It's amazing just how much information one brain can hold and how much excitement one heart can contain...

Salve!
This is yet another way to greet people informally in Italian. Since my last post we have had our final meeting with our group before we all meet in Rome on May 28th. Laura Moix is our program coordinator/director. She is so awesome and has lots of great advice about Rome and traveling in general. A great tip that I have learned is that when we do all our traveling by train, we need to make sure we validate our tickets so that we won't get a 150 euro fine!

I have also finally gone shopping for the clothes and shoes that I am going to take to Rome. I bought several shirts that are made of linen so that they will dry quickly because there aren't any dryers. I also bought a great yoga-type skirt that covers my knees for churches, is very comfortable, and is solid black so it goes with several of my shirts. I am going to bring 2-3 pairs of jean shorts because they will take awhile to dry but I am also bringing 2 other pairs of shorts because it will be hot! I also found several dresses to bring that go with all the shoes I am bringing, including wedges for going out that will be easy to walk in (don't forget all the cobblestone streets!). I am also bringing one sweater to cover up in for churches because my art history professor, Dr. Lynn Jacobs, said we will go to lots of churches during class to see art!

Speaking of class, I am taking two three hour classes and we received our schedules for the four weeks we will be there. On Mondays and Wednesdays I will have art history from 9-12 and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I will have World Civ 1 from 9-12. So I will have all my afternoons free to do homework and explore the city! Both professors also said there will be some reading, a few papers, and some outside assignments to see certain things so I am going to bring my laptop to do work on and to blog on of course :). The professors are both very nice and really excited to be able to have their classes be more interactive out in the city!

A few other things that are important to remember to bring are converters for charging your electronics.

• Don't bring a hair dryer or straightener, I have tried and they do not work because the voltage is not the same. But your laptop, and phone should be fine. 
• Definitely bring a raincoat because who knows what the weather could do. 
• Also, I have checked with my professors and I have to buy two books for my World Civ class and bring those myself. My art class does not have a book, however we will read some things that she will post online. Glad I don't have to lug around too many books!  
• If you are like me and get eaten alive by mosquitoes in the summer, bring bugspray! I HIGHLY recommend "Cactus Juice Outdoor Spray" (http://www.cactusjuicetm.com/products.php#ValuePacks ). It is the best bugspray I have ever used. It's not sticky or corrosive, it smells good, and I have never gotten a single bit when I have used it. You do need to reapply it but any spray requires that.
• Bring any medicines you need in your carry on! You do not want these to get lost. I am going to bring tylenol and allergy medicine as well just so I don't have to look for it while I am there.
• And of course, because we will be living in apartments, shower shoes are a must.

There are other things that you may or may not require but those are some things that I think are pretty universally needed while traveling abroad.

Things are finally beginning to wrap up on the planning side of this trip and soon we will be on the plane to Munich! Anne, Mark, and I are chomping at the bit for some new scenery and adventures.