Last Week in Rome

LAST TO DO LIST IN ROME
1. Pack everything including laptop by Wednesday afternoon and put in storage
2. Check weather for all 7 countries
3. Pack my backpack for my 7 country adventure
4. Throw away all my notes, recycle books, and clean apartment
5. Add minutes to my cell phone
6. Send out my Résumé
7. Buy train tickets from Milan to Sienna? Pisa? Parma? Or Florence?
8. Send out Couch Surfing requests to Berlin, Prague, Vienna, and Budapest
9. Leave keys with name on table
10. Say goodbye to Rome Thursday morning

Barcelona and Paris... continued...

Paris, Night 1
After flying into Charles De Gaulle Airport, I went straight to the train to catch a ride to Paris. I got a little bit lost trying to get to my hostel. Many people didn’t speak English, so it was tough for me to ask for directions. But I was lucky enough to run into a very nice local who told me which train to get onto, helped me buy my tickets, and even showed me where it was. After getting into my hostel, I just struck up a conversation with a few Canadians and ran into an American also. Then I met a guy from Newcastle, and we all decided to go see the Eiffel Tower that night. We walked over, and I was starving by then because I haven’t eaten in about 10 hours, so I got a crepe with strawberries and nutella on the way to the Eiffel Tower. It was a little small, but still ridiculously rich and delicious. Then we saw the Eiffel Tower at night and got to see it do its light show and all. It was pretty surreal. The closer we got to the Eiffel Tower, the more it looked like it wasn’t real. It is just such an enormous monument, but made of such intricate steel structures. Anyways, we decided to head back, and we wanted to drink some wine so we went to look for a market that was still open around midnight. Luckily, we found this little liquor store that sold wine and chips and food. I was still starving so I was really excited to buy some snacks and wine. But the problem was… I only had 5 Euros on me and the wine was 4.50 and the chips I wanted were 2.00. Such a Dilemma, but a quick decision was made. I got the wine, surprise, surprise… I still don’t regret making that choice. Anyways, one of the guys had a balcony on their hostel on the 5th floor, so we just sat outside on very nice night and drank our own bottles of wine. The view wasn’t overlooking the city or anything, but just next to another old school building. It was quite surreal. Just sitting outside on the balcony and conversing over some wine, while overlooking the common buildings of Paris. We all finished our bottles of wine, and I went straight to bed. It was a great way to start off Paris.

Paris, Day 2
I ended up waking up really early around 9am because I was extremely dehydrated and starving. I met two American girls and told me that they were going on a free walking tour at 11am and asked me to join. So I got ready really quick so that I could grab the provided breakfast from the hostel and get going with them to the walking tour. We started the Fountain of St. Michael’s and just walked passed a lot of landmarks, such as the Notre Dame, Louvre, the park outside of the Louvre, and pointed out some museums that we should visit. It was a very informative and interesting walking tour and I really enjoyed it. Our tour guide was from Argentina, and I got to talk to him for a lot of the walking tour between our stops and got a few good tips about what to see in Paris. After the tour finished, I headed back to the Hostel to meet Pam’s Cousin. We had agreed earlier to meet at my hostel around 3ish, so I had just barely made it back by 3 because our walking tour went a little long. I got a call from the front desk saying I had a guest, so I came down and I introduced myself and we just went straight to Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart) Church on top of Montmartre. We just got to talking and just started to get acquainted with each other while I was taking all the sights. As we were walking up towards the Church, I felt this familiar feeling that I’ve seen all this before. And I realized that Amelie was filmed in this area in Montmartre, and it all came back to me. I thought it was soo… well I guess the word I’m looking for is surreal again, the word of the trip. The view from the top of the hill at Sacre Coeur was amazing. Probably the coolest top of the world views I’ve seen. Then we walked more around the area and I really liked the feel of the area in Montmartre. It was very Artsy and small towny kind of feeling. Then we walked over to Moulin Rouge and just sat down to take a breather from all the walking. Then we got offered free samples of a new drink from Starbucks, from a worker in these tiny Starbucks cups. That was really cool, free things always make me happy =) Then we walked over to the Opera and just walked a few street performers then headed back to Montmartre for dinner. We ate at this little Diner, and all I have to say was that it was 10 Euros, and the ice cream that came with it at the end was amazing. Then we walked towards Sacre Coeur again to see the view at night, and it was so breathtaking. It was funny though because all the local students were just hanging out on the stairs drinking beers or wine. So we decided to head down and buy some wine ourselves. We headed down to the grocery store and got some snacks and wine, I had enough money for both this time. She invited me to her apartment, which was amazing. It was very quaint, but was on the top floor and had an amazing view from the roof top window. We just conversed over a nice cheap bottle of wine and some snacks. Life doesn’t get much better than this. Then I headed back and the Canadian girls were back at the common room so had another bottle with them, and just talked about traveling and all that goodness. Good food, good drinks, and good company are all that I really need, but to have all that in Paris was just the cherry on top.

Paris, Day 3
I woke up a little bit hung over this morning, well it was more around noon. It was raining pretty hard when I went out so I decided to spend the day in a museum. I took a quick shower and went to the d’Orsay Museum and I was just overwhelmed. There was just so much Renoir, Degas, Manet, Monet, Cezanne, Van Gough, and so much more. I saw that it was sunny out so I rushed through the rest of the Museum, and headed over to Notre Dame. I got there just when the skies completely cleared up for a while. I went inside and the stained glass was so vibrant and colorful. It really gave the church a whole new dynamic compared to most of the churches I’ve seen, which are mainly built for monumentality. Then I went over to the steel bridge and took a few pictures, but as I was on the middle of the bridge, it started to pour rain and saw lightning and heard thunder roll in. It was very close to where I was, so I thought it would be smart to get off the steel bridge, which I immediately did. Then I ran to the metro and headed back to my hostel. When I got back to the hostel, it had completely stopped raining. So ended up walking down the streets of Montmartre and got a really good Kebab with one of the Canadians I met and went to the grocery store and bought more food and some cheap, but good, wine. Just before I left to do some night photography I went to say bye to the Canadians I met because they were heading out to the airport. After that, I headed out to do some night photography starting at the Arc de Triumph and walking down to the Louvre. It was supposed to rain that night, but the weather turned out to be just slightly cloudy instead. The weather was finally looking up. As I was walking back to the hostel, I noticed that the Canadians I met were back at the hostel. So I asked what they were doing back here, and one of them told me that she had gotten pick pocketed and lost her wallet and her passport and everything. I felt so bad for them and offered my wine for them to drink. Then we all just talked about other things to try and get their mind off of things, and eventually went to sleep.

Paris, Day 4
I woke up fairly early around 9am and grabbed a quick breakfast and headed towards Versailles. When I arrived, the façade of Versailles was pretty amazing with bright golden gates. As I was walking into the palace it started to rain pretty hard, but at least I got to avoid the rain by walking through the Palace of Versailles. The palace and hall of mirrors were amazing. Every room was so intricately decorated with gold, vibrant colors, and amazing frescos and oil paintings everywhere. And luckily, as I was finishing up inside the Palace of Versailles, the sun started to come out and the rain stopped. So as I entered the Gardens, there were a few clouds, but mostly blue skies. The gardens were so beautiful. All the trees were perfectly cut, and the size of the gardens was ridiculous, about 2000 acres. I walked about 40 minutes to the end of Marie Antoinette’s House. It was even more vibrant than the Palace of Versailles and really something else to see. I ended up spending about 4 hours at Versailles, and it still wasn’t enough time. I haven’t eaten all day, so I was starved and it started to get cloudy and rained again. So I went back to the area of my hostel and headed straight to a small bar close by and got a ham and cheese sandwich with cheese melted on the top of all that too, I guess it is a common French dish. I got to talk with the bartender, and found out that she was not too far away from where I was from, Thousand Oaks. She is an art major, studying abroad in Paris. We really just enjoyed talking about Paris, and art in general as I scarfed down my food and beer. She saw how fast I devoured my food and beer, so she got me another beer on the house. As I was finishing up, the sun started coming out, so I left and went to the Louvre because they open late on Fridays. I was actually a little disappointed with the Louvre to be honest. I think that all the other smaller museums I saw were just so much more inspiring. Maybe it’s because I’ve been studying classical art for so long, and have been exposed to it so much in Rome, that it was just nice to see more contemporary types of art. But one thing that did not disappoint was the Winged Victory of Samothrace. I spent about half an hour just walking around it and appreciating the detail and drama of it. As the Louvre was about to close, I was so exhausted, and was ready to head back and just sleep. But little did I know I would meet a random group of Norwegians who would make me drink the night away after I came back to the hostel. It was 4 of them, 2 of the were brothers and 2 of the were sisters, and they were just on vacation together. We all got our own bottles of wine and then headed to a few bars and just talked and walked all around Montmartre. These Norwegians just wouldn’t stop drinking, and kept buying me drinks, so I ended up forgetting a lot of what happened towards the end of the night, or early morning. Apparently, I went to a third bar with one of the brothers and he bought me 3 more drinks and I left him there and walked back to the hostel where I ran into the rest of the Norwegians. They told me it was about 5:30 when I came back in. And that’s about all they told me from what they recalled.

Paris, Day 5
I woke up in my own bed, thank god, at around noon. It was a strange feeling waking up still really drunk and not remember what had happened most of the night before, especially because I was traveling solo and had no one to account for what had happened. It was supposed to be raining or cloudy all day so I planned for Museums all day. So I just took quick shower and headed towards Museum d’Orangerie, still drunk. As I walked in, the walls were very white and calming. Then I entered Monet’s Nymphs (Lily Pads) Room and just blown away. It was just a giant Oval shaped room with Monet’s Lily Pads surrounding you 360 degrees. I just slowly walked around taking it all in and then sat down and got lost in it. It really was something else. I got Goosebumps several times just walking around the room. I think seeing something so calming and soothing really helped me sober up and avoid a hangover. The rest of the Museum was really fun to see also. Then I headed over to Pompidou Museum, which is the modern and contemporary art museum, and that was really fun to see. There were so many different things to see, from video installations, to interactive art, Joan Miro, Art of Design, Braque, Feminist Art, Picasso, and so much more. Then I headed back to the hostel to meet Jela, Pam’s cousin. She had invited me to an art exhibition organized by Americans, who are promoting both American and Parisian artists. I met a lot of Artists, and the organizers and had free wine and snacks. I was so overwhelmed by art the past few days, but in a good way! That is probably and understatement. By the time I got back it was 2:30am, so I decided to just stay up because I had to get to the metro by around 5:30am to the airport back to Rome. As I was packing in the common room, I got to talking to an Australian and an American who were mingling also. Then at around 3:30am, one of the Norwegian brothers came stumbling in really drunk and we all just got to talking and just enjoyed each others company up till around 4:30am. So I finished packing and headed for the metro for the journey back to Rome. Wow, that made me exhausted just writing about it all over again… Good times.

Barcelona and Paris... well just Barcelona for now..

Again, I know this is UBER lengthy...

Barcelona, Night 1
The first thing I did in Barcelona was find my hostel. The metros were very easy to read and efficient, it was a great start. Then I found my hostel and met a guy from London and then he introduced me to some Kiwis that he had met and we got a few drinks at the bar in the hostel and went out for some Tapas after. The place was called Egipte, amazing tapas and Sangria for 15 euros total. Oh and I got a free thing of champagne also, for some reason, but not going to complain. I had to think about it for a second because after traveling, I realized NOTHING is free, but I guess I lucked out. Then we headed back and saw that there was a vending machine that sold San Miguel beer cans for 1.20 Euros so we got a few of those and just talked for a while and headed to bed.

Barcelona, Day 2
Woke up early around 9ish and went to Park Guel and saw the Gaudi Park. Wow is all I could say. It was amazing. One of his houses looked like a life sized gingerbread house. It was just so surreal actually being there. Then I was starving so went to Citutad Condal for tapas. Amazingggg. 15 euros for amazing tapas and beer. Then I went to La Boqueria and found a candy vender. I was sooo happy. There are no good candies in Rome, or junk food in general. So I got sour straws and a bunch of gummies. Those sour straws were the best I’ve had in my life, soooo good. Great Indoor/Outdoor open air market. I got deep fried bacalao on a stick and was delicious and only 1.50 euro! Food is so cheap here if you know where to go in Barcelona. Then I went to the Picasso Museum, and really enjoyed it. There was a really interesting exhibition on Picasso’s Version of Diego Velazques’s Las Meninas. Then went to a local bar with a friend from my program that just happened to be in the same hostel. We got hearty simple tapas and beers for 5 euro and was really good and filling. Went back and the rest of my friends were goin to Razzmatazz, but I wanted to stay in because I was uber tired. I ended up meeting someone from Connecticut and just talking and getting to know her all night. It was great just meeting someone new and kicking back on a few beers.

Barcelona, Day 3
I woke up early and went to Sagrada Familia. Right after leaving the metro, it was right there. It was like a slap in the face. So amazing. His work is so organic and makes it look like the building is a living and has a soul to it. I ended up spending 3 hours there and headed to another church. I ended up at the Catedral and it was free because it was Sunday so that was nice. A great Medieval/Gothic church. Then I got lost in the Gotic area and got a pretty bomb Kebab. Then I headed over to the Joan Miro Park. It only had one really cool monument, but worth the metro ride there. Then I went back to the Hostel and met up my friend and we headed up to Montjuic and got to go in the Fort and saw the turrets and the amazing view from the edge of the castle. Even thought it was raining a little bit, it was still beautiful. The area is known not to be a great place to be at night. So once the sun went down we headed back. But on our way down, we heard gunshots so we started to walk a lot faster and headed back. Then we went back to that local bar and found an amazing deal that they had. A giant thing of Paella a side, and a giant chicken leg, or sausage for 4 euro, and of course the 1 euro beer, amazing deal.

Barcelona, Day 4
Went to Macba with one of my other buddies, and it was very interesting. There were a lot of weird paintings, but lots of really cool photographs. Then went back to La Boqueria and got some street food. Then ended up at Citudale Park to see Gaudi’s Fountain and it was so monumental. I just happened to bump into my other buddy there and walked around the park. Then I went back and went to meet a random girl in Barcelona for a cup of coffee through couch surfing. She was from Mexico, but studying abroad in Barcelona. It was really fun talking to her about photography and just about the city and anything really. Then I went back to the hostel and met up my buddies again and went to Salamanca, a Paella place, and had amazing seafood Paella. I went back to the hostel and slept early.

Barcelona, Day 5
Woke up at around 6:30 and went to the beach to catch the sunrise. It was beautiful. Finally some clear skies began to peak through the hazy clouds. As I walked along the beach side, I saw some really cool sand castles and molds. When I left the weather got gloomy again and I started to rush over to Casa Batlo. It was still a little gloomy and I was quite sad, but even with the clouds, plenty of sunlight was shining through all the windows and into the rooms. The apartments were so cool and modern. I fell in love with his work. Then when I went to the roof top, it was getting a little sunnier so I rushed down and went to Gaudi’s other apartment, Casa Pedrera. It was a lot smaller and was amazing. The rooftop was like a designer’s playground. So many undulating surfaces, including the banisters. Then I got my last meal at the local bar again and had 3 beers in an hour. I made it to the airport with plenty of time. So I ended up taking a nap just outside of the boarding area, and by doing so almost missed my flight to Paris. But a loud, “Last Call to Paris” woke my ass up and I ran to the gate and was one of the last ones there. What an amazing, yet uber exhausting trip. And off to Paris… To be continued…

Food Pron

An Overdue Post, lets add a little flavor...

Just an FYI post

I usually post my fav fav pics on my tumblr www.brentinitaly.tumblr.com

A True Adenvture (Very Lenghty, feel free just to skim it)

The night before I left for Venezia, I purposely planned not to plan. For those who know me pretty well, I'm just a natural born planner. I tend to plan dinners, parties, get togethers, and pretty much anything you can think of. But I came here to challenge myself and for new experiences. So for my first vacation, I wanted to see Carnevale in Venezia and experience it while it was going on. So I just booked my flight and my first night at a hostel a week before for my 5 day trip for myself. And for the rest of my trip, I would let fate decide. Traveling alone without any real agenda really gave me a sense of true freedom.

After arriving to Venezia, I didn’t even buy a map to find my hostel, Instead, I just put the directions on my Ipod and hoped to find it. Even though it said in bold letters on the website, “It is very easy to get lost in Venezia, so you should take a water taxi.” But that’s just something I couldn’t afford so I just copied down the directions and hoped for the best. I could see how easily it is to get lost in Venezia because some of their small street intersections are literally smaller than the width of my shoulder to shoulder. But I ended up finding the place fairly quickly. The workers at the hostel were really welcoming and nice. However, I felt that there were too many Americans so that annoyed me a little bit, but I didn’t let it get to me. Besides, they shared their alcohol with me so that was very nice of them. Then I met two Brazilian girls at the hostel and decided to just hang out with them the whole time. We all went out to a big plaza which was pretty much full and of all American tourists and rave music… So the Brazilian girls and I weren’t feeling the scene at all so decided to just go to San Marco Square where they had other events going on. When we got there, it was just a giant stage with a play going on and it was kind’ve lame. So we left there and found this street vendor selling “hot dogs” which was pretty much Italian sausage and amazing bread, so we all ordered them. They were also selling bottles of wine for 5 Euros and I couldn’t pass that up, so I got one of those too. As we got to talk, I found out that they were both really into photography and that one has done a little bit of professional work. So we just wandered the streets of Venezia with bottles of wine and hot dogs enjoying each other’s company and conversing about photography. That was probably the most fun I’ve had interacting with foreigners.

My second day in Venezia was also an adventure. I went to San Marco for the opening ceremony of Carnevale which was very short and not really worth it. I think everyone felt the same way because as it ended, everyone rushed for the narrow street exits and we were all jam packed like sardines. It was the largest and most packed I’ve seen a crowd in my life. I just fell limp so that the crowd can push me into the direction of the exit so it wasn’t that bad. It took me about an hour to move about a quarter mile. Anyways, through all that hoopla, I ended up separating from the Brazilian girls and we just went out separate ways. So, I went to find my next hostel and as I was a little hung over looking for my hostel in this other plaza, I hear a faint but sharp voice yelling my name. So I look around for god knows what and I end up seeing one of my classmates who spotted me. Completely by chance, they just happened to be eating lunch right next door to my hostel so after I checked into my hostel and hung out with them for a few hours roaming around Venezia. The day was beautiful and I saw soooo many people dressed up in full costumes and it was very breathtaking. I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day to take pictures and just enjoy the Carneval scene. So I split up with my classmates just before dinner and went back to my hostel. For dinner, I ate by myself in a local restaurant and had some amazing seafood pasta. This was the first time I’ve eaten by myself at a restaurant during prime time. It was a little different because I kept to myself and the only words I spoke were to my server. I really did enjoy the food very much and had fun doing some people watching in the restaurant. Even though Carnevale wasn’t everything I expected, Venezia was everything I hoped it would be. The seafood was amazing and the city was beautiful at night, especially when no tourists were out. I felt like I had the whole city to myself after 11pm and just took all the sights in. While roaming late at night, I happened to stumble across a restaurant with a piano that was inside, but the back of the piano was protruding form the wall so that people can hear outside. As I was walking by, I saw a lady who had just finished her dinner there playing the piano beautifully so I just stopped in the alley and listened to her play. I could tell she was a little tipsy because she was swaying a lot with the music and her face was a little red, but still played amazingly. It was really something else to see someone play with such passion and joy after having of what must have been a delicious dinner. Great way to end my last late night in Venezia.

The next day, I ended up taking a train to Verona the next morning which ended up being a beautiful day. I didn’t have a place to stay in Verona, so I found a Bed&Breakfast place I kind’ve researched before I got there. They asked for 40 Euros for a night, but I pretty much begged and told them I was a student so I got them to let me stay for 30 Euro. It was located in the heart of Verona, so I didn’t mind shelling out a few extra euros for it. And btw, it was the best place I’ve stayed at throughout my whole stay here in Europe. There were 2 bed which I pushed together to make giant bed, towels and toiletries were accommodated, there were juices and a little bit of food in the fridge, the heater was on all night, and the breakfast they gave me in the morning was delicious. I got to see Castelvecchio which was an amazing castle and museum for gothic to renaissance art. Then I got to see Teatro Roma, which was an amazing amphitheatre and I climbed to Verona’s Top of the World and was BEAUTIFUL. Definitely one of the most breathtaking views I’ve seen in my life, especially at sunset. Then I ended up wandering around and saw Juliet’s balcony and courtyard, yes the Romeo and Juliet balcony, supposedly that is. Then I ended up meeting up with one of my roommates to eat at a restaurant where only locals ate and was amazing. Veal filled ravioli and a Pork Shank with Potato Puree...yumsss. Probably the best meal I’ve had here in Europe so far. Then I went back to try and sleep early so that I could do a few more things in Verona. I woke up early and did a few churches and the archaeological museum and finished before 2pm. So by then I thought I was just about done in Verona, and time to move on to Padova.

I ended up taking a train at 2:30pm and met a random Italian student who lives around Padova and just talked to him with my broken Italian and he responded with this broken English, which was much better than my Italian… He was really fun to talk to and was even nice enough to let me use his laptop and internet on the train to look up what to see in Padova. Then when I arrived in Padova, I had no idea what to see except the on church that my random Italian acquaintance had suggested to me, which was the church of San Antonio. So I just bought a map outside the train station and made my way to that church. I ended up a bus station too far, but ended up in the most beautiful plaza I’ve seen in my life. I enjoyed it for a little while, but the sun was setting so I really needed to find that church before it closed. Then I ended up asking the locals and found the church. When I got to the church and went inside, I noticed the distinctive smell inscents. They were in the middle of mass so that was really fun to experience. It was probably the most decorative and elaborate church I’ve seen so far. Then as I was walking around thinking about what street I should sleep on, this random Chinese guy approached me and noticed I was a tourist also. So we began to talk and I told him I planned on sleeping on a bench tonight and he told me he knew of a youth hostel he was going to stay at. So we found the youth hostel and ended up staying there. While I was at the hostel I met a Romanian and a Brazilian guy, both of which who were very nice. We all exchanged traveling tips and got to know each other a little bit which was a great brief experience. Then the next day, I had to take a train back to Venezia and ended up going to a tiny island called Burano. It was probably the most colorful city I’ve seen in my whole life. I felt like a kid just got a box of Crayola crayons and just went at it with all the houses. Then I ended up eating at a really good restaurant with that random Chinese guy I met at in Padova and then headed back for the airport after sunset.

All in all, I’ve met a handful of amazing people and really enjoyed myself. This adventure was probably the most liberating thing I’ve experienced. I never stressed about trying to look for places or thinking of what to do next. Instead, I just embraced every sporadic moment and really learned a lot of little things, about myself and in general, from traveling on my own. What an adventure this was... Hopefully I'll have many more to come.

Why Roma? Why Study Abroad?

People have been asking me what brought me to Roma, and I had a little bit of trouble answering it honestly. So the best response I can come up with to that question is this uber lengthy post. And yes i know there are tons of run on sentences, grammatical, spelling errors as there will be in all my posts. It's just the way I think so please bear with me =)

The transition from Irvine to Roma, for me, was pretty intense. Actually, that is probably an understatement. What has drawn me towards Roma for my study abroad semester was learning about how much history Roma has. Moving from a suburban city, with pretty much every building looking like every other building with the history of about 50 years or so, to a city which has the history of a few thousand years was ridiculous. It was shocking to see how much there is to see in Roma. Getting lost on the first day and running into the pantheon just comes to show how Roma is so densely packed with history. I could probably run into over 100 churches, monuments, and piazzas walking across Roma in a single day, and that’s not even me exaggerating. Also, every alleyway I walk down is a completely new experience. The cobblestones on all the sidewalks give the city so much character. And at night it gives it a whole new dynamic. While walking down them on a rainy night makes the cobblestones glimmer a sea of jewelry reflecting the moonlight and the tungsten orange toned city lights. I have studied a little bit of art history, and have had some knowledge of all the famous monuments, cathedrals, and piazzas and all of it has been amazing. However, the little things like the cobblestones, the amazing alleyways, my giant castle key for my apartment, and how all the food and produce here is fresh and doesn’t have hormones or preservatives are all things that I was not prepared to experience. All the little things I have been noticing here in Roma have been very… refreshing. It’s refreshing to see a world outside of the States, and that there are other ways to live. That is the culture exposure that I’ve been craving and will continue to experience.

That was me glorifying Roma, but there are definitely a few drawbacks here. None of which really bother me except for a few… but that is for another post.

This past month of Gennario was definitely the most dramatic change that I have put myself through. Well, in terms of experiencing a whole new type of environment and culture, completely by myself. Even though I've been living on my own for the past 5 years or so, I've always had the convenience of having my home home near me, for whenever I wanted a home cooked meal or to use the gym. I’ve also been fortunate enough to have been blessed with such an amazing group of friends. Ever since I could remember, I’ve always been surrounded by truly good hearted people that have always given me infinite support, no matter what I'd be trying to do, including me coming here to Roma. I’ve just been in need of a change of scene the past year. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade my friends or family for the world. I didn’t come to Roma to get away from my loved ones; on the contrary, I came here hoping to become a stronger and better person so when I do come back home, (wherever home may be in the future) I’ll have more to offer. I have felt, more recently, that what I had to offer to my friends and family was insufficient at times back at home. This is probably because I haven’t truly grown as a person, or as much as I wanted to in the past few years. I’m not going to lie, it is painful to be away from my loved ones, especially after having that kind of support my whole life, but it will definitely be a long term payout for my friends, family, and for myself. I feel that by being completely independent in a different culture will help me learn more about myself and become a stronger person. Gaining new perspectives from different cultural standpoints will also play a large part of my learning experience here. Just living here for the past few weeks has already made me see things differently. It has been a little hectic trying to adjust to the culture, planning trips, learning the language, and just taking care of myself. But it has been rewarding to see that I’ve made it this far in one piece, and I’m looking forward to all the new things I will learn in the next few months. Hopefully I will achieve my main goal during my stay in Roma and become better equipped to deal with and adapt to any situation that I’m thrown into.

Overdue Post from Jan 15th, 2010

I woke up for orientation and took the bus for the first time. It was interesting to see Rome from the windows of the public transport. We got to see everyday workers and commuters and I just noticed that everyone was quite reserved and when they spoke, they were all very soft spoken. Also, when we spoke, I noticed that everyone stared at us because we talked quite loud relative to their standards. After orientation, I got lost in the middle of Roma and ended up in front of the Pantheon. I was quite taken aback because it was so unexpected. From the outside, the columns were just enormous, however, it didn’t seem as big as I had imagined. However, as I walked into the church, I was awestruck. It was even bigger than it seemed from the outside. The dome above was so big that as I looked up, overwhelmed my whole vision. It was about dusk and the giant hole in the middle of the dome illuminated a soft tranquil blue and was contrasting the stone colored coffers surrounding it. I completely lost track of time walking around the Pantheon. Then as my roommate and I walked out, we noticed a sign pointing towards the Trevi Fountain, so we followed it and there it was, about 50 times as big as the imitated one in Vegas. I just sat there for a while and enjoyed the scene. Then we walked towards the Spanish Steps and walked up to the top. It overlooked the skyline and noticed that we were pretty high up. Then we just followed a road where some locals were going headed towards Piazza Dell’Popolo. The view we saw it from was amazing. Then we chose a random street to get lost in and found a few art studios and walked into one and just enjoyed the local art. Then my roommate conversed with one of the artists and asked him what his favorite restaurant was and he showed us on a map. We found the place which was just down the street. The pasta was all handmade and tasted amazing. After eating, we wanted to walk home, but didn’t realize how tired we were so we took a cab back. I was sill fighting jetlag so I tried to stay up a little longer after changing into my pajamas to write this blog but instead, I immediately KOed. Great first two days.

a noteworthy inbetween update

I just had to post this and share. Supposedly, it is very popular here. It was everything I hoped it would be.

To Alcohol: The cause.. and solution to.. all of life's problems.

Roming Around

The flight to Rome just felt like a longer flight to East Coast. After Ariving at the airport, it still didn't hit me yet that I am here. After taking the Taxi to my apartment, I still didn't feel it yet. As I was unpacking my things, still nothing. As two of my room mates finished unpacking, we went down to a local store and I pretty much didn't know any Italian except Ciao. Thank god for one of my room mates who knew enough to get around. Here I am, not even knowing the street I live on, pick a direction to go explore. This was the feeling I was waiting for, knowing that I am entering an entirely different world not knowing what to expect and to being able to be completely spontanious. We chose left and we immediately saw the giant wall surrounding the Vatican. So we just followed the wall down and we saw a group of locals walk down these stairs so we followed. It led us into a very large square with pizzerias, gelatarias, snack bars, random novelty shops, and this giant market selling fresh meats, seafood, bread, cheese, and wine. The market was a bit overwhelming because of the ridiculous amount of shops and I this was when it started to sink in that I was really in Roma. Most of these shops were family owned and one of the Deli's saw us eyeing their prosciutto they were cutting. So they cut off a slice and motioned for us to try. I slowly approached them and pinched the thinly sliced salted pork and tried it. Wow was the only word I could think of and this was the exact moment that I was sure that I was in Roma. We went back to the apt because stores close during the day like siesta. I told myself I would nap for about half an hour or an hour, but we all KOed and woke up about 5 hours after. Then, long story short, we tried finding this restaurant a local recomended but couldn't find it so we ended up getting a pizza from a hole in the wall place. It was amazing, the ingredients were so fresh that you can really taste it. Then for our final stop, we got this amazing gelato and savored it. I couldn't have asked for a better ending for my first day in Roma.