Orientation? Yes. Oriented? No.

Well, welcome to my blog.  I hope it's easier to navigate than Milanese streets.

Today was orientation at my new university, and I am currently quite overwhelmed with everything.  One thing I know for certain--the cappuccinos are good at a little place near at least on of the buildings of the university.  I'm sure I'll know later if it's also close to other buildings.  All the streets are curvy (to say the least!) so between the curves of the streets and turning onto other streets, I lose my sense of direction very quickly.

My first class starts Thursday morning, and it's going to be a few weeks of Italian.  Four hours a day in class.  It's going to be a lot of work, but I'm looking forward to being able to communicate better with people.  Take today for instance...

I am sitting in my apartment as I write this, missing a free dinner and party.  I know--when has that ever happened before?  Well, my plan was to meet up with some girls and we would all travel there and back together.  That way we would be in a group when we came back at night.  However, due to a minor miscommunication and some majorly vague directions (can't blame the girl, she had only been to her apartment once) I spent an hour wandering down streets and asking strangers for directions, only to find once I arrived that they had already left.  So, instead of voyaging forward alone, I came home.  It seemed wiser and safer, but I am sad to be missing the chance to meet new people.  Not to mention the free food.  Really, the beginning of the year in a new place is a crucial time to meet people, because no one knows anyone yet, so everyone is open to making friends.  As time passes, people find their circles and it becomes a lot harder to meet people.  So tonight is a little bit of a bummer.  Oh well--there will be more opportunities.

"The Man in the Brown Suit" by Agatha Christie is a book of which I am quite fond.  At one point, a few characters are talking about traveling in Italy, and one woman says something along the lines of "When you ask for directions in Italy, instead of saying sensibly "first to the left, second to the right," the Italians poor out a flood of well-meaning directions you can't understand, and when you look at them blankly, they take you kindly by the hand and lead you there themselves."  Well, when asking strangers for directions tonight, not once but twice did people kindly lead me at least most of the way there.  I thought of the book and inwardly rejoiced.

I have not had to ask for very many directions in Italy up to this point because I have either been with Italian relatives or Joshua with a map, so we always knew pretty much where we were going.  Now Joshua is in IL and my relatives are several cities away, and for these first few days at least I find myself, like Blanche DuBois, depending on "the kindness of strangers."  Okay, okay, I'll tone down the literary references.  But first--who can name that quote?  Impress me!

That's the news for now.  If at any point during the semester you feel I am not posting enough on my blog, just send me a kick-in-the-pants email or facebook message, and I'll step it up.

Ciao!