Once I arrived in Venice, I was able it easily find my bus to the hostel. I really enjoyed my stay there. It was outside the city so I wasn't able to see anything, but the hostel was very self-contained. I didn't get to enjoy any of it, however, because my body craved rest. I finally fell asleep around ten p.m.
I'm not sure what it was, but it hadn't fully dawned on me that I was actually in Europe. I enjoyed seeing the countryside while switching airports in London, but it still seemed unreal. Plus, my lack of energy made me too tired to feel emotions or think. It wasn't until this morning that I realized: "Wow, I'm in Italy and beginning an incredible new phase in my life." It all came rushing into me as soon as I caught a glimpse of Venice. Its beautiful silhouette as the bus drove closer was like a splash of cold water to the face. I could do nothing but smile. I am happy. I am in Italy...I really wish I could have explored the city, but I had to go straight to the stazione Santa Lucia. There, I bought a ticket to Trieste. I was very fortunate, since the train departed only minutes after I bought the ticket. I was on my way to my final destination.
There is something truly magical about trains. It stirs the soul in ways other modes of transportation can't. It must be the hypnotic rhythm of the wheels hitting the tracks mixed with the possibility of discovery. It is definitely my preferred mode of transportation and I hope to take many more train rides as time unfolds. (I'm growing tired once more, so I will end this quickly). I arrived in Trieste, ate, and began looking for the university. I felt adventurous (for some strange reason) walking around the city and trying to find my way around this foreign land, all the while dragging two heavy pieces of luggage. That sense of adventure soon turned into a feeling of malcontent, as I realized I was not acting in the most efficient way. Although I did enjoy seeing more of the city, I could have easily bypassed the sweat and fatigue. I caught a bus that took me directly to the school. That was when the fun started...I spent about two hours going up and down hills, asking people for help and all to no avail. All the while dragging these suitcases that seemed to get heavier as the minutes passed. I felt so pathetic. I can only laugh at it now, but I was feeling a little frustrated, and VERY tired. I finally found my dorm (on my own, since everyone I asked didn't know where I could find it). It was fitting that I had to make one final push to reach it. I had to drag my two suitcases down four or five flights of stairs. I'm sure I made a great impression on the lady at the front desk who gave me my keys. Picture a VERY handsome man, literally dripping with sweat, and out of breath. Once that was over, I got a quick shower and went out to run some errands. I met the other American here and we're getting along well. She's from Vermont.
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