[P] Rome. September 1st - 18th.

 A very delayed first impression of Rome:

 
We arrived at the Eternal City on the first of September. Alex and I said our goodbyes as he made his way to Siena, Italy and I joined my fellow study abroaders. We were taken to our new home in Trastevere, an up and coming neighborhood that still maintains a bit of a bohemian vibe and has been compared to New York's Greenwich Village. The main square, Piazza Santa Maria, boasts cobblestone streets, picturesque buildings, and one of the oldest churches in Rome. This is also where my American-style school, John Cabot University, is located near the river. Across the Tiber is the old Jewish Ghetto and Campo di Fiori. All in all, a great neighborhood to be in, even if our apartment is further away from the hub and has more graffiti than cobblestone. I live with seven other girls from all over the States and share a room with a great girl from California. Despite the Real World-esque of it all, its worked out quite well.

At school I am taking four classes, fewer than normal, that are all taught in English except for my language course. On Mondays and Wednesdays I have Intermediate Italian (Italian professor), Western European Politics (American professor), and International Economics (Italian professor). On Tuesdays and Thursdays I have International Affairs (Bulgarian professor). And, luckily, on Fridays we have no class! The university, like all things in Italy, is much more unorganized and can be quite frustrating at times but has been a good experience.

My first couple weeks were spent adjusting to my new home. And to be honest, I had a very difficult time. While Rome continues to grow on me, it can drive you crazy. I've learned that its necessary to retain a sense of humor but it took me awhile to get past the lack of efficiency and organization, and get used to the slow pace (bus drivers getting off to take a coffee break), dog poop littering the side walks, and the smell of urine in certain places. For an idea on how Italy measures up to the rest of Europe watch the video below. As my dear friend Antha put it, "Italy is like the crazy cousin with the tattoo and the tendency to scream secrets when drunk [about] Europe".



Trips during this time included a welcome trip to Ostia Antica, a preserved Roman city similar to Pompeii, an amazing four course lunch at Borgo di Tragliata organic farm, hiking Monte Catillo, and a beach day with the roommies.

Also some typical Roman sightseeing including: the Pantheon, an ancient temple dedicated to all of the Roman gods now used as a Catholic church;  the Trevi Foutain, as seen in La Dolce Vita and where tradition has it that you throw a coin in and wish to return to Rome; the Spanish Steps; the hated Victor Emmanuel monument, which destroyed part of the Roman Forum; and, of course, the Colosseum.