First Class Meeting

Today we had the first class meeting. There are 16 of us signed up for this study in Florence.  They are extending the registration an additional week in case we have any classmates or friends who want to come along.  I am telling you I am really excited! More so now, especially after one of our faculty said in 4 months and 2 days we will be in Florence! WOW. In my mind the trip is 6 months away, June right?  Only February is 2 days away.  I have a roommate now. Her name is Kate.  I didn't have time to chat with her, but I will get to know her in the next few months.  WE are all so excited.  By the way, we are all females on the trip.  So the girls are going to Italy! Yippee!!! They highly recommended we start walking more in preparation for the trip as we will be doing tons of walking while there, that is the Mediterranean way.  We got tips on what to wear, how to pack and make sure we have room to bring our loot back!  We also signed up for the specific course we want to take while there. There are two options, one the Mediterranean diet and the other was nutrition in the sports industry. Being the foodie that I am of course I chose the Mediterranean diet.  We get our own little chef jacket.  So I ordered one today which will have my name on it.  I considered having them put "Mamma Jen Rachow" on it, but I decided to leave the MJ out... Anyway, I am really stoked!
Ciao for now my friends! :o)

Luggage

I have been looking at all sorts of luggage trying to figure out what the best option would be.  In the last year or so I purchased a hard shell luggage set with spinner wheels, fancy and cool. But they can be cumbersome to roll around if I have more than one.  As I will be abroad for one month, I really need something that I can easily transport around the cities I will be in and has maximum packing space. Many of the streets in Italy have cobblestone streets from what I have been reading so wheelies can be a challenge.  After several months of looking at a multiplicity of options I narrowed my selection down.  I have been pricing this set for months now.  I would never pay full price for this set, although I will surely use these more than once.  The other dilemma was determining what size to get? Do I get a 21, 26 or 32 inch bag?  So I went to Kohl's today (one of my faves) to look at the set and compare the sizes.  The price on these ebags was nearly half of what they sell for in the store.  I was extremely blessed to find them on sale 50% off at Kohls! SCORE! So after 30 minutes of unzipping, zipping, measuring, feeling, picturing the possibilities I decided to get these two (well there are actually 3)!  The coolest features: all three bags have backpack straps!  I know I can only carry one on my back at a time... The larger bag (I decided on the 32 inch) will be my checked bag.  this will be the one I carry on my shoulders.  The smaller (2-in-1) bag, notice it has a small detachable daypack on the front.  This smaller bag will be my carry on.  I will be able to fit my laptop, tablet, a change of close, and a few other reading materials and accessories.  I know it is just luggage, but after months of searching, to find them on sale 50% off, and the Kohl's sales clerk gave me an additional 15% discount (I had a coupon at home, but it isn't good until Thursday) I saved over $300 on this set! MJ is a happy girl tonight.  Thank you God for your goodness and special deals!

Research

Research material.  I am not an avid planner.  More of a dreamer really.  I love to learn information about places I want to visit.  So I started a library of books (and one DVD so far).  I have also been listening to a learn Italian DVD.  "Vorrei del vino per favore" will get me a glass of wine, I am learning the important phrases first of course, where is the bathroom, I would like a glass of wine, or beer, where is ... It has been fun, although a bit confusing with my Spanish as some Italian words, although similar to Spanish are pronounced differently.


 For example Thanks, - Italian "Grazie" (phonetically gra-tsi).  Spanish - gracias  (gra-see-ahs)  So I think I may be speaking Spanglitalian, for sure I will have a Spanish accent when I speak Italian!  The languages are similar, but not as much as one would think.

So far I have reserved a room in Venice for two nights here http://www.venicehoteladriatico.com/
this hotel is close to the train station (2 or 3 blocks). I will get there via water taxi which will drop me off in one of the Venice canals very close to the hotel.  Seems strange to go to a city where there are no cars.  Random facts about Venice:

• There are about 3,000 alley ways in Venice which if laid end-to-end would stretch for 120 miles.
• There are around 400 bridges - I will try to track how many I cross during my visit.
• Population of Venice is less than 60,000 and half of them are involved in tourism

And one last quick fact... Vivaldi, probably my favorite composer was born in Venice in 1678.
Ciao miei amici!

Taking the Blog plunge

In 124 days I will board an airplane in St. Louis, MO that will take me to Atlanta, Georgia.  Shortly after I shall board another airplane that will take me across the wide pond known as the Atlantic.  I will land in the lovely city of Venice, Italy where I will spend a couple of days recovering from jet lag and taking in the sights.  Then on June 1st I will take a train from Venice to Florence where I will spend three weeks studying the Mediterranean Diet and Lifestyle.  So I, along with my classmates will be cooking and tasting all sorts of Mediterranean dishes and learning about the active lifestyle the people of the region live.  In my spare time I will have time to visit museums and do other things, not sure what yet... this is why I am calling my blog "Adventures with MJ"! For those who may not now what MJ stands for... it's Mamma Jen, the synonym I use for the "G" word (grandma).  Yes, the grandkids call me Mamma Jen, and sometimes "MJ".  I will answer to both.  So stay tuned and if you want to live this journey vicariously thourh me you are welcome to do so....