The first real update!

Jenny, Zamna, Me and Yuki near Milwaukee Art Museam


And i am here!!!! I would have updated sooner, but i kept going to do it, and then things got terribly busy or i'd get distracted - and there is always so much to say!!! America is like sooo much less scary than i ever thought it would be - i seem to have settled in very quickly, things are sometimes a bit up and down, but other than that, it is all going very smoothly indeed! My flight was pretty nasty - it took like a million years, i almost missed a connection because one of my flights was in late, my hip was very painful, and THEY LOST ONE OF MY BAGS (and broke the other one!) - ARGH!!! Said bag turned up last night, 4 days after i arrived - and boy, it was pretty interesting living without toiletries, underwear, tops and pyjamas when trying to make decent first impressions! However, it is all ok now - they broke some of my make-up on the way over, and i will def be writing them a complaint letter and not flying with them again (yucky iberia) unless they give me free flights or something! No one else should fly with them either!!! There has been so much going on that it is hard to keep track of!! One of the main differences between here and England is how processed the food is, and how rediculasly unhealthy - even the Americans know it, and it is very clear why some may be overweight!! It has been very difficult to get food, as the cafeteria opens at wierd times, and everything seems to be some sort of sandwich, but today i bought some rice and stuff, so i will be able to have a normal meal soon, YAY!!!! I now have a room-mate - her name is Katie, and we sorta got off on the wrong foot from the beginning, but i am hoping things are going to get a little better from now on once we establish some kind of rules - she is 17, and the girls here tend to be quite young it seems, but i hope at some point we will find something in common that we can chat about :-) I have been doing some brilliant things during the day, like going to Milwaukee Public Museum, the beach, downtown, 'Wal-mart' and other cool places, just starting to get a grip on America! Also, i have met so many nice people so far - the RA's are soooo nice, i know a few of them now, as are the other international students, we all get on very well! However, i can't wait for the course to actually start, because then i can meet people of my own age, and do mature things!!! I had the nicest greeting from the airport, the girl who met me took me out for soda and told me a lot about the area and stuff - i have been really lucky with the Americans i have met - everyone has been super friendly :-) Anyway, i better go now, i want to see if i can meet some more people!!

ciao ragazzi xxx

Pond-Hopping!

So, in 24 hours (ish) i will be in America!!! It seems i have been planning this for years, and it is so exciting that it is actually happening, finally! I have two suitcases packed and ready to go, along with all the important documents that i think i'll need, but i am certain i must have forgotten something. I'm just hoping it is nothing important! I am leaving around 4am tomorrow to get to the airport for my first flight at 7.25am to Madrid, then to Chicago, then to Milwaukee! It doesn't quite seem real yet, and until i am in the country i am sure it won't sink in! I am looking forward to starting the course over there (its been a long time since i've had to learn something, and the stuff over there looks pretty exciting (GEEK!)) and exploring a new place, and meeting some new people - I'm sure, at times, it may be a little bit challenging, and the culture shock is going to be big i am certain, but it is also going to be great! Anyway, i will message again when I am over there -eeeeeeek!!!!!

Ciao ragazzi xxx