Wow I do not know whether I feel that these past 30 days have gone by fast or slow, but fast or slow, time and days aside, I do know some things for sure. I am no longer a tourist anymore, I refuse to associate myself as a tourist and even find myself smiling at all the massive tourist groups that flood through Rome and surrounding areas every day (sometimes I do admit I have to pull out that one thing that screams tourist every once in a while to find my way back to our hotel if we go on a walk somewhere but maps are my comfort blanket). My picture taking is becoming slightly less obnoxious and more sporadic and the phrase "una copetta piccola con_______ e _______" at a gelateria is a part of my nightly routine. If the street outside of our window is completely quite at 2am and La Tazza D'Oro isn't crowded, or if you walk by a restaurant and the waiter doesn't beckon you three times before you pass to come to his restaurant then I am dreaming, for all of the crazy and hectic that defines Rome has become so natural and comforting to me. How to dress and interact and make the most out of my every day here no longer takes a lot of planning and thinking, it just is and it just comes. I am truly living in Rome and Rome is living in me.
If I got that just out of one month here in Rome I cannot fathom where or who I will be in two more months. It is completely inspiring to realize how much living in a different city and in a different culture can change you and change your attitude towards things. When I land in America in December, I have a feeling that what I felt when I landed here on September 25th will resurface because I will be leaving my home in Rome and returning to a place that I have been so disconnected from for three months.
TWO MONTHS LEFT. This experience took forever to get here and now each day so quickly yet so fulfilling comes to an end....
You probably do not understand but writing this blog is so difficult at times. Literally I spent too much time thinking about a little "one month tribute" that I could have cleverly put together in this blog that outlines some of the best things that have happened and that I have experienced thus far but I just did not know where to begin. The brief (and when I say brief that is so understated) paragraphs above are just snippets capturing how I have been feeling and what I have been experiencing. Writing is hard in the first place, but when I sit down to write about Rome I have no idea how to begin and I take that as a good sign. If my memory was able to hold as perfectly as it is as a 20 year old 60 some years from now I wouldn't bother writing a blog because I feel like I do my experience a disservice by cutting so many things short, but then I remember this is also for the enjoyment of my fellow friends and family members as well and so I continue to write.
So getting back to filling you in on this past week....
Monday through today consisted of class, tests, a little bit of frustration, a little but of stress, a gloomy blah day for many of us (yes even in La Città Eterna there are blah days), group meals, gelato, friends on fall break from the States visiting friends here in Rome, good food, and limited money. And then before I knew it another week was in the rear...
Tuesday did consist of a blog worthy paragraph. After dinner on Tuesday Colleen and I knew we had to study for an Art History test which we have coming up on Wednesday (it's possibly going to be the worse, most cruel thing ever... memorizing 64 pieces of art when there are only going to be 4-5 on the test) so we decided that we were going to be cultured, take a walk, enjoy the night life, and study at the same time. And that we did! We walked to the Vatican which is about a twenty minute walk and we found a nice quite spot in one of the side column hall things and we studied Art History with the Vatican in plain sight. We were very productive for about an hour but than we decided it was time for a spontaneous photo shoot. Studying, photo shoot, Vatican= typical Tuesday night. Don't mind if I do!
Jumping ahead to today in which my Italian professor gets the "I know a way to win my students hearts" award. Today we had a Thursday make up day which means I had Theology and Italian as I would normally on Thursdays. Well Italian class is one brutal class to make up because that equals out to about 6 hours in one week of Italian. But today instead of sitting in class we went on an excursion with our professor! We hopped on the Metro at the station which is right by the Colosseum and headed to a more residential part of Rome called Garbatella San Paolo. We walked to the Basilica of San Paolo, which was incredible and massive, and then we walked quite a distance through this little area of Rome. We passed gelaterias, macellerias, salumerias, and latterias (all of which we just studied in class...yes that was the catch) and got to see a little bit of what a normal neighborhood in Rome looks like! It was quiet and quaint, there were trees and there were actually leaves on the ground, it even smelled a little bit like fall, oh I was in love. There were also legit parking lots and parking spaces on the streets, we even saw a gas station and a park. Yes this was not the center of Rome anymore. This would be Andree's neighborhood if she were to live in Rome. It was my kinda place. If that wasn't enough to make me happy, next our professor took us to her apartment/flat. I don't know what exactly she refers to it as but oh my gosh it was one of the cutest and best looking apartments I have ever been in! The decoration was very modern and the furniture was very chic and color coordinated. The kitchen was too cute with its oranges and reds and there were built in bookshelves all along the side wall of her living room. She made five of us espressos and put them in the best looking tazzinas around. Espresso from a home Italian kitchen made by a mother and Italian professor. Oh my. She also served us some chocolate bread and lemon bread and we sat around and chatted for a bit.
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| The best cappuccinos at my Italian professor's apartment |
The walk back was long but thats ok. I am so used to walking long distances now it doesn't even faze me and I actually enjoy it. I thank the Lord for my TOMS that I brought and I wear them all day every day. I have not gotten one blister yet and many of my friends have been suffering from some pretty nasty ones (flats are not the way to go when walking long distances folks).
It is nearing 6:00 pm here and I think it is going to be a salad night for dinner. Ha just reading that sounds pretty pathetic and yes I admit it is but really you don't appreciate salads until you have eaten in Rome for a month :) Tomorrow we have another all day lectures and tours to Palestrina and Tivoli so it will be long but hopefully enjoyable and of course educational. Cant forget about the educational aspects now.
This upcoming week is "midterms" week so I have three tests. Ha I don't even feel like we have been in classes long enough to have midterms but apparently thats what we are taking this week, so good luck to us I guess.
I think that is about all I have to catch you up on for the time being! Next weekend officially begins the traveling outside of Italy period as we will be heading to Greece on Friday. I cannot wait for that trip. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants inspired my desire to go to Greece and it is finally happening. You will for sure hear PLENTY about these upcoming trips so that only means one thing..... stay posted, I mean why wouldn't you?
Thanks for reading once again. I hope I am always able to make you stare out your window and smile as you envision yourself here with me!
Ciao,
Andree
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