Toto…we’re not in Kansas anymore
After many months and days of anxiously waiting and watching Italian movies, I am finally here in Roma! If it sounds unreal to you, then you are not alone. Even after being cramped on the plane for what seemed like days, with a chair pushed back all the way into my face, it wasn’t until I was actually standing on Roman soil that it hit me I was no longer in America. Thankfully, I had chosen to take part in the group flight, as this is my first time in Europe and I would have surely been lost among swarms of tourists and customs officers.
The days since stepping off the plane are really quite a blur. This is a result of severe jet lag, utter disbelief, and endless meetings. The second we arrived at the Rome Center, we were whisked away to informational meetings and weighted down with mountains of paperwork. While all this was necessary, I couldn’t help but just want to shower and sleep. Then, when we were finally able to do so, my body was just too overworked and excited to relax and fall asleep. Combine this feeling with the beginnings of a cold, and you’ve got yourself one poorly functioning person.
However, like any sensible person in Italy, I instantly found my temporary cure to exhaustion in espresso. Sorry America, but your espresso tastes like water compared to the amazingly wonderful Italian espresso. So, with un doppio caffe in my system, I was ready to tackle anything and everything Roman. Good thing, too, since within the first few days we had a group dinner in the Monte Mario neighborhood (in which JFRC is located), spent a day touring the Colosseum and Forum, got washed away by rain while at a beach, and then jumped into the start of classes.
I still have yet to catch up on sleep (thanks to the screaming feral cats and there being so much to do in Rome), but thankfully my cold is subsiding and a steady routine of classes and exploration is starting to form. One major piece of advice: do not get hooked on double espressos, or doppio caffe. In theory, and reality, they are tasty and work wonders to keep you awake, but just know that it will be hard, dare I say excruciatingly difficult, to go back to regular coffee in America if you form this habit. Today, I decided to go without any form of coffee and…well…I only made it until about lunchtime. Thank goodness for our little coffee bar in the basement of the Rome Center!
Second piece of advice, actually more like information: just because you are in Rome, it doesn’t mean classes are easy or unimportant. Since they have started, I already have quite a bit of reading and some future papers to keep in mind. But, this weekend that will all be put on hold as the JFRC group heads to Tuscany and the region of Umbria. Magnificent views, massive amounts of marvelous food, and many miles of walking await us! One thing is for certain: Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore!
Ciao per ora!
Elizabeth