Solo un altro giorno medio...

Today was not the most exciting of days, but was still enjoyable. I think I am getting sick so I have been doing everything I can all day to get myself better quick. I woke up feeling terrible at 7:30 but had to run around my room to get down in time for music at 8. The class was interesting, but painful as can be. I had a sore throat and could barely talk, but he would ask us to speak (since it's part of our grade) and then would tell me to speak up. It was a long three hours. I think the entire class fell asleep during the first opera. After a weekend of late nights, early mornings, and a ridiculous amount of walking, we were dead. He got frustrated when he was talking because people's heads kept falling as they drifted. Once the class was over, we dragged ourselves out of our chairs to the caffe to stock up on caffeine. I went back to my room for a short nap before lunch. We had a pasta with a oil sauce and some strange roll of meat with broccoli and potatoes... It was delicious, but I really couldn't tell you what most of it was. I got my usual fruit flavored gelatos before heading to art history. Luckily, it was a far better class than music. I felt a bit better after downing cough drops and vitamins, and I was no longer dead tired. I took four pages of notes in an hour and a half on some amazing mosaics we are going to be seeing on the Northern Italy trip in a couple weeks. Some other things that happened today - we signed up for a pub crawl wednesday night for one of the girl's birthday parties (we get a special deal for her birthday and already got our shirts), talked to a few friends I haven't heard from in a while, and cleaned my part of the room. I think I may attempt laundry after dinner, but I want to get to sleep as early as possible so we'll see about that one.

As for now, I am debating between a quick Passcucci's dinner or a nicer one. I think I may just grab a sandwich and fruit quick tonight. I am not feeling really up for much else. Hopefully I will have much better things to write tomorrow, sorry for the less exciting post today... Buonasera tutti!

Molto foto!!!!

Random assortment of pictures! I will have to find somewhere better to post all of these soon...

Colosseum;

St Peter's;
Vatican;
Again;
Tiber River;

Roman Forum;

Room of intellectuals, Capitoline Museum;
Sunset over Piazza del Popolo;
Sunset continued;
Beautiful sunset scene;
Roman Forum;
Roman Forum continued;
Collapsed column;
View from the top of the Spanish Steps;
Climbing the Spanish Steps;
Fountain at the base of the steps;
Trevi;
Again;
Pantheon;
Again;

Tours, tours, and more tours

Sorry for not posting yesterday! It was crazy hectic with all of the tours. Friday night was fun! We went across the Tiber to the small town and stopped at a few bars. The first couple weren't that great and the prices were too high for us. It took a while to find somewhere, so a girl texted our RA, Miss McHugh, where she would recommend. We found the bar but were disappointed to see it was not only a tiny room, but it was empty. We walked in anyway to check it out and sat down for a minute. It didn't take long though before we got up to leave. A few girls were getting very frustrated not finding anywhere to go so the next bar we found we stopped at and tried to get a table inside. The place was packed, the prices were good, and it seemed like a great place to hang out. But, of course, they didn't have room for all 10 of us so we ended up paying to sit outside in the cold and drizzling rain... I got a ciocolatta calda con la crema di whiskey and I loved it. We just sat and talked. A few of us were getting kind of hungry so we ordered nutella crepes and they were amazing!! I may have found my new favorite sweet food, next to gelato of course. The rain completely cleared and we sat for about an hour before deciding to head back. Most of us had the 9am tour the next morning so staying out too late wasn't a great idea. A couple girls did stay out, though, and apparently they had an even better time. I personally loved the sleep.

The next morning it was almost impossible to get up but we managed to drag ourselves out of bed, and into the cold. At precisely 9am, the entire group of new students sat anxiously, with coffee in hand, to go to the Roman Forum. Twenty minutes later, when all coffee was finished, and girls were getting a bit unhappy, the two professors arrived. Without an apology for their tardiness, we began our weekend of unending walking. In about 5 or so minutes, we reached the strip of street reaching from the "Wedding Cake building" (giant white building that looks like a cake, but the nickname actually came from the fact it was dedicated to the man who united Italy) to the Colosseum. The whole length of road is lined with ruins dating back to ancient and imperial Rome. We all couldn't wait to get to the Colosseum and when we went to the gate of the Roman Forum to go for a walk around it, we felt taunted by the gigantic building. I really wasn't too excited for the Forum because tons of the ruins are visible from the street we had just walked along. I felt we had seen enough and I wanted to go see the Colosseum. But to my surprise, the Forum was a major highlight of my trip so far. We got to explore the house of Augustus and the complex of the Vestal Virgins, which apparently both are newly opened. The museums inside were also extremely interesting. Our tour guide was my art history professor, and she told us all about the history of just about every important structure. This tour ended around 12:20, and lunch wasn't until 1, so we explored the Forum on our own for a bit before heading back to the Tiz. For lunch we got a meat and cheese platter, pasta with pesto sauce, and fruit salad for desert. Directly after lunch ended, we went for tour number 2 of the day. We all thought it was silly to walk all the way to the forum in the morning and back to the hotel just to walk back to the Colosseum an hour later, but it worked out fine. The Colosseum was amazing. There were displays of bones found when excavating and we heard tons of history. Apparently there were enough pulley's for animals and trap doors to bring out 60 lions at the same time. We walked up and down stairs for two hours exploring every nook and cranny, but sadly our program didn't feel like buying us the tickets that also get you into the newly opened this winer bottom portion of the building, which honestly was what I was most excited for. That takes you down to where the cages and rooms were for the animals and gladiators. It is supposed to be amazing. I think I will have to go back. Once again, though, when the tour ended, we stuck around to take more pictures. Tyler and I decided that we would walk to the Piazza del Popolo afterwards. Miss McHugh said that one of the most amazing things she has seen in Rome is the sunset from the top of the hill at this piazza. We got to the main road leading there to realize it was packed with people protesting slaughter houses... To avoid them, we went to a different street and cut in a different way. By the time we got to the hill we were dead with throbbing feet. The longest we had sat all day was our 45min lunch. Still, we made our way up the extremely steep walkways to the top. It was so worth it!! After the sun went down the view was spectacular. We rested on a bench to watch the whole thing for an hour and when we felt rested enough we made our way back to the hotel. For dinner, we went to a small restaurant across from Pantheon (which is literally around the corner from the hotel). I had a bruschetta, pizza, and white wine. After that we head back to the room thinking we were going to crash and put up our sore feet. Instead a few girls convinced me to go out. I got showered, dressed, and head out. We started at Abbey Theatre, which is a very cute small bar, but was far too crowded. Instead of repeating friday night's adventures, we went to a bar we now know well, Scholar's. It was a blast! We all hung out and talked, and eventually joined another group of American students. We stayed out til about 3 and then head back to the hotel to get some sleep before our next tour.

Sunday morning my alarm went off far too early and we dragged ourselves out of bed once again to head out on another tour. We got to the Vatican around 10:15, and mass was at 10:30. We spent a little time outside in the main piazza area, then head into St Peter's at 10:20. Mass didn't look like it was going to be too crowded so we explored the basilica before heading up to the very front section for mass. We all sat in a pew just a few minutes before it began. While completely in Italian, I followed along decently well, and I think it may be one of my favorite Masses I have ever been to. It was gorgeous. Afterwards, Miss McHugh said we were going to get to see the Papal Audience, when the Pope goes to his window and speaks to the crowd, but turns out we didn't. Our tour started right away because we didn't have enough time to do everything before we needed to get onto the next tour. So while still in pain from the day before, we toughed it out for two hours. By the time they finished it was 1:20. We had to be back at the school building for the next tour at 2 and the walk is at least 20 minutes. Plus all we had eaten all day so far was a croissant and hot chocolate or coffee at 9am. We got back as quickly as possible, ran into the hotel to quick change into more comfortable touring shoes and clothes, and ran to the small cafe to get lunch. We got panini to go, and I got a powerade (which is surprisingly much tastier here in Italy.) While a few minutes late, the professors didn't mind. They let us have a minute to sit and eat, but as soon as we took our last bites we were herded out the door and to the Capitoline Museum. Now, after spending all day Saturday on our feet and all morning running around to meet our ridiculous schedules, we were all in throbbing pain and seriously craving some time to nap. We walked to the museum, climbed the massive hill to the top, and walked for 2 hours looking at some absolutely amazing art (which was the only thing keeping me going at that point.) We heard incredible stories about each piece we stopped at, and I got some neat photos. As soon as it was done, we hobbled back to the hotel and crashed. At 6:20, we got a knock on our door and our neighbors stopped by to tell us that they heard from some of the other American students from the night before. Apparently we were meeting them for dinner. My roommate and I once again pried ourselves away from our delightful beds and went out with them. Dinner was delicious (spaghetti with tomato sauce, nothing fancy), and the gelato after was even better. I came back to the room right after to relax since I have an 8am class, but some girls continued on with them to Scholars.

I must now depart to finish some reading for tomorrow and sleep. I will post again soon! Arrivederci!

Mia Eccitazione!

Today was a generally unexciting day consisting of class, studying, and more class with a bit of eating thrown in just for fun. I woke up at 7:30 this morning to get to my 8 o'clock music lecture which just about made us all fall asleep. It ran for 3 hours. It was really interesting, and I enjoy the class, but listening to opera music in a warm, dark classroom with a soft voice talking in the background makes it nearly impossible to stay awake. After that ended I read for art history, took a quick nap and went down for lunch. We had alfredo pasta, green beans, potatoes, quiche, and gelato. After lunch we went to art history. It is definitely my favorite class. My professor designed it for non-art majors (and basically anyone who knows very little about art) so I am finding it very easy even after three lectures. The readings are always interesting. I am excited to show off my knowledge when I act as a tour guide for my parents in April. The night continued with a bit of craziness booking our trip for next weekend, and I decided I am going to Prague with a group of girls who had the whole thing planned instead of waiting around for the girls who wanted to go to Ireland or London. I am all set to go with my flight and hostel booked! There are 8 of us leaving next friday morning at 7:45, and we are staying at Sir Toby's hostel in a 'dorm room for 8-10 people.' Hopefully it will be just us in a room for 8. I am excited to see Prague, but for now my excitement is more over seeing the inside of the Colosseum (including the newly opened basement corridors) and going to mass at the Vatican before taking a tour through it. A few museums are going to be thrown into the mix making this a fun history filled weekend in Roma. The adventures begin at 9 tomorrow morning.

As for tonight, a group of us are planning on going out around 10ish to a few bars. We are going to try to get the feel of the night life in Rome from some of the veterans of the program. They said they would show us all of the best places to go. Should be fun! I will post pictures soon =)

Una Esplorazione!

Dinner tonight was delicious again. We had a bean soup with some sweet bread and salad for our first course, then pizza with prosciutto and mozzarella, and finally fruit for desert. After dinner we went back to the room. I heard a knock on the door, and my neighbors had stopped by to ask if we wanted to go for a walk. We jumped up and grabbed our coats! Not really knowing what to do, we started walking in the normal direction towards the street with our class buildings. Finally, we decided to go to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. I definitely disagree with anyone who said the Trevi was disappointing! I turned the corner and was in awe. The way the water and statues were lit in the darkness was beautiful. And I could definitely get far enough back to take it all in. I loved it! I think it will be a new studying destination for me. The Spanish Steps were pretty amazing too at night. The fountain at the front was glowing and the steps looked almost ominous at a distance with the spotlights. We walked up to the obelisk at the top and took in the view of the city at night for a few minutes before heading down. The whole walk down we were practically attacked by men trying to sell roses. They left me alone for the most part but chased down the four other girls. (I decided to walk down the other side of the stairs to avoid them.) We took the scenic route through the old cobblestone streets back to the hotel where we are now attempting to plan our trip for next weekend. We are going to Dublin (and if that absolutely won't work, then we will join another group going to Prague.) I cannot wait! Back to skyping mom and sleeping soon. Arrivederci!

Io Esploro Roma

Well, I managed to roll out of bed this morning at about 9, which was later than I had hoped since we were all going walking at 9:30, but it all worked out really well anyway. I got dressed and went to knock on Tyler's door so the two of us could get breakfast at Pascucci's and meet everyone. I got a cheese pastry and juice, Tyler got hot chocolate and a chocolate pastry (she said "I feel like I am eating diabetes." Apparently hot chocolate here is literally a melted bar of chocolate in a cup, with whipped cream.) We ate for a while and waited but no one showed up. Thinking they must have forgotten we head up to the hotel to look for them, and of course, they were all dropping off their books and were about to head down.

I fell asleep shortly after writing that last night, so I will continue it now. A group of us walked from the hotel to the Campo di Fiori market where they sell fresh fruit, vegetables, and many other food items as well as souvenirs. We wandered around the collection of items for sale for about a half hour and left for the Colosseum. The walk was much shorter than expected - we didn't really realize how close everything really is. It was spectacular just turning the corner and seeing the massive Colosseum in the distance. We explored the ruins all along the road leading up to it, and when we finally reached it we realized we only had a little under an hour to get back for our group tour. So we did a spin around the outside, looking at all of the things around it before deciding to head back. (We get free entrance to the Colosseum saturday anyway, and we decided we could wait.) On our way back we stopped in a church and then grabbed sandwiches at Pascucci's before meeting the rest of the group for the tour. Once again, the tour wasn't the best. This one was far more painful than the one before. We practically ran for about a mile, stopped at Augustus' family altar and tomb before once again running to the Piazza del Popolo. Though it was a rather quick stop, we learned a lot. The massive arch way at the far side of the piazza was designed to be the grand entrance to Rome. When ever anyone traveled from the north, this would be the first they saw of Rome. At the opposite side are Bernini's sister churches, designed nearly identically and splitting the three roads that all lead to the piazza. The middle road, back in ancient times, led directly to the Roman Forum. Now, many buildings stand in the way. After that, we ran back to the pantheon to make sure we could get to art history on time. Class was interesting, we discussed catacombs and early Christian art. That was my only class of the day. With all of the running around, everyone pretty much crashed after class, and dinner was at 7. For dinner we had minestrone/pea soup and peas with meatballs and potatoes for dinner. For desert I got orange and strawberry gelato. Delicious! I spent the rest of the night studying while a good majority of the group went out. I managed to finish all my work, talked to my mom, and tried to write a post, but I was far too tired and just went to sleep.

The twin churches (Bernini)

Piazza del Popolo
Augustas' Tomb
The Colosseum (of course...)
Roman Forum Ruins

This morning (thursday) I got up around 10, showered, and read before my Italian class at 1:30. While I would like to explore in the morning with people, there are only 3 girls in my Italian class, and everyone else has Italian at 10 so it isn't really possible. Class went well, and I am far less nervous about it. My professor seems to be pretty easy going. After Italian, I went to Mythology, and right after Mythology was Religion. Both were very good and I am enjoying them! Dinner was directly after religion, and now here I am at 8 o'clock. My homework is all complete for tomorrow so I am relaxing and trying to figure out the plan for tonight. There is talk of booking tickets to Prague for next weekend. Another group is discussing Munich. I'm torn between the two so I guess whichever is booked first is the one I am going to go with.

Tomorrow is the 'monday make-up day.' We don't have friday classes, but because the semester is so short, they added another week by taking four fridays and putting each day's classes on one. So monday's classes are tomorrow and in two weeks we will have tuesday's classes on friday. Should be a relatively easy day. Buonasera!

Le Fotografie!

Piazza Navona

La Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi

Palace at the Piazza Navona

Top of the center obelisk of the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi

La Fontana

Campo di Fiori

Packing up the daily market in the Campo di Fiori

Flowers for sale in the Campo di Fiori

Fountain outside the Palazzo Farnese

For the rest, go to my facebook page and check out my Rome album!

"What universe are you from? - You are America girl."

Ciao =)

This morning was delightful! I finally got some legitimate sleep and didn't get up until 10:30. I took a quick shower and started my reading for Art History, which was surprisingly fun to read. My first class today was at 1:30 so at 12 when my roommate and neighbors got out of their class we went for a walk to find a supermarket. It took a while but we finally found one. My roommate needed shampoo and conditioner - and who knew how hard that would be! We stood in front of them all staring at bottles trying to decipher which was which. I guess it would help if we knew what "conditioner" was in Italian, but after about ten minutes we figured it out. We took a short walk to the Pantheon and a few small piazzas before heading back to Pascucci's for lunch. I got a pizzeta con pomodoro e mozarella and a mixed fresh fruit juice. It was delicious! The room is very small, but it is adorable / delightful. Our program has a deal with Pascucci's so we don't have to pay cash - like munch money, we have Pascucci dollars. After lunch, I went to my Italian class - language and literature. It was ok, but the five of us in the course are scared. She expected all of us t be practically fluent but I was the only one to use Italian in class. It was intimidating but I thnk I will learn a lot. We have a reading we have to start this weekend so I guess we will see how hard it will be. I am a bit nervous. Directly after that we had our first tour. It was a tad disappointing because we had to walk so quickly and we only got a minute at each stop, but Piazza Navona was spectacular!! I think Bernini is my new idol (sorry Gaudi). I am excited to see more of his work. We had to rush back to make it to Mythology, and made it just on time. Mythology went well, and I think I will really like the class. He referred to many art pieces and I realized that knowing these myths will make so much art work make more sense. I can't wait to get reading! Luckily, Mythology ended with 15min to spare before religion so I sprinted back to the hotel, changed into my outfit for the opera (red and black plaid skirt, black sweater) and ran back for my next class. Religion also was interesting and I have to say, it is going to be so easy! All readings are optional and only what is mentioned in class is on the exams. He said as long as we know generally what is going on, we are all set. I seriously need that with all of my difficult classes this semester! Religion ended at 7, and all of us ran back for dinner. We had chicken and rice, salad, and a weird cake thing with chocolate which all was delicious as usual. Dinner ended at about 7:45.

As soon as everyone dropped off their books and grabbed their tickets, we left for the opera! Miss Mchugh (our RA) told us we shouldn't walk there because not know where we were really going was too dangerous at night, so we took a bus. Tickets are sold at Pascucci's so we bought one for each way and went to the bus stop. We were told to take the 40 bus to the stop with the Burger King. Easy enough, right? Well turns out there are two Burger Kings... We got off at the first one and looked around but couldn't find a theatre. So we started walking in the direction that the bus was heading in thinking it must be close. After about two blocks and nothing we decided to ask someone. We stopped a man and asked "Dov'è il teatro del'opera?" and he laughed, pulled a map out of his pocket, handed it to us and walked away. Not so helpful when you have no clue what street you're on. So we kept walking until we finally found a sign and though we figured out exactly where we were... At this point we had about 10min to get there. We kept walking and eventually hit a massive piazza and fountain - the one Miss Mchugh told us to turn around at because that meant we went too far. But there was absolutely no theatre on that street. So we asked a few more people and right when we figured a map out, someone found the only Italian willing to help us. We ran around the next corner finding the massive theatre on our right. There was no time to waste. After most of us got through the ticket line, one girl realized she accidentally brought the wrong ticket... Luckily the guy believed her she had one to this show too and let her through a few minutes later. We sprinted to our seats and got comfortable right as the lights went down. To our dismay, our private box seats were awkwardly placed on the farthest left side of the stage... From my seat, I could only see maybe half of the stage. And, of course, the entire show took place directly below us - the one spot we could absolutely not see without leaning our entire upper bodies on the wall in front of us. (Not the most comfortable way to watch a show. For most of it I just sat back and listened. The show was great, I just wish I had seen more and that the actors has mics - they were nearly impossible to hear most of the time over the music. I followed along best I could, and knowing the plot beforehand certainly helped. It left me craving a real Italian opera - in Italian. While we were waiting for the bus to pick us up, we were all standing in a group talking. This man started staring at us in shock and inching towards us. I turned and tried to ignore him but before I knew it he was literally smelling my hair... I jumped and he stared at me, then tried talking to me... But i turned away so he started talking to another girl instead. He said "You. What universe are you from?" We all laughed, but he was serious. She said "Uh, America..." and he was like "You are America girl. What cigarette?" And he got mad when we didn't give an answer other than to laugh. Luckily, our bus pulled up right then so we all ran on, laughing hysterically.

Tomorrow I am going at 9:30 for a long walk of the city with a few girls. We plan on going everywhere we can before our group tour at 1:15. As it is 1 in the morning, I think I am going to catch some z's so I can get up early tomorrow to get some reading done before our big adventure. Buonasera!!

El secondo giorno costante

So I decided since I have a bit of free time once again after class ended and before another walk around the city that I would post about the rest of my day mainly consisting of lunch and art history. I got my books and opera tickets today! I have a massive and rather heavy set of books, but luckily I will not have to carry them much at all. Most classes don't require you bring your text daily, which sounds good to me! Lunch was fabulous! We started with some pasta and tomato sauce (light and delightful), continued with chicken and vegetables, and finished with a tasting of three different gelatos (I had strawberry, 'banana' (we weren't quite sure), and chocolate. Some other people got sour apple, pistachio, and other unrecognizable, yet delicious, flavors.) I then ran upstairs, grabbed my books, and ran off to Art History. The class seems like it will be really interesting and really difficult. She seems really nice, but my professor has a thick accent that makes things a bit more difficult to understand. I also found it funny that she has made several points that made the internet and anything other than painting/ sculpting/ architecture sound bad. I don't think she is one to tell that I am going into graphic design with a fine arts degree... Maybe I will just say fine arts and leave my concentration out of it. So everything is going really well. My roommate and one of my neighbors went for a run, but when they get back all four of us will probably head out to walk and find a good place to eat. I think tonight will be low-key with how tired everyone is. My big touristy walk may have to wait until another day.

Tomorrow afternoon at 3 we are all taking a tour to the Largo Argentina Area, the Campo de' Fiori, Piazza Farnese, and Piazza Navona. Maybe I will order some pizza with an egg on it while in the Piazza Navona as my parents have recommended. This tour is actually one of many this next week and a half. Wednesday we go to the Campo Marzio Area, the Pantheon, the Ara Pacis Augustae, the Tomb of Augustus and Piazza del Popolo. This weekend are the ones I think I am most excited for: the Roman Forum, the Palatine Hill, and the Colosseum on saturday / St Peter's Square and Basilica, the Imperial Fora, and the Captioline Hill and Museum. Just to keep the list going, the rest of the tour sites on these collective orientation tours are the Ghetto, Tiber Island, the Forum Boarium, Santa Maria in Cosmedin, the Circo Massimo, the Pallazzo Chigi Area, Trevi Fountain, Via Frattina, and the Spanish Steps. So much to see! I can't wait!!

So now for a quick nap. While I felt no jet-lag yesterday, I think the fact I didn't sleep the entire way on the plane is hitting me. (Long story why, including a creepy man who sat next to me the entire way...) I am surprised at how well I am managing the time change - I have even been getting hungry right at meal times so I guess I must be all switched over. I have class and tours all day tomorrow so my next post probably won't be until late at night (if anyone actually reads this...) Buonasera!

Il primo (e secondo) giorno

Buongiorno!

Well, I am all moved in and settled! My room is amazing and the view is stunning. I can actually see the Pantheon. I attached pictures of the room, and I will upload more later tomorrow. One of my roommates and I went wandering after the first orientation talk this afternoon and ate some pasta at a little cafe by the hotel. I ordered and spoke Italian! I even asked for help when I didn't know what to do with the tray after we finished. Before we ate, we made a huge circle seeing what we could find. When we got back to the hotel, we had a group meeting and they gave us a tour of the classroom building and showed us where the library is. The classroom building reminded all of us of an old schoolhouse and it has a tiny door leading to tiny stairs up a floor. In the schoolhouse, we had a long lecture from the director, Dr Prebys. She made it very clear no flipflops were allowed outside hotel rooms by repeating that fact for about 5min. Other than that, we went over general rules about classes, dress, guests, and such. The meeting ended with about two hours until mass, so six of us went for a walk, and then four of us went to the opening mass. On our walk, we stopped at a pizza place, and found some good gelatarias to keep in mind, and also just wandered. As for mass, the program has it’s own private chapel with about 8 benches in a tiny almost closet sized room. Mass was wonderful, though it was in perfect English since its with the program… I may have to venture elsewhere soon to get the full Roman experience. Once mass ended, we had a nice chat with the priests and deacons before heading to Scholars, a local Irish bar, to watch some of the football game. It was so crowded and all of us couldn’t get a seat so we stayed for a little while and then head over to a different bar that was far less crowded. We decided we should probably try to get to Scholars sooner next time!

our room (including our view and the poodle in our bathroom):

After a short, but fun evening, we head back to the hotel for some sleep. I skyped with my mom for a bit, showered, and set my alarm for 7am before going to sleep. This morning when the alarm went off, it was torturous. We were still so tired! So I just hit snooze and didn’t end up moving until about 7:30. My roommate and I were both moving in slow motion, trying to get ready for our 8am class when suddenly she looked at the clock, brought it over, and asked “is this right??” It was 7:57. We grabbed our coats and bags and ran out the door! Our next door neighbors were in the exact same boat and actually opened their door at the same time as us. The four of us sprinted down the stairs, across the street, and into the classroom building with a minute to spare. But, of course, the professor wasn’t even there yet. We all took a deep breath, sat down, and waited. He was about 20min late when he walked in, which was perfectly alright with us. It is a music appreciation class that goes from 8-11 every Monday. As part of the class, we get to attend three operas, and the first is tomorrow night. I am so excited!! It is in English, so I can maybe actually understand what is going on, and it sounds really interesting! He read us the entire plot; it’s about an Italian-American family and the husbands two cousins who illegally moved to the US. As is the usual story, one cousin falls for the wife’s beautiful cousin but the husband is jealous, admits to loving his wife’s cousin also, and eventually is killed for it. We have planned to walk over to the theatre tomorrow night after dinner in the Tiziano (our hotel) which is about a scenic 20min walk according to our professor.

Our first meal in the Tiziano is today in one hour (1oclock)! None of us can wait. Everyone says the food is amazing, and other programs say we most definitely have the best food of any of them. After that, at 2:20, I have my first art history class. I hear it is extremely difficult, so I am a bit nervous, but also very excited. That is my only other class today so tonight I will be heading to a nice pizza or pasta dinner with friends, and maybe a quick tourist type of tour hitting a few of the big sites. I would love to see the Trevi and such, so maybe I can convince a few girls to go with me.

I will post again either tonight or tomorrow about what I end up doing, but for now, arrivederci!

I just remembered something hilarious that happened before mass sunday so I decided to add it on here: on our walk over, before we turned the corner where all the school buildings are, including the chapel, we heard loud singing and music in the distance. As we continued walking, a large group of people in white robes and colorful floral necklaces were dancing toward us in the street. We still don't have a clue what they were saying (it wasn't Italian), but when we tried to get by they pulled one of the girls into the group and started spinning her around to get her to dance with them! The rest of us, being the amazing friends we were, ran out of fear they might catch us too. Luckily, that may have been the best thing to do because the guy noticed we left and shooed her away so she could catch us. It made us laugh hysterically, maybe a bit too much for walking into the silent and tiny (yet very echo-y) chapel. =)

Posso vado ancora??

I am completely packed and sitting anxiously awaiting my departure. I have gone through a nice rotation of old t-shirts these past few days scraping for things to wear. I guess packing a week early has its disadvantages...

In two and a half days I will be leaving for the airport. I am going to Italy! Can I say that again? I AM GOING TO ITALY! Sorry, it's just a tad exciting... Internship applications are complete, so with nothing else to think about, this trip is not the only thing on my mind. A few of the other students going and I have been discussing possible weekend trips. We have come up with so many it would be impossible to do them all, but I am sure we will try! (Slovenia, Innsbruck, Budapest, Munich, Prague, Vienna, Croatia, Amalfi Coast, Venice, Milan... to name a few) Anyone have any must-see recommendations??

Only two and a half days to go!! Until then, Arrividerci!

Ciao!

Ciao!

With just under 20 days to go until I board the plane that will mark the beginning of my three month european adventure, I have begun to feel some minor panic and immense, indescribable excitement. Just talking about it gets my heart racing. I am a second semester sophomore at Saint Mary's College in Indiana participating in the Rome Program. This semester I will be living in the Hotel Tiziano with a group of girls from SMC (and a few other schools) studying art history, greek mythology, music appreciation, italian language and literature, and religious studies.

Though packing has not yet ensued (for I may not want to put everything in suitcases with two weeks left at home...) I am eagerly waiting preparing for my departure. This entire trip seems like a fantasy, a re-occurring dream. Starting to pack may be just what I need to convince myself this is really happening; I really will be living in Rome!

So while I would love to sit and allow myself to literally get engulfed in thoughts of Italia for the next week and a half, I must now depart to my current reality - internship applications. Wish me luck!

A domani!

For anyone that has participated in study abroad programs or has traveled around Europe - any and all advice is welcome! I would love to hear about favorite restaurants and destinations or even places to avoid. Grazie!