jenna's summer abroad: First Days in Bologna

Hello!! I'm sure you all will be happy to know that I have made it safely to Bologna. What a whirlwind the last few days have been! I'm pretty proud of myself for traveling alone for 24 hours straight. After long layovers and flights, I was exhausted when I first arrived. But I was quickly greeted by the Student Life Assistant, Mary Jane-- who is very smart, kind, and helpful. Dr. Waller, the director of my program, greeted me as well. My room is basic but very clean and nice. We have two huge windows that open up next to a park. We also have our own bathroom which is a big plus! Unfortunately we don't have working AC. Apparently, Italians do not air condition their housing until late in the summer! I'm so not in the South anymore…. But I can adjust! The great part of this dorm is that it is part of and Italian campus. We eat our meals in the mensa with other Italian students. Really makes for a richer experience!

My roommate Meagan is really sweet-- she will be a senior at Regis University in Dallas. Dr. Waller informed us that we will be two of the four people assigned to teach the English class to Immigrants on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. That will be an adventure for sure.. Considering we don't know what we are doing! But, hey we can do it!

During our first meeting yesterday, we got to know each other a little bit (even though everyone has been pretty jet lagged). Dr. Waller gave some really helpful information on our program and the city. Can't wait to learn more from him in class! The group seems really fun and easy going. There are about 18 of us.

We also took an awesome walking tour today to get a feel for the city. In many ways, Bologna seems to be what I imagined it to be. Massive, ancient structures built in red brick-- giving the city the nick name - "The Red."

We've already learned that student life is a big part of Bologna-- as most of the residents attend the University of Bologna (which began in 1088-- oldest university in Europe).

Tonight we have a "three hour food marathon" planned as our opening dinner at a nice restaurant in town. I'm pretty excited to chow down on that food.