Ask any of my friends, I love telling them that I am Italian. I take pride in my heritage but have always wanted to see where it started. A year ago today, I never thought I’d be standing at the base of the Trevi Fountain, sitting on a bench in the Roman forum, or gazing up at the world famous artwork depicted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Rome was a fairytale to me, always in stories but never tangible. Now I have my hands on the Collesium, taking in the pure majesty that Italy has to offer. Enough about how I feel, what did I do?
Eric, Shane and I go into the city Saturday night. First off, a massive shout out to my dad for booking us a room in the Westin Excelsior (this is a hotel where celebrities stay, cannot thank him enough for that). We took it easy that night because there much to see in a small amount of time. Sunday we had a couple things planned, but this was a vacation to us, so there was really no agenda, minus the tours planned for Monday. Sunday morning started with espresso by the Trevi Fountain. Not going to lie, I just shiver from this. The Trevi Fountain, an iconic landmark as well as movie backdrop was right in front of me.
On the first day, we did a lot of sightseeing. We were able to see the ancient Pantheon, the massive Terrazza delle Quadre, and the many Spanish Steps. Tip #1, do not run full speed up them unless you desire the feeling of nausea and want to pass out. The whole day we were welcomed by magnificent sculptures and various fountains that aided in our adventures through side streets (I will be using the word “adventure” a lot, mainly because it fits our traveling experiences so well, and this is my first time trying to document our endeavors that words can not even describe how it felt). Besides bouncing from one piazza to the next in between sightseeing, we made sure no matter what time t was there will always be time for gelato.
We dedicated Monday to the Colosseum and Roman Forum. You can easily spot out the Colosseum from a mile away. It isn’t until you stand under the archway at the entrance that you realize this ancient piece of architecture is beyond massive. This was the first time that I literally had chills run down my spine, I was truly in awe. The history is just as intriguing as the views. I found out the in the bottom of the Colesseum, they used to fill up the Colosseum with water so battles could take place on boats. The first version of battleship you could say. Next, we made our way next door to the Roman Forums. I heard about them in class but did not know how many acres it covered. We walked around for more than 2 hours and I still don’t think I saw the whole forum. What took me away was how certain pieces/structures were still intact, as well as the gorgeous gardens. Each part of the forum had a different aspect yet similar enough to tie together the whole landscape.
With tourism comes drinking, especially the college students who can not legally drink in the US. At night we partook in a bar crawl. We stumbled into an Irish pub post-dinner for a few beers (because Shane loves Irish pubs in every country). Turns out there was a bar crawl from one bar to another, then to a club with 3 free shots, beer pong, and unlimited drinks from 10-11. This plethora of alcohol costed us each 20 Euro. I swear they are just giving alcohol away to anyone with a liver in Europe. The bar crawl was a great time. We keep our nation proud by being victorious in international beer pong. Our challenging competition was a couple from England, two Norwegian brutes, and a duo from Belgium, Beautiful and Gorgeous as we called them. With a patriotic victory under our belt, we drank, ate, and enjoyed our Monday night in Rome. To finish the night off we goofed around and hung out next the Trevi fountain. We were surprisingly accompanied by almost 30 other drunk people that made their way to the fountain. It was a great night.
The morning was not as fun, in regards to the unbearable process of waking up before 9. We had already booked tickets for a tour in the morning so there was no going back. You couldn’t miss the 30 ft walls which barricaded the Vatican. Luckily we had to skip the line tickets and only waited about 10 minutes for entry, instead of 2 hours like the rest of people. I will say our tour guide was not the best, very nice lady but walked a mile a minute and spoke at a hushed tone. I still enjoyed the sights and history that I could hear. After the main section, we entered the Sistine Chapel. What boggles my mind is how I see pictures or videos of famous artwork, sculptures, structures, etc. in person. You honestly have no idea what grace and beauty comes with these masterpieces until you see them with your own eyes. This hold beyond true when I walked into St. Peter’s Basilica. I had noooo idea how massive it was and how powerful the structure stood. From architecture to appetite, Rome left me more than satisfied each day. When people say, “do as the Romans,” they aren’t kidding because the Romans did a damn good job and pretty much every aspect of life.
This study abroad is a learning experience for me. I think by the end of this trip I will become better at describing things, so just be patient with me and I promise I’ll get the hang of this!
Tom's Travels 
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