September 1 2016

One thing I have learned about life in Italy is that it moves very quickly. It seems sleeping is something that is only done when there is time. The past few days have been full of new experiences and new people. 

My host family hosted a dinner party the other night for their friends. My host mom, Giovanella and I went to the Pescaria together too pick up all the food for the dinner. While we were waiting for the muscles and fish to be cleaned, one of the other customers asked the man behind the counter if he could taste one of the shrimp. The man said yes, and gave the customer a raw shrimp to taste. My host mom saw my shocked expression and asked if I wanted to try one too. As an exchange student it is always advised to try everything, so I have had my first experience with raw shrimp. It wasn't my favorite but it wasn't bad!



The dinner party was great. The guests arrived at 9pm (because everything is later in Italy/Sicily) and left at 2am after playing guitar and having an intergenerational dance party. 



The next day I was invited to join my host parent on their tire boat. We sped across the ocean and I was able to get a few pictures of the shore line from the boat. 


After the boat ride my host brother, Davide, took me on a quick tour of Ragusa Ibla. It's a beautiful (but also very tourist concentrated) area of the city. I took lots of picture but I took them on my Italian phone which has not been activated yet, so I am not able to send them to my computer.

This is a picture I took from the internet and used as my laptop background for months before actually coming to Ragusa. Yesterday I saw this in real life.  

 I ended the night with a dinner out with my host mom, and was then picked up by Davide, who later dropped me off with my host cousin Anna to meet some of her friends. My host family is so close and so kind and take such good care of me. I am very lucky to have them.