Ave Roma!

Well, I'm here in Rome! My trip went very smoothly—on the flight, I watched Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and then slept until morning. After getting off the plane, I had no trouble getting my bag and finding the T.A.M. bus, which will take you to Rome's Termini Station for €5. 

Once I arrived at Termini Station, things got a bit more challenging because it's not immediately clear where you should go to buy a metro ticket. Hint: In Rome, you can buy metro tickets from the guys at the Hudson News kiosks. But not every newsstand is the same. I didn't just want to buy a one-use ticket—I'm going to be here for six weeks, so I wanted a ticket that was good for the rest of the month. To acquire one, I had to find the right newsstand, because not all of them sell the monthly pass. Argh! After I figured that out, though, I had no problem navigating the Metro and then switching to a regional train to get to my apartment. In Italy, one public transport pass works for the Metro, the buses, and the regional train lines. 

So much space!

There was good news when I got to the apartment—this place is really nice! It is a LOT bigger than I thought it was going to be, and I'm definitely not going to complain. Check out that spacious living room! Four people are ultimately going to be staying here, although no one else is arriving until tomorrow. I'm sharing a room with another student, and we'll have two more who are in single rooms. All of the rooms have two beds, but I chose the one with the most space and the most electrical outlets. It also has a little balcony. Hopefully my roommate will approve.

Simple. Comfortable. I like it.

I've also managed to go on my first quest for food. Shopping for groceries in foreign countries is usually a challenge. Today, I didn't manage to find a full-sized grocery store (despite two quests based on information in Google Maps), but I did find a mini-mart and a fruit stand run by a couple of young guys from Egypt. They didn't speak English, and I don't speak Italian, but we managed to muddle through in Arabic! It was awkward, but also fun. I'll be visiting those guys again. 

There is now fruit on the table and milk in the fridge. Success!

For dinner, I think I'll try the pizza place by the train station. It is apparently a usual favorite of people who participate in the Classical Summer School, so I will trust the collective wisdom of AAR-CSS alums and try it out tonight.

It's good to be here!