Boston

I've been spending the last few days in Boston, touring around, going to the aquarium, visiting random colleges, eating good seafood, etc. Its a pretty cool place, once you realise that the only traffic laws are those of physics. Generally, looking bigger than you are, wearing a winter jacket and making loud noises seem to scare off the smaller cars, though. Very nice town though, lots of great food and lost-looking freshmen.




View from the Harvard Bridge. Trivia: 364.4 smoots and an ear long, either measured due to rolling a drunken frat boy, or due to a pledge class exercise. Guess which version the students know, and which version the school tells incoming freshmen?










The hotel I am staying at. Trivia: Obama is staying at the next hotel over, of which I do not have a picture and probably won't. This now explains the barricades that have been blocking the streets for a while.





















Little Blue Penguins at the Boston Aquarium. Trivia: they are adorable. However, they mostly stand around and shiver. The Rockhoppers are more entertaining, although the Jackass penguins are more active swimmers. You get to tease them with shadows in the water. Its fun!








THE DUCKS AT THE PUBLIC GARDENS. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NOT READ "MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS", GO RELIVE YOUR CHILDHOOD NOW. But seriously, amazing. Ducks!










I have more photos here. I get to meet other SYA students tomorrow at the airport around 1.The flight leaves at 5:30, and arrives in Paris at 6:10am. 6 hour flight. Thus, I have to go to sleep. Will post next from Italy!

Host Family

I was actually able to get some information about my host family today, after weeks of we-won't-even-tell-you-if-they-are-serial-killers-and/or-cannibals.

The Fabi family is an extended family in two adjacent houses that are linked by a connecting house/building. My host mother and host father live in one house, and their daughter lives in the other house with her family. Although they are 70, you wouldn't be able to tell. My host mother is a great cook, enjoys having exchange students, and is very energetic. She likes taking students around to see all sorts of things. My host father is a bit on the quiet side, but loves having host students. The house-complex is apparently a fairly popular hangout spot, and is a 15 minute walk from school. Its a very busy, extended, and Italian family.

Thanks to Ms. Lydon and Mr. Scanlon for the information!

Photos

As the very-scary-26th approaches, I am trying to assemble a collection of photos of New Mexico to show my host family. I have a bunch posted here , and I will be adding. Please comment on them or let me know if there are any particular sites/shots I should add. Thanks!

Viterbo? Where's That?/Tickets and Tags

So, first entry in the nine-month-long travelogue. In the off chance this ever gets read/updated enough to be worth reading, this is a blog for my adventures and trips in Italy during the '09-'10 school year. I'm going to be staying with a host family in the countryside near a 60 000 person town called Viterbo in Lazio (the same province as Rome).

-Map of Viterbo- (Post continues below)

View Larger Map

I'm finally getting down to crunch/pa(ni)cking time. Currently 10 days until I leave for Boston, then 2.5 days until I leave for Italy. I am currently creating dozens of "to-do" lists and spending most (all) of my waking time trying to cross items off of them.

Latest news so far (besides numerous decisions as to clothes and books to take) is that I have tickets for both the flight to Boston and the flight to Rome via Paris. This has been confirmed by the fact that my dad filled out a form relating to them. I have not personally seen the tickets or reservations, but voce (rumour) says they do exist. I have also received the incredibly useful plastic luggage tags so that my bags have an SYA logo on them. Nothing says "Rob me!" like East coast prep-school tags. Nothing. Except being a tourist. Darn.
-Drew