After a night of much needed rest, we woke up and headed over to the university. I’m not a usual morning person, seen when someone asked if I wanted coffee, tea, or espresso and my answer was simply yes, but I was really looking forward to the first day of class. We went over the basics of international relations, including the things we thought led to conflicts and the basis of what all relations entail. After going over this and picking our countries to represent tomorrow, we opened the discussion to any questions we had on religions in general. We got into deep discussions about choosing religion and questioning your own religion to make it stronger. After class and a wonderful lunch (what else would be expected?), we went back to the hotel and got ready for the rest of the day. Josh took us on the Metro, which is 200x cleaner than the trains in America that I have ever been on, much to Josh’s surprise. As soon as we stepped out of the metro station, there it was: the Coliseum.

It absolutely took my breath away. I had stated since the trip began that the Coliseum would be my favorite part of the trip due to a deep love of history. The thing we had seen for years in movies (“Are you not entertained??” was quoted many times throughout the tour) and in textbooks. It was so easy to imagine the history that had taken place in the place I was now standing. After taking enough pictures to fill a lifetime, we made our way to the Roman Forum. Everything around us had a big part in history. From Mussolini’s summer house, to an emperor’s private entertainment fields, one could definitely see why the land had been so sought after. The different time periods of history combined made a place that just left you in awe. We heard of all the different structures that one stood on the grounds, and were shocked to hear all of the present day city of Rome is covering the rest of the ancient structures. The moment that really made me realize I was in one of the most amazing cities on Earth was when we saw the grave of Julius Caesar, and the podium where Mark Antony in Shakespeare’s play is said to have professed the famous words “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me you ears.” After reading Julius Caesar and now seeing these sites, I was completely humbled by the opportunity this trip was giving me. These experiences also showed me how some countries are not only home to some of that county’s most valued culture, but sometimes the entire worlds. Culture is becoming more globalized, and we need to keep our relations going at the same pace. We all have a right to treasure these amazing sites.