Villa Life

Today it really sunk in that I live in a Villa. Nicole and I strolled the gardens this morning after breakfast. We had a good orientation today, but it is VERY hot here. I think that rather than try to be prolific at this point (which I am not feeling today), I will post some pictures to share. This is where I live....

This is the "face" of the Villa (really the back) with the amazing gardens. They are tended to by a gardener who has lived at the Villa since he was 16 (he is now 85).

The gardens are full of lemon plants, which will be brought into the Villa during the winter months.


















And I will leave you with a few more views of the gardens. Tomorrow - off to Siena!

I live in a villa

I live in a Villa in Sesto Fiorentino, Italy, to be exact. And it's amazing - I cannot believe that I get to live here for 3.5 months. It has been a very long day, and my thoughts were often to my sister and family at home during the trek here, but I am surrounded by amazing food, gardens, and a room beautiful views of Sesto and the mountains (that I get to share with my best travel buddy and friend). We were also very thankful (and surprised) to get a great welcome package that was much needed after too many travel hours. I'm off to bed soon, but will hopefully post some pictures tomorrow.

packing up

So, I have moved out of my college town (where I have admittedly lived for going-on seven years), and am back home with the family (or at least my parents - my siblings are scattered across the country, and I miss them!). It has been interesting already, and I have had numerous moments of high-school flash backs. (Let's just say that last night I was tucked in after a cup of hot cocoa - I'm 25 people. 25. But that's actually not too shabby of a way to fall asleep).

With all of my belongings at home, it feels odd - and I can't find a single thing that I am looking for. Even after, what I thought, was cautious preparation and sorting of items to go here or there or be taken away to Italy. I leave one week from today, and this morning I stared at a large empty suitcase. It begs the question - how do you pack for three months? Lightly, seems to be the obvious answer. Easier said than done.

In the words of a friend, one week from today I will be leaving the "New World for the Old World" - he couldn't be more right.

New Beginnings

I knew I was going to blog during my fall term spent in Italy - but just before I leave seems like the appropriate time to start. A week ago today, I was told I was not going to be permitted to go abroad. You see, I have been eating Gluten-free for almost two years - and the villa we will be staying in cannot support such a diet. I was told this three weeks before leaving via email. I was on the phone within five minutes of receiving the email - and after 24 hours of knots in my stomach, a phone conference between my doctor and the international center, and somehow proving that I am a healthy graduate student - I'm back on the roster for the trip. Yes, I have Crohn's disease. And yes, I follow a gluten-free diet by choice to manage it. But is that going to stop me from going abroad - from living life? Not a chance.

So here begins my architectural adventures in Florence, Italy - for life, for food, and for love.