melissa grace kreider

     My first semester in Florence has flown by and I'm now onto my summer semester... c. 109 days living in Italy already? Make time stop, please. Cleaning up my apartment and moving everything I've bought or acquired from one building to another was surreal. 

The cleanest our kitchen has ever been since we moved in!

     It was completely sad to leave Borgo Tegolaio, 9. One by one my roommates left...the girls and I walked one of my friends to the train station at 5 am, and I was awoken two hours later by my other roommate leaving. Heartbreaking, I tell you! My remaining roommate, Becca, and I, did last minute cleaning and hung out until we absolutely had to leave, in which we wheeled her luggage (I had dropped my luggage/leftover apartment-things in my hostel for the night) to Piazza Santo Spirito and sat for four hours with the other girls, waiting for her flight to leave.

     Eventually the time came and all of my roommates from Tegolaio had departed. Definitely still strange that they're actually all gone and back in the States. Luckily there are still some left in Florence, and returning, that were there to keep me company. 

     Sunday was move-in day. I was met by the girls from "the other apartment" and they helped me carry my things up to my new apartment. Good news-it's beautiful!! I absolutely adore my new place.

Stairs to my loft bedroom :]      I was the first one there (of course-there wasn't any flying involved in my journey to Borgo Stella) and able to unpack and kind of get the feel of the place (i.e. learn how to use the washer, locate everything, etc). Our kitchen is massive!

Two of my other new roommates arrived around two. Doubly good news?! They're fantastic! 

      Any of you that have ever had roommates know how nerve-wracking and lucky you are to live with people you usually get along with-and I've gotten immensely lucky. All three of my roommates are completely lovely and, my favorite, adventurous. I love seeing them get excited about Florence because...well, I'M generally excited about Florence and it allows me to be stoked all over again! Ever since I arrived I've wanted someone to visit so I could show them around, and this is ALMOST just as good!

     Tonight we cooked our first "family dinner." One of the girls wants to cook all of the time-thankfully! Even better, she's a fantastic cook!

      Spaghetti alla Limone

       Classes start tomorrow, and I'm actually ready despite only having four days off...I'm getting to the point where I don't know what to do with myself if I'm not taking photo/art classes, so I'm ready to have purpose again. It's sorta what I do. Lame, I know. Judge me! I dare ya.

Ciao for now!

m.