One Week

Until I pick up my first visitor from the airport, I'm so excited for Stu to be here!! I wish all my friends and family could be here with me, but that's not realistic, and I'll just have to wait until I'm home to enjoy their wonderful presence. Fortunately I don't have to wait all that long until I get to see Stu, a week from now we will have spent a very full day in Rome together. This Sunday Becca and her roommate woke up early to go to the market, and I went with them for an hour or so. I bought a par of pretty sweet sunglasses for three euro. They started off as ten, and I told the man I only had three euro with me, I wasn't lying. He kept telling me they were made in Thailand not china so they were nice, but after like forty seconds of telling him I only had three euros he handed them over. Score. I left Becca and Jessica to shop, and returned to the apartment to get ready for church. It was really cold today and I had to wear my jacket today for the first time in two weeks. As soon as I got on the tram to go to church I remembered that I forgot to refresh my memory on the location of the church, and I was just going to have to wing it. I knew it was off of Via del corso, the first street I checked had a church, not mine, but mass there wasn't until eleven thirty. A made a mental note in case I couldn't find my own church by eleven. I tried several more streets with no luck, and eventually turned around as I knew I had gone to far. On my way back down the street, and noticed the name of the first street I checked, it sounded extremely familiar. Upon closer inspection I realized the front of the church was under construction, and I had walked right past it, whoops. Good thing I left early. Mass was good, and afterward I stayed for an apertivo, or snack. There were mimosas, although someone offered me just plane orange juice, which was very tasty. I talked to a nice Irish couple who were on vacation for awhile before taking my leave. I walked back to the tram, and there weren't any waiting, so I decided to pet some cats in the sanctuary while waiting. There were several on the little landing, I pet five or so, and one even jumped up onto my lap, but I put and end to that, dirty paws. The cats here don't like to be pet on the head as much as the ones at home, I imagine they've done a fair amount of fighting in their time. Once I was home I discovered Becca trying to throw away cookies, because she didn't like them, hello lunch. Yum. I researched parks and sights to see in Glasgow and Dublin today, and made a guidebook for Stu. With a list of places to see with directions to each of them from his hostel, as well as key words and numbers for him to know. I've been decently productive today, there are more things I could have done, but I'm pleased with my productivity level. I talked to my brother and Casey tonight. She put up pictures of the remodeling in their house, and I'm excited to see the finished (hopefully) product this summer. I asked both of my siblings what they want from Rome, so I've got souvenir shopping to do. This week will be a major push of planning, packing, and preparing for the next two, but I'm so ready for it.