Siena!

*Hey folks-- I wrote this last night but I didn't get to post it! I'm posting it this morning but it's yesterday's post :-) *

Today I got up (a little late!) and we got all packed up to leave Roma! It was somewhat sad to leave the Eternal City, but at the same time I was ready. We had a very hard and fun packed three days in Roma and I think all of us were ready to head to Siena. We got on a bus and began the drive. The autostrada here in Italy is pretty much the same as the interstate in the states. The only difference is how people drive it :-) I love their driving style here. Unlike America, everyone here drives for themselves. They do their own thing and let others worry about themselves. No defensive drivers here! They all drive on the offensive team! Everyone just watches out for themselves! It’s great. For example, while cruising down the autostrada our bus driver decided to just drive right past a motorcycle that was riding in the far side of the right lane. Rather than change lanes and “pass” him, he just moved over a little and the motorcycle didn’t even notice. He just kept driving as this monster bus drove less than one foot next to him. Loved it! The countryside of Italy is absolutely amazing too! I never realized Italy was so full of rolling hills and mountains. It is not flat anywhere! So full of farmland. And it was strange to see vineyards all over as we began getting closer into Tuscan country. The coolest thing was to be driving along and look out and see a big hilltop that had a big castle on top and was surrounded by a city. Some of the cities were amazing. They just built the city on the hillside. The country was gorgeous. The cool part is as we began pulling into Siena, it’s a hillside town! Siena is a very very old town and it is built right in the hills. The streets go up and down and all around. Some of them go nearly straight up! There are the old city walls and everything. It’s a pretty classic medieval city. It also has one of the oldest banks in the world! Siena has been rated as the #1 highest/best standard of living in all of Italy and it’s considered the most modern and connected city too. Every house has cable! I really like Siena so far. It is absolutely gorgeous and very unique. It is going to be a very fun month :-) We participated in an orientation with the school today and the director took us around and showed us some simple places and where to go for such and such and then took us to the school. Siena is very unique in that there is no new construction. Because it is so old and they have chosen to preserve it, everything is basically original buildings that have been fixed up. Some look pretty new, but they are still very old. Many of the structures as old as parts of Roma. I’m going to enjoy learning the history of Siena from the people who live here. And I’m going to enjoy learning Italian too! I went in to get pizza tonight all by myself, and I didn’t speak a word of English! I couldn’t believe it! Granted, it was really really simple one word Italian that probably made no sense, but I tried! I think I’m going to be able to do this. The people in Siena are so much more humble and laid back than Roma. Roma was so much more touristy and the people here are down to earth Italians. It is a college town, so they are used to foreigners for long periods of time and it is also very touristy, but it’s maintained it’s Italian state. It hasn’t been commercialized. Anyway! I could ramble on and on! Tomorrow I take my placement test and begin class so I better get to sleep! I need to catch up from all the partying in Roma. I miss talking to all of you and hopefully everyone is doing well! I don’t have internet in my apartment (sadly) but the school has free internet. I will spend some time at the school every afternoon and maybe even figure out a time to get a phone call in. Ciao!