Welcome to Italy!

So, I couldn't decide whether or not I was going to write a blog for this visit to Italy, because I don't care that much about blogs. And, let's face it, we all just want to see the pictures anyway. But alas, you're reading this so.....

I've been here for 5 days now, and I still haven't seen much sun. It's been raining pretty consistently, I thought I left Seattle! It hasn't really bothered me much though, I'm obviously quite used to it. Plus there was a pretty huge thunderstorm last night, and those never really happen in Seattle. It was like finding money, unexpected and unbelievably awesome. I feel very much at home here, besides not understanding much of anything the people are saying. That is mostly due to the fact that the family I live with is amazing! I couldn't have dreamed of better hosts, and their little 2 year old son, Ludovico, is easily the cutest little boy in the whole world. The way he rolls his r's when he says Mallory! Mallory! could alone make me fall in love with him. Which I did immediately. Also, apparently I look like an Italian girl, so people don't really notice anything until I speak English. I'm OK with that.

Thus far, I have spent most of my time meeting and having dinner or lunch with the family, their parents and family friends. Home cooked Italian meals are definitely OK with me. I'm slowly getting to know my way around the area, and am getting used to driving in Italy. It's so nice to have a car that I can use while I'm here. It's also an Audi, so that's a dream. Audi's are definitely among the most beautiful cars ever made. I went to Milan on Saturday with the family and we walked around a bit seeing some sites, and they helped me learn the metro route. All the while, I was wishing I had studied Italian at school rather than French, or that I was in France and could actually kind of understand people. Actually, if I'm going to wish for things I wish I was fluent in French, Italian, and well any other language really. (And that I was rich, and that I could eat chocolate, peanut butter, Cafe Rio and soda all day and not get fat, and that clothes were free and that I could get paid for eating and watching bands play and, well a lot of other things) I was especially wishing I could speak Italian on Sunday when I went to the ward in Merate. There were a few people there that could speak English and were able to help me, but it was still an experience for sure.

Today I discovered that on their satellite they have like 100 english channels (and some french, so I watched those too) and literally almost started crying in pure happiness when I found Cartoon Network and it was playing Adventure Time for like 3 hours. I was home alone, and it was pouring rain, so.... clearly thats what I was going to be doing. I'm just praying that F.R.I.E.N.D.S. will be on one of these channels at some point. I might be having withdrawals from that show. I am definitely addicted, and well have been for probably 15 years. Nothing is better. Little Ludo is addicted to Toy Story 1,2 and 3. I've seen them all at least 5 times already. I'm pretty OK with it considering he only watches TV in english (even though he might not understand), and because those movies are all freaking great. Don't even pretend like you don't think so too.


The only downfall of this place is that there are no Reese's. Whatever, Europe, why you aren't obsessed with peanut butter like I am will never make sense to me. I brought a big stash of Reese's with me to tide me over for these 3 months, but I'm pretty sure I have already eaten like 3/4 of it. Crap.