Hi all! Daniel and I are off to Florence, Italy, for eight days! We'll be staying with Daniel's parents. Being related to professors who become visiting professors in interesting places is fun!

Aside from seeing a lot of art, I'm not sure what we'll be doing. There is probably enough art to keep us busy for a week solid, if we're so inclined, though, so I'm not worried.

I've packed. I've loaded up my iPod with in-flight entertainment for the trip (an audio guidebook to Florence, the first two Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio plays, a few Doctor Who audiobooks, as well as a selection of music). I have learned enough Italian to say the address of the apartment I'm staying in, to ask for a cup of coffee, to ask how much something costs, and to explain that I am an American. (That last will probably be crashingly obvious, but "Sono Americana" is not hard to say or remember, even if it does sound like a drink order at Starbucks.)

Actually, the secret is that everything you say in Italian sounds like a drink order at Starbucks, a pasta dish, or a bit of Dante's Divine Comedy. In the midst of the journey of our life, I found myself in dire need of an espresso and a plate of tagliatelle. I summoned my waitress, Beatrice...

All that remains to be done is to eat some breakfast and pack some snacks for the plane.

I will certainly have internet access while in Italy, but don't know how much time or inclination I will have for journal updates. I'll try to check in at least once, briefly. More details when I get back.

Take care, all!