Day 4-Florence/Firenze!-1-31-11-Monday

 Buongiorno! Good Morning!  Today was my first day of class!  Can you believe it?!  The first day of my last semester ever!! AHHHH!!! So exciting :)  Well… that is unless I go to grad school, but still first day of my last semester as an UNDERGRAD! WOOP WOOP! Lol I was one of the few on this trip who got to experience this feeling because most people are sophomores or juniors, but they were still excited for me :)  Our walk to class is absolutely amazing, we had to meet in the lobby by 8:30am because class starts at 9am and it's about a twenty minute walk, but it didn't even bother me because we walked along the river that splits through Florence and it was absolutely gorgeous outside :) I'm smiling just thinking about it.  I think it may be my favorite part of the day walking to class basking in the sunlight and the beautiful river and architecture!  When we got to class I was nervous because I had no idea what to expect, but it wasn't bad at all and I figured out I'm actually ahead of the game!  So I don't know if I said this or not already, I probably did, but Mom and Dad, the seven years of Spanish actually paid off :)  I feel like I'm ahead of the class in some way.  I actually sit next to this girl named Tal and I help her out a lot because she's only taken Hebrew so she has no idea what our professor is saying have the time so I translate for her haha!  Anyways we have about two hours with one professor then a half hour break and then two hours with a different professor.  I am learning a ton and it's sweet!  I actually feel like I'm starting to get a grasp on the language :)  (btw it's Tuesday and I'm writing this so that's prob why I sound like I have taken it for awhile, but after 8 hours now it kinda does feel like I've taken a week of it and I even volunteered today-Tuesday)  Anyways after my first day of class I went window shopping along the river to all sorts of shops I had no idea even existed, I did not buy anything… yet.  I was really close to buying a purse and boots or maybe a fashion scarf since Kelley and Becky seem so adamant about me getting into those… but I keep telling myself to wait.  I ate at a Tratoria for lunch , it was a very authentic Italian small restaurant and I had a meaty lasagna with wine mmmm :) It was excellent.  I also finally got to a post office to change some of my U.S. dollars to Euros and realized the difference kinda sucks… :(  After that I got my textbooks and went back to the hotel.  After we freshened up at the hotel we went to a local restaurant where AIFS provided us with a welcome drink and appetizers.  I got a Jacquelyn which is like a mixed cocktail drink with white wine, vodka, strawberry and orange juice and it was delicious!  After that we walked back to our hotel for dinner which was…interesting.  I actually had something I didn't enjoy.  Veal.  It just had a taste I did not care for.  However, before the veal we had risotto and after cake so it was all good because I enjoyed everything else :)  After dinner I skyped with J and facebooked with Dana, Nik, and Jess it was soooo good to finally be able to talk to them!  I miss them all so so so much!!! Then after that it was getting late and I was tired so I went back up to my hotel room and off to dream land since I had to get back up again for school at good ol' 7:30 am.