Yesterday was the due date for the first payment for Italy. There's supposed to be two payments of $2,865, one on June 15th and again on July 1st. I decided to go ahead and pay the entire $5,730 in one lump sum so I don't have to worry about it. I almost fainted when I saw it go out of my bank account. I still don't feel like I'm actually going anywhere. It seems so far away and somewhat silly to plan on something two months away. Keep in mind, this doesn't even include the tuition or my personal spending money or the money I want to have saved up for when I come back.
We had our first orientation not too long ago. We went over where we were going, the dates, and answered any questions we had. I think we could choose roommates if we knew who we wanted to room with, but I don't know anyone yet. They also recommended we get an Italian phrase book, which I bought about a week or two ago. It's the Lonely Planet version, very cute and tiny. Also, they told us that we shouldn't worry about bringing our computers but strongly recommended that we take a working cell phone. I guess it makes sense, but I still want to be able to communicate with my family and friends. Which reminds me, how am I supposed to do this Skype thing? I feel like a technological dinosaur sometimes, really.
Apparently Montepulciano is the highest hilltop town in Italy. This should be read as "I'm going to die from walking." Ouch.
