I have just completed my first week in Italy and I couldn’t be happier! I spent my first day in Rome visiting some friends and managed to make it all the way to my experience with my limited Italian (2 metros, 2 trains, and 3 and half hours later I was in Umbria!). The work has been very interesting and relaxing, it’s been nice to disconnect for a little and just enjoy the beautiful views around me. My hosts have been fantastic and super friendly. I have met most of his family, and his mother, and we’ve even gone out in town with some guests of the Bed & Breakfast and his friends. My work takes up most of my day and it consists mostly of weeding and planting in the gardens, but I am really enjoying the simplicity of the work!
I am really excited for this upcoming week as tomorrow there is a big festival in Gubbio and it is the event of the year. It’s expected that around 10,000 people will show up to this little Italian village to celebrate the patron saints. I’ve been really surprised by how similar the culture and way of life are to my own family’s back in Brazil, I am excited to see how this will play into my final presentations since I’m researching the effects of Italian immigration on Brazilian culture. I will keep all of you updated on how the festival goes and how my volunteering these next few weeks plays out.
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