It's Finally Starting to Feel Real

Classes, trips, euros, gelato, gelato, gelato.

Being in Rome is fantastic. It is easily one of the most amazing cities in the world. There are so many places to explore and history is just around every corner. Despite being so grand and wonderful, I have been a bit overwhelmed in Rome the past couple of weeks. A lot of new things are going on in every direction, but I am gradually making the necessary adjustments.

Classes. I forgot the study part of study abroad. Last week was my second full week of classes, so looking at all of the papers, exams, and projects I will have over the course of the semester was a wake up call. However, I have enjoyed all of my classes so far: Lit History, Media and the Environment, Ancient Rome, and Fresco Painting. That's right, I am taking an art course. Last week we had to make the cement layers and smooth it onto the wall. And for homework we were assigned water color paintings! I'm probably going to struggle, but it is a beginner course so everyone is in the same boat. This class is very different than what I am used to, but I figure when I am older and looking back on my experience it will be awesome to say I took Fresco Painting...in ROME!

My favorite class so far is Ancient Rome and Its monuments. Our professor is a brilliant archaeologist who is extremely passionate about her work. Her ability to get the class excited to learn about Ancient Rome is impressive. It is an on-site class, which means that we get to walk the streets of Rome and see all of the things she includes in her lectures. The other day, she brought us to Capitoline Hill where we had an astounding view of the Roman Forum. It is finally starting to feel real: we are living in Rome.

The great thing about studying abroad is that its not all work, all of the time. Last weekend my program brought us to Tuscany for a wine tasting. After waking up at 6 AM and traveling for about two and a half hours we made it to Montepulciano, a beautiful medieval town with an extraordinary view of Toscana. I've never seen a more breath-taking landscape. Blue skies, rolling hills, vineyards, valleys -- it was unbelievable. After touring the town, we were able to explore the wine cellars and go to a formal wine tasting. They taught us the proper techniques and explained all of the different wines.

The next day we drove to Cortona, another medieval town in Tuscany. These towns were built on steep hills. Every walk is an insanity work out -- up and down hill! I am not sure how people do that on a daily basis, but this town was just as beautiful as the previous one. Here we got to do more exploring and shopping on our own, which was a lot of fun. I bought three scarves...I have a problem, but I promise it was deal. We also got to go to a natural hot spring spa, which was the perfect, relaxing way to end the trip.

This weekend we've decided to stay in Rome. We are starting to plan out trips for October and November, so as the weeks go by we are going to be very busy juggling school work, visitors, and travel. We are planning on going to the Almalfi Coast, London, Paris, and Dublin-- all incredible places. I am so lucky to have this opportunity and I can't wait to start booking flights and hostels. But for now, we need to get to know our own city. Yesterday we took a tour of the Colosseum. We got to go on all levels, even underground beneath the stage. It was SO cool. Tomorrow I have plans to play ultimate disc in Circus Maximus. I need some frisbee in my life!

I wish I could share this experience with all of you. It has definitely been a challenge, maybe even the hardest thing I've done in my life. But, I can tell that by December it'll have been an experience worth having. I am so excited for what the next few months have to offer.