First Weekend in Roma

It was Friday already and I have been living in Rome for two whole days now! I still can't believe that I can walk by the Colosseum or Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi in Italian) whenever I want. And it's not really that far from our apartment- with public transportation, probably around 45 minutes to that part of the ancient city. One of the oddest places in the city, with its quaint charm, is the ancient ruins by Largo Argentina, the end of the #8 tram line. The ruins have become a refuge for the stray cats of the city. I know my younger brother, Aaron, would have loved to see it. Next time I pass by, I will take a picture and post it here just for him!

I also want to introduce you to my roommates. The girl I share a room with is Lizz, who attends Chatham College in Pittsburgh. She is from Michigan. Shelby is another roommate from New Jersey who attends Towson University. Kelly also goes to Towson and she's from New York. Liz attends Goucher College in Maryland and is from North Carolina. And finally, last but not least, Robin goes to UMBC and is from Maryland. So I would say we're a somewhat diverse group of girls living together in Rome! I'm so excited to grow, learn, and share in this study abroad experience with these girls.

On Friday, I still hadn't bought a converter for the electrical outlet, so I borrowed Shelby's to use to call my parents via Skype. I'm talking to them more than I thought I would be able, so it's good to stay in touch and see them on the web cam. I had orientation at AUR with Lizz. At orientation, we asked someone for directions to a store near school where we could buy electrical outlet converters. And we found the place and I finally had one to call my own! I was so excited to find a hairdryer too- it was only 9 euro, and I would be sharing it with Robin and Shelby.

Friday night, Lizz and I met up with our other roommates at Largo Argentina to see the Spanish Steps. It was really crowded with tourists- I will need to come back after the tourist season ends. We walked down a street with shops like Gucci, Dolce and Gabbana, and Louis Vuitton. I knew I couldn't afford anything in those stores, but it was nice to look. We took the tram back to Trestevere and I had dessert- organic peach gelato in the Piazza di Santa Maria. It was delicious, as usual! Shelby, Liz, and I decided to go to a bar to have a drink. I tried limoncello for the first time- it's a lemon licquer. I liked it, but I probably won't drink it every time I go out. Liz told me that it tastes a little bit different at every bar, so I will try it a few more times while I'm in Italy.

On Saturday, we all took our time getting up and ready for the day. Then we went to the barbeque at AUR. We had burgers and it reminded me of a typical American picnic, with lots of music and people and fun. They were also having sign-ups for clubs- I decided to sign up for the Business Club and the Culture Club. I was also anticipating signing up for trips to travel around Italy, but those weren't until Monday. After the barbeque, I went back to the apartment with Kelly and Liz and indulged in my first Italian siesta. I wish more Americans took a break in the middle of the day to nap and relax. It felt so good to take a nap, even in the hot afternoon. Saturday night Shelby and I went out to an Irish pub, Scholars, where the bartenders speak English and there is lots of good music, just like at every typical pub. We met some more AUR students there and it was a fun night.

We were going to the beach on Sunday! The beach we were going to is called Ostia, and it's right outside Rome. I was so excited for this trip- I hadn't been to the beach all summer. I went to the beach in Copenhagen with Maria and the water was so pretty. Now I was excited to see the beautiful ocean in Italy. It took a long time to get to the beach- I'm slowly learning more patience. We met up with other AUR students on the #8 tram line. We had to take a bus to the train station- about 50 of us showed up for the trip! So it was difficult traveling with that many people. We caught the train and took it all the way to the end of the line. We had to take another bus to one of the prettier beaches, and then it was time to relax and bask in the sun! I swam for a little bit in the ocean, but sun-bathed most of the day. Only my back and a little bit of my chest was sun-burnt the next day. On our way back, Shelby and I were so hungry from our day in the sun, so we stopped at a ristorante. I had a traditional serving of bruschetta with tomato and basil drizzled with olive oil. Then I ordered cheese ravioli and some red house wine. It was a delicious meal! I tried some of Shelby's penne with vodka sauce, and it was good. And for just the two of us, the meal was only 24 euro- not too bad! I went to bed early so that I would be fully rested for my first day of classes at AUR.