It’s official – I’m in love with my new life here in Rome!
I did experience, however, a very strange adjustment process… My flight to Rome was so quick that when I landed at Fiumicino, it didn’t seem possible that I’d crossed an ocean. That, along with the few weeks that it took to get my bearings, made it difficult to fathom that I’m now living in Rome, Italy. Even on my first visit to the Colosseum my initial reaction was not at all what I expected it to be. I should have been in complete awe, but it didn’t hit me until probably my third visit. It was on this third visit to the Colosseum that my parents came with me. Having them here with me was so exciting; I was able to share my experience with them and really look like a local for a week. I have to say, though, that saying goodbye to them the second time was much harder than the first.
I don’t know if I could pick a favorite thing about living here… There is never a shortage of things to do or places to wander around. Half of the fun about visiting a new place is the journey to get there, more often than not getting lost along the way. Aside from the incredibly breathtaking ruins and architecture that I’m surrounded by, I have come to discover a few places that have become some of my favorite spots in Rome. There is a huge, beautiful fountain that is about a 5-minute walk from campus that I love having lunch next to, with an incredible view of the entire city. My favorite spot on campus, the roof garden, has a similar view that never ceases to take my breath away. Additionally, the park that’s not far from my apartment is my favorite place to walk, run and just spend any amount of time because it is so beautiful and a perfect place to watch the sunset.
There are many things that I am missing about Rollins, familiarity being a big one. It is definitely a learning experience getting lost on my way to class where the meeting place is an unfamiliar church or monument in Rome, when I am not familiar with street names or the many different bus lines. But I finally feel well-adjusted and am soaking up every minute of being in this incredible city!!! (Spending my 21st birthday in Rome was pretty unbelievable too…)
It is exciting to read that you are falling in love with your host country. Besides the Colosseum, what other ruins or monuments have you visited in Rome?
Other than the Colosseum, I’ve visited the Pantheon, the Roman Forum, the Arch of Constantine, the Capitoline Museum, the Trevi Fountain, and the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (as well as so many other churches and basilicas)!