Firenze and a Visit to "The Family"

It was cold in Venice, bone chilling cold. With our Eurostar hurling towards Florence, I had a feeling that it would be warmer in the Tuscan city about 2 hours north of Rome.

Sadly, I was completely mistaken. Snow, lots of snow was falling upon the renaissance city. Ok, so it wasn't Minnesota snow, as in 2 feet falling in a matter of hours, but still for a city that hasn't seen snow like this in 40 years, it was chaos. Buses were sliding everywhere and cabs were being taken off the road leaving a line of over 50 people waiting at the Taxi stand at Santa Maria Novella. We had a car set to pick us up at the train station but he was not getting through and cell phones were not working, my mom could not get a call out to the car service, the hotel, or our Rome travel agent. I figured this could just not be a good sign for the rest of our trip in Florence. 

We could have walked the 6 blocks to our hotel, but we had big suitcases and I had no intention of hauling them through the snow and freezing cold. At least my mother was determined to make the most of it, she took pictures of the snow like it was going out of style and she dragged me out of our warm hotel room and out into the snow.

We walked past San Marco to the Duomo. I of course had been to Florence and brought the same map that I used, and I was pretty confident I could get around the city. But of course it was cold, and I was hungry. We stopped at a bar to grab panini and a wonderful occhio de bue (a cookie with a nutella center--they had them at Rinaldo's at J-Force) we shopped around and ended up walking all the way to the Ponte Vecchio. I had no intention of walking that far with the heavy snow and cold, but it happened and it was pretty cool to see with all the snow. 

I tried to find the trattoria Sarah, Sarah, and I went to when we first came to Florence, but it didn't seem to be there anymore, or I was way more lost than I thought I was. And before I knew it, we were walking past Piazza de Santa Croce and I took a wrong turn. Thankfully, we ran into an Austrailian couple trying to get directions to the Ponte Vecchio from an Italian couple. The man translated and I provided the map. Before we knew it, we were both heading in the right direction and our road lead us right past another Trattoria where we had amazing bruschette and pasta. 


Soon it was time to go back, my boots were soaked through because of the snow and I was beginning to feel a cold coming on. We collapsed back at the hotel exhausted.


The next day we got up and headed towards the Duomo, we didn't have a chance to go inside the cathedral the day before so we took the opportunity to look around inside and light a candle for my dad. We were going up to the top of the dome, but I couldn't justify spending 16 euro to go to the top when it was still really cold out and we couldn't enjoy the view.


We made the decision to go to the Uffizi instead of the Accademia, we didn't have time for both, but I had gone to the Accadamia so we decided on the Uffizi! Blame it on not feeling well, but I got lost walking there again with my mom. I don't know where my sense of direction went! haha


But the main reason I wanted to go to the Uffizi was to see "The Birth of Venus" by Boticelli. We couldn't take pictures in the muesum but if you don't recognize the name, I'm sure that you could google it. It's pretty famous. So we spent a good 2 hours or so looking at all these amazing works of art. But soon I was so congested and I had a headache that my mom said we should head back to the hotel. We took kind of a round about way back so we could see Piazza dell' Repubblica and Santa Croce again. 


We got back to the hotel around 4 or 5 and I was NOT feeling well. So I grabbed my computer found The Vampire Diaries and got caught up. My mom headed to the pharmacy to get me some medicine and we both let the exhaustion take over, it was an early night for both of us.


The next day we hopped on the tram and traveled out into the "Italian Suburbs" to meet my grandpa's cousin, Armando. I was really nervous because his son (who lives in Michigan) said that he doesn't speak English very well. But surprisingly he was very good and with some added Italian and hand gestures we kept the conversation going for the whole 5 hour lunch! Armando's wife didn't speak any English but she was an amazing cook. We had anti pasti, pasta, chicken and pork with potatoes, salad, and dessert. I was so full afterwards.


Armando brought out a lot of old pictures from when he visited America. My mom didn't even realize that she met him before until he brought out a picture of them together! He also had this amazing old picture of my grandpa's family when he was just a baby! That was pretty cool thing to see!


We ended up leaving around 5pm or so they took the tram back with us into Florence. We stopped at the San Lorenzo leather market where my mom indulged herself with an Italian leather coat. She couldn't decide for the longest time, but finally I convinced her that it was a once in a lifetime chance to buy a leather coat in Florence, and she should just buy it. I'm glad she did.


Florence was a great trip, even though I was sick for a night and our exhaustion was setting in. We were ready to head back into the warmer weather in Rome for one last night.

Thank You Roma

Before I write about the amazing time I had in Florence. (Which will probably be finished by the time I get to the US) I wanted to just say a Thank You...to my adopted city. Roma.

On my last night here, I am sitting in my hotel waiting to go have dinner, the pasta and wine that I have become so accustomed to, and I can't help but think about all the amazing time I have had in this city, the friends that I have made, and the person I have become.

And that is why I want to thank you Roma. You brought be back. I was struggling to be excited about life at my school until I found you. You have brought back the bubbly person that I was but lost for over a year. I feel different, in the best way possible. I feel like renewed soul, happy once again. You made me this happy. I will forever be grateful.

As I listen to Taylor Swift's song "Long Live" I love the line about remembering "The night you danced like you know our lives would never be the same." That was our End of the Year Banquet. I knew that I would never forget these people, forget this city that has brought be so much.

I have learned so much here, about myself, the people who affect me, and the world. 

Words can not express my gratitude.

Thank You Roma.

Venezia, A City That Sinks With Grace

Italians love their protests...and I mean LOVE them. They will pretty much protest over anything, they will show their opposition to the government in such unified ways that Americans could only dream about that much support. So we shouldn’t have been shocked when the city went into lockdown over 4 different protests the day we left for Venice. December 14th was a very busy day for Rome.

We were stuck in a standstill by Termini (The Train Station) for almost a half an hour. I just sat in the car and accepted the fact that we would miss our train and have to go on the later one. After living in Italy for 4 months you develop this laissez-fare attitude. There isn’t much you can do about it but wait it out. So we ended up taking the 12:45 train instead of the 11:45. No big deal. We got onto the train in our first class car, yes I had a chance to ride in style. As I sat in the first car of a bullet train I remembered standing on a train to Naples because it was overbooked. AND having to buy the upgraded ticket because we got on a faster train. I had to laugh, I could get used to this kind of travel.

Our Taxi driver was on Facebook. haha I should have friend
requested him

We arrived in Venice about 3 hours later around 4:30 where we called for our private water taxi to take us to the hotel. Our hotel was right behind Piazza de San Marco and of course we had to get lost in the winding streets of Venice with all of our luggage. I kept thinking about the website about Venice I was looking at before we left telling everyone to pack light...well we didn’t follow that rule. We had to ask about 3 times for directions but soon enough we were at our hotel. I think mom was getting annoyed with the hungry bitchy mcbitch that I become when I’m hungry. But, in my defense, all I had to eat that day was a couple of cookies. 

We got into our hotel unpacked a bit and then headed out in search of dinner. But of course we got sidetracked with all the Murano glass and Venetian masks. All I wanted to buy was a good Venetian mask, I didn’t want a crappy souvenir mask. So we found a shop with handmade papier-mache masks. I bought a gorgeous blue one with feathers on one side. I saw it and almost automatically decided I would buy it.

We ate dinner at a restaurant where we learned first hand how expensive Venice is, dinner was not cheap, but the food was very good. Mom actually had spaghetti and meatballs (which is unheard of in Italy) and I had lasagna. We had two glasses of house white and enjoyed tiramisu. I loved every minute of it. We wandered around looking at some more shops and I bought a wine-stopper for all those bottles of wine I’ll have at my apartment....come May of course. 

We headed back to the hotel around 11 and the only thing I wanted was a hot shower. I forgot what it was like to have consistent hot water. It is the most amazing thing. One night at J-Force the water ran cold after one minute and it was SO cold that I had to rinse my hair out in the sink. That was no fun. But this shower was amazing, plus there is a bathtub..and I forgot how much I like baths.

Basilica San Marco

The next day we woke up around 9am had breakfast where my mom quickly fell in love with ciocolatto. I think she is now addicted to Italian hot chocolate. After bundling up against the cold (ok it was like 30 degrees, but still) we walked to Piazza San Marco and saw the amazing mosaics, where is my amazing and adorable Art in Rome professor to tell us all about the mosaics when you need him!?)

We then walked along the end of the Grand Canal to the Canal of Venice as it yawns opens to the sea. We walked down what I thought was another busy street but before we knew it, we were in part of the city tourists rarely go. There was laundry drying hanging high over our heads and Venetians quietly heading home for their siestas. We stopped in a trattoria for a cappuccino and ciocolatto and of course we pick one where a bunch of workmen are finishing up with their lunches. Needless to say I felt awkward and embarrassed to be there. But we ordered and sat down to our hot drinks. My mom brought an article about Venice in winter with her from home. And I should have known that there would be places not filled with tourists..it is winter after all. She writes, “In summer, Venice is torrid, stuffed to the gills with the 18 million tourists who overwhelm it each year, clogging its bridges, swelling its vaporetti, vastly outnumbering the famously grouchy residents and making the city seem like one big floating Disneyland--a perverse metaphor for the future of Italy, if not all of Europe, a place that has staked its future on selling an image of its past and may yet be destroying itself in the process.” Yes, there are still tourists, and like in Assisi 3 months ago it is hard to see a city running solely on tourism. But being here in December you see more of daily life, more children coming home from school. You don’t see the grand canal full of gondolas filled with huge loud families straining to take as many pictures as possible of the Ponte Rialto, nor are the restaurants filled with tourists paying far too much for subpar food.

Palazzo Ducale

Bridge of Sighs..partially covered.

Enough with that rant, we fell asleep from exhaustion and woke up ready for another day. We woke up and headed to the Duge’s Palace in San Marco. It was kind of expensive to get into, but I thought it was worth it. It was the center of political and social life when Venice was at it’s peak. We saw the prison where Casanova escaped and the private apartments of the Duge who is elected by the patriarchal families of Venice. I actually got a bit freaked in the prison with all the small doors and dark twisted passageways. Even though it was only about noon, I did not want to spend anymore time there then I had to. The only thing that sucked was how COLD it was in the palace. They obviously didn’t have heat when it was a living breathing palace but they could at least try and get some space heaters or something! I was freezing all day long!

We took the Vaporetti to Murano next, it was about 14 euro round trip to take a boat to the island famous for it’s glass. I have heard this island has become a tourist trap in the summer, it is covered with tourists buying up glasses by the hundreds. So I was pretty shocked when the island was pretty much dead. There were stores open, but for the most part it was a quiet little island. We wandered around for a bit and I took some pretty pictures of the canal. But soon enough we were just too cold to be walking around outside anymore. We took the boat back (again, it was freezing) and got off a stop early and walked to San Marco. I wanted to head to the Pont Rialto to take pictures of the bridge and the grand canal. Thankfully there are signs with arrows pointing to Rialto and San Marco because otherwise you would be lost in Venice. Maps don’t work, you can buy one to get the general layout of Venice, but otherwise follow the signs and just plan on getting lost. Again Rachel Donadio the author of the Venice in winter article says it best, “In Venice maps fail. As everyone knows, to be in that floating city is to be forever lost and disoriented, as if in a labyrinth.” So take the city for what it is and just follow the “Per Rialto” or “Per S. Marco” signs and you’ll do fine.

We headed back to our hotel to thaw out for a bit, my boots are NOT warm enough for this weather. I took another scalding shower before we headed out for dinner. And that brings us to now, me writing this blog and my mom figuring out all of the things she bought for various people. We leave for Florence in the morning. I’m excited to head back to such a beautiful city, but Venice, my old charming friend, you will always be special.

Mamma Mia! My Momma is in Roma!

*I apologize for this post being a little light on the pictures! My mom took quite a few and I can't upload them without her cable! I will remedy that as soon as I am home!


**Also, as a note, no pictures of you, Mom, will be replaced with different ones. Sorry




The plan was to be standing at the gate as my mom walked out of customs. Of course I had to oversleep a bit and get stuck in traffic...so that didn’t work out quite as well as planned. But nevertheless, my mama was in Rome. 

We drove from Fiumicino to our hotel by Piazza Barberini, of course getting stuck in traffic taking almost an hour to get there, but with the detour- my mother got her first glimpse at Rome. We crossed the Tiber by Pont San Angelo and drove past Piazza Venezia onto Via del Corso.

I’m not used to hotels, after so many trips and staying at hostels, I was shocked when I found my luggage moved into our new room with everything ready to go! And a bathroom attached?? Be still my heart! No shower shoes needed for this trip. Mama and I are going to be traveling in style...ok so maybe just better than the hostels I have become accustomed to..but still. It’s a nice change. 

I let my mom change and we got ready to head out. Thankfully, I have a good sense of direction and the city center is my stomping ground. We skillfully wandered the small cobblestone streets to the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. We walked down the Spanish Steps, side stepping the men trying to sell roses and stupid toys and enjoyed talking about Roman Holiday and Audrey Hepburn sitting on the Spanish Steps with Gelato in hand and Gregory Peck’s character “just happens” to pass by. 4 months later, and that move still defines my Roman experience. By the time we got to Via della Vita, we were on the search for something to eat. We stopped at a cafe and got panini and I let my mother get an insalata...which I told her I wasn’t going to let her get. But oh well, it was actually really good. We split some little lemon cookies that I forgot the name of and soon we were off to my favorite bar by the Pantheon for a cappuccino. Every time I walk past the Pantheon I am remembered of a passage in Elizabeth Gilbert’s book: Eat Pray Love, “As the old proverb goes, anyone who goes to Rome without seeing the Pantheon goes and comes back an ass.” It’s quite true, how could someone miss such an amazing structure..the most well kept ancient structure. I told her the entablature says, “Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucus, while counsel for the 3rd time built this.” However, Hadrian built the Pantheon which we see today.

Anyways, I’m getting off point, I told my mother all the things that I remember from Art in Rome, about lateral thrust and the perfect centralized plan and a ratio 1:1 width and height of the building. I told her the portico is octostyle, prostyle, and corinthian. I think I bored her a bit, I knew what she wanted to do, she wanted to head to the Trevi Fountain.

It took a lot longer to walk the short distance from the Pantheon to the Trevi than normal just because my mom is a shopper, and every store she wanted to stop and look in the windows and look at all the scarves. I’m not sure what it is about scarves but apparently that is the hip thing to do at her work now, everyone wants to wear scarves. So I guess that makes it a perfect gift. 

Finally, we made it to the Trevi Fountain. It wasn’t extremely busy for the Trevi Fountain and my mom got to throw her coin in the fountain. I guess my mom and dad are heading back to Italy soon. I think it isn’t necessarily the fact that you threw a coin in the fountain that makes you come back to Italy. It is the fact that you are in  Italy. You spend time wandering the streets, seeing ancient structures that were built by the greatest empire the world has ever seen. Once you eat the food and drink the wine, Italy takes a hold of you and it never lets go.

With all that walking, and both of us having severe sleep deprivation we decided (since it is our vacation and we can do what we want) to take a nap. We slept for a bit over an hour..possibly longer. Before we got ready and headed out for dinner. We went to this place down a street by the Spanish Steps and we ended up taking the long way to get there. Mainly I forgot that the streets in Rome are not perfect grids and you shouldn’t assume if you take a short cut that you will end up on the same street that you intended.

But no worries, we ended up on via della croce and headed to a restaurant that I had been at before with Sarah. We ordered some wine, bruschette, and carbonara. It was a great meal and that bottle of wine got us giggly enough to call my Dad. Not entirely sure if that was the best idea we’ve had. But nevertheless, we were up and ready to head to Giovanni’s. Yes, I did bring my mother there, I figured she should see where I ended up spending a lot of my nights in Rome. We ended up staying until 2:30am, we met some other American students studying in Rome at St. John’s and a girl who was on a trip with her dad who is a flight attendant. All in all I say it was a pretty good night out with the mom. And everyone was saying that I have such a cool mom, I think she liked that.

The next day we slept through breakfast and got up a little late, around 10:30 or 11 and got ready and headed out to the Colosseum. Thankfully the line wasn’t that bad and we got in right away. I again acted as tour guide telling her that the true name is the Amphitheater of the Flavian Dynasty and when it was built there were 100 days of games and fights. I even told a couple of Canadian guys that my mom made me talk to because they wanted to know what happened there. I was pretty happy that I could flaunt my knowledge of Rome a bit. We also had a chance to see Italian’s version of democracy first hand, there was a demonstration passing the Colosseum heading to Piazza Venezia protesting the raise in tuition or something...honestly I’m not sure. It happens so often it’s hard to keep track.

We walked around the outside of the Colosseum finding a little Trattoria nearby to have a quick lunch, because we slept so late we missed breakfast and we were starving. We had bruschette and pasta. We didn’t have wine though because I think we had enough of that the night before. We walked back towards Piazza Venezia after lunch and walked around trying to see if we could make it to the mouth of truth before it closed. But we got sidetracked going up to the campodoglio and there was a wedding going on in the church..so of course my mom had to stop and look. It was pretty cool to see a wedding going on, they must have been pretty important to get married in such an amazing church. That night we decided to stay in and skype with my dad. There was a big blizzard in Minnesota, the metrodome collapsed and people from my work got stuck there! I realized I shouldn’t have been shivering in 40 degree weather..oh well. haha

Day 3 we actually woke up early enough to get breakfast and head down to the mouth of truth. We finally got to Santa Maria in Cosmedin and my mom got to put her hand in the mouth of truth. The picture turned out pretty well. We walked up to Corso Vittorio Emanuele and I saw Bull Dog coming up, after so much talk about Irish Cider my mom was dying to have some (she would disagree with this statement..haha) but we did stop in at Bull Dog and grabbed a quick lunch- I was starving again. Italy has increased my appetite I think! But it’s amazing food and such great quality that I just follow the words of Elizabeth Gilbert (and something I keep telling my mom) “I’m on my no carb left behind experiment. I’m through with the guilt” Liz Gilbert is a champ, she at 2 (!!!) da Michele pizzas in Naples. Gotta hand it to her, she’s an inspiration. She taught me travel is worth any sacrifice, it can be your opportunity to learn more about yourself than ever before, and eating amazing food is no crime. How many girls in America will walk down the street with a big cone of ice cream? Italian women do it allll the time. They own it, they have this look on their faces like they are saying, “yeah, so what I’m eating gelato, I’m loving it- and you are going to stare at my beautiful self regardless.” 

Why can’t women in America have that mentality. I think a lot of women would be a lot happier.

We stopped at the Piazza Navona Christmas Market and got some gelato. She looked at all the toys for sale and all the christmas ornaments. It’s a pretty cool sight to see all the Italians out with their kids shopping and enjoying such a beautiful piazza. We walked all the way up Via del Corso (it was so busy with all the Christmas shopping) to Piazza del Popolo. Mom walked to walk a different way back to the hotel so I took her down Via Babuino and I remembered Via Margutta from Roman Holiday was nearby. It isn’t a very busy street and everything was closed, but I did take a picture of my mom by a sign. All we needed was to get arrested for driving a moped and we would have pretty much finished Roman Holiday...ok and the barge dancing too, but everything down by the Tiber is closed in the winter!!

We headed back to the hotel and we got ready to meet Christina at Piazza Navona for dinner. We walked down the street to a place she said Mike Beazley recommended when they were around there the day before. Beazley is the director of student life at J-Force.  We ordered some wine, pasta and tiramisu and soon enough we decided to show my mom the Abbey. Another one of my favorite haunts. Gareth was working with Oliver and we all did a shot called a brain hemorrhage. Don’t ask me what is in it..I think maybe tequila but all I can say it was good. I think my mom wasn’t too proud that I took the shot so well...oh well When in Rome right?

We left the Abbey and walked to Giovanni’s where we had a good time with our Italian Iced Teas and my mom spent some time talking to one of Giovanni’s friends who used to live in Rome. There were a couple flight attendants there again and they were all having a great time. We left around 2am and headed to our Pizza place on Corso Vittorio Emanuele and THANKFULLY they had my Pancetta pizza...oh my god that stuff is amazing. My all time favorite kind of pizza. Yummy. We saw to it that Christina got on the n6 bus heading home just fine and we took a cab back to Piazza Barberini and spilled into bed. 

Monday was for the Vatican. Our plan (I don’t even know why we make them anymore) was to get there around 9 or so to be the first ones in. We overslept and decided to book the tickets online so we wouldn’t have to worry about the line. And of course there was hardly one. But we got into the museum just fine. We saw the Apoxyomenos (the scraper) a roman copy of a greek original made by Lyssipus. Yeah, I had to know that one for Art in Rome. Also, we saw the Laucoon, Apollo Belvedere, and the Belvedere torso. My mom wanted to take a tour of the Vatican..but I like going through it by myself. I like taking my time. I like standing underneath the Sistine Chapel and just staring in awe at it’s genius. I’ve seen it 3 times now and I’m still shocked when I see the Last Judgement. When a bishop saw it for the first time right after Michelangelo revealed it he fell to his knees praying to God that he would be saved from eternal damnation and would be sent to heaven. It has that affect on you. You feel sad and scared of the end of days, and you feel yourself hoping you are one of the chosen few who can be saved.

We had lunch at a rather touristy place near the Vatican, but it wasn’t too bad and rather cheap. And I was pumped for some Old Bridge Gelato. It is some of the best of gelato I’ve ever had. The carmel is to die for. You must go there if you are ever in Rome. It’s amazing.

We walked to Piazza San Pietro and looked at Bernini’s masterpiece. I showed her how his tricks of optical illusions give the basilica an appearance of being taller and slimmer than it really is because there was supposed to be 2 large clock towers on either side of the facade that had to be taken down before they were finished because it was causing cracks in the foundation. We walked into the huge baroque basilica decorated mainly by Bernini and the architecture by Michelangelo and Maderno. We also saw the Pieta by Michelangelo, which is my favorite sculpture. It is just a subject matter I’m not used to seeing. Normally, you see the Madonna and Child but seeing the Virgin Mary with her recently crucified son is something that is quite powerful.

We walked out into the Piazza and wrote a postcard to dad to be sent through the Vatican mail. We walked down to the Tiber so we could see the Pont San Angelo and Castel San Angelo. It was such a beautiful day with the trees changing and I told my mom that yes I do love London and even Chicago...but there is something about Rome. There is something to say about the old buildings with so much history and love for life. I don’t know any other way to say it, but te amo Roma. 

We started packing for Venice once we got back to the hotel and we had a late dinner on Via Sistina near the Spanish Steps, we had Pizzele, bruschetta, pasta, and lasagna. We shared some vino della cassa rosso and watched the Top 10 Michel Buble music videos on one of the TV’s. That was so fun to watch, especially with the waiters dancing along with “Save the last dance for me.” It was a great end of a great day to spend in Roma. And in the morning, it was off to Venice.  

If I Could Write A Letter...

I remember walking into this room, and being slightly disappointed, I didn’t expect the harsh tile floors and the sink with the wall crumbling around it. I knew the building was old. But I didn’t think it was THIS old. I didn’t know how to open the window or the shutters. I stood there for a second, breathing heavily after hauling my 50 pound suitcase up 4 flights of stairs, was this a good idea? My bed at home seemed so comfortable but so far away. I had a momentary crisis, a fleeting thought “I want to come home” raced through my head. I pushed it away as quickly as it was thought. I left the room grabbed my other suitcase. This was going to work. I will be damned if I don’t have a good time here.

I’m glad I was so determined to spend every moment like it was my last here. As I sit here looking at the sheets in a pile, the bed stripped bare, the bulletin boards empty, the stark wardrobes, all evidence that Kate and I ever lived here gone. It is ready for the next two (probably girls) to walk in and make the decision to take full advantage of the opportunities given to them while they are here.

If I could write them a letter it would go something like this:

Dear future residents of 309,

Welcome to J-Force! I know this room might seem a little sparse, a little old, a little worn down. But you will soon find that is it’s charm. You will spend many hours studying (probably not), sleeping (even less), and getting ready to go out (quite a bit) in this room. Enjoy every minute. Don’t let one minute pass where you regret your decision to come here. Live every moment and cherish it.

Here are a few helpful hints to get your started, The Abbey Theatre by Piazza Navona is a wonderful Irish Pub tell Oliver and Gareth Megan sent you. Campo dei Fiori is great, but try to expand your horizons when it comes to bars. There is more to Rome than The Drunken Ship. Get lost in the city. Let yourself wander, it’s the best way to see Rome. Before you know it, you won’t need a map you’ll know instinctually where you are and how to get where you are going: don’t pay attention to street signs. 

The biggest piece of advice I can give you, however, is to spend at least 2 weekends here in Rome. Traveling is a wonderful experience and you want to see every part of Europe. But don’t forget that you are LIVING in Rome. Enjoy Rome, go sightseeing, find the keyhole, go into so many churches you want to poke your eyes out. Walk around Villa Bourghese. Walk down Via del Corso from Piazza del Popolo to Piazza Venzia. Stand in from of San Pietro and wonder how all of this history, from the Colosseum to the Vatican all happened under your feet. Live and breath Rome until you become a part of it, and it becomes a part of you.

Enjoy your semester in Roma.

Ciao, Megan

Only Have a Few Days Left...Might As Well Live it Up!

What is the best way to start off finals week? A huge banquet of course! That is how J-Force gets down! We had our last day of classes on Thursday and that night they bussed us to Ristorante Brigadoon (which is totally in the middle of no where) for a dinner and dance party! It was the opportunity to get all dressed up and have one last blow out before people head back to the States.

L to R: Mallory, Laura, Chana, Sarah, Me, Christina

We all got ready quickly, did our hair and make-up and started taking pictures. And of course it starts raining as we walk to the buses from the courtyard. It became a mad dash through the gates to the buses, I was dragging Christina along because her heels were so high. I was sensible and borrowed Sarah's baby heels. As we drove to the restaurant the excitement was mounting, we were ready to have some fun! 

We got there and we all found a table, everyone was running around telling everyone how amazing this semester has 

My Roomie Kate!

been. We talked about the first time we met each other, that fateful night after the group dinner in August. It was the first night we all decided to go downtown into the city. We met on the bus stop, Chana told me that she immediately thought that I had really blonde hair. Haha. I thought Christina was an Italian heading into the city to meet up with her fashionable Italian friends. We wandered and got lost in Rome that night, bonding and it still took me two days to correctly pronounce Chana's name before I finally remembered it. We talked about how we met Ryan at the Chicago Airport, Ben knew him and we talked for the almost 2 hours that we were delayed before we finally left for Rome. Laura and Christina sat next to each other the plane but lost track of each other soon after we got to Rome, only to become close friends about two weeks later. It's funny how things like that work out. Even how amazing my roommate is and how we got along so well this semester. I'm seriously lucking out with this roommate thing. 

We gave a standing ovation to Rinaldo and Nella, the owners of the bar at J-Force, they are retiring after 35 years working here. Their children grew up at the Rome Center, and we are so sad to see them go.They deserve a good break though. Rinaldo is 75 years old and he didn't leave here last night until 1am. They work so hard, and their panini are amazing. They have kept J-Force students caffeinated and fed for so long, they are truly amazing people. We will miss you Rinaldo and Nella! I hope they still continue to call this room Rinaldo's, it will always be named that for me- I've spent far too many hours in here to call it anything else. I skype my parents, watch movies and tv, "do" homework, and keep updated via that famous social networking site, yes Facebook. Rinaldo's could also be called "the facebook room"

There were a few awards for students nominated by professors. The dinner was decent, but I've definitely had better during my stay in Italy. But the black truffle pasta was very good. And I can't complain when I get tiramisu.

Kelly and I bonded over our matching hair. Haha

After the dinner and a toast by Sander and Mike Beazley, it was time to dance! They had a bar for wine and champagne and the music was good! If you wanted to be critical you could say that it was kind of like a high school dance...but then you remember, "oh wait, I just had 3 glasses of wine, I'm with my 170 of my closest friends, and I'm in ROME!" So no, it was amazing and we had such a good time together. It was a time to live it up...because the clock is ticking. And all I wanted to do was bargain for more time.

Best Picture of the night by far!

It was a wonderful night. Perfect in so many ways. Everyone was happy to be together for one last blow out. And we were not ready for the night to be over when the music ended around midnight, we got on the bus to Piazza Navona, they drove us there and we ended up at Giovanni's. He had been in the State for a Steelers game, and he was finally back in Rome. We ended up staying there drinking Passion Iced Teas and chatting about how sad it was that we were leaving. So of course we ended up not getting home until 5:30am. I would say that is the perfect way to end such a night.

I have only a few days left at J-Force, and 17 days until I leave this country. This is too sad. I don't want to leave. I feel torn in two different directions, to Minnesota and Chicago and reality, and here in Rome, my fairy tale. Can I live the fairy tale for a little bit longer? Please?

Ciao Bella

Bittersweet December

December is bittersweet this year. It is the month of an Italy trip with my mother and Christmas with my family, but it is also the end. The end of a semester where I learned so much about myself and the person I am in relation to the world. I can't help but be sad that this is ending, this wonderful time that I have looked forward to since I came to Loyola. 

Well, actually before that, since the first time I came to Europe in 2007. I wanted to be able to spend so much time here to immerse myself in a culture completely different from my own...my dad always tells me, "Well, Megan, you've always had happy feet." Truer words have never been spoken haha.

I'm the girl who would make list after list of places I wanted to visit. I have a Time magazine with the 100 Best Places in the World..I cross them off as I visit them. I have known for so long that the world is larger than Minnesota, even the United States and I have made many sacrifices to be able to travel and see the world. I made a bargain with my parents my sophomore year of high school, I would get a job and pay for half of my France trip and they would pay the other half. So I started working at St. John's Hospital that summer after I turned 16. The next summer, I was off to Paris and Southern France. That fall, in 2008, I came home with a brochure; Mrs. Bartel was taking a group to Rome and Greece. My mom instantly said, "No Megan, you just got back from Europe!" So I told her, "Nope, sorry, I'm going" I worked 30 to 35 hour weeks the fall of my senior year of high school to pay for the deposit and the trip, and writing out that $700 deposit was the most exhilarating experience, I was headed back to Europe.

Two years later, here I am again. I filled out the application weeks in advance, I was one of the first students accepted to the Rome Center. When I got the acceptance letter I screamed, I ran around called my parents jumping up and down. I started counting down 6 months in advance. I worked that whole summer at St. John's and I nannied for my cousin Margie. Rome was calling me, it had been too long.

So now that this experience is coming to an end, I can only look back at the pictures and read through my journal and feel a sense of melancholy. This time was a transformation, I became a more confident person. I have become completely ok with who I am. I've accepted my faults and have become exactly who I have always wanted to be: a young confident woman who is completely comfortable in her own skin. I might have given that impression before, but now I feel it, truly. Rome and the Rome Center have helped me become this person. I am incredibly grateful.

A alumni recently returned to the Rome Center and he wrote a letter to us. I just think it is beautiful, so I thought I would share it with you:

Dear Students,

When I got into the cab, after leaving Loyola this last time, that awful sense of missing someone, something, that sense of not having said what I meant to say, that sense of indefinable loss, came over me.  It does, each and every time - from the sunny day in June, 1969, right up to now.  How lucky am I to feel such a connection to a place, to those there, to this wonderful idea of John Felice's.

You'll feel the same thing.  I know it.  We and all those before you, feel the same thing.  It's just there.  It always will be. 

Keep close to each other.  Mind each other.  Smile that certain way. Knowing we share something special- Rome.

Jack O'Connell

He is exactly right, I can't imagine how I am going to feel leaving this place for the last time, when I pick up my suitcase here and my mom and I board that plane destined to Chicago. Happiness for returning home? Sure. Longing for Rome and J-Force? Of course. Sadness over leaving my new best friends? Definitely. The only way to explain it is...bittersweet.


My life will never be the same.


So, thank you John Felice, for your little idea of students studying in Rome, for your inspiration and perseverance. You are sincerely missed and your legacy will live on through everyone who has the opportunity to spend time in this amazing place.


I will always remember that I have a home in Rome too.




Ciao Bella

London Called Again, She Doesn't Want You to Leave

London Town, my favorite city on Earth so far. I am so happy with my decision to travel back to London and spend some time there. We stayed with Mallory's family in Windsor this weekend, and that means home cooked food and the comforts of home and let me tell you, it was wonderful.

We flew out of Rome Wednesday night, we got to Stansted around 10 and Ray (Ritta's husband) picked us up and drove us to their house in Windsor, about an hour away from the airport. When we got there she was about ready to make mac and cheese, like real Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, it brought me right back to my childhood. We had a chance to talk to Ritta and Ray about their travels and their time living abroad; they have lived in Italy and Spain before moving to Windsor. They have all these funny stories about language difficulties and culture difference, and they accept it just like the world travelers that they are. 

We headed to bed soon after and we allowed ourselves to sleep in until 11:30 before getting up and meeting Ryan at the train station and we headed to Windsor Castle! Unfortunately the Queen was in Abu Dhabi, and not at Windsor, but Ritta was telling us that she sees her driving to Church on Sundays, with only one body guard. And when Prince Harry was at the Barracks nearby training for the military, she would see him running with the other soldiers, I guess he is really tall and it is really easy to see that shock of red hair running down the street. If only he was still there training.....

Anyways! We then headed to Windsor Castle! It was beautiful, kind of crazy the number of royals have lived there; they had a free audio guide to go with the price of admission (16 pounds...I know pretty expensive) but we got to see the State Rooms and St. George's Chapel (I lit a candle for my dad) where Henry VIII is buried. There was also a portrait of Queen Elizabeth I when she was young about 13. I remember using it for my History Day project sophomore year and thinking she looks so beautiful. I stared at it for a long time, ignoring the audio guide telling me about all of her accomplishments, I knew them all. I thought about when the portrait was taken and how she had no idea the life that was ahead of her, she was already declared illegitamite and when her sister ruled, she was sent to the Tower of London. But she became known as the one Tudor who created the England we know today; the Elizabethan age is one of the greatest ages in English history, from the Spanish Armada to Shakespeare QEI did it all. She was one bad ass Queen.

The city of Windsor from Windsor Castle

We wandered around Windsor, which is a beautiful city with a lot of shops and cute little stores. It was bigger than I expected, but when you think of a quaint English town, that is what Windsor is. It is beautiful and much less hectic than London. But I love the craziness of London, I love the pulse of the city and how everyone seems to be going somewhere at all times. I love being a tube stop away from Piccadilly or Oxford Circus. I feel like I could live there, after going a second time I knew the underground well and we could really get anywhere we wanted to with a day pass. But I'll get to London soon enough.

After the Castle, we spent the evening preparing for Thanksgiving dinner! Ritta was amazing to us and had been cooking all week to prepare for our Thanksgiving dinner. Although neither Riley nor Reid have lived in America they still celebrate the holiday, but they don't get off of school obviously so we had a late Thanksgiving, which was just fine. We had turkey, stuffing, squash and apples in cinnamon and the most amazing potatoes au gratin ever. Ritta is an amazing cook. It was so nice to have home cooked food too. To just sit at a kitchen table and talk with friends, even just sitting on a couch (do you know how long it has been since I have sat on a coach and watched a movie?? too long). Needless to say, I felt completely at home at Ritta and Ray's, And Riley and Reid were the most adorable little kids, they have British accents and we played candyland, wii, and monopoly. I felt like a little kid again.

L to R: Ryan, Chana, Me, Christina, Sarah, Mallory

After we helped clean up dinner and sat around chatting with Ritta we watched both Elf and The Matrix, an odd combination I know. But Ray and I were talking about movies and I was the only one out of the group that had seen all 3. We watched the first one and I forgot how cool those movies are. My friends thought it was kind of corny because it is over 10 years old, but you have to admit it is still pretty cutting edge. But enough about The Matrix- we headed to bed after a wonderfully long shower, I haven't had that nice of a shower since August.

We woke up relatively early to head to Oxford to meet up with Ryan who had a meeting. We hopped on the train to Slough from Windsor and we had planned to transfer there straight to Oxford. But as we are looking at the departure board in a split second all the way down the board was delayed and cancelled trains. There was an announcement saying "potential fatality" but we didn't hear anything on the news, but it did delay our journey about 45 minutes, we didn't get into Oxford until about 1 in the afternoon. But everything worked out and we headed to lunch at a local pub called The Grapes. I got a hamburger and chips. After so much pasta it was nice to get some pub food. Ryan then took us on a tour of Oxford, to Christ's Church, The Bridge of Sighs, and the New College. We stopped at Blackwells and looked at some books, there was a new translation of Simone de Beauvoir The Second Sex, but it would have been too heavy to bring back in my backpack. That book will have to be bought back in the States. We shopped around Oxford and Mallory bought some cute boots before we got back on the train and headed back to Windsor. Ryan stayed over at Ritta and Ray's that night. We had some great soup and salad for dinner. Ray then offered to drive us to the next town to go see Harry Potter! It was weird, the movie theaters assign you a seat when you get a ticket. I don't think people would like that in the US. But the movie was really good and I can't wait for the next one to come out!

We were supposed to be heading into London the next morning by 9, of course some of us (me) didn't wake up, so we decided to have a long breakfast and we didn't get into London until about 11:30. But we had a lot on our list to go see! We started off at Notting Hill Gate, we got off the train at Paddington so we were only a few stops away. The Portobello Market was going on and we made our way down the street and walk around the market. It's the market from the movie Notting Hill in case you were wondering. It was really busy though and we just browsed for a bit before we had to get going, it was also pretty cold out. Thankfully, Ritta let me borrow a bigger coat so I wasn't that cold, but I did invest in some gloves from Marks and Spencer. Turns out they were a pretty good investment because I was going to need them! I think spending so much time in Rome has weakened my Minnesota blood, because I was COLD this weekend! It wasn't cool! I have been spoiled being able to wear flip flops well into November. 

Also, it turns out that it was the coldest Thanksgiving Minnesota has seen in 25 years. Now I know what I have to look forward to when I fly home in a short 22 days. Now that is a depressing thought. After Notting Hill, we hopped back on the tube and headed towards Buckingham Palace and St. James' Park. We walked down the Mall from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square. Mallory wanted to go into the National Gallery there and thankfully it was free to get into it. But it was already almost 3 in the afternoon by the time we got there and a lot of us were quite hungry. Mallory looked around for a bit, but soon we hopped back on the tube to Tottenham Court Road to search out the famous Chipotle again. It had to be done and Mallory and Chana were looking forward to having something so American. And I wasn't feeling well in the morning so I skipped breakfast, God knows that I was hungry- and when I'm hungry I get pissy. My mom will attest to this,  if I haven't been fed, the bitchy pants come out. So I was so happy to finally stop for a late lunch, and a delicious one at that!

We left Chipotle and headed down to the river to see the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. It was even colder down by the river because of the wind. But we walked around and saw Westminster Abbey again. And of course we were too late to go in. One of these days I'll make it actually inside that building. But, I still thought of Queen Elizabeth I immortalized there, but what it made me feel was just a longing for my friends, my friends from home. I missed Kayla because she and I did that project together with another girl. I knew that Liz, Andie, and Jess were all meeting up over Thanksgiving and part of me wanted to be there, in Liz's hot tub chatting- not in London. Of course I am grateful for everything I have been able to do, but God do I miss my friends from home; both in Minnesota and at Loyola. At least I had a chance to call my parents on Thanksgiving, Ritta has a phone with an L.A. number and it was free to call her. Did I mention that their family is amazing??

After Big Ben, we headed over to the Tower Bridge and London Bridge. It was already dark by then, but it was still beautiful. I love that bridge (the tower bridge I mean) it is my favorite place in London (so far) we were on the other side of the Thames this time around, but I wandered off by myself and just stood looking out at this magnificant bridge all lit up filled will all this history. It is gorgeous, you can see the Tower of London right across the river. If it wasn't so cold I could have stood out there for so much longer. Hell, if it was still light out I would have busted out my book and sat on a bench and read for hours. It's one of the things that I love to do in Chicago, even if it is sitting on the edge of the lake at Madonna della Strada, I could sit and read forever if I could. Of course usually it gets much too cold around November for me to do it- but when April rolls around as soon as that sun is out I'll be out there sitting doing homework or reading with my ipod on. I love those little moments.

Ryan needed to go buy a ticket for his late train to Stansted at King's Cross so we took that opportunity before we left to stop at Plateform 9 and 3/4 so Mallory, Chana, and Christina could get a picture, it was turning into a Harry Potter weekend!

We had wonderful beef enchiladas that Ritta made for dinner and Ryan soon had to leave to get to the train station. That's when the fun started, all 5 of us girls sat at the dinner table with Ritta talking about everything; about people who hurt our feelings and people we just don't understand. She is a keen observer of human behavior, let me tell you because she can see through your little white lies. She told us stories about when she went to Hong Kong, when she was living in a little village by Naples, and Saville. We talked about relationships and how much they can hurt, but also how amazing some of them can be. I am just so lucky to spend this semester with some amazing role models, from Ritta to Dr. Cavallo. I have an amazingly strong mother to begin with, I know that women can be strong and independent (I am a feminist! haha!) but I have spent this semester working on myself, to better understand myself and my feelings about the world from men to politics, it is just so nice to spend some time this semester will so role models who have led amazing lives. I can't wait to finish out the experience with my mom. I know I have so much more to learn from her too.

The next day we actually woke up at a decent hour and we were in London at about 10am. We headed straight to Abbey Road where I attempted to take a picture of Mallory, Sarah, Chana, and Christina crossing the street. But it just so happened that when we got there, there were a lot of tourists around trying to do the same thing, and because it was so early there was also a lot of traffic, but we got a half way decent one. Just a friendly reminder, however, if you go to Abbey road and want to take a picture, please- DON'T STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, it looks fake and disrupts traffic, just keep walking and start all on the same foot. You'll get a pretty good picture that way.

After Abbey Road, we got on the tube and headed to Piccadilly Circus, (it was in Harry Potter 7) we snapped some photos of the famous big TV screens and went in search of a starbucks. And we even found one with a broken espresso machine..I know devastating, so we waited and headed to Knightsbridge, where Harrod's is, in search of some lunch. We found another pub because Chana and Mallory wanted fish and chips- so we found a pub and chatted for almost 2 hours. We got some Irish Cider and just talked, it was cold outside and we wanted to spend some time relaxing and most of us were pretty exhausted from the late night chat the night before anyways. 

Also, Harrod's was chaos anyways. It might have been because of Christmas or just a busy tourist weekend. But it was hard to get anywhere in that store. We kept losing each other and it took forever for us to meet up again. But it was still pretty cool to see the Christmas windows and we even took a stroll through the toy section. I was jealous of every little kid in there. Also, they had some Elie Saab dresses on display including the one worn by Hallie Berry when she won the Oscar and others stars from Kristen Stewart to Beyonce wore. Those were pretty cool to see. We finally got some starbucks and we decided that we should head back because the transit people were going to go on strike that night and we wanted to be back in Windsor before the tube went into a panic. 

We got back to Windsor and Ritta took us out for Indian food. I have never had Indian food before, and I don't even know what I had- but I do know that all of it was amazing. I remember butter chicken and something with lamb. But it was amazing and Ritta was kind enough to treat us to it. We covered the tip and then we piled back into her car and headed back to her house. We watched The Matrix Reloaded and we only had a couple hours of sleep before our taxi came at 3:45am to drive us to the airport. Oh man we were tired. We slept on the way to the airport and on the flight, I even took an hour nap after we got back to J-Force. But I'm still really tired and I have so much work that needs to get done this week; finals are coming up on Saturday and I feel like they are finally smacking us with papers and tests. So this should be a fun week!

All I want to do these last few weeks here is just spend time in Rome, thankfully I have time with my mom after my finals are done and I don't have to worry so much about wasting my precious time in the library, but it's annoying nevertheless.

I should be working on a paper, but I had to finish this post. London was amazing and I know that I will have to go back.

So I just want to say Thank you so much Ritta, Ray, Riley, and Reid for allowing 5 girls to descend upon your house for a long weekend and spoil us rotten. You are amazing people, and I am so glad to have met you. Thank you Again!

Ciao Bella