Benvenuto! I have arrived!
Benvenuto! As you have probably figured out by now I am spending my semester in Rome, Italy at the John Felice Rome Center! Cool, right? Well after arriving only three days ago I can honestly tell that this semester is going to be amazing. Although I am junior I feel like I am a freshman all over again. These first couple days have been filled with orientation seminars to fully emerge us students into the culture and help us have the best experience possible. Everyone is slowly getting to know each other and awkwardly engaging in small talk. So far I have met students from all over the place such as Saint Louis University, Santa Clara University, Fordham University, and even a girl from Iceland! The JFRC (John Felice Rome Center) is located in the cozy neighborhood of Balduina. Although the neighborhood is a little quiet right now, as most of the locals are on holiday, it seems like a great place to be situated.
Through jetlag, orientation, and unpacking last night was the first night I finally realized I was actually in ITALY! Myself and several other girls ventured around the city and were just amazed. Thankfully, we arrived into the city center on the 990 bus (I am still trying to figure out the whole bus system) and easily found our way around. We got to see the Castel Sant’Angelo and the Vatican for the first time!
Immediately I realized that there is so much I have to learn while I am here. Seeing these two sights emphasized that I know very little about Rome and its culture. I have already started reading and doing research on everything and I am so excited! (Trust me once I get it all down I will share my knowledge!) Another very significant event of the night was when I got my first gelato and it was ahhh-mazz-ingg! We ended the night by buying a few necessities in a local convenient store, where I was immediately overwhelmed. Speaking no Italian at all I nodded when the cashier rambled something to me. It turned out he was asking me how many grocery bags I wanted for my items because each bag is .10€ which I found to be a simple, yet interesting cultural difference.
Today was filled with more orientation sessions but our night was spent at a local restaurant. A group of students and several our Student Life Assistants went to a Sicilian restaurant with the best food I have eaten so far on my trip! The meal was full of a variety, ranging from seafood dishes, to interesting eggplant combinations, and of course wine. Around two hours later after we finished dinner and walked back through the cobblestone street. I developed 4 new blisters but it was worth it because I looked super cute in my wedges. We completed our night by taking a quick detour to the highest hill in Rome to see the city sparkle in the night sky, which was absolute breath taking.
Stay tuned for more updates, I promise things will get more exciting and less Lizzie McGuire like as I get settled in! Ciao for now!