Falling into place.

My passport came in the mail last week. I'm shamelessly ecstatic because I've never gone anywhere that necessitated a passport. So it's here. And I'm pumped.

Two weeks ago, F and I both received our acceptance letters for the program in Lecce, at l'Universita degli Studi di Lecce. We weren't really concerned about not getting in, but it's certainly comforting just to know.

Now today, for fear of rising airfare prices, we bought our plane tickets together. We're leaving Columbus on Wednesday June 26th, at 4:10 p.m., and arriving in Dublin at 7:00 the next morning. F comes from an insanely large Irish family (the Liddy's on one side, and the Carr's on the other), so she certainly has a soft spot in her heart for the country. We're staying at the Avalon House, a fairly well known hostel in the heart of the Temple Bar area, and I'm not gonna lie; I'm looking forward to the countless pints of Guinness. Then, after two nights in Dublin, we leave for Rome on Friday, June 29th. We're not sure where in Rome we are staying, yet, but I think I found a nice hostel, located only 15 minutes from Termini station, and three or so minutes from the Spanish steps. It's right across from Palazzo Barberini, and it's called Ciao Bella. Everything I've read thus far has been only positive, so it seems like a keeper (Shelley, have you heard anything good or bad about the place?) After two more nights in Rome, we're hopping the train for Lecce, to start classes on July 1st.

Our first orientation for the program is in the coming weeks, so that's something else to look forward to. The quarter's almost over and I can't believe it. I'm glad, though, because campus really thrives in the spring. The first hint of warmer weather teased us last week, only to vanish overnight (in typical Ohio fashion, mind you) and in its place: snow.

Somebody yell at me to take pictures, because apparently mustering the will-power on my own is proving ineffectual.