Ciao from Roma!

More than a week into my semester abroad and I’m finally writing my first post! I’ll be trying to convey most of my adventures here through pictures, but seeing as I’ve taken over 1,000 pictures since I arrived, I suppose a little explanation would be helpful.

So Rome.

How do I even begin?

The city itself is absolutely breathtaking. And in ways I had not expected. I love that on my way to the market or simply during “una passeggiata” around the city, I can turn the corner and BAM - there’s the Pantheon, or Piazza Navona, or the Trevi Fountain. Of course, just like any big city, it can be dirty, the citizens loud and angry, and the traffic stressful. But if you look a little closer, you realize that graffiti here is almost a work of art - much of the time painted with vibrant colors and visually pleasing designs.

And you come to learn that Italians speak loudly and with big, sometimes angry motions, not because they are fighting but simply because it’s how they communicate with one another. I have not found a way yet to explain the reason that Italians drive they way they do. Watching traffic is like watching the Italian version of a Nascar race down the streets of Rome, and crossing the street is really just a very dangerous game of Frogger.

While here I’ll be studying at John Cabot University with a mix of study abroad and degree-seeking students from around the world. Along with a required Italian class, I’m taking a modern Italian history class, “Evil Philosophers,” International Finance, and my favorite, “Rome Sketchbook.” Every Tuesday morning I get to go to “class” at different historical site around the city and just draw. BEST. CLASS. EVER. I also think I’m going to like being able to get a quick gelato in between classes, which I have only Monday through Wednesday (more time to travel!).

There are 30-some ND students in total this semester. Altogether a wonderful, crazy, fun group of people. Only 12 days in and we’re already taking Rome by storm! (Not to mention, we’re pretty good cooks!)

I can’t wait to see what the semester holds, and to start exploring Rome, Italy, and the rest of Europe… but for now, I’m just taking it all in, one day at a time. I’ll post more soon, including pictures of our first weekend trip to Pompeii and the coastal town of Salerno, but for now, Italian homework calls! A presto!