Rome: I made it!

After a rocky start with all of the prior airport drama, things finally fell into place after my departure from Detroit to Rome. On the nine-hour flight, I managed to cram in basic Italian vocabulary and course readings assigned for the program. Between the intermittent naps and flight dinners, I also managed to watch “Invictus,” a movie I’ve been waiting to see for months. Once I landed, I met up with my professors and shared a cab ride back to the UW Rome Center.

After checking into my apartment in Campo de’Fiori, I met finally met up with my peers. Mauna, Molly, Rebecca, and Katie took me to an outdoor ATM, which apparently was the site where Caesar was stabbed to death. Later on in the afternoon, the class as a whole went to a nearby bar to watch the United States take on Slovenia during the World Cup. During the middle of the match, the bar experienced a blackout at a critical moment of the game (USA was behind 2-0)—I hope I didn’t bring my bad luck with me to Rome!

Due to the jet lag and time zone differences, I immediately passed out once I returned to my apartment. The weather here is VERY hot, so I had to remember to keep hydrating myself. Half of the group went to an Italian restaurant for dinner. I tagged along and had lasagna—it was authentically legit. We then explored an exciting night market that was full of people, music, and entertainment; it was located on the banks of the Tiber River. I still can’t believe that I’m finally in Rome, the eternal city. The ambiance is everything that I thought it would be, and the students here seem pretty chill.

Night market on the banks of the Tiber River.