The first things...

Hello friends!

Where do I even begin? I’ve been in this wonderful city for 2 days and yet it feels like so much longer…

The Duomo Church is the center of Orvieto. It is absolutely beautiful and it seems the sun is always shining on it! We got the opportunity to climb all the way to the top of the central clock tower and view the entire city--absolutely amazing! And we walked through the walls of what was once a fortified castle of sorts back in the Medieval days. I can't wait to learn all the history of the town!

We’ve walked around the city of Orvieto a bunch to orient ourselves and though I am directionally challenged it seems that I just may learn how to get around! The city is filled with little souvenir, gelato & coffee/pastry shops that I am anxious to get to know these places and try out all that they have to offer!

I live in an apartment with 8 girls—2 bathrooms, a kitchen and a study area. The storage is a bit lacking, but I’m trying to get used to that and be flexible! Though transition is always a challenge, I am excited for all that I will encounter throughout the semester.

The program is really community oriented so we are focused on life together. Each of us has been challenged to always think like an artist, historian and poet from here on out! We must continue to participate and engage ourselves in life in Orvieto, in community with the people of the city and with each other. And the people have accepted us too! This morning we attended Catholic mass, a surprisingly short service during which I understood nothing. But I was pulled from my seat and urged—in Italian—to participate in the service by presenting a flower at the table of the Eukarist. I didn’t know what I was doing, but followed the kids in front of my also presenting objects and was even blessed and anointed with oil on my forehead by the priest! It was a humbling act of invitation and acceptance to us the students of Gordon College by the Catholic congregation—though we were told not to take part in the Eukarist because if 20 protestant students took communion in a Catholic church it would cause upheaval and certainly make the news!

Each day we eat lunch and dinner in a family owned restaurant, and from what I can tell so far—the owners are amazing cooks and we will never try the same thing twice! In the restaurant and in town thus far I have already indulged in gelato, cappuccino, pizza and pasta. I am eating good and hopefully walking enough hills to work it all off!

Tomorrow starts classes which I am very eager to begin, it's a Designo class, so we'll see how my art skills (or lack of) develop throughout the next month! I will try to post some pictures soon too, I haven't uploaded them all yet! I'm also anxious to improve my Italian more so I don't feel so silly ordering in the shops :)

Ciao!

Alyssa