Here are a couple pictures of my apartment! The kitchen, the living room and my side of the room! Nothing too exciting but I don't spend too much time here anyways! I am having the time of my life, school is going good and I am getting to know the city pretty well--at least my area! Will type a long big update soon!

A Little Preview of Where I Am...

Hi all, have been so busy lately but wanted to share this video of Torino! So blessed to be able to call this home for the next 4 months, when I get a chance to sit down I will be uploading tons of pictures! Miss you all so much!
Ciao!
Love love love
Caitlin

Picturess!!!

Well I had my first real weekend in Italy and my computer is finally working! The pictures are not too exciting but here is my apartent and stuff! This weekend we ventured downtown and went shopping, the after-Christmas sales were going on so it was crazy crowded! Saw some really good designer knock offs though so I might have to make a purchase! This picture is of Via Roma, one of the biggest streets in Italy with a bunch of cool places, including some big designers like Armani, Hermes & Louis Vuitton! The day time one is of the view from my balcony, can see the alps in the back--very cool! Miss and love you all--will update soon!

Ciao belli!

Getting Into the Swing of Things!

Hello hello! Well I am finally all moved into my apartment and going to school, officially a resident of Torino, Italia! The apartment is pretty cute it's a 2 bedroom with 3 other girls, right in Midtown Torino. There are 3 different places to live in here, Downtown, Midtown and by the school and Midtown is a 20 minute walk or busride away from both the school and downtown so I definitely got the best deal, especially since downtown is about an hour from school! The living room is more of a walkway and the tv is broken, we are the only apartment that gets a little bit of internet reception, but it is verrrry cute! Weird how advanced America is, you have to turn the gas on to use the stove, microwaves are a rare amenity in apartments, and you also have to turn the water heater on and off for the shower, the washing machine drains into the toilet! But I think I am finally getting adjusted, didn't think that Italy was as different as it is from America! Little things like schedules (most Italians take a "siesta" from 1 to 2:30, and they don't really eat breakfast and have dinner around 9 o clock) or driving (the drivers are crazy here! constant honking and zipping around and they always seem to create their own traffic laws and parking spaces!) and little things like that are a lot different! Everybody in Torino lives in apartments on top of restaurant and houses, the town looks like a twist of Brooklyn, New York City and what you would think Italy would be like. I'm starting to get used to the weather as well, it's been snowing! Thankfully it doesn't happen to often because we are surrounded by the alps.

School is good, I am just taking italian class right now which is a little boring because i've already taken it but it's good to get refreshed. Not so intimidated to practice my Italian with the locals anymore, they seem to appreciate it! I am starting my real classes next week and can't wait to start being busy again, not used to all of this leisure time. This weekend we are thinking of going to Milan for the day, it is around 2 hours away by train and I've always wanted to see it! Unfortunately I brought the wrong adaptor for my computer but ordered a new one today and will post pictures when I do! Love and miss you all terribly!

Ciao!

Caitlin

I'M HERE!

Well, after many long hours of airports, layovers and STRESS I am finally here!!! I literally have no concept of time whatsoever and it was the weirdest feeling being wide awake in a plane where it's supposed to be 3 am in the country I am going to. The night before I left I hungout with my friends and family and said my last goodbyes and then Saturday morning Mom and Granddaddy took me to SFO to see me off!! Lugging around a 50 pound backpack, a 20 pound carry-on and a 50 pound suitcase was no easy task but I fared well compared to my other friends; (surprisingly I was the one out of our group of friends who packed the LEAST!) We left San Francisco at around 3 in the afternoon on Saturday and flew 10 hours straight to Germany. The German flight attendants were the sweetest and so accommodating! After a very cramped and uncomfortable 10 hours in the plane (of which I probably slept for 2) we landed in Frankfurt, Germany and the city was literally blanketed in snow; I've never seen that much snow or white in my life! The highlight of the plane ride was probably watching the sun rise while flying over Ireland and Great Britain, I literally saw the sky change from dark to red to pink, orange, yellow, blue and even green. When we got to Frankfurt everybody that had 2 carry-ons, (a purse and a carry on) had to check theirs, but mine fit thank goodness! When we finally landed in Torino (after flying over the alps!) everybody who was asked to check their carry-ons got their luggage lost!! Italian time is funny, after waiting in a very short line for 2 and a half hours the lost and found finally found the time to deal with the problem. Then we got to our hotel, went out to dinner at a really cool pizza place (in which you literally had to ask them 3 times to stop bringing pizza around!!) and then took a quick tour of the city. So far so good, I am moving into my apartment tomorrow and starting school Tuesday!!! I miss you all terribly and can't wait to talk to you soon!!!

Love love love,

Caitlin

Off I Go!

Hello Hello!!! I created this so all of you can keep up with my adventures while I am gone in beautiful Italia! I leave tomorrow, and could not be more excited, mom is definitely freaking out though;) The airlines just changed their requirements to being able to only check 1 bag and carry on 1 bag so we are frantically trying to fit what we thought would go into 3 bags now into 2...I don't know how my shoe collection will fare this change. Leaving tomorrow around 2, landing in Frankfurt, Germany 10 hours later and then taking an hour-and-a-half flight to Torino from there! I am so excited to start this new adventure and start 2010 off right! I will be continually updating this throughout the semester and sending many emails as well:) Love and miss you all, arrivederci!!!!
Love,
Caitlin