Arrival.
Once I arrived at the Villa my day technically began. After I got settled into my room I ran to the shower to wash the discomfort, frustration, and travel dirt from my aura and greeted the space I was allowed to occupy for the next five weeks. As soon as I made it to my destination I wanted to go home. I was amazed at how strongly I felt about it.
I met everyone and was surprised at how quickly we all became acquainted. I can't believe I knew everyone's name before day two. That first night was crazy; we all went down to Arezzo to drown out the day. A few of us stayed out until 4am, despite the pressing need we all felt to sleep, the rest of us went back to the Villa to sleep in preparation for the next day. Orientation.
The next day brought tours and information sessions. We toured the Villa and saw the spaces each of us would be working in. We walked Arezzo under the guidance of our resident Aretian, Monica. We saw the Duomo, Arezzo's cathedral and learned about Arezzo's history. It's a beautiful place. Unfortunately, I was too busy staring at all the locals and stucco houses and restaurants to hear most of what Monica was saying, but I did pay attention in certain places. The cathedral, for example, is home to a series of paintings by Piero Della Francesca. The series depicts Emperor Constantine's dream of the cross before his great battle; it was glorious. We also toured the park and I was thrilled to find a statue of Petrarch, who was supposedly from Arezzo. You just can't beat that. At the close of the trip I slumped into a chair at a local cafe with a fellow student and chatted with a few of the instructors who were sitting down to drinks. It was blissful exhaustion.
These people are amazing and I have so much to learn, and so much I've learned already. The first day of classes was intense, but presented me with more opportunity than I thought possible...
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