Author Archives: kro5040

Lets Leave it up to Fate

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One of the things a person is told to do when they visit Rome is to go to the Trevi Fountain and throw your desired coins in. The original legend says that if you throw a coin into the Trevi with your back to the fountain, throwing the coin with your right hand over your left shoulder, that will ensure a return to Rome. A second coin leads to a new romance/new relationship, and a third coin leads to marriage. Although the myth may seem silly, I am a true believer in it. I threw my coins in and now I will let the Trevi Fountain fate lead the way!

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Location: Rome, Italy

The Beauty of Rome

Everyday I am in Rome, I grow to love it more and more. I can’t help but to get goosebumps every time I see the Vatican and I think to myself I live here. This weekend I finally got the opportunity to visit St. Peter’s Square and see the Vatican’s beauty up close. Although we did not get to go inside of the Vatican, it was incredible just to be able to stand in the square.

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After standing in St. Peter’s Square for a good while, we walked down the street and came across a small church. We decided to wander into it and to no surprise it was absolutely stunning.  It still astonishes me how beautiful and unique each of the churches are here in Rome. Even the smaller churches contain such detail and beauty.

church.jpgThen we walked further down the street as the sun was beginning to set. We turned back to look at the view and we could not believe our eyes. The way the sun was hitting all of the buildings, especially the Vatican, was breath taking. I don’t think pictures can capture how beautiful and picturesque the view really was.

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We continued our walk and reached the Castel Sant’Angelo. We entered the castle, not knowing exactly what it was or why it was there. We discovered that the castle was originally built as the monumental grave of the Roman Empire Publio Elio Adriano and was used as a tomb by the imperial families. The Mausoleum was built on the right bank of the river Tiber and today, now called Ponte Sant’Angelo, linked the Mausoleum to the ancient city on the opposite side of the Tiber. It was interesting to finally learn about this castle that I passed numerous times but knew nothing about.

After exploring the castle and learning about the history behind it, we hiked to the top. The view from on top of the castle was surreal. The sun was in the middle of setting and I know I said it before, but the way the sun was draped over the buildings made it literally look like it was a painting.

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Location: Rome, Italy

The First of Many Family Dinners!

The food in Italy has been absolutely incredible! I have had my fair share of pasta and pizza and each meal has been delicious. My favorite meal so far was homemade spinach raviolis that just melted in my mouth. Although I can’t complain about how delicious the food is, my friends and I decided that it was time we cook our own meal.

We made a meal of pasta and salad, which was a meal that was easy to make and hard to mess up! Everyone pitched in to help prepare the meal and when it was all set out on the table, we finally sat down to enjoy our creation. We toasted with some vino and began to stuff our faces. Everything was delicious!

After we drank some vino and stuffed our faces, I looked around the table to see a group of girls that I had just met three weeks ago. Just three weeks ago, I never knew these girls and now I am sitting at a table eating a meal we just prepared together, chatting like we have known each other for a long time. I began to realize how grateful I am to have found a group of girls that I will be making life-long relationships with. These family dinners will definitely be a weekly happening!

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Location: Rome, Italy

The beginning of a Great, New Experience

So I have been in Rome for about two weeks now but it feels like I have been here for months already! Getting adjusted has been very difficult and overwhelming but I know that once I become more familiar with the area, the transportation systems, and the culture of Italy, I will be able to fully adjust to the change! I have also met a lot of great people that helped to make the adjustment a lot less stressful.

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Last Sunday, January 15, we traveled three hours to visit the town of Todi. We explored the quaint town and truly grasped the beauty of Italy. Standing on top of the mountain overlooking the town, I was mesmerized by how magnificent Italy was. I knew how beautiful Italy was through pictures and word of mouth but actually being able to see it truly took my breath away.

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After we explored Todi, we hopped back on the bus and traveled thirty minutes to Titignana, Umbria. The picture below was taken on top of the mountain of Umbria before we began to have a lavish twelve course meal! When Italians say they are going to feed you, they really feed you! The food kept coming and each meal was more delicious than the next! We were also provided with endless amounts of wine! All in all, the day was absolutely incredible!

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This week was our first week of class. So far, they seem like they will be very interesting and fun to learn more about the place I will be living in for four months. But now that I am settled in and started classes, it is time to really venture out and explore Rome!


Location: Rome, Italy

Avirderche!


Arividerchi! 

When I received the news that I was selected as one of the bloggers for next semester, I was beyond excited! I would have written down my experience in a journal anyway so why not blog about it and share my experience with others?

 

But before I start my journey and begin to write down my experiences, I would like to share a little bit about myself. My name is Kaitlin O’Grady. I am Junior at Penn State University Park studying Security and Risk Analysis. I am from Cedar Grove, New Jersey, a very quaint town in northern Jersey. I have always wanted to travel to Italy so I thought that it would be great to study at the heart of Italy: Rome. I will be studying in Rome through Temple: University.

I cannot believe that it is only 35 days away from the day I began my five month, life-changing journey. I know the transition will be very hard to adjust to at first but I know that I will have many great experiences and meet many new people.

..Until Next Time!

 


Location: State College, PA