Buongiorno, Roma!

Well, I made it! And it's so much better than I was anticipating.
I fought away tears as I hugged my parents in the Atlanta airport, but once I was through security and to my gate, the feeling that I have set off on my first great adventure overwhelmed me. The Lord has already been so gracious to me.
On the flight I sat next to a guy who looked about my age, and we instantly became friends. He's 21 and just got married on Tuesday! A marine, he leaves for Afghanistan in October. I have an interest in the Middle East, so I was grateful to make a new friend who is serving our country with his life.
The next flight was filled with more Italians than Americans, and every one of them was poshly dressed. The sound of the language is so beautiful...almost sing-songy. I sat next to an older Italian woman who spoke and understood very little English. I speak and understand very little Italian, so we were forced to use gestures and simple nouns to communicate. You know when you get on a plane and the person sitting next to you is foreign and won't stop coughing? Immediately I thought, "This is going to be a long flight." But over the course of those nine hours, we bonded, even though we could barely speak to each other. She offered to share everything she had with me, and grabbed my chin with her thumb and forefinger. I love the way Italians are so comfortable, so affectionate.
And then I met the ISA group in the airport. I felt immediately at ease when I saw that the students were not snobby, privileged Americans but genuine and down-to-earth Americans. Everyone is easy to talk to. Each has a sense of humor and a passion for adventure! I am so blessed. I already feel I know many of them well. Even the staff is kind and personable. So. So happy.

Yes, I have huge blisters on my heels and pinky toes.
Yes, my roommates and I took a nap and overslept fifteen minutes of our mandatory meeting.
Yes, our elevator never showed up, causing us to run down seven flights of stairs, just to watch as the bus for our first tour drove away.
But, in all of these, there is a silver lining. I'm in ROME! I can hardly believe it. This city is so rich with history. It's sleek but homey. Our hotel is about two blocks away from the Colosseum, which we will tour tomorrow.
Having missed the bus tour, I was disappointed. But, my roommates and I, Jessica and Leyla (both of whom I will live with in Florence as well), decided we should roam the city instead. We walked for I don't even KNOW how long, and ended up making a circle back to our hotel! But, we continued to a small cafe directly in front of the Colosseum. I had a sciroppo -- Milk with mint syrup. It was to die for. And, rather than eating dinner, the three of us went to a gelateria, where I got hazelnut and tiramisu gelato. I think I'm going to like it here.

Anyway, I am exhausted...it's 4PM on the East Coast, but 10 here, and I've had four hours of sleep in the past few days. I'll put up pictures soon -- this italian internet (that is free, thanks to my ridiculous hacking skills...) doesn't let me do that yet. Keep praying! Thanks for reading and caring.