Tre Giorni!

I have officially been in Rome for three days now. Yes, I survived the flight. Barely. Here's how I wouldn't describe my experiences so far...

1. Culture Shock - I know I haven't been here for very long yet, but I wouldn't use this phrase to describe what's happened so far. Yes, I have had some difficulty explaining myself to shop owners and waiters, but Roman culture is not so far off from how I'm used to living.
2. Seamless - Although Rome is not quite a culture shock, I can't say that I'm adjusting seamlessly. The first restaurant we went to was a complete tourist trap. The waiters were creepy, we were jetlagged, and I'm sure we were ripped off (the pizza was crappy and it cost as much as my panino did yesterday, which, while I'm at it, consisted of prosciutto and grilled zucchine). Nearly everything we've done on our own since we got here has been sketchy and tourist-y... but we're still learning.
3. Confusing - I'm having a surprisingly easy time getting around the city. I can get to and from school without getting lost and it only took us about an hour to find our host family's house. While it should have taken us about a half hour, we didn't get lost or pick-pocketed (there are gypsies all over the metro... I'm a bit wary of this but I know how to spot them now!).

That being said, I completely underestimated how impressed I would be by the monuments in the city. On a walking tour on the first day, we passed by the Trevi Fountain, St. Peter's Basilica (which I saw up close this morning), the Colosseum, and the Spanish Steps. The Colosseum blew me away. I never expected to be so impressed by a giant ruin, but I was most overwhelmed by that sight. As soon as I have access to my own computer, my Flickr will be loaded with pictures! Like the idiot that I am, I forgot my camera on our first walking tour, so I don't have any pictures of any of the monuments.
The food, the food, the food: pizze, panini, paste, e gelato. The winner? Gelato by a long shot.

I didn't get nearly enough sleep last night, so I'm going to stop trying to write words. Tonight, I meet my host family. Tomorrow, I start classes.

A presto, amici!