A Study Abroad Journal

Kate '09 - Rome, Italy

Oct 4, 2006

After 11 hours of flying in airplanes, I finally made it to Italy on
Wednesday the 27th, early morning...

We headed straight for Assisi, a small town about 2 hours away from Rome. The town itself was absolutely beautiful. The streets were narrow, and everything was an uphill walk away, but the people were very friendly. Everyone I walked by greeted me with a "Buon Giorno" (good afternoon).

After a few days, I was ready to get to Rome. We arrived to the Hotel Tiziano (where we are staying) Sunday night. Our R.A. showed us where our classroom building, library, and main office where, and then she sent us on our way. Three of my friends and I went to a pizzeria, where we weren't sure what kind to get. There was a man who was watching us, and entertained by our indecisiveness. It turns out that he who used to coach soccer at Notre Dame, and knows that Saint Mary's students come to Rome every year. He convinced the owner to give us a sampler platter of every kind of pizza, along with drinks. The four of us only had to split the cost to 5 Euros each, where as if we went anywhere else, we could have paid 15 Euro for the same amount of food and drink. Rome is amazing!

I have been to big cities in Europe before; Paris, Brussels, London, and Amsterdam, so Rome is pretty much what I expected it to be. I'll be more specific in future entries, but for now, I must say that I love this big city life, and am very excited for the weeks to come!

Oct. 11, 2006

I absolutely love Rome.

On Friday, we went to the Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum, and the Colosseum. I had learned about the Roman Forum in high school, but seeing it in person was amazing.

Campus life is great. The majority of us live on the 3rd and 4th floor, so everyone is nearby. We have sort of become like one big family. Our classes are small, so we have more interaction with the professor and the rest of the students, and get to know each other better. I have always preferred the smaller class sizes. At Saint Mary's in South Bend, most my classes had an average of twelve people in it, but here, there are only about eight people in each class. Our classes are an hour and a half long. I am taking Philosophy, Italian, Archaeology, English, and Religious Studies. I am very happy with all of my classes, and I especially like that we get to see a lot of the things we learn about.

On Sunday, some of my friends and I went to Mass at the Vatican. It was packed! I thought that there were a lot of people there until we went outside to wait for the Pope's blessing. Saint Peter's Square was completely filled with people, all waiting for the Pope. Once he came to his window, everybody cheered and applauded. It was a very interesting thing to see. Next week we have tickets to see the cannonization of a Saint. I am very excited.

I have walked around Rome a lot and seen many of the main attractions, but after wandering around some side streets last week, I realize that there is a lot I have left to see. I love Rome!!

Oct. 20, 2006

I am taking 17 credits...

My schedule goes as follows:

Monday, 8-9:30am Philosophy, 3:55-5:25pm Archaeology, 5:30-7pm Religious Studies
Tuesday, 9:35-11:35am Italian, 2:20-3:50 English Lit
Wednesday, 8-9:30am Philosophy, 3:55-5:25pm Archaeology
Thursday, 9:35-11:35am Italian, 2:20-3:50 English Lit, 5:30-7pm Religious Studies

I have material to read every night, and I have papers to write and quizzes and tests to study for. It is not an impossible workload; in fact I find it comparable to the workload back home at Saint Mary's in South Bend, except I find that there is less writing, and much more reading. During the week, I go to class and study. The library is only open until 7:30pm, and that is where I do my best work, so I find that it is best to get my work done during the day, so that I can have the nights to relax, or to go out.

Typically, if I go out, I go out for a walk with some friends, but occasionally we will go to a pub to watch some sports on TV. My friends and I have a favorite pub, Abbey Theatre. Since we are of drinking age in Rome, we can go and have a drink if we choose, but honestly, I prefer their burgers. I absolutely love the Italian cuisine, but I find that sometimes I must fix my craving and have American food. Speaking of which, it is time for dinner, and the library is closing, so I must go! But I promise to write more for next time!

Oct. 27, 2006

Saturday we took a field trip... (and it was so much fun!)

We went to Tarquinia and Cerveteri to see Etruscan tombs. It was really neat to see such a big part of history for the Etruscans. On route to Cerveteri, we stopped at a beach. It was cold and windy, and had been raining earlier. Luckily, at that time we were inside a museum, and the rain stopped before we got out of the bus. I was very happy that we got to go to the beach and spend an hour there because it reminded me a lot of home, and going to the pier in South Haven, Michigan, or even any pier or beach for that matter; it is one of my favorite things to do when I have time.

When we got to Cerveteri, our tour guide talked to us about the tombs. I should explain that we are split up into three groups, alphabetically by last name, and each group has a tour guide, who is actually one of the teachers in the Rome program. They are all extremely knowledgeable and very interesting to listen to. After a few minutes of speaking, our guide let us explore on our own and go inside the tombs we wanted to see. I really enjoyed this experience. I am very glad that we went because I am pretty sure that I would not do this on my own time, but was very pleased with our Saturday excursion.

On Sunday, the majority of our program went to see a real soccer match! Rome was playing Chievo, and they ended up in a tie, 1 to 1. It was a lot of fun, especially to be able to hang out with my classmates outside of a school setting. Most of us bought some Rome apparel to cheer on the team. Once Rome scored, the crowd went crazy-I have never seen anything like it! Across the stadium, cannons with colored smoke were going off, people were waving huge flags, the crowd was singing…it was amazing!

As far as school goes, I have been spending much of my free time studying. I have two big tests coming up: archaeology and religion. I have not been spending much time outside of the Hotel Tiziano, Saint Mary's library, and the classroom building, but we are leaving for our Southern Italy trip on Wednesday, so I will have plenty of time away from the books, and I am very excited for that. I spend some of my free time at Pascucci's. I will go there for breakfast every morning to get a croissant and espresso. I have never found better tasting espresso than that at Pascucci's. I can already tell that this is going to be one of the things I really miss once I get back to the states in May. I also spend some of my time talking to the Pascucci workers, like Bruno, Maximo, and Patrizio, when they are not swamped with customers. The lunch hour gets really hectic, but as the night goes on, there is more time to sit, relax and joke around with the guys.

Along with the crew of Pascucci's, I have also started to get to know the workers at the Hotel Tiziano. Valentina and Giorgio always dish up our dinners for us, and I have been able to practice my Italian with them. They are very nice people, along with the men at the front desk. They seem to always be very happy to see me and the other Saint Mary's girls. Have I mentioned how good the food is at the hotel? It is delicious, and comparable to a home-cooked meal, although I must admit, I find my mom's cooking the best, and miss it sometimes.

In 2002 my family and I traveled to Europe for a month and visited some major cities: Brussels, Amsterdam, London, and Paris. We also went back to our homeland of Serbia, where my parents, brother, and I were born. Although I moved to the United States at the age of 16 months, I am very proud of my Serbian heritage. I immediately fell in love with the European atmosphere and the different cultures and ways of life. I believe that is what mainly attracted me to studying abroad. I chose to study in Rome because I was taking Italian. In high school I studied Latin for four years and wanted to continue with it, or at least be able to apply it to another language; Italian is very similar. I also studied French since I was in 7th grade. It was a very hard choice between the Rome program and Saint Mary’s Dijon, France program. I know I would have had a great experience regardless of where I went, but I think what attracted me to Rome the most was how much the girls who had already studied here praised it. Now I understand why they would get so excited every time they spoke about it.

I am not sure whether it is because of my previous travels, or my love for other cultures, but I have not had a hard time adjusting at all. I think some of the other girls have had difficulty adjusting. About once a day I hear "I miss Target" or "I just want some Subway!" I think to myself that this is the opportunity of a lifetime and you can have Subway any time when you get back, so why not go out and try every food under the sun (literally, it's still hot and sunny out here even in October!). I am very happy with everything here in Rome, and I cannot wait until I get to start traveling on my own! Soon, we will not have class on Fridays (right now we have classes only to make up for the orientation time spent in Assisi the first week), and there are some weekends when we will not have excursions as a whole group.

Ciao for now!
-Kate

Nov. 2, 2006

You're never too old for field trips...

On Saturday, we went to Palestrina and Tivoli. In Palestrina, we went to a museum originally built as a shrine to Fortuna, and walked around town for a little bit. Then we got back on our busses and went to Hadrian's Villa. This time, our classmates were our tour guides. Students from the Archaeology, Art History, and Mythology classes give on-site orals during our tours. The on-site oral is simply a presentation to the rest of the group regarding the sites we visit, like the Temple of Venus or the baths. My on-site oral is in Ostia on November 17th. After Hadrian's Villa, we went to the Tivoli Gardens-it was absolutely beautiful there! There were lots of fountains, and amazing views. That is one thing I really enjoy about these "field trips" we take: we always have fantastic views, since many of these cities were built on hilltops.

On Sunday, my friend Rose and I went to Milan for the day. We took the 6:30am train and got there at 11am. We walked around the city, did some shopping, and saw some amazing things. We visited the Duomo (main cathedral) and climbed the stairs to the very top to get a great view of the city. The Duomo was huge on the inside, and beautiful on both the inside and outside. We visited the Opera House, the Castello Sforzesco, and went to Santa Maria Delle Grazie, where Leonardo Da Vinci's "Last Supper" is located. Unfortunately we did not make a reservation in time, so we were not able to see the painting. However, we did find a cafe called Chocolat, and I had the most delicious piece of chocolate cake that I have ever had in my life. After a wonderful day in the city, we left at 7pm, and made it back to the Hotel Tiziano by midnight.

I enjoyed the train ride. On the way to Milan, I found myself looking out the window the entire time, but on the way back, I studied for my Archaeology test, which was the next day. I was able to get some good studying in, believe it or not. The train was quiet, so I had no distractions. I did find myself picking out words here and there from the people's conversation across the aisle, and I was rather impressed with myself. I feel that my Italian is improving a lot, mainly because I speak it every day; I speak to the workers at stores as well as the crew of the Hotel and Pascucci's.

Tomorrow morning (Tuesday), we are leaving for our trip to Southern Italy. We will spend all day Tuesday in Pompeii, and then head to Naples, returning to Rome Saturday night. I am very excited, but I am also nervous because much is packed into this trip. I am sure it will be another great "field trip", and I will write about it when I come back.

Now I must go study some more before my Archaeology test! I included photos of the Maritime Theater at Hadrian's Villa, Piazza d'Oro at Hadrian's Villa, a fountain at the Tivoli Gardens, a fountain at the Tivoli Gardens, the top of the Duomo in Milan, the inside of the Duomo in Milan, and the Castello Sforzesco.

Nov. 11, 2006

Southern Italy is so beautiful!

Tuesday morning we left the Hotel Tiziano for Pompeii. We spent the day there, walking around and looking at the ruins. I really enjoy learning about things and then seeing them in person; so for me, Pompeii was wonderful. I enjoy being able to talk to the professors who take us around. At Pompeii, I spoke with my archaeology professor. We chatted about the ancient city, the ruins, and archaeology in general. Our tour guides are incredibly knowledgeable people who are very interesting to talk to, especially when the topic is the field in which they specialize. After a long day, we finally made it to Naples and the Hotel Prati where we would be staying. We all roomed in quads: I roomed with one of my roommates from the Tiziano and two of my other friends who live next door to me in the Tiziano. For dinner, we ate at the restaurant directly across the street, which had very tasty pizza.

Wednesday morning we drove along the Almalfi Coast, stopping in Almalfi for a while. The drive was so beautiful! It was funny to watch so many girls taking pictures at the same time. Almalfi was small, but nice. There were many shops selling ceramics and Limoncello, a liquor made from lemons. Lemons are a huge staple in the south and are everywhere: painted on ceramics, in Limoncello, lemon desserts... While we were in Almalfi, it began to rain. I was very happy about it because it had been raining in my hometown for two or three weeks before I came to Rome, and there have only been one or two days of rain in Italy since I’ve been here. While I was out in the rain before it was time to leave, I watched guys in kayaks play some sort of game in the water. They were trying to get a water polo ball into a net, and used oars for paddling or blocking the ball. After Almalfi, we went to Paestum. Unfortunately, it was raining cats and dogs, and we were outside in this rain, looking at temples. Eventually we went inside the museum and looked at tombs. One of the tombs that had been on my archaeology test that previous Monday was housed at this museum and was neat to see in person.

Thursday we went to the Archaeological Museum and then to Cuma (it was rather chilly!). I enjoyed the day, and when we got back to the hotel that night, we decided to go to a nearby grocery store for dinner instead of going out. On Friday we went to another museum in the morning, and then we had a free afternoon. Four of my friends and I walked around Naples, visiting a castle on the coast and shopping. We found ourselves on the opposite side of town that night and didn’t want to walk back, so we decided to take a taxi. Definitely an experience of a lifetime! I do not know how they do it, but the Italians can drive as fast as they want, come very close to getting into accidents, and yet there must be some system to all the madness since I have never seen a crash.

Saturday, we took a boat to Capri, and spent a few hours there. We were going to go to the Blue Grotto, but it was closed because the waves were too strong. So instead, we walked around the island. We stopped in a café for a snack, and the guys who worked there were very friendly. We were trying to find our way to the Villa Jovis, a castle at the very top of the town, but we missed a turn somewhere along the way. Luckily, we ran into an American couple who showed us the way, and told us about their destination Arco Naturale, the Natural Arc. It was beautiful! It was a huge arc naturally made from the cliffs nearby. We took lots of pictures and then made our way to the Villa Jovis. It was a long walk up many hills, reminding me of Assisi. The views were amazing. Finally we returned to the boat to head back to Naples and then Rome.

I really enjoyed this trip, but was very happy to be back in Rome. I was so excited that I couldn’t stop smiling when we got to the Hotel Tiziano. I think the hotel staff was happy to see us, too; I’m sure they didn’t know what to do with a quiet hotel all to themselves. This was a great trip, and I’m very happy with everything that I saw, especially all of the beautiful scenery. Well, it’s that time again, time for my last class of the week, and then I have a free weekend. I am not going anywhere this weekend-I think that I will spend my time studying and relaxing. Ciao!

Nov. 15, 2006

This weekend was our first free weekend of the semester...

We did not have class on Friday, nor did we have a tour on Saturday. Many of my friends left the country, but I decided to hang out in Rome, mostly because I still have another whole semester to travel. I spent most of the weekend studying, but I took some time to watch some movies in the classroom building lounge that I borrowed from the program. On Saturday, two of my friends from back home arrived in Rome. They had been backpacking through Europe, and decided to visit me. I spent the evenings hanging out with them, and studied during the day while they toured Rome. I told them what to see and took them to some of my favorite restaurants. I hadn’t realized how much I have learned about the city as far as where to go, what to do, where things are located, and how things work. They left last night, but it was very nice to be able to spend time with friends from back home.

Saint Mary's holds mass in a chapel across the street from the library on Sunday nights. They are shorter than the masses that I typically attend, but I really enjoy them. I find that many of the girls from the program attend mass and enjoy it as well. On Monday nights, there is a discussion group, which has been pegged with the name "God Squad", where people get together with deacons (priests in training) and discuss anything and everything, from vocations and callings from God, to relationships and dating. I really enjoy the fact that we all live in the same hotel, and especially that we are condensed onto two floors. This allows us to get to know each other and make many close friends. That is also a bonus of our tour groups. Even the two boys and two girls from Notre Dame are excited to hang out with us when we return to South Bend.

My parents will be arriving this week to visit me for Thanksgiving, and we are planning to spend a day in Florence. I am very excited for many upcoming events. I look forward to seeing my parents and spending time with them. I am excited to have time off and not have to worry about homework, papers or tests. I am also very excited for the Thanksgiving banquet next Wednesday-I have heard a lot about it! Rome is having very nice weather, with very little rain. It is 66 degrees today, while it is 41 degrees in South Bend. This definitely does not make it feel like November, let alone that winter break is just around the corner. I can't believe that we are already halfway through the semester!

In my photo album, there is a picture of me and my friends hanging out. When we first got to Rome and all had relatively relaxed schedules (before school really started) we liked to hang out in big groups with each other. Unfortunately we realized quickly that we stick out like a sore thumb when we do this, and so we started going out in much smaller groups. I have included a picture of me and some friends at a fountain by the Vatican. We like to take walks around the city when we have time. There is also a picture of the view from the bus on the drive on the Amalfi Coast as well as the sunset in Naples, simply because I still cannot get over how beautiful everything in Southern Italy was!

Our Archaeology class took a field trip on Monday. At the beginning of class, I asked our professor if I could bring my two friends, and he said yes, so they tagged along. We went to Largo Argentina and some temples around the city. I asked my friends what they thought of the "field trip" and they in fact had a great time. They said that we were getting a lot of information, but that our professor did a great job of making it interesting. I enjoyed being able to show them a huge part of my first semester in Rome. After all, that is what I have been doing almost every Saturday since I have arrived.

Nov. 22, 2006

This weekend was the best weekend ever!

Wednesday night, I saw the movie The Departed with some of my friends. We went to a theater where they play the movies in English along with Italian subtitles. I really liked the movie, especially because Wednesday is a discount night and the price is 5 Euro. Thursday night I stayed in to prepare for my on-site oral the following day. Friday morning we went to Ostia Antica. It was similar to Pompeii, but my archaeology teacher says that Ostia is better because Pompeii is mostly houses, whereas in Ostia one finds more variety of complexes, such as theaters, squares, tombs, temples, baths...I enjoyed this field trip and the weather was great. We came back to the hotel in time for lunch, and then another field trip for my philosophy class to Castel Sant'Angelo (near the Vatican). Our teacher spoke about the Borgia family and then we went inside for a tour. The view from the top was amazing and we made it in time for the sunset! Afterwards, we all went together to get some coffee.

One thing I feel that I have not expressed well enough is how much the teachers genuinely care about the students here, and how nice they are. They truly want the best for their students, and are incredibly generous. They spend extra time with us on our papers, and even listen to us chat about Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes (who were in fact in Rome this weekend-the night I spent preparing for my oral, my friends saw Tom, Katie, Brooke Shields, Jim Carrey, Jennifer Lopez, and Mark Anthony, just to name a few!) My archaeology teacher invited his classes to pick olives at his house on Saturday, and many of us took accepted his offer. We picked olives for a few hours, but the time flew by incredibly fast as it was so much fun! And when are you ever going to be able to say that you picked olives in Italy? When the sun began to set, we went inside and ate salad and pasta. The food was amazing, but I enjoyed being in a house so much. It was very nice to be able to relax away from the city. He lives in the countryside, surrounded by hills and gorgeous scenery. He also has two dogs, which were very friendly and fun to play with. We see many dogs but I am hesitant to try to play with them. When my friends and I left, we spent the next few hours talking about how much fun we had! It was definitely the highlight to an already great weekend.

My parents came in on Sunday, and I am very happy that they are here; this is the longest I have gone without seeing them. They have been to Rome many times before, so while I have been in class or studying, they have explored the city. We went out to dinner last night with my grandparents, who came in from Serbia earlier in the day. It is so nice to have family here for the break. On Thursday we will be going to Florence and I am look forward to it since many of my friends have praised it so much. We have our Thanksgiving Day Banquet very soon so I must go get ready for that. I have seen the menu, and cannot wait for all the food-I have heard the stories of how wonderful it is! Happy Thanksgiving!

Dec. 5, 2006

I can’t believe it’s already December...

...this semester has gone by so fast! My parents and grandparents were here in Rome to visit. I was not able to spend much time with them during the week because I had so much work to do, as most students do during this hectic part of the semester. I was able to spend time with them after the Thanksgiving Day Banquet, but first I had to rest from all the delicious food! The hotel dining room was decorated for Thanksgiving, the lights were dimmed, and there were candles on the table. Everyone was dressed up, and our professors and Saint Mary’s staff were there, too. I had a lot of fun; when Giorgio brought out the turkey, everyone got very excited and cheered. The banquet lasted about two and a half hours, and I could barely make it up to my room, where I fell onto my bed and took a very long nap. Later that night, my parents, grandparents and I went out for gelato and espresso. It was very nice to spend time with my parents, and especially my grandparents, because they live in Serbia and I do not see them very often.

The next day, Thursday, my parents and I went to Florence. We went to the Uffizi and Academia museums. I enjoyed both, and found myself noticing things about the paintings and sculptures that I had learned from class and previous tours. I loved Michaelangelo’s David; it is one of the most amazing sculptures I have ever seen in my life. The city was, and so was the weather. Our train back to Rome was delayed, as was the train before ours-delayed for two hours! When the first train came, I asked one of the workers if we could take it instead of the later train, for which we were originally scheduled. I explained the situation in Italian, and was able to communicate with him. My dad also asked him a question for clarification in Italian, and the man responded “Yes!” So after all that Italian, it turns out that he spoke English! But it was uplifting for me to find out that I do have a strong grasp on the language and a working knowledge of it.

On Friday, my parents and I went to the Vatican Museum and I enjoyed it very much, especially the Sistine Chapel. From a young age, I have been looking forward to seeing it in person. It was breathtaking! I highly recommend it to anyone that comes to Rome. The whole place is amazing and overwhelming since there is so much to see! Afterwards, we had an appointment at the hotel with my resident advisor, Meganne, for my parents to view my room. Many hotels in Europe have strict policies regarding guests for security reasons; no guests are allowed in the rooms, but the Tiziano allows parents to see them for a few minutes under Meganne’s supervision. We then got some espresso and saw my grandparents one more time before they left. I suggested taking the double-decker “hop on-hop off” tour around Rome, because I knew that there was a lot I hadn’t seen yet, plus it would be fun to see parts of Rome from a new angle. Following the tour, we went to dinner, and then said our good-byes since my parents were leaving very early the next morning.

I spent Saturday and Sunday trying to rest up simply because I was so exhausted from the non-stop, fast-paced way of life I have here in Rome; it was nice to have two days to relax. This weekend, I am relaxing by going to Paris! I was there four years ago with my family and absolutely loved it, so I am very excited to go again. I have studied French since 7th grade, and in fact, this is the first semester in seven years that I have not been enrolled in a French class. I look forward to using my skills, which I have been brushing up, although I do find myself interjecting Italian any time the French word does not come to mind immediately. I am flying out tonight and will be returning Sunday afternoon. I think it is the only trip out of the country that I will take this semester because next week all the flights become very expensive, and it is also the week before final exams. I have a general rule of thumb not to do and see everything when I travel to a new city. That way, there is a reason to return and new things to do.

Everything is going great right now. I am becoming very close with girls I had not spoken to much in the beginning of the semester, and I am finding more and more reasons why I love Rome and the Saint Mary’s program everyday. It is so hard to believe that I will be back in the States in twenty-two days. Some of my friends are playing Christmas music on their laptops, and I laugh at them because it is 60 degrees outsides, and sunny! But then I remember that Christmas is just around the corner and I smile because I don’t have to deal with the Michigan winters! Unfortunately, it is supposed to be 50 degrees and rainy in Paris this weekend. Regardless, I am very happy; I have relatives there, so I hope to see them and tell them all about my wonderful experience here in Rome!!

Dec. 12, 2006

My flight to Paris was canceled.

We only found out right when we were going to check in. EasyJet canceled the flight because of bad fog in Paris, and they couldn't offer us another flight out until the next day. Well, we thought only spending a day and a half in Paris wasn't worth it, and would make us too exhausted when we came back, so we just stayed in town. I spent the days relaxing, watching episodes from Season 2 of Grey's Anatomy on my laptop, and doing homework, while I went out at night.

Rome is looking very nice these days. They have put up Christmas lights all around. In Piazza Navona, there is a carousel and booths, like you find at carnivals. Although the city is decorated, it does not feel like Christmas, because the weather is still very nice here. I had to take off my fleece jacket today because it was that warm! The semester is winding down. We have one week of classes left, and then exams! I am pretty sure that I will be spending most of my time studying. And on that note, I must go get some work done so that I can go Christmas shopping for my friends back home this weekend.

Dec. 14, 2006

The other day we decorated a tree in the lobby of the hotel.

The girls here are all getting into the Christmas spirit, as is the city of Rome. It is common to see figures of Santa Claus hanging out of apartment windows; the reason being that there are no chimneys in the city, so Santa Claus sneaks in through windows to deliver presents. They set up lights all around the city like we do the in the States, and there is a big Christmas tree by the Colosseum.

The semester is quickly winding down, and exams start Saturday! I have one exam everyday from Saturday to Thursday, with the exception of Sunday. Our Closing Banquet is on Thursday and we vacate the Tiziano on Friday. The majority of the girls are happy to be going home simply because they miss things from their everyday American life, like eggs and pancakes for breakfast. I know I am excited to have food that I haven't had in the past three months, but I am also very sad to be leaving Rome even though I am returning in January. Many of the girls are trying to see as much as they can before they leave. I am thankful that I do not have that pressure on me and that I have one more semester to see and do everything that I would like.

I wish I had more to say, but the only thing that has been happening in my life lately is studying for exams. I am very excited to be going home and hopefully playing in snow and spending time with my family.

Jan. 29, 2007

It is SO good to be back in Rome.

No, not good, GREAT. Fantastic. Wonderful. I arrived in Rome around 8am (2am South Bend time). It was such an amazing feeling being on the bus, knowing exactly where I was in the city, and being able to skip the entire aspect of “getting adjusted to life abroad.”

I went home for winter break, where I went to South Carolina for a week and a half and hung out with friends for the remainder of the break. It was really nice to be back in the States, although I feel that it was a much bigger shock coming back to the States than it was when I first arrived in Italy. It was so weird to see people in sweatpants, not dressed up, as is typical in Rome. Once I started going out to stores and restaurants I quickly began to see a difference between the two countries, and missed the charm of the Italian people. Italians are so friendly and nice; I feel that the ones I saw in the commercial world at home were only friendly because they were obligated. Perhaps this is unfair to say, but I cannot get over how great it is in Italy. I am going to miss it so much come May.

I really miss all the girls who were here last semester. It is very different without them here, but the new group is great, if large. There are many girls I have not even had the opportunity to talk to yet, but that seems natural with the chaos of the first week of classes. I am becoming very close with the girls who are back for their second semester. It is nice to pick up where I left off with some of my teachers as well as the staff at the Hotel Tiziano and Pascucci's. I cannot express enough how happy I am to be back, even if it has been raining all week long.

Feb. 2, 2007

I never want to leave!

I know it's only the second week back, but I am having such a great time. I am trying to make the most of every day, doing something new and exciting. Last night two of my friends and I actually went out with one of the guys who works at Pascucci's! I have wanted to hang out with Italians our age, so I figured this was the perfect opportunity. I had a great time and hope to do this again.

This semester, I am taking Political Science, Art History, Humanistic Studies, English, Italian, and Religious Studies. I took English and Religious Studies last semester but I enjoyed both so much that I wanted to take them again. My professors are all very nice and brilliant people. I enjoy being able to have some of the same professors for a second time. In fact, I took a class with my current Humanistic Studies professor in South Bend last year!

So far I have been making friends with the incoming girls very quickly and have been getting closer to those girls who are here for their second semester. I feel that this is a great group of girls, but at the same time I, as well as some of the other returnees, miss the girls from last semester. However, I am having a great time with the new girls.

I am planning to do a lot more traveling this semester. I want to go to Paris, Germany, Greece, Sicily, Switzerland, and Venice. I am going to Spain with my parents after final exams. I am looking forward to that, but at the same time, I fear that May will be here before I know it.

Have I mentioned how much fun I'm having and how I really do not want to leave? Because I don't want to leave. I honestly wish this semester would never end.

Feb. 16, 2007

I can't believe how quickly the time goes by here.

My days are packed, which makes the time fly. They say time flies when you're having fun, but I say time flies when you're busy. I spend my days in class and studying or doing homework. The majority of my homework this semester is reading. My Humanistics Studies and English class both require a great deal of reading, but it is manageable.

Unlike last semester when we had tours almost every week, we have lectures this semester. Although the lectures are only twice a week, for an hour each, I feel like all I have energy for is to go back to my room to read. On Wednesdays (as well as Sundays) I go to mass at the chapel Saint Mary's uses. Occasionally I will go out to Scholar's or Gio's (my two favorite bars) for a study break. I typically only have the time it takes for one drink, and any longer than that depends upon how much work I have waiting for me when I return, as well as how much money I feel like spending.

It is curious to think how accustomed I have gotten to life in Rome. I especially see this when I am out with the new students. When walking down the street, it is not unusual for Italian men to stare, or say "Bella bella bella" (beautiful). I do not even notice it anymore, and if I do, I understand that this is just the way that Italian men are, but I have no problem with it because they do not harass us. I think it is fair to say that Italians have a great appreciation for beauty, whether for art, architecture, or even women. Some of the new girls are shocked by this behavior. I think that appreciation for what is around us is infectious. Lately I find myself looking out my window (which faces Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, a major street), and watching the people and traffic, thinking how amazing my experience is. I can only imagine how strange it will be to return to a residential area where the only noise outside my window is kids playing or dogs barking.

Today (Friday) we went to Siena. I had so much fun! I absolutely loved it! It is one of my favorite cities in Italy by far. We left the hotel in our two buses at 6:00 am sharp, and made it to Siena around 10:00 am. We went to the duomo, the Battistero di San Giovanni, and Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. My favorite part of Siena was Il Campo. It can easily be described as a piazza, a wide open square, surrounded by restaurants, gelaterie and little shops. The weather was beautiful: sunny and warm, a nice change from rainy Rome. I think we only had one day without a single drop of rain, Sunday. As far as this weekend, I plan on exploring Rome, visiting the places I still have yet to see, and perhaps do a little shopping.

Feb. 26, 2007

I've fallen in love...

... with Rome. The weather is getting nice, the days are warmer, the sun is shining brighter, and it is a great time to be in Rome. Now that it is Lent, in Rome there are the Station Churches. They offer English speaking masses at 7am everyday, and each day it is at a different church somewhere in Rome. It started on Wednesday, but I went for the first time Friday; the church was so beautiful, and it was a great way to start my morning. I hope to make it to mass every morning, not only for the service, but to see some beautiful churches. One of the deacons told me that if I made it to every church, I would have only seen 10% of all of the churches in Rome. I can't believe that there are so many, but I am glad that I can say I saw something new every time I went. Plus, I am able to enjoy the quiet side of life in Rome.

Friday night I took the night train to Venice with seven of my friends. We left Rome around 10pm and arrived in Venice around 6am. We got on the "bus" (which was actually a boat), and on our way to San Marco, we were able to watch the sunrise. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life. The colors were amazing: they were the colors you find on postcards but know that they must be “photo shopped” because it is hard to fathom that something so beautiful exists and can be seen in our lifetime. When we arrived at San Marco, there were only a few other people in the piazza so that we had the city to ourselves. Nothing was open that early in the morning, so we sat on the steps near the basilica and ate breakfast we had bought in a grocery store in Rome. It was great to be in such a wonderful place without the distraction of the usual tourists. We walked around, saw all the major sites, and even attended mass at the basilica. My favorite aspect of Venice was the glass. Venice is famous for its glass, and there are even glass factories on the nearby island of Murano. I bought a few rings, a glass gondola, and a figurine. Everything made it back to Rome except for the figurine (part of it broke off). I really want to go back to Venice for the rings, the atmosphere, and for the amazing and beautiful city. We left around 8pm. Besides having to transfer twice, the ride went smoothly and we arrived in Rome around 5am. I am so happy that I went to Venice that I can't believe I put it off this long. It is officially one of my favorite cities in Europe, and tied for first with Rome.

We are going on our Northern Italy trip tomorrow and will be back Saturday night. I have two on-site presentations to give, one on Tuesday for my English class, and one on Wednesday for my Art History class. It is midterm week now and the week we get back from Northern Italy, but at least I have Rome. :)