Hello all! My name is Tommy, and I am a an American student studying abroad in Italy for the semester. I landed in Fuimicino international airport on January 8th after a healthy 5 hour delay in D.C. I am staying in a little town called Viterbo where I am studying Italian language, art, and history. So far the trip has been amazing! I have experienced an ancient bonfire tradition in the village of Bangaia, seen a crumbling ancient city called "the city that dies" (I forget the Italian name) and I have traveled through the city of Rome. Right now, I have booked plans to visit Venice for carnivale and I have tickets to see Dave Matthews Band live in Rome! I can't wait! That is for the month of February.
The city of Viterbo is the perfect location for someone to completely absorb Italian language and culture. It is situated only 60 km from Rome, so it is accesable to traveling around Europe while at the same time has small Italian life. Hardly anyone here speaks English so it is crucial to learn Italian in order to live here. I do all grocery shopping at small macellerias, panerias, and various other local markets. It feels great knowing your grocers personally and establishing relationships with the local people. The city is a beautiful medieval town enclosed by massive walls with all cobblestone streets. There are tens of churches and cathedrals spanning the last 1,000 years. The architecture here tells the story of Italian history over the last millenia which is really cool to see! My apartment was built in 1240, and was once a royal palace. I will have more updates on travel soon!
