I No Cents Abroad/ I No Sense (of smell) Abroad

As predicted, I am spending way too much money. I haven't even been making frivolous purchases. Though I'd love to get new Euro clothes and accessories, I've been depleting my funds on food alone. We always knew how much the dining hall was losing on me; we were right.

I wasn't hungry at all yesterday because of my sinus infection. (Did I mention that my roommate gave me a cold which mutated into a sinus infection, because that's what happens to me?) Anyway, my appetite came back with a vengeance. Class was cancelled because of the weather, so I went for a walk to get out. I ended up stopping for coffee, then stopping for a sandwich, then stopping at a grocery store, then stopping at another grocery store, then realizing I was soaked with rain and ready to go back, then realizing I didn't know how to get back.

All that matters is that I did make it back. As I walked, I lightened my bags using my mouth. No that doesn't make sense. I mean that I ate things out of my bags as I walked, thus lightening the load. I ate two giant (fresh and delicious!) loaves of bread and am currently in a gluten coma. Not only have I accepted the daily gluten comas, I have come to embrace them.

I have completely ignored my gluten sensitivity and slight lactose in tolerance here and that's going really well (not kidding). One of my roommates has celiacs. As much as that sucks, it turns out that Italians are very celiacs-aware. They're all tested when they're little and anyone who tests positive receives a monthly stipend from the government for food plus extra vacation time to hunt for food. ???? 

I guess the government understands how sad it would be to not eat pasta and pizza whenever one wants in Italy. 

This is 100% unnecessary to report, but I have been dreaming about cake every single night. A few nights ago, I dreamt that I was in a cake eating contest. I'd eaten 7 pans and wasn't full at all when I woke up. Does cake signify something? Maybe it represents the grandeur and decadence to behold in Italy and I haven't had my fill of it yet? Or I am hungry for cake? The second one is definitely true.

Which reminds me that I've watched a decent amount of Cake Boss in Italian since arriving, along with Say Yes to the Dress. Italian TV is weird. For example, a cartoon version of Bananas in Pajamas (I know; exciting) and there's this show about embarrassing medical conditions where they show everything. Like, everything. Typical Europe. That doesn't gross them out at all, but when I described Man v. Food (and my dream to be Man v. Food: Dessert Edition), Carolina was completely disgusted. I've gotten the same response when discussing Epic Meal Time and Paula Deen. Maybe I don't belong here after all. 

Except that I do because on my multi-stop excursion today, I was conversing really well in Italian and didn't use English once. Granted, I wandered around the grocery for three times longer than I needed to because I didn't know how to say more of the things I was looking for, but still. 

Other things: I went to second dinner at the apartment a few floors down, where the ISC Claudio was cooking and a bunch of nice kids were eating. I am looking forward to ~two weeks from now when my friendships are more solidified and I can stop asking everyone where they're from. Btw- pretty much no one is from Minnesota or LA.

Since I started writing this, the snow started again. My roommates and I were going to go to Naples tomorrow. Fingers crossed that the trains will still be running!