BRESCIA and stuff

Hellooo
i have gotten back from a small town between Trieste and Milano called Brescia. its more like a series of little small small towns put together around a huge lake (lago d'iseo).
its an old town, so its really cute, with huge beautiful mountains, greenery, the lake is amazing, and the people are all REALLY nice. its the second time ive been and each time me and anto went out, the younger people were always really inviting and so nice as we were visitors!
while there we took a 10km (i think about 6 mile) walk around a mountain thats an island in the lake. its a beautiful island where cars are prohibited and lots of little towns and cute little houses and just beautiful scenery. it was one of the more beautiful days ive spent here in italy!

second semester is going alot easier, i understand how things work. im taking these classes:
semiologia delle arti visive
storia degli stati uniti
and
storia delle religioni

i really love the arti visive class, its really interesting. its about symbols and signs in art.
history of the US is alright, im more taking it cause i figure itd be a little easier, there are other exchange students in the class, and because this is my only option to get a real honest to god outsider opinion on things we are taught in the us about ourselves. so far nothing too different but its only been a couple weeks!
the last class is history of religions which i think will be really great when i get my textbooks and start reading the stuff there. the teacher is a little old italian lady who spits alot, shes really nice though. she talks a bit of a mess with a subject here and there. most of the time class is kinda boring but sometimes class is REALLY interesting when she hits on a subject i like. she also isnt only about catholicism kinda stuff. she seems interested in alot of primitive religion stuff, shamanism and whatnot and how polytheism vs monotheism has impacts on how we think.

weather is getting a little better and with that my mood better of course because i hate winter!! im spending almost all the time talking in italian now that manu and other exchange students are gone (although i do miss them alot! especially manu since we were a little family him me and anto) but im glad to be talking in only italian. i find more and more things interesting about language and what i like about english and what i dont, and vice versa with italian. in terms of that im not exactly sure which i prefer. perhaps italian but maybe thats just cause i like speaking a foreign language.
i kinda feel like my language is in a stand still with italian, i think i need to spend time with my textbook reviewing some grammatical structures but im just so busy always. i don't spend nearly as much time as im used to just being alone doing my own thing.
however thats soon to change cause ive learned how to knit and i just bought yummy incense and things to knit with so ill probably just lock myself up in my room when i have time now... :P

love
roxanne