Learning to Adapt

So the flight from Canada was long. I arrived into Rome 30 minutes behind schedule and I only had a 2 hour time window to make it into Rome to catch my train to Terontola-Cortona. While waiting in the line for the Leonardo Express to take me to the Roma Termini station, some random boy handed me 4.50 euros and walked away. He did not say anything and I was so shocked I didn't quite know what to say, also I had just been travelling for apporximately 24 hours and I was tired. I had to run to catch the train, but I made it on it. Then when I got to the Roma Termini station, it was so large and there was no one willing to help me. The print out of my train info did not have a platform number and it was nearing the time that my train was leaving and I had no idea where to go. Then another random thing happened: someone asked me directions and when I spoke in english saying I had no idea, she asked me if I was going to the Cortona program... she was another student! Yay! I was saved. Together we figured out which platform and we had to run (again) across the entire huge train station but made it onto our train. When we got the the accomodations in Ossaia (a SMALL town), it was quite a shock to the system. As soon as I saw it I wanted to hop back onto the train and head home. We are staying in an abandoned 2 room elementary school. There are 16 girls in my room (the boys only have 6 in the same sized room), and we have to share the showers and washroom with everyone. And to add to that, only 1 of the 3 toilets has a toiletseat, and most of the time the toilets do not flush so you have to get a pail of water and dump it down the toilet. Yuck! This is definitely no where near to what I am used to or what I am comfortable with. But it is what it is, and I guess I'm going to learn to adapt. So the very first night was extremely hard. The night seemed to last forever and I was extremely homesick. Then yesterday some of us got up early and took the bus to Cortona. We had a very nice day. Some of the others in the group had been to the winter program in Cortona so they were able to take us around the town and show us some things. We walked to the top of the hill on which Cortona is settled. We walked through a fortress and some of the views of the valley are amazing! Then we saw huge church, then walked back down the hill to the main square to have lunch. The main square is the only part of Cortona on flat surface the rest go straight up or down -- I mean REALLY steep. Then all of us students just sat on the stairs of the church in the main square for about an hour, just sitting and enjoying the hot sun. We all took the bus back to Ossaia in the evening and went to dinner at the only resturant in Ossaia. This morning, we started the class part of the trip. First we had a lecture about the history and landscape of the area, and then they took us to the potshed to learn how to identify the different kinds of pot sherds. Then we hiked up into the hills to the dig site just to get a sense of the landscape. Tomorrow we learn how to excavate and on wednesday our digging rotations will begin. It feels like weeks have passed, but I've only been gone a 4 days. It gets easier being away from home the longer I am. Although I have to say that having internet and telephone do make it easier. (except that we don't have those in Ossaia, we have to come into town (Cortona) to use them). So after classes today I decided to come into Cortona and I wanted to walk. I started out with a friend, but halfway there it began to pour, so she turned back, but I was intent on making here. So I continued to walk in the rain and then someone stopped on the road and offered me a ride to Cortona (mom and dad please do not freak out when you read this - I was debating whether I should include this or not, but it's part of my experience so...) Anyway, I made it to Cortona and of course, the sun came out again extremely warm and sunny! The weather in Italy is so changeable. It's hard to dress for the morning because the weather changes every 5 minutes! But AH how BEAUTIFUL it is! I forgot my memory stick in Ossaia with my pictures on it, so I'll have to post them later. But the views, even from our accomodation (which is the only good thing about it), are spectacular. Alright, I'd better go, some of the other students are waiting for me in the square. Ciao!