Something I’d never tried before: Eggplant Caponata (I didn’t take a picture so I got one off of Google):

My favorite Roman Architecture: The Colosseum

My favorite work of art: Trevi Fountain!!! My fav <333

I’m back home now, in St. Petersburg, Florida, in America, far away from Europe, far away from Italy, far away from Rome. In all honesty, at first, I was pretty nonchalant about going on the trip, mostly just doing it because I knew it would look good for college. However, I have never been more happy that I took that chance and did something like this in my life. Stepping out of my comfort zone has never been a task that I have embraced. So, going across the world, with few classmates I barely knew, and a couple of teachers, wasn’t really something I was too enthralled about. The pre-classes for World Religions didn’t even come close to teaching me all that I learned during my time in Italy. Actually being in the moment, in the heart of it all, really puts a new perspective and teaching to it all. That goes for International Relations as well, its much easier to learn about something when you’re implicating yourself directly into the material. Visiting an American Embassy in another country, speaking with a real Diplomat, and seeing what it is all really like is a lot different than hearing it in a lecture or reading it out of a text book. Mr. Hesting was definitely right; this was not a vacation, this was a learning experience, not only academically, but culturally and personally as well.

In a short period of time, I learned so much about the world, life, people, and myself. Such a small window of opportunity to see life through a new lens. It certainly went by all too fast, and ended abruptly, unfortunately.

Italy taught me to appreciate the small things. To take time and go with things as they come, not as to rush through life, because in the end there is nothing left, it’s all a blur. There is no reason to constantly rush things like we do here in America; with time great things come, time heals all wounds, time is something that can never be stopped – so you just have to live in the moment. Let things take time, let people take their time, enjoy the time. When constantly rushing, there is no real gain, only a loss, you lost precious moments because  you were too busy trying to hurry things up. Italy taught me that, take your time and soak up each and every moment, because there will never be a moment exactly like the last. Things are always changing, so all you really have is the present to absorb the happenings of life. Though I live in America, there is no reason to succumb to the rushed lifestyle that irradiates from our people. Josh said something very intelligent: “From all of the different places I travel to, I leave behind the bad stuff, and take the good stuff with me and incorporate it within my lifestyle and my family.” Such a smart way to look at things and a good thing to do. Adopt different pieces of different cultures and mold them together as you like. I know that I have brought back a lot of Italian culture with me and though it may not be within my family now, when I start my own family it is certainly something that I will enforce. They say when in Roma, do as the Romans. Well, when in America, I will still do as the Romans. A much more easy, laid back, carefree lifestyle.

In Italy, children ran freely, kids played outside, families ate together. In America, most parents are too afraid to let their children out of their sight, kids rely on video games and online activities for everything – including gym class, a fairly large percentage of families do not eat together and share that time together. When I have a family, I don’t want to follow the American way, I don’t want to have to be afraid or distant from my family. It’s like it’s a much safer and warming place in Italy. Honestly, it is a place I could see myself living and raising a family. Going through life embracing a new culture and mindset. Carefree. Enjoying the little things. Simplicity is extravagant. One of the greatest gifts of life is the simple things.

That’s another thing I learned, not everything that is bigger is actually better. Sometimes it’s the smaller things that hold the deepest meaning. Life doesn’t always have to be so complicated, it can be really simple, if you take life one step at a time and realize that all you have is this moment. Enjoy the simpler things in life, and I guarantee you will be more happy. That is what I saw in Italy and that is another thing I learned that I will take with me as I embark on the path of life.

When I tossed the three coins in the Trevi Fountain, it wasn’t just for the picture. I actually do wish for all three of those things. Returning to Rome isn’t just a wish of mine though, it’s a must, a determination. And finding love and marrying is just a perk, the men are beautiful after all. I’ll be back. I’d love to figure a way to build my life there. People said that leaving would be bitter-sweet, but somehow it’s been pretty difficult for me to find the sweetness in a bottomless abyss of bitterness.

I loved every single moment there, had a great time, and was not even close to being ready to come home and leave it all behind. In Italy, I found light in people and the beauty in life. A life that I have often painted so negatively, was completely transparent now, the black negativity fading away as the beautiful colors and light of life shined through. Though the experience was limited and short, nothing else has ever felt as warm or tasted as sweet. Overall, I learned one main personal life lesson: la vita e bella. Life is beautiful. Arrivederci Italia. I’ll be back for you.

Today, in class we talked about genocide. Evidently, genocide is an international issue. The “ethnic cleansing” of a specific group of people based on who they are, obviously raises international conflict. A few of the specific genocide incidents we talked about were: Serbia-Bosnia, Darfur, Rwanda, and the Holocaust. There is steps that lead up to genocide, one does not simply just say a group of people is ‘bad’ and get everyone on their side ready to exterminate a race. One of the final steps on the path towards genocide is segregation. As common knowledge, we are aware that the Jews were segregated from the rest of the population during the control of Adolf Hitler. Not only were the quarantined in concentration camps, but they were also sent to a small area of a land called a “ghetto.”

In Rome, there is a small area that once was a Jewish Ghetto housing thousands of Jews. Today, we visited that area along with the Synagogue. The oppression Jews all over the world felt is incomprehensible to someone like myself who has never faced something even close to the extremity of the Jewish peoples situation. However, being in the area where this all took place inscribed immense empathy within me, more than I ever had before – which was a lot. Being there, seeing, and hearing about it makes it all the more personal and easier to connect to what they went through on a daily basis. I think the Ghetto and Synagogue was one of the most interesting places we went because it isn’t just reading about what it was like living as a Jew, but to actually see how they lived offers a connection on a much deeper level.

Well, it is Monday now and the depression of it being our last day has settled in., No part of me wants to leave tomorrow. However, today was the day that we got to see the Pantheon at last! And what a sight it was! Although, it was not nearly as large as St. Peter’s Basilica, it was architecturally intricate.

People were right, the Pantheon is a sight that must be seen. Since it was our last day, it was pretty much just our day to see all the things that we hadn’t got the chance to and wanted to – the Pantheon being one. After the Pantheon, it was our intentions to head back to the hotel vicinity where Castel St. Angelo is and take a walk through there like we had been wanting to see all week!

Unfortunately, to our dismay it was closed. Fortunately, we had a great guide and were able to compromise and find something else to see, there is always something more to see when in Rome. So, we went to Rome’s Bone Church! The church, decorated in nothing but bones and skeletons, was beyond creepy, yet fascinating. The roof, walls, and all the décor was arranged and designed with nothing but bones. Each room, focusing on a different bone or bones as the focal point for the design of that room.

After the bone Church, we walked through a huge and beautiful park in Rome, ending with a bite from a small bakery before heading back to the hotel. After a few hours of rest, we met Josh at the Metro Station where we road the Metro and then got on a train to quickly get to the city where Josh lives: Frascati.

When we arrived in Frascati, we had a decent hour to explore the city. It was much smaller than Rome and Florence, with a lot less tourists, still beautiful no doubt. It seemed like more of a family city, where friends grouped together to hang out and children roamed the streets more freely and carelessly.

We eventually made our way to dinner, where we enjoyed an authentic Italian FEAST, complete with courses, alongside Josh, his wonderful wife, and their two adorable children. It was the first night that we didn’t just order our own food, Josh ordered for us, sending all types of different cuisines. By the end dinner, I felt as if I had eaten enough for all of us. It was nice to not rush through a meal, and to just enjoy the time with great company, I would love to do it again sometime in the future.

After dinner, we went to Frascati’s market, which was the best one that we had been to! Unfortunately, we had a small window of time before we had to catch the train, so not much shopping was able to happen. When we got to the train station and were boarding the train, I was torn when I found out that this was our final good-bye with Josh, I didn’t realize that he wasn’t going to show us off to the airport in the morning. Josh is one of the things that I will remember the most from Italy, although he is a New Zealander. He is such a good guy and an over all genuine person, with a sense of humor to match. It was a sad moment saying our last good-byes because I was going to miss him, and his accent. But, I am convincing myself that it was just a “see ya later” because I am going to be back, and I will see Josh and his “vegetables” again some day, hopefully soon. In this moment, I wanted to cry because I knew that my time here was over. The train ride back home was a last moment to savor before having to get back to the hotel and pack up for America in the morning. A sad time to say the least. I laid in the bed which I had adopted as mine for the past eight nights and drifted to sleep, dreading the wake up and absolutely the departure.

Sunday, an early wake up and a late lay down. We woke up and went straight to the train station where Joshy showed us off. An hour and a half ride on the bullet train and we were now in Florence. Such a beautiful city, packed with beautiful things and full of history as well.  Just a walk around the city was amazing. It looked so much like Rome, yet so different. Everything was bigger here, where as in Rome everything was smaller. I saw a lot of brides taking photos with their grooms in this beautiful place. We did get the chance to shop around at all of the markets full of LEATHER, however, we did not get to see the original David, only the replica 🙁

It was a long day full of walking, every corner that I turned was another extravagant building full of some history behind it. As our last tourist point, we took a stroll through the Uffizi Gallery. So many paintings and beautiful artwork from some of the most acclaimed artists of all time. Every room we entered told a different story through each piece of work shown there. Like the Vatican Museum, it was also extremely large, making it impossible for us to see the whole thing in our short window of time. Nonetheless, it was still a remarkable experience and a sight to see. After a wonderful day in Florence, we had a laid back ride back home to Rome on the bullet train full of laughter. By the time we made it back to Emmaus Hotel, we were exhausted, all of us going straight to bed.

Well, it is Saturday and we road the bus down to the part of Rome that holds many world famous hot spots, a few that we visited are: the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and the Spanish Steps. Starting with the Trevi Fountain, we all threw in our three coins; one coin means you’ll return to Rome; two, you’ll return and fall in love; three, you’ll return, find love, and marry. Sounds like a great deal to me! After parting from the fountain, we headed to the Pantheon, which to our disappointment was closed due to Mass. So, we continued to walk, entering a few Cathedrals along our way, until we ended up at a restaurant where we ate lunch to kill time so that when we were done we could go back to the Pantheon.

After walking back to the Pantheon, we see closed doors and a big line of people looking through a crack in the doors. As we approach, we notice a sign that says “closed at one on holidays.” It was just passed one, and we were disappointed! The Pantheon is one of the things we just HAD to see before leaving Rome! Anyways, we carried on eventually ending up at the Spanish Steps. There, a couple of classmates and I climbed to the top of the steps and looked down at the crowded streets before strolling back down and exploring the area. By the time it was time to go, our feet were throbbing, we were ready to relax for a little! We went back to the hotel and relaxed a little before dinner.

After yet another authentic Italian dinner, we all walked up to Castel St. Angelo. And what do you know, the market was finally open! We all went from booth to booth, checking everything out as we awaited the fireworks to come because of the Roman Holiday, Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. the fireworks show was absolutely amazing! Definitely one of my favorite things that we did. It was much more enthralling than fireworks shows that I have seen here, it’s like the whole show was a grand finale! After the long day, we headed back to our hotel where I quickly slipped in to unconsciousness.

It is now Friday, the week has flown by. It is our last day of class and the realization that our time here is almost over hits us. This was our last day of class in which we discussed VARIOUS controversial topics being debating in our world internationally every day. Closing our class time at the University, we went down to the Café to have our last lunch and thank Fabrizio.

For once, we had nothing planned for during the day; we had free time until 5:45. So, what do? Shop, of course! We walked around Rome, looking for gifts for our friends and family, as well as ourselves. After being shopped out, we went back to the hotel for a little relaxation before our last dinner at Vittorias.

After dinner, we went and toured the Vatican Museum and Sistene Chapel. The Vatican Museum is so vast that we were not able to see it all, but of what we saw, we were all amazed! Such beautiful artwork done by some of the most famous artists in history. Sculptures, paintings, maps, a myriad of different kinds of works of art had us all astounded. Beautiful, just beautiful!

The end of our tour led us right outside of the Sistene Chapel, out of all the places that we toured, this one was one of the most breath-taking. Although we were not allowed to take pictures, or talk, we all soaked up the moment. In that moment, a picture would never do justice.  Even though the Sistene Chapel is not huge, the density of all that it holds is so vast. Sometimes it is the smaller things, that mean the most. Over all, the Vatican Museum and Sistene Chapel left me in awe. After the long night, we went back to the hotel and I dozed off into a soundless sleep, dreading waking up, but awaiting what the next day holds for me and my classmates.

It is now Wednesday, this morning we had our third class of the trip. As we did yesterday, each of us acted as a country and spoke upon their behalf when it comes to drugs/drug trafficking and how that affects international relations. Also, we discussed how certain drug trafficking affects foreign policy.

In addition, we learned about embassies and Diplomats, what they do, what they are, how they function, and more. We actually got to into the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See and sit down and speak with a Diplomat. A lot of interesting things were learned from the Q & A about the State Department and foreign affairs, what they do and how they handle certain situations. Antoinette, the Diplomat we met, had a previous assignment in Kabul, Afghanistan. Hearing the differences between how it was there and how it is here in Italy is interesting to say the least. We learned about the five cones of the State Department and what each branch is responsible for. Though, they were crazy about security and taking any pictures whatsoever, it was a rather normal, comfortable compound where we were able to relax and speak with her on an informal level. As it may already be known, gelato is the best creation ever, so of course one of our last questions was: “Where is your favorite gelato place?” As expected, she loves gelato like any other human being and couldn’t even think of a ‘best’ one! In fact, she was just speaking about how yesterday they went for gelato – the life of a Diplomat in Italy must be great, especially after coming from Afghanistan!

Other than visiting the Embassy, Josh, our tour guide with a great accent, took us to the Knights of Malta, which was pretty cool and through that area for some site seeing. He is a great tour guide, the accent makes me pay even more attention 🙂 Then, we ate some gelato – I had PANNA, A.K.A. the best gelato everrrrr! Rome is great!

During the International Relations class, we discussed about power and dominance internationally between countries, as well as made an extremely miniature mock UN and debated each of our country’s stances on global warming, which was quite interesting. Going back to power, one of the things we noted is that power changes between different peoples eventually, sometimes too much expansion and power actually weakens a nation. For example, since we are in Rome, it is an evident factor that contributes to that idea: power does not always stay with one, it shifts. At one point, the Roman Empire was the largest, most powerful country in the world. The Empire ran the world, trade, advancement, culture, etc. But eventually, it collapsed and lost power, and another country acquired the power that the Roman Empire once had.

Today, however, we embarked on one of the most exhausting, leg trembling, sweaty journeys ever. Yet, it was also one of the most breath-taking (literally and figuratively), astounding, utterly amazing thing ever. We climbed 551 steps up to the top of the St. Peter’s Basilica dome. The view was a reward in itself, making the climb worth the while. In that moment, all there is to do is take in this beautiful moment with an open and clear mind and note that there’s many people in this world who will never be able to experience it, it is indescribable. We also went to our first Gelateria in Italy, which as expected.. was AMAZING – both the gelato and the server 🙂 At night, we all shopped a little for really our first time, tested the waters on our haggling skills – which mine are obviously amazing, to say the least – bringing home our first Italian bought items 🙂

Our first full day in Rome from waking up in the morning to crashing at night. Italy has got to be the most beautiful place on earth – beautiful institutions, beautiful scenery, beautiful atmosphere, beautiful language, and certainly beautiful men! Today, was our first day in class, even the University is beautiful. We mainly discussed differences internationally and conflicts that happen. One of the main differences all over the world that causes conflict is religion and cultural differences, both of which are seen if I walk right out of the hotel doors. Italy, Rome especially, as a primarily Catholic country, has a much different religious culture than say the Middle East or even than America.

Tomorrow we are debating global warming, acting as if we were each a different country and its views, that should be interesting. Today, however, we did do some exciting things! We toured the Coliseum and the Forum, both alike were astounding. My favorite part of the Forum was Julius Cesar’s alter, how crazy is it that they still place flowers there?! The trip is already going too fast. Closing the night is bitter-sweet – sad to be inside and miss even a minute of the Italian atmosphere, but so thankful to just lie down for a moment and catch my breath! It is much different than America, so full and pumping at all times. Very nice and courteous people who are here to share their home with foreigners and welcome us with helping hands which is always appreciated. So far Rome, Italy its self at that, seems like a fantastic place to live. I love it here, maybe the Romans will see me here in two years for college… 🙂 On a concluding note, there is one thing I can say without a doubt, no hesitation at all, it is clear as water – ITALIANS ARE CRAZY DRIVERS!