First Day: Orientation

The coffee is strong in Italy. My roommates and I were able to get through the day thanks to the concentrated/potent but delicious coffee this morning. The time change hasn’t been to bad so far, but it’s only been one day so I will continue to acquire and adapt to the new time.

Today was the first day of school…sort of. We met at the campus of Gonzaga in Florence (GIF), and walked to another building for orientation. The campus is in a gated community and is adorable. There is a small gym downstairs, which I will be trying to visit, and a library as well.
[BTW, it’s gonzAGa NOT gonzAHga for pronunication]

The orientation was three hours long, but thanks to the coffee I was able to sit through without falling asleep from jet lag. It was very useful. We were introduced to the faculty and classes. Most of the professors are Italian/European and my finance teacher came out introducing his class as “Religion of the 21st Century” aka Intro to Finance. I cannot wait to get started in the class, it is going to be phenomenal. We were also introduced to extracurricular activities: intramural soccer teams, community service, Italian conversation partners***, cultural activities, fitness classes*, ambassador programs, Glee nights***, and many more! I want to join it all!!
*Maybe joining
** Definitely joining!!

After orientation we enjoyed a glass of wine on Via Cavour, followed by lunch provided by the pension. Later we strolled through the Duomo down to the Pointe Vecchio where we enjoyed italian cappuccinos (SENSATIONAL!) and watched the rain fall outside the cafe.