Dear Family and Friends,
This last week has been very eventful. I've discovered that my
Italian is good enough to get me through the hospital on my own
(Bronchitis, don't worry I didn't have an accident!) and to tell off a
florist in Campo de Fiori for being a HUGE jerk.
Most of the week was spent in bed, unfortunately. But there were some
significant things that have happened. I stood on the foundation of
the Temple of Jupiter, a temple built in the early days of Rome (BC),
and walked amongst some of the best sculpture in the world and
sketched quite a bit as well.
My research progresses and on that front we did the tour of the
American Academy and now have access to their library. Its a beautiful
17th century Palazzo on top of one of the 7 hills of Rome. Its an
amazing collection that I feel very priveledged to use. My status as
a graduate student got me in. I'm hoping it will be a temendous
resource for my art history research.
I found the perfect pair of boots and actually bought them as well. I
guess this will be my one splurge for the semester. I also got a
great steel on some really high end watercolors and found my new
favorite art supply store. All of this on an expedition into the
neighborhood south of me.
I also found out about the future of the MFA in Italy program. My
university has chosen to discontinue it. They will be keeping the
Corciano study abroad portion, however stating the reasons of cost,
are no longer going to offer Rome. As a result of this decision, I
have requested transfer for the full year next year to Washington, DC.
This decision makes everything I do here now very bittersweet, as I
know that I will not be returning to enjoy the bounty of Rome for
another semester.
However, I feel this will be the best decision for me in the long run.
I have chosed to forgo returning to Italy in the fall due to the poor
condition of the studios in Corciano and trying to move
internationally right before my final thesis semester is next to
insanity. I will also have the chance at scholarships I would not
otherwise have available. While this all logically sounds good, my
heart hurts a little with the decisions.
So....if y'all were going to try to make it across the pond, I'd
better do it soon if I were you. I am going to try to stay as long as
I can this summer without completely running out of available funds.
And in the meantime, I'm going to try to soak up as much of La Dolce
Vita as possible here in Rome.
I hope this finds you all well and happy. Hope to hear from you soon.
And fyi, you are probably seeing more of the Olympics than I am. :(
Jenny
--
I want to live my life not by the regret of "what if", but by its
possibilities. -ME
What lies behind us and what lies before us are nothing compared to
what lies within us.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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