This week has certainly been a week of “first” experiences. Furthermore it has been a humorous, physically grueling, sensory overwhelming, and ultimately rewarding week. On Saturday, we welcomed twenty-three Meredith College faculty, trustees and alumnae to Sansepolcro for the Open House of Meredith College in Italy. As they arrived our job, as the immortal nine, was to slough their luggage to their corresponding hotels. Thus I must begin recounting the “firsts” of the week. As the first group of students to Study Abroad through Meredith College in Italy, we have been titled the “Immortal Nine”. This has historical reference to the first 10 graduates of Meredith College in 1902, termed “Immortal Ten”. Reminiscent of these 10 women, we are making history for Meredith in Italy. This history in progress is what brought all of these Meredith personnel, who are as diverse as their ages, to Sansepolcro. The group encompasses Meredith’s President and Vice President, professors, spouses of Meredith faculty, alumnae, friends of alumnae, and my favorite, two women affectionately known as “double trouble”. These two women are in their 80s and Meredith College graduates of 1946. While in college they were roommates and every since have remained good friends. Interestingly enough these two women participated in the first Cornhuskin’ held at Meredith. Both women have found favor with all nine students. We have come to adore them and claim each as adopted grandmothers. This is the reason we refrained from questioning why their luggage appeared as if they were immigrating to Italy instead of visiting for the week.
They’re other equally as lovely people in attendance this week. A good friend of my grandmothers, Lou Tibbet, is visiting as a Meredith Alumna. Mrs. Tibbet was the reason my mom acquired her first high school job at Hudson Belk in Fayetteville. She reminds me of what my grandmother, Mildred, would personify if she were still alive. Mrs. Tibet is vivacious and youthful. I have truly enjoyed becoming acquainted with these women.
On Sunday before the open house festivities began, Hannah and I woke up early to run our first race. I must mention that this was a “non competiva” (non competitive) so called 5k “fun run”. Nevertheless we were enthusiastic about our first event. Additionally, to wrap up from a previous blog, a girl’s dreams can come true! There was not a lack of cute Italian men in spandex. And to make matters even more appealing, because these men in spandex were competitive, they were in front of me. I was reminded of the notorious Raleigh “skirt chaser” in which women sporting petite running skirts take off two minutes before the men. In this case, five-hundred very attracted men took off two minutes ahead of me. If nothing else I was visually encouraged to keep running due to the scenery. Dr. Swab and her husband spontaneously decided the night before to run in this event, which Hannah and I had strategically planned on running in for a few weeks. I am both embarrassed and flattered to say that I was out run by my professor who is more or less 40 years my senior. In my defense she has been running since before I was born and I have only been a weekly runner since June. Anyhow, the excitement of the race outweighed the outcome. I finished in around 33 minutes in close proximity of a very handsome man in spandex. I dashed (wishful thinking) past him at roughly kilometer 3, but he did not surrender to my challenge. Characterizing true male egotism he assumed leap frog with me until the finish line, where I must say we finished simultaneously. He should have saved his energy. The Jane Austin in me was not going to let him defy my pride!
At the finish line, I won my first prize for a race. There could be no better place to run in an event than in Italy. Plus I doubt there is anywhere else in the world that would present a pound of cheese as a reward for participating. I thought I might have muddled translation when a fellow runner told me in Italian that I was going to get a huge block of cheese at the end. This was almost too good to be true. There were also apples and bread smothered in Nutella. I was the happiest runner alive! Next month, I will be running in a 10km with the Swabs and Hannah. This will be yet another first: the first time I have run over 6 miles continuously.
With all these people buzzing around the palazzo, I have become accustom to our private space being common stomping ground. With the open house yesterday, I think that everyone who does not reside in Palazzo Alberti still considers themselves at home inside our home. This is not a problem, yet a result of good hostessing. However there is no privacy, nowhere to hide. Lauren and Samantha locked themselves in the bathroom yesterday. I believe about 400 hundred people were in the palazzo, which would validate the bathroom as a first-class sanctuary. It was a grand event and all of Sansepolcro was curious to see the results of all the labor completed here. There has also been lots of publication about our “American University” in Italy. On Saturday morning we were pleasantly surprised to find an article about the college headlining the newspaper. Then today Chelsea and I were interviewed by a journalist for an article about the students. It was not only my first interview, but my first interview in Italian. With this bustle I have had many opportunities for language integration. And because Giacomo has not been around, I have actually been speaking Italian. Go figure. When my Italian friend is not here, I speak Italian.
I wanted to hide in my bed this morning. I was hoping that I may get lost somewhere between my velvety Brookstone Nap blanket and the unforgiving IKEA sheets. When the alarm clock squawked I gave it a forward push that sent it flying across the tile floor. This turned out to be more inconvenient ten minutes later when it relentlessly made a second attempt to set me into motion. I was told that this dance could be heard from outside my room. Thirty minutes later, I finally succumbed to the noise command and in a tizzy threw the covers halfway between the floor and the headboard where they still remain.
To Nicole, one of the Immortal Nine: We missed your optimism and obvious love and understanding of the Italian culture in our class. We hope you return. Continue to run!
