Ciao from Italy! I have been in Rome for almost a week now, and it has been very interesting so far. There have been both positive and not so great things, but each is a learning experience. On the first day, adjusting to Rome was a little difficult. I had never been to Europe before, and the extreme differences amazed me. I miss people back home, but skype has been great. Rome was dirtier than I expected with a lot of graffiti everywhere. I am surprised that they don’t try to keep it cleaner. Safety precautions are not the same as in the United States and that especially pertains to cars and pedestrians. Their space limits are very different than than of Americans, and the cars will get very close to each other and to people walking the streets. The streets are often narrow and made of cobblestone, which is beautiful. The city is so old and every monument, building, and piazza has it’s own story of ancient history. Overall, it is amazing and overwhelming because there is so much to see and learn. Here are some of the things I have done so far: Toward the beginning of last week we found our classroom, the markets, the great gelato and pizza places, but it was a lot to take in especially being jet lagged. On the first day of classes, I walked with five friends, and because we had seen so much so quickly, we got lost for over an hour and were late for class. Cheryl (my teacher) understood. Rome can be very, very difficult to navigate, but we are starting to get the hang of it, partly. We learned how to use the buses and the metro, and we know how to get to places like class and the market, as well as some good places to eat. One thing that I thought was very strange here is that they have a cat sanctuary in the middle of the city. It is all ruins that they decided to give to all the stray cats in Rome. This is an interesting concept. As for the food in Rome, I still am deciding how I feel about it. I am a very picky eater, but I have been trying a lot. The pizza was kind of a let down because the cheese is kind of bland. I decided to try bell peppers on it to add some flavor and it was very good. I tried pesto yesterday and it was great! The pasta dishes are good but I need to get up the courage to try more. The gelato is of course amazing. The other day we went to an open air market where they have the best fruits and vegetables because they pick them fresh each morning. The strawberries were the best ones I had ever had! They were so fresh and juicy, and I ate them all before I got back to my apartment. I got an orange there too and that was very good as well. The thing that has been most difficult for me is the language barrier. A lot of people working in the touristy areas speak English, but sometimes it gets very frustrating. It is hard to be in a country when you don’t speak their language because you don’t want to be a typical American tourist. I am trying to use Italian more and I am definitely learning, but no matter what we do, they will always know we are Americans (or maybe even Canadians) because the culture is just so different. On Friday my class went on a field trip to Ostia Antica. We took a train there, and it was very interesting. Ostia Antica is an ancient city on the outskirts of Rome, and it is all ruins now. We saw where the cemetery, apartment buildings, stores, Roman baths, the theater, and a temple had been. It was so interesting to imagine how it had been back when it was a busy metropolis. A couple days before this, we went on a field trip to a church which used to be an ancient Roman bath. We learned a lot about the baths, and I was so intrigued that they used this for many reasons other than bathing. They were used for status, socializing, and recreation. They decorated it with rich architecture and art for the gods and goddesses. In my pictures, the art is of angels because it was changed when it was turned into a church. It was amazing to see the ancient art and architecture and to imagine it when the baths had been there. Overall, it has been amazing so far, and I know it will be a wonderful experience. It is very interesting to be exposed to such a different culture. I have some more field trips planned, and I just planned trips to London, Dublin, and Barcelona! Check back for updates.

Location: Rome, Italy