Mi Chiamo Gina

Ciao!

I've been so excited to write this post, but am now at a loss as of where to even begin! It's been an incredibly busy 5 days filled with traversing the eternal city as well as sitting in on orientation sessions (just as boring as you probably think). But somehow, it feels like I've been here for weeks!

After getting through security with only minor issues in DFW, I waved goodbye to my mom and dad one last time. It hit me then how bittersweet this journey would be. I was so excited to finally be taking off, but realized right then how much I was going to miss my family and how much they would miss me. After an uneventful flight filled with minimal sleeping (and I'm talking around 15-30min total), I arrived in Heathrow for my connection. And because Heathrow is the loveliest airport out there, I had to go through security again... I mean, everyone loves that... Anyways, I met some other JFRC students in the airport for our flight to Rome. Upon arriving, I hopped in a cab with another girl, ready to get to campus. However, our dreams of long-awaited sleep were dashed by our driver, who spoke absolutely no English and got lost. Aren't taxi drivers supposed to know their way around the city?? After checking in and going to an orientation session, I unpacked and fell asleep right as my head hit the pillow. Of course, after a long and warm shower that is.

Thursday morning was packed full of orientation sessions. But I was able to grab a cappuccino from our on-campus bar (the Italian word for a coffee shop). After lunch, I ventured out on a tour of the neighborhood and got to experience an Italian grocery store. It was tricky deciding what toothpaste, shampoo, and laundry detergent looked the most normal though. That night, there was an official convocation for all us new students as well as a dinner, complete with prosecco (Italy's version of champagne). I have to say it was pretty strange drinking among my RAs and teachers...

Thursday night, I ventured out into downtown Rome with my new friends Katie, Audra, and Barbara. We saw the Vatican, complete with its nativity scene and Christmas tree.

Then, we went further into Rome, seeing Castel San Angelo

Piazza Navona

the Pantheon (where we talked and had wine for an hour)

and the Trevi Fountain.

It was pretty spectacular to hit so many beautiful and famous parts of Rome in one night! But getting home was a lot trickier than we thought. The N6 bus seemed nowhere to be found. Luckily, we saw one pass by some random street north of the Vatican and rode it home in time to get to bed by 2am.

Friday was composed of... you guessed it! More orientation sessions. My survival Italian teacher took my class on a neighborhood stroll, where we got to see the beautiful view of Rome from the top of Monte Mario (the hill my campus is on).

Friday night, I went with a group to a local restaurant for a neighborhood dinner. It put me into an amazing food coma that put me to sleep shortly after I got back home.

Saturday was the best day by far. We all started off listening to a lecture on the Coloseum and Forum before actually traveling there ourselves. Since I had been to both before, it was pretty cool to see the expressions of other people when we entered the Coloseum.

Not only were we able to see the Forum, but we had the chance to view the ruins of ancient imperial palaces atop the Palatine hill.

After visiting, I led some new friends to the Circus Maximus (where we pretended to compete in shotput) and then took them to see my favorite sight in all of Rome: the Knights of Malta keyhole. The gate to the walled garden owned by the Knights of Malta contains a single keyhole that, when looked through, shows one of the most beautiful views of the dome of St. Peter's Cathedral. You could look up pictures, but nothing can do seeing it with your own eye justice. And luckily, everyone I took to see it loved it as much as I had! Our group separated and I headed toward Trastevere (a neighborhood meaning across the river) with Audra and Barbara. We wandered the neighborhood for a while and decided it was adorable. After sitting in a piazza listening to a cello player for a bit, we grabbed cannolis while waiting for restaurants to open for dinner. Unfortunately, our stomachs got the best of us and we found a crowded restaurant to eat at, hoping the crowd meant it was good. Turned out, the meal was delicious. I had gnocchi and salmon. I thought I loved Italian food before; I love it so much more now.

To make the night even better, we were heading home when an older man asked us for directions. Yes reader, I have already accomplished something on my bucket list and I've been here 5 days. Success? I think so.

Today, Sunday, I traveled to a small town outside of Rome called Nemi. It was adorable and built right into a hill overlooking a lake. They are also known for their strawberries, and I can attest to their deliciousness!

We all dined on a 5 course meal together at a restaurant. Talk about a food baby. I didn't know I could even make it through 5 courses, but somehow we all did! Meanwhile, it was thunderstorming outside, so the electricity kept going on and off. Because of the weather, the second half of the day to Castel Gandolfo was cancelled. I was pretty upset about this because Castel Gandolfo was the first place in Rome I visited when I came a few years ago. I had my first gelato there and got to see the Pope's beautiful summer residence. Hopefully I'll be able to head back down there before the semester is over! 

After arriving back to campus, Katie, Audra, Barbara, and I booked train tickets and a hostel room for a weekend trip in Florence! I cannot wait to be venturing all over this amazing country and continent!

Even though it's been a whirlwind, I somehow managed to post this tonight; hopefully I'll be able to stick to my plan of posting on Sundays (we all know Sundays are filled with procrastination).

Arrivederci!
Gina