IM Chatting with Florence

[8:51:51 AM] Katie Symington: Hey boy, you online?

[8:51:53 AM] Katie Symington: ?

[8:56:44 AM] Katie Symington: Have a wonderful day! :)

[8:57:16 AM] Troy Symington: Hey Katie!

[8:58:54 AM] Katie Symington: whoa, what is this, you come online just when I go to shower?

[8:58:57 AM] Katie Symington: Hi!

[8:59:01 AM] Katie Symington: How are you buddy?

[8:59:18 AM] Troy Symington: Tired!

[8:59:37 AM] Katie Symington: How was school? Tell me aaallll about it! And everything else!

[9:00:55 AM] Troy Symington: Blaaarg... well, I woke up early and walked to the Accent center with 3 of my roommates (after getting a cappucino of course) where we had physical anthropology.

[9:01:27 AM] Troy Symington: We didn't do much in that class today but it seems like it'll be fun!

[9:01:56 AM] Katie Symington: Ooooh capuccino! Yummy! Is the coffee there better?

[9:02:44 AM] Troy Symington: It's REALLY GOOD! All I've had so far are cappucinos and expressos, but they've all been awesome!


[9:03:10 AM] Katie Symington: YUM! I want some! Kindly mail some capuccino to California.
[9:03:23 AM] Troy Symington: The sandwiches and pastries that they have in caffes are all
really good and pretty cheap!

[9:04:21 AM] Troy Symington: I will definately mail you a cappucino!

[9:04:28 AM] Katie Symington: Awesome! What have you been eating for breakfast, food you cook or do you go out?

[9:04:35 AM] Katie Symington: ;) Thanks buddy.

[9:05:54 AM] Troy Symington: It varies, I've had a couple of croissants for breakfast but for the last two days I had either bread and cheese or bread and butter that we bought at the supermarket.

[9:06:09 AM] Katie Symington: Yum!

[9:06:19 AM] Katie Symington: So did you have more than anthropology today?

[9:07:32 AM] Troy Symington: Yup! We had Italian 2 which is 8 of us sitting in a really, really tiny classroom with a teacher who doesn't speak all that much english and we're not allowed to speak english in the classroom!

[9:07:39 AM] Katie Symington: Uh-oh!

[9:07:52 AM] Katie Symington: Well, that would make you learn it pretty quickly.

[9:08:13 AM] Katie Symington: When you are on the street and in the cafe's, do the Italians speak English to you or do you try to speak Italian?

[9:08:53 AM] Troy Symington: I try to, but I obviously don't speak very well yet. Most of the time they just end up speaking english to us.

[9:09:40 AM] Katie Symington: Well I think it's great that you're trying, keep it up! I'm sure they appreciate you trying to speak it.

[9:09:50 AM] Katie Symington: Any other classes?

[9:10:29 AM] Katie Symington: OK, wait. I have to go into the shower reeeeaaally quickly, so kindly tell me all about the rest of your classes, what you did for the rest of the day, and how your apartment is. I'll be back in 5, okay?

[9:10:50 AM] Troy Symington: Not today, but tomorrow I have History, Italian Life, Culture, & Politics, and another round of Italian 2.

[9:12:00 AM] Katie Symington: gack.

[9:12:14 AM] Katie Symington: Look up and answer the rest of my questions! Be right back!

[9:12:16 AM] Katie Symington: :)

[9:15:25 AM] Katie Symington: Back. Where are my answers? Hey! How do you like the blog? ;)

[9:18:39 AM] Troy Symington: Oh, for some reason I didn't see that text! Well... I finally got the stuff with my cell phone figured out so once I get a text telling me my phone is activated I'll have a workable phone. Then we went back to the apartment and Alec is taking a nap and I think I'll go to bed soon once I have some dinner.

[9:19:16 AM] Katie Symington: Great! What is for dinner?

[9:20:17 AM] Troy Symington: Not a clue! We don't have much that we can cook up ourselves yet so I'll probably walk to the caffe beneath our apartment and get a snack for 1 or 2 euros.

[9:21:30 AM] Katie Symington: Nice. Okay buddy, I'd better scram. Keep uploading photos, I love to look at them, and I'm having fun with your blog. I also love that you are in a lot of the photos! Keep that up! Remember you next to a building is better than just a building. :)

[9:22:32 AM] Troy Symington: Yup yup! Bye, love ya!

[9:22:56 AM] Katie Symington: love you too! bye!

First Days in Florence

First Look at Italy Through the Eyes of My Brother

The first days exploring in Italy! These were uploaded to Troy's facebook page and then transferred here. (Painstakingly. Dude, you need a flickr account.)

Alec and Troy waiting for their flight. This is the last time they will be in America for four months! They look just heartbroken, don't you think?


Troy and Mom getting a last hug in. (Four months. I've never been this long without my buddy!)


And all of a sudden, we are in Italy! Troy's apartment in Florence. He is sharing this room with Alec, and there are two other roommates in the other two bedrooms.


Alec ironing in the living room. Troy is totally missing the 50" LCD TV he used to have.


Exploring Italy! I love how tiny the cars are . . . but how the hell do they manage to drive away when they are squished together so? Also, Troy is a ham.


Sideways pic of some gorgeous building they discovered. Correction: The Duomo, because I am an ignoramus. HAPPY, Troy?!


In the Piazza di St. Maria Novella eating gelato with Anna and Allison and Alec.


Mmmm, gelato. Still exploring on Day 2.


What a view to have outside your kitchen window!

Florence from America

I'm Katie and I will be documenting my little brother's semester abroad in Florence through this blog. I am in America, and he is in Italy.

Troy will be in Florence for 3 months taking classes and making day-trips around the country with his friends, and after the semester ends he will travel Europe via hostels and backpack with his buddy Alec for another month.

He is resistant to blogging his trip, which is why I started this blog for him. Let it be publicly known that Troy's big sister is pushy and bossy. I will be updating it with the emails we receive and the pictures he posts to facebook.

I'm so excited to see Florence through his eyes!