OK...update so far!

Well like I said I made it to Florence and I love it so far! We got a walking tour of the city today and it is great! Our lovely tour guide, Francessca, told us many helpful hints about the city. We found many important landmarks as well as our school. We had a LDM orientation today and I feel a lot more informed about the school and classes! Our classes start Monday and we will be with several other American and International students not necessarily with API. I am excited I will have the chance to get to know more peopel!!
Florence is a lot smaller than Rome, but still quite busy! When we were entering the city yesterday one of the API staff members, Ellen, said "I hope you like Florence, it is a really small town...like 500,000 people." That's not quite so small to me!!! And she also said that there are around 90,000 scooters in the city!! haha I totally believe it and I have only been here one day!! The historical center is mostly closed to cars and busses but the scooters still make their way into the streets! You always have to be aware of what is speeding up beside you!
I am really enjoying the people I have met and been spending time with. The girls that I hang out with are a lot like me so we all enjoy our time together. Rome was amazing. The second day of touring we went to the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica. We had a tour guide named Fabrizio and he was great! We walked all over the Vatican and then to Castel Sant' Angelo. These were both so amazing!! Words cannont describe how impreseive the St. Peter's was...wow!
After our organized tours, we had free time in the afternoon and some other girls and I went exploring Rome. I really wanted to find the Mouth of Truth, and that started our 4 hour adventure around the city! We found it and I took many fun pictures! Along our way we also stumbled upon many other great sights. We continued around the city towards the Spanish Steps and again, took many memorable pictures (that I sadly haven't been able to upload, even though we got a tour of the city today including the site of the API office and the Lorenzo de' Medici school, both where we were promised internet access, but found out not until MONDAY!! haha) We wandered through streets and alleys with our one little map of Rome. I was quite proud of ourselves for navigating the city all alone!! There were several highlights of the Roma tour...one in particular that I was completely happy about was that while we were on our way to find the Mouth of Truth we ran into a couple that was from Memphis!! They were chaperoning their daughter's senior trip, but they too were looking for the Mouth of Truth!! So we walked most of the way with them, had great conversation, I told them where I was from, and we tried to find connections we had! It was so cool so hear a little about home so far away!!
Also on the walking adventure I was nearly decapitated by a pigeon...It was scary...We were just walking along a flock swooped by and I just happened to duck in time before a crazy bird hit me in the face!!! Some of the other girls were impressed with my reflexes, but I then explained my fear of birds. It was funny, but at the same time not, because the pigeon was really close to my head!! I literally felt the wings brush against my face!! AHH!!! yes...there are lots of pigeons in the cities here. i do not like it. my friend jean said maybe i will conquor my fear of birds while I am here...I'm not so sure! haha
tonight i had dinner at a great little Trattoria right across from my apartment...it was a lot of fun and I had some great bonding time with my roommate Beth. Everything is just so great right now! I am really loving Italy!
Tomorrow we go on our first excursion on our day trip of touring Tuscany! We will go to Siena then on our way back we will stop in a village and get a tour of an olive oil mill!! I am so excited!! We will get taste the olive oil and everything!! It should be pretty interesting!
OK...I guess I am going to go for now! I hope you all are doing great and I will talk to you soon!
Ciao!