il Teatro alla Scala

Biongiorno!

"What strokes of death
could ever make it yeild?
If mighty death stood before me
threatening the very life of my body
which I would so gladly leave
for love, how could it reach love itself?"

Last night Lady and I went to see the "Tristan und Isolde" (hence the passage above) at 'La Scala' opera house--a real treat for my fresh knowledge of opera. The set-up was perfect. Yesterday, the whole family got to tour the opera house (loaded in luxury) with an excellent guide. The opera was five and a half hours long but Alex and I both were surprisingly delighted. I don't think either of us truly could have even managed boredom because the entire episode was utterly drama-packed. We felt so sophisticated among the affluent opera-loving tedeschi (germans) and italiani.

Today the whole family hopped on a train to Florence--my new home. Milan was positively fabulous, but very commercial. Florence felt like coming home, especially to a young college student like myself. The mixture of hustle-bustle and easy-going comfort manifests an ideal balance. There is much exploration to be had here, even after the departure of my family. Hope all is well in the states!

-k

l'inizio

Cioa!

My family and I have successfully begun the first part of my adventure overseas. It was a close call, as our flight out of KCI airport was cancelled last minute. Its a good thing my dad can work magic over the phone. We rented a car and drove to Chicago to make our flight to Milan today. I am practicing my Italian words. Soon my family and I will both know what a fraud I actually am claiming to "know" the language. Nevertheless, the smile I am currently sporting feels as if it will be frozen to my face for the next four months. I can't wait.

I'll do my best to keep this updated with stories and pictures. I will miss you all--but not too much. I am fairly confident that I am about to embark on the best era of my life thus far. Stay tuned.

-k