The first week was ok, since there were people sniffling in class each day I thought it was more likely that I would develop a cold.

The second week a constant tickle in my throat and a cough was taking hold. No problem I thought, nothing I can’t handle.

The third week I spent the first three evenings coughing and had a nasty headache. Honestly I just thought I was a little tired and maybe stressed from trying to learn pronome diretti and indiretti. Wednesday my throat began to burn and Thursday morning I woke with chest pain. Very nasty chest pain. Even my teacher noticed that I was not my usually happy self. As I walked through the train station that afternoon I felt so strange, I was in so much pain and was walking so slowly. I felt like some strange slow motion segment in a movie. Made it home safely but feeling mighty pitiful.

Feeling this awful has lead to two doctor visits and about 7 days of rest to begin to feel better. A painful lesson learned, I must listen to myself and not remain in a cigarette smoke laden residence.

Everything feels different. I have responsibility and places to be a specific times. My life is productive in a new way and strangely I have not taken photos the way I do when on vacation. Interesting. I have been preoccupied with getting established, with this the internet has become a thorn in my side. The area of town I live in is too far from the tower to have internet at my apartment. Strangely this has taken time to wrap my head around and accept. I am spoiled by the accessibility of internet in Canada and had to process the fact that I can write my blog, after all my computer still works, then go find a connection to upload. So here I am writing again…

My life in Italy consists of the grand commute into Rome on a regular basis. This does amuse me since I have not used public transportation in Canada for many years. Start with finding the bus and train schedules and making sense of them, then feeling proud of myself for successfully arriving in Rome on time. Public transportation is great when everything is on time! Oh the delays and cancellations…all to be taken in stride and hope that I understand enough Italian to know what is going on. One such delay had led to taking a later train home and being rather chatty with the man sitting next to me. After being complimented for being so nice to talk to I received an invitation to exchange phone numbers and visit said fellow train passenger in his town, which I politely declined. Ahhh…yet another lesson learned for this friendly girl to perhaps not be so friendly. 🙂

For the most part there are familiar faces on the bus and train each day which is comforting as it tells me I am on the correct bus or train. 🙂

Rome is a lovely city to attend school in and I pinch myself daily as I stroll around. I certainly do live a charmed life.