Sept. 3, 2007

Happy Labor Day everyone! I hope you all are enjoying a very relaxing day off with friends & family or however you decided to spend your holiday!
Well my first trip back to the US and the return to Rome! I must say when I first got back to Rome it seemed a bit weird. I went from being back home where it was easy to do things, to communicate with people, and where I could just be more relaxed…to a place where I feel like I have to be more on my toes & am more confused that relaxed! It didn’t help I arrived tired and again had trouble getting the key out of my lock (olive oil helped again!). And then I used the toilet & ever since I can’t get the water to stop running (thank goodness it’s no where close to overflowing, but still annoying). At least I can use it because it’s basically constantly flushing! I emailed and called my landlady, but still no reply after at day. I hope to get that fixed soon.
I’m still trying to adjust back to the time here and slept in very late this morning - good thing I took the day off! Yesterday I slept for 5 hours in the afternoon when I got in…I originally laid down for a 2 or 3 hour nap. I’m hoping that tomorrow I’ll be okay for work, which is why I’ll have to cut this blog short and get to bed soon (it’s already past the time I had planned to go to sleep!).
Coming back to Rome this time was a bit easier. At least I know how to get around on the buses & metros and didn’t even have to look at my map at all today when I was going around town (although I still carry it with me always!). I also got two big things accomplished:
1) I got the new Vonage box to work (since I blew the fuse in the last one!), so now I can be connected with everyone back home again. Up until now the only time I called home was when I left my mom a voicemail on her birthday in July. Yes believe it or not I went 2 months without calling home! Today alone I talked to my mom & my sister! Yay!! If I went 2 months without talking to them, now that I’m connected things have to be a bit easier!
2) I got my annual bus/metro pass today! I was warned about the long lines to get things and everything taking forever here in Italy, and up until today I didn’t have too much of a problem with that. But at the place to get my pass I had to wait in line for over an hour (in a building with no air conditioning) because although they had about 10 windows for clerks, only 2 were opened. And then people were shouting at the clerks about stuff. And at one point the police came in and made an announcement about something (I have no clue what) and a lot of people got mad and were yelling stuff at the cops about the fact that it wasn’t written on the sign on the door. I was worried that once I got up to the front they would give me an application and tell me to come back later. Fortunately they gave me an application to fill out there, I gave them one picture and my passport and oh about 10 minutes later they gave me my card. At least now I don’t have to worry about buying a bus or metro ticket for the next year! I was also glad I decided to go get it on my day off & not after work, because then I would have probably waited and then they would close before I got up to the front.

Tonight I had to go get a gelato from my favorite place and take a walk through Piazza Navona and St. Peter’s Square. The temperature here is great too – in the upper 70’s and lower 80’s I believe. I have to walk around the city every now and then to remember why I like being here so much! ;-)
Well that’s in for now because it’s way past my bedtime!