Over the first hill

Hello again from Messina!

I'm all packed and ready to go, since we just got word that we are heading to Palermo today for our second camp next week. But first, a few highlights from Messina:

Life in Sicily is rough. For example, today we had ice cream for lunch. :) Don't get me wrong, we eat real food and Sicilian cuisine is fantastic, but I'm quite amused by the way of life here. I am staying with a very nice Sicilian family. They have a little 7-year-old boy, and the father speaks a fair amount of english (and the mother and I have become very good at using the dictionary). Last Sunday, they took me to their sea house. The day basically consists of preparing a meal, eating the meal, and then passing the time until the next meal in conversation, rest, swimming, or any other way you fancy. I know, totally not Rachel, but I'm learning to adapt. My mom here is an excellent cook. I got to experience some great authentic meals, and of course enjoy the more cliche pizza, gelato, and nutella sandwiches. That's right, bread and chocolate-the kids love it.

Camp was fantastic. I worked with 6 and 7-year-olds this week. Their english is very limited, but their enthusiasm and retention was awesome. I've included a couple pictures from our final show at the end of the week. It takes quite a bit of creativity and energy to get from 9 in the morning to 5:30 at night, but the kids are so much fun, it brings me a lot of joy. I will share more pictures and a bit more of Messina history later, but for now I must go. We received word last night that we are being sent to Palermo today, on the west side of Sicily, for our next camp. So I must go and catch my train-enjoy your weekend!