Making Friends

Things seem to be improving day by day. Sometimes I dont feel that way, but I think that most of the time, I do. My roommates and I click and are lucky about where we live and the fact that there are three of us, rather than eight like this one girl Ive met! We met another girl named Alexa who is hilarious and so sweet. My roommates are both only 18 but she is 20, like me, and from Texas! She was actually born in Mexico and is fluent in Spanish (always speaking it with her parents) but went to San Antonio to school before coming here and shes also only here for a year. It is so great to meet someone else who has had queso and who will miss Mexican food!!! No one else Ive met knows what a burrito or enchilada is, and they have no clue what queso tastes like! Gasp. We met another girl named Ottavia whose family is from Italy and speaks Italian, also.
Last night, Alexa came over and the four of us stayed up until 2:30 talking and laughing and just getting to know each other. Before we knew it we were rushing to get to sleep so that we could be ready for orientation today. We talked about everything from Bulgarian/Balkan politics to guys to Italy and how it feels to be here. I feel lucky that we have the common experience of never having done something like move to Rome basically alone. I think that we have the makings of a small community and on Monday we will all meet more people with classes starting, too. The situation is certainly looking up from what it was this summer and even a day or two ago when I first saw my apartment. Im still not entirely settled and I still miss home but I can feel myself on my way to a different place where Im more at peace. There is nothing that will make me stop missing home, but I am working on being present here now that the situation is much more conducive to happiness for me. I have thought a lot about coming home in December, not because I dont feel like I can do it here, but because I may feel that after 7 months Ive had the experiences I hoped to have and that I need to get on with acquiring credits and getting on to my Masters degree. Im not sure what I will want, but whatever I choose I know it will be whats best for me and I know that either way, Ill have the support of my family and friends. So, let the chips fall.