When the whole east coast was still sleeping, we were arriving bright and early into Rome at the exciting hour of 8:15 in the morning. The tiredness hadn’t quite set in but we were so happy to finally be here that we quickly moved through customs, found our luggage, and then were warmly welcomed by Dr. Szabo and Kristen.
It all happened so quickly. Before I knew it we were riding a bus through Rome and getting a taste of Italian driving. It is a gorgeous city…the houses all have cute balconies furnished with hanging plants and flowers. Huge old buildings tower over the artsy cobblestone streets. Trees as tall as the main street buildings (if not taller) line the streets. I love the trees here. They were on of the first things I noticed when we arrived. One of my favorites is the Italian Stone Pines. They are very tall and most have a large circumference but they do not branch off until the very top where the needles make a green bowl-like covering.
But we were fading quickly. The lack of sleep was weighing heavily on us, most of us unpacked, underwent part of orientation, took a grounds tour, and listened to a cell phone salesman while barely being able to keep our eyes open. Finally they let us take a 2-hour nap that helped a bit. We had homemade spaghetti dinner that was marvelous! Shortly afterwards we walked a few blocks to have our first gelato (Italian ice cream) experience ever. It was so good!!!
Today we woke up to a fresh breeze blowing through our window. They don’t have screens here, only shutters, so we can open our huge windows and see the gardens, feel the breeze, and hear the city sounds all at the same time.
We went through our Rome manual today and learned all of the important policies on community living. I learned that I probably should avoid making-out with someone in the student lounge because it’s not pleasant for the other students (and not very romantic either.) ;)
This afternoon we toured the neighborhood, which included finding the bank and grocery store. I really do enjoy walks. It was a nice afternoon activity. Tonight we have nothing big planned since most of us are still not completely over our jet lag. Rumor has it though, that the Vatican is on the list of activities this coming week!
Until Tomorrow,
Maria
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