To the north

Okay, this was my last stop, so I finally will have you up-to-date. From Perugia I was sent to a small town called Decima. It is about 30 minutes outside of Bologna to the north, and it is fantastic. I know that each region of Italy is unique, but it has been so amazing to come all the way from San Remo to Sicily to Bologna, and actually experience it all. Decima was a much needed tranquility for me. The family I stayed with was fantastic (I know, I say these things about all the families, but believe it or not, it is possible to get a not-so-great family, so I'm trying to be really appreciative), and it was the first time my family had only girls. They have an adorable almost-5-year-old and an amazing 11-year-old, who was the best interpreter I've had yet here in Italy I think. My favorite thing about being up north is riding bicycles! It's very flat up here, and the towns have been smaller than the ones I was in down south. The schools have also been close, so the families give us bicycles to ride to school. This area is known for its watermelons and cantaloupe, and I definitely ate plenty of it just to make sure it was as good as they say. :)

I worked with an older class of students this week, and it's been really nice to be able to use full sentences, not just: "What........isssss........YOUR........name?" Don't get me wrong, the little ones are fun and you can be a lot crazier with them, but it's nice to converse from time to time with a little more depth. This also was a new camp, and the director was very accomodating too. She will be doing a camp at the beginning of September for her high school students as well, and so I am hoping to return and work with her again in a few more weeks.

We didn't get to see much of Bologna (as I've shared with you my schedule), but I did get around a bit since that was where I had to go to find my meetings in English. This time of year in Italy everything changes, because almost everyone goes on vacation and they all go to the sea. So in the cities, it is much quieter. No to mention that on Sunday everyone is on vacation. But none of this has stopped me from having an amazing time. I was with two other female tutors at the camp, and the three of us had a great time hanging out together (in all our free time) and working together as well. Every town I go to, I consider the potential of settling in and establishing myself after the summer ends, and this definitely was high on my list of possibilities.

So this brings me now to my latest town, Vicenza. I am here for two weeks, and after this camp ends I get to go on holiday myself. I will be heading down to Rome the first weekend in August for a huge international religious convention at the Stadio Olimpico. So I will update you all on my time here in Vicenza when I start my break. I'm not sure yet where I will spend the first part of the week, but I've received several enticing offers, and so I'll keep you posted on what I do. Also, please feel free to drop me a comment on the blog! I'd love to hear from any and all of you, and know how life is going. You can either post a comment directly on this page, or you can email me. Hope you all are well! Ciao!

Here is Decima
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