Roma, ti amo...
I'm trying to brace myself to prepare for my eventual last hurrah with the beautiful, beautiful city of Rome. It's been a quick five months, and I can't believe I'm already at the end of my time here.
Rome is such a beautiful city--a 'stupendous, miserable city', as Pasolini would say. I have loved every second of every hour of every day here in Europa, whether I was in Rome or not, and I'm so incredibly glad that I've had the opportunity to be here. I've met some amazing people, seen some incredible things, and I can truly say that I don't regret a single thing I did here.
Tonight, I started the process of leaving--by dancing in the Trevi Fountain. Cold water against my feet, adrenaline pumping through my veins, I did a little jig in the surprisingly clean waters surrounded by Bernini and history. I slipped away past the Polizia Municipale, giggling and heady with success and love and excitement.
The Trevi Fountain at night is truly a sight to behold--spectacularly lit up, with the beautiful water and sculpture thrown into sharp relief between the contrast of the darkness of night and the warm glow emanating from the water itself. This night, this beginning of the end, could not have been better. It started with a wonderful dinner with my favorite people here in Rome, where we ate fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, and tiramisu, and then continued into a cozy party with other members from the program, and then culminated in the Trevi.
It felt right to end the program surrounded by my fellow students, with whom I haven't perhaps spent as much time as I should have. I've spent a lot of time here trying to find Italians, only to discover myself in pseudo-Italian places, discotecas filled with American-hungry creepers and other study abroad students from other programs. These peers of mine, who have shared my same experience, have gone by as I've searched for that 'Italian experience'.
And now, glad as I am that I pushed myself to find something different, I'm ready to ease myself back into some of the same. I'm ready for beerpong and house parties and badly mixed drinks in jam jars. I'm okay with leaving behind dark clubs and 15 euro entry fees. Because I know I'll be back. Rome is under my skin now, and there's no way I can leave her for long. It's only a matter of time before I'll find myself roaming these streets again, gazing up at the beauty of Vittorio Emmanuale or Piazza Navona.
I'm coming back for that scoop of pear gelato that tasted like biting into a fresh pear; for the pizza e birra, non stop; for paddle boats at Villa Borghese; for the strawberry tiramisu at Pompi off the Re di Roma metro stop.
I'm looking forward, though: to the turquoise perfection of Santorini and Mykonos; to the beer and wonderful German people in Berlin; to the warmth and beauty of Istanbul; to the beaches and people of Sicilia.
And, of course, to home-cooked food, my family, Los Angeles, my 21st birthday, friends who are comfortable as a worn-in leather couch.
Ti amo, Roma! Ci vediamo...(: ♥ I still have 7 more days, I'll be living it up.
Rome is such a beautiful city--a 'stupendous, miserable city', as Pasolini would say. I have loved every second of every hour of every day here in Europa, whether I was in Rome or not, and I'm so incredibly glad that I've had the opportunity to be here. I've met some amazing people, seen some incredible things, and I can truly say that I don't regret a single thing I did here.
Tonight, I started the process of leaving--by dancing in the Trevi Fountain. Cold water against my feet, adrenaline pumping through my veins, I did a little jig in the surprisingly clean waters surrounded by Bernini and history. I slipped away past the Polizia Municipale, giggling and heady with success and love and excitement.
The Trevi Fountain at night is truly a sight to behold--spectacularly lit up, with the beautiful water and sculpture thrown into sharp relief between the contrast of the darkness of night and the warm glow emanating from the water itself. This night, this beginning of the end, could not have been better. It started with a wonderful dinner with my favorite people here in Rome, where we ate fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, and tiramisu, and then continued into a cozy party with other members from the program, and then culminated in the Trevi.
It felt right to end the program surrounded by my fellow students, with whom I haven't perhaps spent as much time as I should have. I've spent a lot of time here trying to find Italians, only to discover myself in pseudo-Italian places, discotecas filled with American-hungry creepers and other study abroad students from other programs. These peers of mine, who have shared my same experience, have gone by as I've searched for that 'Italian experience'.
And now, glad as I am that I pushed myself to find something different, I'm ready to ease myself back into some of the same. I'm ready for beerpong and house parties and badly mixed drinks in jam jars. I'm okay with leaving behind dark clubs and 15 euro entry fees. Because I know I'll be back. Rome is under my skin now, and there's no way I can leave her for long. It's only a matter of time before I'll find myself roaming these streets again, gazing up at the beauty of Vittorio Emmanuale or Piazza Navona.
I'm coming back for that scoop of pear gelato that tasted like biting into a fresh pear; for the pizza e birra, non stop; for paddle boats at Villa Borghese; for the strawberry tiramisu at Pompi off the Re di Roma metro stop.
I'm looking forward, though: to the turquoise perfection of Santorini and Mykonos; to the beer and wonderful German people in Berlin; to the warmth and beauty of Istanbul; to the beaches and people of Sicilia.
And, of course, to home-cooked food, my family, Los Angeles, my 21st birthday, friends who are comfortable as a worn-in leather couch.
Ti amo, Roma! Ci vediamo...(: ♥ I still have 7 more days, I'll be living it up.