Il Mondo Reale: Treviso

When I was 21, I was one of thousands of hopefuls who auditioned for MTV's The Real World (ok you can stop laughing now). I drove all the way up to Buffalo alone, filled out a 30-page application where I divulged way too many personal details, cried on camera about ex-boyfriends and made it to Round 3 before getting axed.

Thank God I was cut because the careers of our beloved Real World alums haven't proved too fruitful. Let's face it, shacking up in secluded tropical paradises with the likes of Tonya and Eric Neis, and competing season after season in the Battle of the Sexes Challenges isn't exactly the Hollywood Dream.

Though, little did I know I'd be living my very own version of Il Mondo Reale in Italy. Except we weren't picked to live in a house...we weren't type-casted by one of MTV's mastermind producers...we were just throw together by a stroke luck and in my case, a click of a mouse.

We're 5 strangers (not 7) with the potential to be 6 if this new German guys moves in, but we all hope he doesn't because, frankly, there's no more room in either of our two refrigerators for more food.

We don't have a confessional room in our house, but sit around the dining room table for an hour and you'll get enough juicy goss to fill a 30-minute episode.

Our pad isn't pimped out, but we do have 7 bedrooms, a fireplace that screams, "come cuddle next to me in a rocking chair," a sweet terrace, jacuzzi tub, loads of Italian Grandma knicknacks and sometimes we have heating.

So who are the other 4 characters?

We'll start with the only other girl in the house, Erica. She's super sweet but I think I've seen her for all of 20 minutes in the last two weeks. She works extremely long hours and we're kind of like two gondolas passing in the night. She went to Milan (her home town) last week to hear the Dali Lama speak and said it was incredibly inspiring. She likes minestrone soup and meditation.

Then there's Daniele, a 25-years-old graphic designer from Torino. He sometimes rocks cool wire-framed glasses (a very Italian fashion statement) and has a meticulously groomed goatee. He's a solid cook and has already whipped up a marvelous tiramisu, torta salata with pumpkin, and helped me prepare a risotto for my friend Stephanie's (pictured above) birthday last week. He has a killer playlist on his computer of Sigur Rós and Daft Punk, which I'm dying to download onto my IPOD. He also likes System of a Down, which I won't be downloading.


Next is Gianni, 27-years-old. He's very curious and takes the prize for best English speaker in the house (or most eager). He has strong political views and this weekend he participated in a 50,000 person protest against Bush's desired expansion of a U.S. military base in Vicenza. Despite his current anti-american sentiments we're in great accord when it comes to music, in fact, just yesterday I noticed a pre-birthday gift from Gianni sitting on my dresser...two Gotan Project cds!

And finally, Santi. He's from a small town in Spain but he's here in Treviso studying opera. He's got the face of a baby bear, but his voice packs enough power to knock you out with one blow. He didn't intend to become a tenor, but won a contest a few years back and is now on the fast track to stardom. He enjoys singing in the shower and has an infectious laugh. Here's Santi at our apartment seranading Stephanie with his rendition of Tanti Auguri:

And here's Stephanie. She's a vicina (neighbor), not a roommate but is a dear friend to me. She's 24, from Florida, and has signed on for a 2-year contract teaching at the International School in Treviso. Her boundless positivity and free spirit are refreshing, as is the fact that she's AMERICAN. She gets me...without any need for translation.

So that's it. That's my true story for the next 6 months...now let the drama unfold.