Check out my new digs!

So the film that I have included in my post is the interior of the American Academy in Rome. It was built in 1910 and modeled after...something gorgeous. It's just the kind of thing you'd imagine a giant Italian villa to be. The courtyard is absolutely beautiful -- it is my favorite part. Beyond the walls seen here are our own personal coffee bar (the barista's name is Gabi) and the Academy's Library, which is one of the best in the world! Amazing!

Speak of the devil!

So lately, truth be told, I've been really stressed out about this Italy thing. You'd think I'd be bouncing off the walls with excitement, but actually what I feel is more like dread. Dread that I will have no down-time, no time to decompress once I return to the states. (Seriously, I am supposed to go back to work THE NEXT DAY!) Dread from the stress that I know comes with international travel. Dread that I will be separated from the love of my life for 2 whole months!

This coupled with all my fear and insecurity: What if I am grossly under-prepared? What if we spend so much time focusing on ancient Italy that I don't get to experience modern Italy? What if everyone else is cool and nobody wants to be my friend?

(Wait! Time out! Did I write "cool"? Who am I kidding? All these people going on the trip...we are Classicists. We study dead people. ("Deader than dead" as my dad says.) We are ALL dorks! Scratch that fear off the list.)

...What if this ends up being a miserable trip because I am traveling alone? Ugh! How could a trip to Italy be such a downer?! I love, love, LOVE Italy! The last time I went to Italy I cried as soon as I got off the plane because it felt so good, so RIGHT, to be back again! Everybody seems surprised by my reaction, including myself.

Well, fear no more! Thanks to the wonder that is Facebook, I found out that Jainna, one of my closest friends from Grad School is in Rome right now! I can't believe it! Jainna, with whom I spent so much of my first year at FSU, is currently in Rome and I'm going to get to see her on my first day! Usually, she is 3000 miles away in Alberta, but now we're going to be just 5 blocks apart! Seriously, what are the odds? Now I AM excited to go to Italy because I get to catch up with a dear old friend! Oh, Jainna! You are a godsend and you don't even know it!

Speedo it is!

Given that the beaches will be swarmed over Memorial Day Weekend, my Honey and I decided to hit up the beach the weekend before. Good choice: not too crowded, and the water actually looked pretty with the afternoon light (unlike the brown murky water you can't even see through in the mornings). There were some pretty serious waves for Jax Beach, and while I don't surf, we did have some fun on the boogie boards. While my Honey only lost his sunglasses, I also lost my top. Well, not completely (thank God!), but damn Ocean kept trying to sweep it off! Imagine, there I am under another wave, left with the decision, "Which is more important? Checking to see if I am fully clad or breathing?" 4 times was enough. I'm left with the conclusion that the polka-dot retro swimsuit is cute for sun-bathing, but not much of a match against the current. Plus, I found out that the hotel where we're staying in Capri, Hotel San Michele, has a lap pool. That's right! A freaking LAP POOL! I can't believe it. I nearly cried tears of joy when I found out. I've been searching online like a madwoman for a lap pool in Rome because I've feared I won't get to swim at all the 2 months I'm there. I couldn't be happier!

To Speedo or Not To Speedo?

In my efforts to make a packing list, I've been faced with a dilemma: how am I going to exercise when I am away in Italy? Granted, you may be wondering why I would feel the urge to exercise "while on vacation" at all. Also granted, I'll get plenty of walking in during my daily studies. But I fear going from a moderate amount of exercise to no exercise will cause me a great deal of anxiety. Afterall, I intend to do something while I'm there! I've pretty much decided against running (I hate it), and cycling requires too much equipment, not to mention a road bike, so I think that leaves me with my favorite activity of all time: Swimming!

Now, Dr. Bucher, my leader on this grand ol' study tour, has quite excitedly assured the group that there will be "beach time." We also have a few "weekends" on which I might swim. I've already purchased a new swimsuit to don at the beaches (Because I am such the beach-comber, you think? Hardly! Because sun-bathing in a Speedo is lame), but the problem is that I really want to SWIM! As in, laps, not lolly-gagging in the kiddie end of the pool. With any luck, I'll even be able to get to an olympic pool (I've already started searching online and have found 2!) to get in some real laps. (Truth be told, Ho paura di nuotare in mare!) But can I really swim laps in a vintage style, polka-dot 2-piece? Or will I just be laughed out of the water? Hmm.

So I'm left with the decision of packing 1 or 2 suits. I think the amount of extra-space in my luggage will be the deciding factor.