Oh My God! It's the Pope!

We didn't have classes yesterday (wednesday) so we were all able to go see the Papal Audience at the Vatican. We had to leave before 7:30am to get to the Vatican by 8 or so. The Papal Audience does not start until 11:30. But that didn't stop the crowds from being huge when we got there. This is a big deal for people. It's a pilgrimage- people travel from all over the world to see him and have the Pope bless themselves, their families, and their religious artifacts they brought along. 

We had tickets that gave us seats, and we ended up about 10 rows away from the stairs up to St. Peter's. There were so many people around us and standing in the Piazza. Certain groups started singing, and had flags to wave when the Pope recognizes their group. 

By the time 11:30 hit, we were ready to get the show on the road. He came out on his pope-mobile surrounded by his bodyguards and drove around the crowds. Everyone was cheering and standing on their chairs to get photos and a better glimpse of the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

I couldn't get over this idea that I was at a concert, these men and women cheering,waving, taking photos of this man. They were pushing on each other trying to get a better look. I guess he is a celebrity.

Pope Benedict, "THANK YOU VATICAN CITY!"

Once he finally got on the stage and seated, the Audience began. He did a blessing and spoke in Italian. Then one by one, cardinals speaking different languages came up to the microphone and introduced the groups who spoke that specific language to the pope. Then the Pope spoke in that  language giving a blessing and other things pertaining to the groups. He spoke in Italian, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, and I believe Ukrainian.. something like that. He also did the Our Father in Latin. That was one of the coolest things about the whole thing. The Cardinal spoke in a language, then Pope Benedict was given a sheet of paper with his speech in that language and just read it. He didn't seem to get confused or mispronounce words, although in English you could hear the German accent. I could pick out sentences and phrases in Italian and even more in French.

During the English one, the Cardinal called out the John Felice Rome Center and we all cheered. But they had groups that had planned out cheers and songs. You could see the Pope smiling on the big screens they had set up. And he almost stole my heart when he said, "Muchas Gracias" in Spanish. He had a cute smile :) But no, I did not have a huge change of heart when it comes to my religion. I thought if I would even go back to being a devout Catholic it would happen in the presence of the Pope. But I still have my doubts, and I still don't agree with all the power the Vatican has- but you have to acknowledge the history of the religion. It went from a young man in Jerusalem preaching that people should be kind to everyone, a lesson of love and charity, to the official religion of the Roman Empire, to one of the largest and most important religions in the modern world. 

But who knows what is going to happen in the future. I'm not saying that I don't agree with what Jesus Christ was trying to say, but I have a hard time agreeing with what so much of the modern Catholic church stands for. I feel like a hypocrite when I go to church- I go through the motions without feeling anything. I know the form of the mass by heart and it doesn't bring me closer to God but further away. I wish I had the faith that I could accept the dogma and the Church, but I can't right now. So call me a bad Catholic if you want, but I think I put more thought into religion than most Catholics that go to church everyday. So which one is right? The person who blindly accepts anything the church says as fact, never looking for a deeper or personal meaning or the person who struggles with what she believes, understands the gospels and the history of the church but still disagrees with all her heart with parts of the church, but agrees with just as much? 

So who knows what is going to happen in 5 or 10 years for me. Maybe when I'm married or have children things will change. But for now, I feel like I deserve to explore my faith, whether it will be Catholic, Buddhist, a sect of Christianity or just spiritual. As my dad always says, "You just need to believe in something. You need to teach your children something. " Well I don't know what that something will be. But I will figure it out sooner or later.

On another note, I'm going to Florence this weekend! Keep an eye out for a post this next week!

Oh and a Congratulations to my best friend Krista on making it safely to Paris! You are going to have an amazing time traveling and exploring France! LOVE YOU!

Ciao Bella

Vai Roma!

The rest of weekend was just as amazing as the first night. We spend most of friday at J-Force relaxing and recharging our batteries for the next day. So friday was uneventful- but also that means I don't have to write as much in the post. Which I am kind of happy about because I actually have to do homework (I know it sucks)

The Keyhole!

So Saturday! We headed south of the city to find the "keyhole" it is literally a keyhole that you can look through and see a great view of...well seeing as how we could not get a good photo I feel like I shouldn't tell you what you see, I guess you will have to go there yourself! This area, where you can find the keyhole, was guarded by men with large guns. So I'm not sure exactly what was around, but a wedding was going on and they had a rolls royce..so one can imagine what kind of people live in this area of Rome...and that is all I'm going to say about that. I don't want to know :)

L to R Me, Chana, and Mallory

 

But also, there was a wonderful park with a great view of the city of Rome, you could see the Victor Emmanuel, the Vatican, and so many other great buildings. It kind of smacks you in the face--telling you that yep you are in Rome and it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. 

Top L to R Me, Sarah S. Chana, Mallory, Dave
Bottom L to R Sarah P. Laura, Ashley, Kristen

For dinner we decided to do it up American Style (hey we have been here a complete month) sometimes you need some hamburgers and fries. We went to a place called T-Bone Station, it's an American Steakhouse, with I'm not kidding- a glossary of American foods on the back of the menu. In Italian, it describes what is cheesecake, chili, tex-mex, different kinds of steaks. It was just so weird. Americans do not see this kind of a food as something special, but Italians think of it like we think of Chinese, it's different from what they normally eat, and they don't always know what is what. I had chicken fingers...and they were amazing :) A little memento of home.

We had wanted to actually go to the Roma v. Inter Milan game, but apparently tickets were really expensive, so we settled for heading to a bar and watching the game. And let me tell you, it was an experience! First of all we all bought Roma t-shirts to wear out, but we stuck out like a sore thumb because doing that is defiently an American thing to do- unless you actually go to the game. But we rolled with it. But the biggest difference is how the Italian act when the game is on. We were at this large bar and everyone was silent- like deep in thought while the game was going on. Sometimes you were hear screaming and yelling and some "Vai, Vai Vai!!" Which means GO! GO! GO! But people actually go to watch the game at bars. It's not really a social event. People have such a deep personal interest in who wins the games- nothing else is important at the moment.

Roma Wins!

Milan was supposed to win, they are the best teams in the league. But guess who upset them! ROMA!! ROMA!! ROMA!!! VAI VAI VAI!!! Sarah was wearing a the jersey of the guy who scored too! It was great! The bar was rocking! There were people on the street looking in the windows and cheering in the streets! It was crazy!

Sarah Shuel and I ended back at Giovanni's place for a bit to say hello and we headed home. But we didn't actually get to bed until 6am. We left J-Force at 2 in the afternoon. 

Sounds like a great day in Roma to me!

Sunday is going to be spent laughing at the photos that were taken last night, joking about how crazy everyone was, and planning next weekend's festivities! We don't have class on wednesday because of the Papal Audience, but we have a friday class this week, so it evens out. I guess it is still a 4 day week.

I actually need to study for my Art History test though. I can't believe I actually need to study. It's rather sad- because I haven't really studied here. And I've been here a month. I love it.

Ciao Bella

You Have Peanuts All Over The Floor- Do You Have a Broom?

It's going to be so hard to go back to a 2 day weekend. I think all schools should go to a 3 day weekend. It is lovely :) I feel like I'm so lazy all the time while I'm here. But I guess it is more that I am becoming accustomed to the Italian way of life. The life of siestas, short work days, and spending all of August on vacation. It's really true that the European culture is to work to live, not live to work. It's a nice change. 

I'm spending this weekend in Rome again. And I'm not even upset about staying. It's not like I'm spending the time in bed doing nothing. There is still so much of Rome that I have yet to explore. I do not want to leave Rome and feel like I missed an opportunity to really live here and see the city. Also, October is going to be so busy that I feel like I'm resting up for it. This is my October:

Fall Break- Dublin, London, and Paris October 8-17th

Michael Buble Concert in Barcelona October 29th-31th

That's a lot of traveling. November is just as busy, I'm going to Montecassino and Tuscany and we are working on Thanksgiving in Germany. Oh and people might be going to Tunisia next weekend? How crazy is that! If I go- I will have been to Africa.

Sarah and I on the Bus!

This weekend is going to be great to chill around Rome, and it was nice to sleep in again till noon, we didn't get back to J-Force until 5:30, there were people leaving on trips when we were getting back. We helped Giovanni close up his bar and just talked. It's such a cool place. We helped him pick up all the glasses and sweep the peanuts up off the floor. 

It was also Arthur Guinness Day at the Abbey Theatre! We met some guys from Dallas who are studying in Rome. We love that place too- they had specials on drinks and it was just a great place to chill. They ended up writing their names on our arms so we could find them on Facebook. It was an effective method- but now I have names and Joe wrote Motley Crue on my arm too. So I'm wearing a long sleeve shirt today! Which works out because it's a tad chilling this Friday Afternoon.

Attempting to be models at the Bus Stop

So, obviously this is going to be a chill Friday- I am still so tired that the thought of going anywhere exhausts me.  So tomorrow we are going to head to the Jewish Ghetto and maybe shop around Tesevere. Next weekend is for travel though. Then I am hitting up some awesome countries that I have always wanted to visit! 

Ciao Bella

It's All Uncharted

I have been on a serious Sara Bareilles kick these days. I'm in love with these lyrics. One song goes
"I'm going down, follow if you want, I won't just hang around, Like you'll show me where to go. I'm already out of foolproof ideas, so don't ask me how to get started. It's all uncharted"


I don't know why I love that quote so much- it reminds me of how it felt to get on that plane in August, when I thought of all the people I left behind, some I miss terribly, others I couldn't wait to get away from. It's kind of like my declaration, "I'm leaving, you can come with me and follow me if you want, but I'm not wasting my time doing things people expect of me. I'm off to explore my own life."


I've been thinking about this idea recently, I think about some of the drama over the past couple years of my life- and I honestly feel like the people involved have dropped of the face of the Earth (or that I moved to the other side of it...ha). I no longer worry about what this guy might think, or who is invited where. It's all so stupid. As I crossed the Atlantic Ocean, it all faded into the background, it's all white noise now. This is the beginning of the next chapter in my life, hopefully a happier and lighter chapter that focuses on me and who I want to be. It will not involve people who try to hinder my progress on becoming a better person.


Of course I miss my family and I would love to be with them right now. The same goes for my great friends I left in the States, and this post is in no way about them. It's about the people who ever made me feel inadequate or small. It's for the people who chipped away at my self-confidence until I wasn't comfortable being me anymore. In a way it's a huge screw you to every single one of them.


This past year had been a transition for me. I went from the girl peers expected me to be, to being that complete opposite, and now finally figuring out who I am and what I want to be. In the words of my favorite person in the whole world, "I want somebody to love me for who I am." I'm finally on my way to finding the few select people who do love me for who I am. And for those lucky few, I will be there forever. There is no point anymore for me to be a different person so people will accept me. 


I'm finding my balance. My equalibirium is coming back. And it's the biggest relief.


Maybe that is why I don't want to leave.




We'll see what happens in December!


Ciao Bella


If you want to listen to the Sara Bareilles Song
If you want to listen to the Nick Jonas Song

Don't know what the Country's coming to, but in Rome do as the Romans Do.

I did something a lot of J-Force kids look down upon. I stayed in Rome for a weekend. And it was one of the best weekends since I have been here. I spent the time relaxing and sleeping, but also sight-seeing and enjoying Roma as a city. And the most important thing that I have learned is that Rome is more than the few monuments on a quick tour of the city. Roma is worth more energy than the Vatican, the Forum, and the Colosseum. The truth is-the only way to truly understand the city is to actually spend some time in this city and learn to love it with it’s strengths and it’s weaknesses. 

The biggest thing I took to heart from the SLA (student life assistants) is that a lot of students spend their time in different parts of Italy and they regret how little time they have actually spent in Rome. So my goal this weekend was to spend the weekend going to places a little off the beaten path- not on the main tour route. This took me on a great adventure though the city that I will never forget.

The biggest thing about this weekend is that I was able to spend some quality time with my pillow. I know that sounds lame- and I know that I am in Rome and should spend my time drawing the Pantheon or something, but the truth is that everyone needs some down time- a time to relax and recharge the batteries- this is what I was able to do on Thursday. I was able to stay in J-Force and watch Letters to Juliet and go to bed around 1am and sleep till noon, which is actually about my normal schedule at Loyola Chicago.

Via del Corso

Friday is when the sight-seeing actually started to happen. We still slept in and at at J-Force in a futile attempt to save some money. That ended up being wasted on Via del Corso when we finally ended up in town. However, before we even got close to the Vatican- the 913 (the bus we were on) hit a kid that biked out in between two parked cars by a bus stop!! I know! (it’s ok you can read that sentence again) But he slammed on the brakes quickly enough that he basically tapped the kid hard enough that he fell off his bike and hit his head. It was lucky but still a terrifying experience. Also, as a funny side note- I have never heard so many actual Italians say Mamma Mia in my entire life. So yes it actually is a saying people say! Also everyone ran off the bus to help this kid get into a store and make sure he was ok. We ended up on a different bus and heading to Piazza del Popolo. A beautiful Piazza with an Egyptian Obelisk in the middle on top of a fountain. Also it so easy to head down Via del Corso and get some shopping done! I bought a cute black dress that I wore that night!

We stopped at the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and actually went to Campo dei Fiori while it was still light out! As we tried to work our way to the Mouth of Truth at Santa Maria of Cosimedin, we walked along the Tiber and saw the hospital that is set on the island that has been there for centuries.

Ospedale Fatebenefratelli on Isola Tiberina

By the time we got to the Mouth of Truth it was closed. The gates close 5:50, so make sure you leave enough time for you to go! After we stopped to look through the gate we headed up past Piazza Venezia to find a cafe to have dinner. (We were too late to make it back for mensa) We has some wonderful pasta that I forgot to take a photo of. But it was fettucini bolognese and I was in heaven :) 

That night we headed out to an Irish pub called the Abbey Theatre, it had Irish bartenders and a wonderful little concotion called an Irish Kiss. The bar was very chill and it gave us an opportunity for Sarah, Elizabeth and me to just chat and get to know each other. We also had plenty self confidence with our black dresses. 

This country is doing great things for my self-confidence. We can walk down the Via del Corso and see the Carabinieri look at us. It might be the blonde hair or the fact that I look American, but I enjoy it regardless. American men love Italian women because they are exotic-- but here it’s the opposite, we are the exotic ones. Blondes are a dime a dozen in the US, especially in Minnesota, but here we are exotic. I’ve never been considered exotic before. It’s a good feeling.

Mouth of Truth

The Pyramid! And Me!

Saturday we woke up and made sure we could make it to the mouth of truth before it closed. We took the metro to the pyramid south of the center of Rome. I guess it’s a burial chamber for a general when everyone in Rome was obsessed with Egyptian culture (Think Cleopatra and Marc Antony). It was raining but we got some photos and got back on the metro and got off at the Circus Maximus- the race track that was used for chariot races. You can see the wheel marks in the dirt even to this day. However, you need to use your imagination with this one, otherwise it will just look like a field.

We made it to the mouth of truth in time, and while we were waiting it stopped raining. I had this love hate relationship with the mouth of truth. I of course wanted to put my hand in the mouth, but the line was actually quite long, and you need to give and “offering” of 50 cents to take a photo with it. And with so many tourists ahead of you putting their hands in the mouth and no one’s hand got bit off- it kind of ruins the effect. But it had to be done. I gave my 50 cents took the photo and checked off another activity from Roman Holiday.

We headed back to J-Force to get ready to go out again. We started at the Abbey  Theatre and the same bartender remembered us, so we got the discounts for American students again and I watched the Florida v. Tennessee game on TV. Sometimes you need a little America time. A chance to watch some football and hear English around you. It’s a little reminder of home. We are going on a month here and it’s nice to step out of the immersion thing for a bit and let yourself be American. We stopped at Campo de Fiori also- the Drunken Ship was really busy but we got a special student discount there too. But the best part of the night was asking this one bar on the way home to use their bathroom and the owner knew our director of Student Life, Mike, and one of the Classical Studies professors (Xander). Apparently that bar was the official Steelers bar in Italy. They had a Terrible Towel in Italian. It said Asciugamano Terribile. So of course I had to take a photo of that!

All in all, this wonderful weekend in Rome was an opportunity to catch up on our rest explore Rome beyond the scope most tourists. We had time to get lost and walk down winding streets, eat at a random cafe. We never felt rushed to do anything and we could decide to either stay in or go out on the town. Because of course, you will never know what will happen on an evening in Roma.

Ciao Bella

The End Seems So Near...Oddly Enough

Do you realize how short 4 months really is? Do you know how many weekends I have left? Do you know that I only have 8 more weekends and 4 of those have friday classes? How did the semester seem so long in August and now that it is September I feel like before I know it my mom will be on a flight to Rome and I’ll be heading home soon after.

I feel like I need to start begging for more time. The thought of leaving right now is so depressing. As I walked down the Via del Corso towards the Pantheon with Sarah we started talking about how easy it would be just to slide into this life. A life of Antipasti, the Italian Language, and la dolce vita. I know that it is impractical for me to stay here another semester, it would cost more money and I would graduate late, but it’s so tempting that I’m ready to go to Dr. Cavallo and say, “Sign me up for another semester!” 

But what I need to realize is that this will not be the last time I am in Italy. I have fallen in love with this country, and the thought of never coming back is heartbreaking. I knew in my heart when I left Rome in 2008 that I would be back. I have that same feeling now. I need to learn more Italian, and come back here and sit at a cafe eating pasta drinking vino della casa rosso.

I have faith. I have faith in the fact that I will live a life that will enable me to travel and experience other cultures.

I want to be one of the types that has a map posted on my wall with pins on every single place they have gone and experienced. 

I won’t be able to see every single place this short semester. But I need to remember that I’m not nearly done with Europe, let alone the rest of the world. I’m 20 years old and I can make opportunities for myself to live a life where travel is a priority. I don’t think there is any other way I could live.

In Napoli, Where Love is King

This weekend was an experience, a true lesson in Italian time, Italian Trains, and the wonderful craziness that is the Amalfi Coast.

What I must learn is that going out Thursday nights before having to get up at 8am the next morning is never a good idea. (But, let's be honest, it isn't going to stop me for doing it!) Friday morning I woke up literally 5 minutes before we were supposed to leave for Termini (the Italian Train Station). I didn't pack yet either. I threw some clothes in a backpack with my toiletries bag for traveling (I guess I'm smart enough to have that). We got to Termini just fine, a little late but we felt like we had enough time to buy or tickets to Naples, validate the ticket, and head to the train. But of course something goes wrong, there is a threat of strike (of course, it's Naples) and we get on a train that was delayed a half hour and is literally packed with people. We ended up having to stand by the doors for 2 hours because we didn't have seat reservations and there were too many people. It was stressful. But somehow we end up in Naples! Yay! We are here this is so amazing! Let's find the metro to get to the hostel! Oh wait...shit....it's roped off, either the people are striking or it isn't working. Either way we had to pay for a cab to take us to the hostel.

Our hostel was called 6 Small Rooms, and despite the name, the rooms were very nice. Once we got up to the 3rd floor. We had to climb up 90 stairs. After 3 hours of sleep, a 2 hour train ride where we had to stand, and a hot crazy taxi ride, the last thing I wanted was to climb stairs. It was a great place and after a quick rest we were off to walk around Naples.

Now Naples has a bad reputation, and it's probably earned for the most part. It's the city that everyone, especially Italians, loves to hate. It's dirty, there is graffiti everywhere and I would keep track of your purse or wallet. But there is something about the city that I can't quite explain...When looking at these fashionable Neapolitan women gracefully step over garbage, ignore the leering men, and look at tourist like they are insects- you realize that Naples could care less if you like the city or not. It is what it is- and it isn't going to change. (Or the mob won't let it change..either way). But despite the crime and dirt, it's a beautiful city. It accepts the fate it has been given, but still exudes grace. The Amalfi Coast is gorgeous. And the pizza is to DIE for, I'm serious, It's the best pizza I have ever had in my life.

Pizza Margherita

Speaking of Pizza, Saturday morning we woke up early to head to L'Antica Pizzeria de Michele, you know that famous pizza place for Eat Pray Love, where you could wait for 2 hours for pizza that will change your life? You know of it? I sure hope you do. Well we got there at 9am prepped for battle which of course didn't happen because we got there so early. We had time to get a cappuccino and walk around before getting seated right away and ordered one of the 2 different kinds of pizza they serve- Pizza Margherita or Marinara. Those are you choices and don't you dare ask for anything else. They serve the best pizza in the world..this isn't Pizza Hut.

Oh and don't you worry, I ate the whole thing...of course I did. It's a sin against God not to!

Oh and I saw Julia Roberts there too ;)

Ok it's a picture, but she was there! And I met the guy on the far left- that counts for something!

After the best pizza of my life, we waddled...really, we waddled, to the Circumvesuviana, the train that took us to Sorrento. A beautiful place about an hour and a half from Naples. It was kind of touristy with all the shops, but when you walked up to the Sea, you forgot all about it. The water is so blue, you think you are looking at a painting.

The town is picturesque, much less crazy than Naples, and cheaper than Capri. If I was heading to the Amalfi Coast again, I would stay there and head everywhere else for the day.

We didn't enjoy much of a nightlife while in Naples, it was a matter of safety and exhaustion. Our days were packed with places to go and by the time we got back to 6 Small Rooms the last thing we wanted to do was descend the 90 stairs and go out. Also, Sunday we had to get up at 5:45am to catch the ferry to Capri. And even after going to bed at midnight that was still rough.

Sunday was the day for Capri. We ended up getting lost heading to the port, it took an hour (instead of 10 minutes) to get there. But it didn't even matter, they were sold out and we were forced to take the more expensive and faster ferry to Capri. We ended up sleeping the whole hour there anyways though! But the extra 6 euro was worth it, because Capri is a beautiful island. I would say it's a close second to Santorini. But the town is kind of snotty, there are a lot of designer shops, and the villas show you how wealthy the people who live or own homes there are. The guy we met in Sorrento said they are all stuck up in Capri. And to a point they were right. It was expensive. 

L to R Sarah, Chana, Mallory, Me, Sarah

However, the best part of the day was walking around and ending up climbing up the mountainous part of Capri and getting to look of a cliff and see nothing but clear blue water. It was an amazing sight that I will always remember.

Mallory and I enjoying the view

I also want you to know, that we hiked up this mountain in flip flops and Mallory was in Converse sneakers. We were so sweaty and gross afterwards but the view was worth it. As we stood there looking at the Sea we kept saying, How is this real life right now? How are we so lucky to spend the weekend in Capri and see all these amazing places. We are the luckiest girls in the world. 

We also said, that if it was our time in Chicago...we would be heading to the library. Gotta love J-Force! We got a good laugh out of that.

So yes, we probably spent more money than we planned on this weekend. We bought some souvenirs that were not necessary. But it was our first real weekend of travel. So we lived it up. 

And we can't wait to travel again!

We ended up back at J-Force around11:30pm. We were exhausted after standing sitting by the door for another train ride. (We didn't have seat reservations this time, Trains in Europe are really nice, but that doesn't stop them from being a pain in the ass). I changed, got a chance to talk to my dad about our weekend, and skyped with one of my very best friends from home, Krista. She will be studying abroad in Paris, she leaves in 16 days. I can't wait to see her in Paris in October and hopefully in Rome before that! We keep joking that we are never going to leave and spend the rest of our lives in Europe. I don't know if that will really happen. But I wouldn't be upset if it did. Actually I would be really happy to live here, I love Roma.

So I'm beginning another weekend of classes, which means I might actually have to do homework and study. But still the homework load isn't bad. I got fingerprinted for the government today so they know who I am (it's a part of the visa process) A woman from the US Embassy came to talk to us saying that the US will not intervene on our behalf, so we better behave. So don't be the stupid kids that got drunk and peed on a cop car while they were standing 20 feet away. They were deported, they had to leave Italy in 72 hours and are not allowed to travel in the European Union for 5 years. I swear, sometimes people are dumb asses, pardon my language.

Well! On that happy note. I must get some reading done about a Sicilian Duchess who is mute and deaf, god I love my Italian American Women Writers Class.

Until next time,

Ciao Bella

A Quick Note on Classes

I keep forgetting that I'm actually taking classes while in Rome. I feel like I took a semester off. 


Oh I wish. So then I wouldn't have had to get up at 7:30 this morning to get on a bus and head down to the Colosseum and Forum for my Art in Rome class. 


Yes, it did suck to wake up that early. But the 3 hours went by so quickly I was amazed! Professor Nicholson knows everything about anything. He is such a cute old man and it's hard not to actually imagine what the Forum looked like during the Roman Empire.


There is a poster here at J-Force that says "Your next lecture could be at the colosseum." Now although we didn't go inside, I still learned about the colosseum, the forum, and palatine hill while standing on the very paving stones they laid for the roads, with grooves from the carts and chariots that had driven down it for centuries.

                                  

This is a representation of what the forum looked like. With the Via Sacre road visible...I believe.

I'm no classicist.

So yes, I would love to be able to travel all week, and spend my time eating pasta and doing nothing but roaming the city all day. But it is nice to learn something while I'm here. It makes it worthwhile for me to be spending so much money to be here. This is what I have been working towards since I came back from my Rome and Greece trip after my high school graduation.


And now I am here sitting in a classroom learning about having a truly aesthetic experience, and realizing it is so easy to have one here. You turn a corner and you see a beautiful piazza. That is really learning, and retaining the information. I don't know how I'll go back to reading a book instead of experiencing everything I learn.

Mr. Bradley, if you don't mind my saying so, I think you are a ringer.

For those who know me at all, I'm a huge fan of Audrey Hepburn. I'm the type of fan that knows Roman Holiday came to theaters in 1953 and she won an Academy Award for it. Gregory Peck also told William Wyler to put her name above the title with his because he knew that she would become famous.

So I am still in shock when I turn a corner and see a piazza that was in the film, when I am walking along the Tiber and see the Pont San Angelo. Where the barges she danced were at. I was also on the street Mr. Bradley's apartment was on, Via Margutta.


Now all I need to do is get on a moped and drive around the Colosseum. Well for that I would need to find a Mr. Bradley....hmm I'll keep an eye out.


While walking along the Pont San Angelo, there was a bride and groom taking photos with the Vatican in the background. I was thinking, I could live here. I could get married in Rome. I could figure out how to be a psychologist in Rome. I'm sure it's crazy hard. But Rome makes this lasting impression on you. You never forget the way you feel when you see the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, or the Spanish Steps for the first time. It's impossible not be in love with this city and it's way of life. The food is amazing, the people are incredibly nice (don't listen to a thing about Europeans hating Americans, it's not true) and I could really get used to the siesta from 1 to 4 in the afternoon and everyone taking off for the month of August for the beach.


I love Rome. I would stay here all year if I could...if I could graduate on time, and work on my psychology major.


It would be stupid to stay here all year.........right?




Just a thought


Ciao Bella

How Many Tents Do You Have?

I’m my mother’s daughter, camping is not for me. Why sit around a camp fire in the woods when you can sit at a spa in a 5 star hotel? But this weekend started off interesting and it ended...interesting.

Thursday- Thursday...J-Force’s Friday night...enough said. Campo dei Fiori was the place to be! A guy named Dan turned 21 and about 20 of us went out for his birthday. We ended up at the drunken ship. A bar in this piazza where everyone is just out and about drinking and having a good time. It was a great chance just to be outside and getting to know people. I randomly met a guy from my high school there. How crazy is it that you can be over 5,000 miles away from home but still run into a high school friend? A disco was the next spot to head to. We went to Mood off Campo dei Fiori, it was my kind of place, a great DJ and room to dance. It was a little Americanized...but that is what you are going to get in Campo dei Fiori, But we walked in and they were playing Single Ladies..that was enough for me to get on the dance floor!

(L to R)
 Me, Mallory, Chana, and Christina

Friday- What’s the best thing to do when you get back to J-Force at 3:30am? The Colosseum and Forum of course! Xander Evers (see previous post) gave a lecture at 10am about what we would find at the Forum because if you are not a licensed tour guide you can get arrested...and we don’t want Xander to get arrested! I love Ancient Rome, the history is just amazing! Just look at the Colosseum (Actually called the Amphitheater of the Flavian Dynasty..in case you were wondering) and not be amazed to hear that they used to flood the floor and re-enact naval battles. And that there was a huge canvas canopy that used to cover the seats. That thousands upon thousands have lost their lives battling each other.

I’m such a history nerd. Also the Forum was the center of Ancient Rome, the senate house was there, basilicas (The King’s Seat, this is before Constantine people...Rome was still pagan) This is a Basilica that is literally astounding. I’m standing at the bottom of the arch way. Can you even see me??

Walking along the Via Sacre, in the Forum, you have to realize that the Roman Army would walk down the same street with their spoils of war and bring them to the temple of Jupiter, also known as the State Treasury. There is a sculpture on the Arch of Titus showing the army carrying the Jewish Menorah when they destroyed the temple of Jerusalem...but the Arch of Titus is not seen as a triumphal arch. And if you want to believe the Menorah is in the Vatican Vault...go ahead Conspiracy lovers. Xander says it’s more likely that it was melted down to pay for a war or something.

I can not imagine living near the Forum and Colosseum and not be in awe every single time I walk past. Even if I do live here I think I would still need to stop by these massive monuments. Thinking about it- I still walk down Michigan Ave in awe- staring at the building and how big everything is. I do the same with the lake. Why wouldn’t I do it with something that was built a little under 2,000 years ago?

Friday Night- Try running to the Termini from the Metro stop, getting a train ticket- getting on the train then realizing it needs to be validated..sprinting off (with less than 5 minutes before it is supposed to leave) to get it stamped and still make it back on to head to Terracina.. yes that was my friday night. We got on the bus by J-Force at 7:15, our train left at 7:50 and somehow we made it. All problems solved right??

Wrong. We get to Terracina...a smaller town than expected and soon realize there is only one taxi. Wonderful we will have to wait over an hour at 10:30 at night to get to our bungalow. A family let’s us bum along with them with a hired car service that takes us to “Camping Villiago Settebello” Oh shit. Camping. It will be fine. Until the lady says, “How many tents did you bring?” Double Shit. Did we book the right place? The guy said we had a bungalow. She sighed and said “Men..what can you do?” Yes exactly what can you do for us? 

She found us a mobile home, I’m not kidding, a little trailer home in the compound.  Which is like a camping resort with tent sites, RV hook-ups, mobile homes, and beach bungalows. It wasn’t ideal. But we had a place to stay- and there are tons and tons of families around. There was tight security at the door- we felt safe. But the thought that I couldn’t get out of my head was of 1970’s commune or something. It was such a weird place!  Then walking past the “disco-pub” and seeing everyone doing the Waka-Waka dance did me in- we just had to laugh!

Saturday- We slept in and headed to the beach! How many college students can say they spent their Saturday on the Mediterranean Sea? Well we were those lucky few. It was a beautiful day and we were ready to lay out in the sun. The water was a little cold to begin with but it was so much fun! Look at how beautiful it was!

We decided to leave early and come back to Rome Saturday night. It was cheaper and we now we have this day to chill and relax before classes start up again. We got a driver to take us to the Train Station and we headed back to Rome. 

For dinner we decided to go to the McDonald’s by the Spanish Steps. It’s something you just have to do while in Rome. And it was actually really good. As we were walking we happened upon the Piazza del Popolo and got a chance to walk around Via del Corso too. I also had to take a picture of me at the street sign for Via Margutta. In Roman Holiday Gregory Peck (Joe Bradley) has an apartment on the that street and he tells the cab driver to take him there with Audrey Hepburn after he finds her asleep by the forum.

All in all it was a great weekend with some ups and downs. It was a lesson that not everything goes as planned, but sometimes it turns out even better.

Ciao Bella