Another Week Begun...

I had the luxury of a long weekend with my Italian class not meeting either Friday or Monday. Such a nice break. I can't say I love spending the entirety of my day listening to someone teach a class in a language I don't understand. It was also a great opportunity to get to know the girls living in the villa apartments. I really cannot imagine what life would be like if I didn't live here.

Let me tell you a little about it.

I live in an apartment within a villa owned by two doctors, a husband and wife. He runs his pediatric practice out of an office in the villa. The doctor also loves to garden and keeps the patio area just outside my door so beautiful. The area is full of flowering plants that climb all the walls, palm trees, red benches and chairs, a fountain filled with goldfish. They live here too and their daughter has an apartment on the top floor (great view of the city I hear!). The rest is broken down into 4 (or 5?) apartments. We live in Monteverde - which means green mountain - which is a hill west of the Tiber River and south of the Vatican. The hill overlooks the center of Rome and rises above the popular neighborhood of Trastevere.

The area is quiet, safe, and comfortable. I can walk 2 minutes to the neighborhood Parish for Mass in the morning or evening. Across from the church, outdoor markets sell produce and other goods each morning. But I can pop into any number of little places to pick up some eggs, milk, cheese or pizza! any time of the day. One of my favorites is a fruit stand run by an italian man named Bruno. He loves my roommate (Jona) and seems to have extended his affection to me even though we can't really communicate. I figured out the other night that he thinks I'm very nice and good company for Jona. There is also a bar, that Jona calls "old man's bar" because every evening all the neighborhood men pull all the red plastic chairs out onto the sidewalk and just sit talking for hours. I usually buy my milk there. From what I've seen, a "bar" in Italy doesn't necessarily look like the American conception of a bar. At old man's bar, you can buy fresh milk, homemade food, candy, coffee, or a cocktail. Some "bars" are like a coffee shop or convenience store. I don't think I've ever actually gone into old man's when anyone has been drinking alcohol. They do, however, make the best gin and tonic I've ever tasted - and it is only 2 euro.

I remember my mom laughing at me when I told her before coming that I would wake in the morning, walk down the street, get some bread, cheese and fruit for breakfast from a street vendor. She said I would oversleep and that would never happen. Well, in one respect she was right. I'm pretty sure I have only ever done that in the evening after the 6:30 Mass. But, I do actually get most of the things I need that way. No more Meijer or Target.

But back to the villa. Surely beyond the area being beautiful and safe, the greatest blessing is that I live in the immediate vicinity of good, Catholic women. I can not imagine how different this city would feel apart from this ready-made community. I'm definitely not alone and it is a nice mix of people who've been here before and those who are here for the first time. Someone to translate Italian, tell you how to get to the nearest church or where you can buy hangers. And some who are just as awed and sometimes overwhelmed by being a part of this city for the first time as I am. I am very lucky. A million theoretical difficulties will simply never touch me here.

I will avoid rendering this post unreadable by making it any longer. Thanks for listening. It means a lot to me that you care about me and want to know what my life entails. It also reminds me that even when I DO feel alone, I never really am.

+ Elizabeth