Italia

You are reading the blog of the new and improved Stephanie Rhodes. Today marked the commencement of my new exercise/diet regiment. I realize that Tuesday is a random day to start something like this, but since I arrived in Italy on a Monday and didn't get situated until evening rolled around, today just made sense. Resolutions include:

A limit on daily gelato intake
Whole grains
Fresh Fruits
Veggies
Meat, if affordable
Daily run/bike around the wall of Lucca = 2.5 miles (This might not seem like much but please do consider that I already walk and bike EVERYWHERE I go.)

Please feel free to guess how long this new routine will last.

Today's off to a great start! One thing that's really helped out my diet (of a day) is the water here. There are fountains all around Lucca with "potable" water that's apparently fresh from the mountainside. But all the Italians drink it so they told the students here to do so. Unfortunately, there are different types of bacteria in this water than in ours, so...we'll just call it a dietary aid. Normally it only takes about 3 days for your body to adjust, but I'll keep you updated. I went running this evening around the wall and it's absolutely beautiful. The sun was setting and it made the landscape even more breathtaking. I love the use of color in Europe. All the bright houses and rooftops against the green grass and trees just make life seem a little more cheerful.

And that's it! The new me. We'll see how long she sticks.

I'll leave you with my thought of the day. This stems from the fact that I'm in Italy, that I don't speak the language, and that I managed to fake my way into the intermediate Italian class by modifying the French I know into Italian. Our placement exam was an interview and while I understood what I was being asked, replying was definitely another story. BUT, as with life, when learning a language the best way to do so is by speaking it. It feels risky and it's daring, but that's life. So I totally made up Italian answers. The end.

"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it. ~Pablo Picasso

Life's a risk! Live it!