On Learning Italian

Alternative Title: The Least Efficient and Most Frustrating Way to Learn a Language
(inspired by Lauren's at http://abiglongrunonsentence.blogspot.com/2011/06/on-learning-norwegian.html) )
I would say that I struggled a little (ok, a lot) with Italian. I know it's my own fault, I know I didn't study enough, so I can only aim my frustration at myself. 
Before I arrived:
Knowing I was going to Italy, I tried to connect with some Italian speaker in Trail. Unfortunately, we weren't able to work anything out, so I listened to loads of podcasts. I managed to figure out most greetings, how to get someone's attention, how to get by someone, and of course, the essential, "where is the bathroom?". I also began studying a few verbs. I would say that I didn't do enough (ok, I did hardly anything) to prepare myself. 
Arriving
I had to ask for directions in the Rome airport, so I said, "mi scusi, dov'è [gate - in English]". I rock. My host mom is alright in English, so translated a lot for me before my host sister arrived. I really wanted to learn Italian, and I would study all the time. Unfortunately, I wouldn't really get anywhere in time for my first rotary presentation, on my second full day in Italy. The other girls were all able to give short speeches in Italian, while I gave mine in English. I was embarrassed. The other students in my district had already studied Spanish, French, or Italian, and were far better than me and I was really frustrated. 
In the first few days, I learned the essentials - where I'm from, how I'm called, how to ask the meaning of a word, and how to ask the names of things around me. 
But I didn't use Italian enough. My host sister spoke English, and was able to translate for me. I would study grammar online and would try to say several phrases each day, but I was really self conscious and translating was exhausting. And so my Italian progressed really slowly. My grammar books were too complicated, online too interrupted (oh yeah, and Italian grammar is difficult). 
I continued, however, and over Christmas, got a new grammar book, greatly improving my understanding. I would study by translating, reading, and watching movies. In December, I remember the tipping point, when Italian sounded less like a mush of rolled R's and vowels, and more of an actual language. From there, words became words I understood, or could easily ask the meaning of. In the New Year, I began understanding films a lot better, and reading became much easier. 
Though I write "speaks Italian" on my resume and scholarship applications, I still feel like a beginner. Understanding still requires concentration, and when I read I still look up a lot of words. When I'm out and someone says something to me in English, I automatically respond in Italian, having to think twice to switch. But I still have to think sentences out once in a while, or ask how to say something. 
I used English less and less as the year wore on, even speaking Italian with the exchange student I walked to school with each morning (first because I really needed the extra practice, then because we realised that we only had one year to speak Italian, so we may as well). 
I've missed the ease of speaking and understanding, but one of my goals for an exchange was to learn another language, and for the most part, I'm happy with how much I've achieved. It's amazing to realise that I can speak two language.  But if I ever have kids, I'm going to do anything I can to raise them bilingually, because struggling this year has not been fun. 

A few more language notes
Italy was unified politically in 1861, 150 years ago, and before that it was a collection of kingdoms and states. So though Italian is the national language (based on Tuscan, I believe), there are many regional dialects and languages. Having one host parent from Tuscany and the other from Sicily led to some disagreements on Italian. More people speak Sicilian in the country than in town, and I'll admit, I understand about as much of Sicilian as I do French. Sometimes there are simply different words, other times the pronunciation makes understanding difficult.