My first post from Italia

So after a nice 9 hour flight from Atlanta I made it safely to Rome. I was picked up by my lab collegues Vincenzo and Debora. Vincenzo actually spent some time in Gainesville with my research group last year. They immediately brought me to my apartment where I met my roommate, Eugenio. Eugenio has a Ph.D in law and was a fulbright scholar, which allowed him to study at Boston College for 4 months. He was really nice and made me authentic Italian dinner accompanied with wine. He also made me my first shot of espresso the next morning.

I spent the first couple of days getting some errands done and doing the tourist thing around Rome. I had a great time roaming around the city without a map and stumbling upon the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, the Colosseum, and the Roman Forum. One morning I attempted to go to St. Peter's but even though I've been there before I completely forgot that men with shorts are not permitted inside the church. The trip wasn't fruitless because it was in that area I finally found American plug adapters and a cell phone to purchase.

The 3rd day I was here I went to my college (The University of Rome Tor Vergata). It's one of 3 publicly funded Universities in the city. I was happy to find the school because once I got to my lab, I got internet access. I should be getting internet at home soon so these posts should be more frequent. So to sum up this post, I'm safe and having a good time. I'm planning on going to Munich next weekend to visit my friends Matt and Ellen who recently moved to Germany via the airforce. We're planning on hitting up Oktoberfest (yeah!). So till next time. Ciao!

Pictures of my crib

Using Google Earth I was able to home in on my European residence. Check it out:

I have a way to get to Rome and a place to live!

I now have my plane ticket booked to go to Rome. I leave from Jacksonville on September 9 and take a 9 hour trip from Atlanta to Rome. That isn't so bad considering that I have taken a 14 hour plane ride from Sydney, Australia to Los Angeles.



I also found an apartment to live in Rome. After posting an ad in a classified newspaper in Rome someone contacted me to sublease their apartment for a year. The apartment is in the Southeast region of Rome called Tuscolana. I'll be living adjacent to the Furio Camillo stop on Line A of the Metro (see above). I'll live halfway between the touristy area (the Colosseo stop on Metro Line B) and the school I'm working at (near the Anagnina stop on Line A). Pictures of my apartment are shown below:

I Can Now Officially/Legally Live in Italia

I got my passport with my Italian Visa back today. It's pretty exciting. Check it out:






Now all I have to do is buy a plane ticket, find a place to live, and of course pack.