il mio posto favorito

My favorite spot in the dorm on warm, spring afternoons is my bathroom window sill. Climbing up is a little tricky, but with the window thrown wide open it’s the perfect place to sketch, read, or just people watch. Not falling out of the building is important, of course. The most interesting aspect of window sill sitting is the reaction – or rather, non-reaction - of those passing beneath. It’s surprising how many people never look up. There I am, sitting in plain view about three stories above the road, perfectly able to hear all conversations, and I only receive proper attention from about a third of pedestrians. This number is higher than it should be merely because (in an effort to be noticed) I’ll often swing my legs or move an arm to see how fast that'll catch their eye. It’s rather pleasing to note the looks of surprise on their faces, which are then replaced by curiosity. The braver (usually American) tourists will even engage me in conversation.

“Are you a student here?” they’ll holler. When I answer with the affirmative, they'll proceed to ask a couple of question or comment on how beautiful the day is (which is why I’m perched halfway out the building in the first place). Finally, they'll always conclude with a caution not to fall. Silly Americans...the only ones who actually worry about falling out of windows. Italians are intelligent enough to realize that danger is the spice of life, which is why all public monuments and buildings have high windows with no kind of safety netting or screening. I LOVE IT. =D

It's interesting to note how many people have managed to notice the prominent sign on the school (different building than the dorm and about fifty feet or so farther down the hill) indicating that this is University of Georgia Study Abroad property. There are many tourists who have wrongly deduced that this is either a hotel or a hostel and some even try getting rooms here. I’m sorry, but I’m not willing to share my beautiful castle with you. Please leave.

Finally, the best part of window sill sitting, of course, is the lopsided but completely cool tan which one acquires.