My First Visitors in Rome!

The day after I left Paris, Mr. Arthur, Morgan, and Abby came to Rome! Morgan's aunt lives in Rome so they stayed at her flat while they were here. She lives on the fifth floor of a building on the other side of the Vatican and her flat is amazing! It's even more spacious than the Arthur's flat in Paris and it had phenomenal views!! I wish I could have lived there for the semester! This is the view of Castel Sant'Angelo from her balcony:

Mr. Arthur, Morgan, and Abby were only in Rome for two days but while they were here, I showed them as much of Rome as I could (when I wasn't in class of course)! I took them to the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Gianicolo, and my favorite panini place!

After a long day of sightseeing, my roommate Rachel and I took them out to Scholars, an Irish pub here in Rome! 

Left to right: Me, Rachel, Morgan, Abby

Castel Sant'Angelo in the background!

I was sad to see Morgan go but it was great spending time with her in both Paris and Rome! I also loved acting like a tour guide and showing them the highlights of the eternal city, which I am more than happy to call home for the semester. I can't wait until my other friends who are studying in Europe come to visit!

Family

One of the best things about studying abroad in Rome is the fact that I have family here. I had never met them before but I had heard a lot about them and I was so excited to meet them!

I called Rosa Maria, my third cousin, after I was all settled in and she invited me over for dinner! I was a little nervous going over there the first time but after arriving, I realized that I had nothing to be nervous about! They were so welcoming and so kind, it honestly felt like I had known them forever! We talked, laughed, and joked around with each other in Italian like old friends. Rosa Maria also happens to be an incredible cook. She has now cooked me three meals and I have loved every course in each one of them! For my first dinner there, she cooked pasta with oil and caviar for the first course and an assortment of fish for the second course including mussels (which are my absolute favorite) and shrimp. It was absolutely delicious!! My mouth is watering just thinking about it...I definitely need to start getting some recipes from her. Here's a picture of them:

Left to right: Rosa Maria (my third cousin), John (Rosa Maria's husband), Francesco (John's son), and Antonella (Francesco's wife)!

I'm technically not even related to Francesco but together we decided that we are now cousins. He always checks up on me and we talk every couple of days, which has been great and gives me the the opportunity to practice my Italian even more! Antonella is great as well, we've already bonded over our love for shopping :) The three of us might be going to a concert together next week! I'll keep you posted!

Sightseeing in Rome

One of the things I love about Rome is all the rich history that's just about everywhere you turn. I love walking around the city (it's pretty much all I've been doing) and just getting lost in it because no matter how lost I think I am, I always somehow stumble upon a famous monument and am able to find my way again. And while I'm "lost," I find obscure piazzas, shops, eateries, and monuments that are well off the beaten path and these are the places that enable me to experience authentic Italian life and culture. Throughout the semester, I'll write posts on my experiences wandering through the streets of Rome and seeing places that are both on and off the beaten path. With that being said, the following are pictures and thoughts from my first major sightseeing excursion in Rome:

Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona

Pantheon

Trevi Fountain

Spanish Steps in Piazza di Spagna

Fountain in Piazza di Spagna

Although I had already been to/seen all of the monuments and places on my previous two trips to Rome, they never cease to amaze me. It just amazes me how grand and detailed they all are and it is astounding how they are all still pretty much intact thousands of years later. I cannot wait until it gets warmer out so I can spend more time and truly enjoy each of the above places. 

Ciao for now!

Tis' the Season

When I arrived in Rome on January 9th, the last thing I expected to see was christmas trees, nativity scenes, and holiday lights throughout the city. From growing up in an Italian family, I know that the Epiphany on January 6th is an extremely important Italian tradition. Even though my family leaves up our Christmas decorations until after the Epiphany, I'm used to everyone else taking them down the day after Christmas. Since I arrived 3 days after the Epiphany, I certainly was not expecting to see any Christmas trees, let alone holiday lights strung throughout the city. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I got here!

Trastevere

Campo dei Fiori

Piazza di Spagna

Christmas Tree and Nativity Scene in front of Saint Peter's Basilica

Bethlehem in front of Saint Peter's Basilica

The Nativity Scene to the right of Bethlehem

Saint Peter's Square in the Evening

I love the holiday season and getting the chance to see what Rome is like during it has been a special treat! And surprisingly, the lights, nativity scenes, and christmas trees are still all up throughout the city. I wonder when they're going to take them down...but hey, I'm definitely not complaining!

Ciao for now!

My Roommates

I have to admit that I was a little nervous about who my roommates were going to be before coming to Rome. I had never had completely random roommates before and I was going to be living with random people (at the time I didn't even know how many) for 4 months and in a foreign country! However, after we all arrived, settled in, and got to know each other a bit, I realized just how lucky I was! My roommates are fantastic and we've already had some great times together! I can't wait to have even more over the next few months as we travel together and try to make the most out of our time in Rome  :)

Me, Alex, Rachel, & Paula

My direct roommate, Rachel!

Ciao for now!

My Flat

John Cabot University has different housing options and when I was placed in their external apartments and told that I would not know where the apartment was going to be until I got here, I must admit I was a little apprehensive. However, upon seeing my flat for the first time, all my apprehensions disappeared immediately. Not only is my flat spacious and charming; it also has two bathrooms, two balconies, and some great views:

This is the view from the window next to my bed!

My favorite view, however, is from one of our balconies because it's a view of the dome of Saint Peter's Basilica:

I do not think I will ever get sick of standing out on my balcony and looking at it.

The flat has two bedrooms, a spacious living room, and a rather small kitchen (which is unfortunate) but I absolutely love it! It already feels like home. This is my side of my bedroom:

And this is my limited wardrobe for the next 5 months:

Although...I can always go shopping! ;)

Ciao for now!

Ciao from Roma!

Just 7 short days ago, I arrived in Rome where I will be spending the next 5 months. After struggling to pack everything into one suitcase and saying goodbye to all my family and friends, I was off to the airport filled with a mixture of enthusiasm, anticipation, and apprehension. I have wanted to study abroad for an entire semester for years and it felt so surreal that it was finally happening. Now that I have been here for a week, it still feels surreal. Over the past 7 days, I have walked a total of about 15 miles all around Rome, gone to mass at St. Peter's Basilica, eaten never-ending amounts of delicious food, and spoken quite a bit of Italian. I have always felt so at home in Italy and it feels so good to be back. There's nothing like going to the local caffetteria for my morning cappuccino, walking along the Tiber to get to class, and passing by some of the most famous and beautiful monuments and ruins on a casual afternoon stroll. This past week has felt like a dream and I can not wait to see what the next 5 months have in store for me!