Dear Rome,
It seems like a memory now:
The 10 hour ride landing straight into your city; my feet
hitting the pavement and running for 17 days straight non-stop.
Struggling with the language, but enjoying my stutters and
the confused faces of the Italians when I asked for directions along the way.
The discomfort of feeling lost but the determination I felt
trying to find my way.
Taking pictures of my surroundings in hopes that when I
look at the picture, it would feel as if I was looking at the place for the
first time again.
It seems like a memory now:
The early morning grumpy faces
The aching feet
The dehydration
It seems like a memory now:
The shock in my heart when I saw the Coliseum. Actually,
that one isn’t a memory because I still feel the shock.
It seems like a memory now:
Walking through the ancient sights feeling like I was
traveling back in time.
Caressing the walls and marble structures with my fingers hoping
that it would make me a part of history.
Staring up at sky scraping structures wondering how in the
world people so many centuries ago were able to build so tall.
Admiring beautiful art with beautiful friends
The sand between my toes and the view of the beach
It seems like a memory now:
The laughs surrounding the dinner table
The wine invading my blood stream making me smile
uncontrollably,
The late nights dancing in Campo de Fiori
Making new friends and reviving old friendships as well
The bonding with fellow students and wonderful professors
It seems like a memory now:
The food!
The fresh taste of tomatoes on my tongue
The painfully pleasurable feeling the freshly squeeze orange
juice gave my tongue every morning
The fresh sent of herbs coming out of any given restaurant
The feeling of being so full to the point where I was going
to explode but needing one more bite of that delicious pasta
The endless amounts of gelatos I ate.
The endless amount of Pizza I ate!
My first experience in Europe was
amazing because I was able to experience it culturally and educationally. I also
had the leisure of choosing what I wanted and did not want to do on my spare
time, which allowed me to experience the city more than I thought I would. But
mostly it was amazing because I was able to spend it in one of the places I’ve
always wanted to visit. I learned and experienced so much from you Rome and in
so little time. One thing I can take away from this experience is being able to
pay more attention to detail. I learned to appreciate the litter things as well
as the grand ones. I learned to manage my day and manage time; although I never
got the being on time in the morning quite right. I learned to write down my
ideas and express them coherently through your inspiration. I was inspired by your art and your liveliness. I was able to
strengthen my Italian and my ability to learn and grow in a group. I learned to
immerse myself in a culture and its all a wonderful memory now. One that in the
future I hope to relive again.
Till next time,
Franchesca
Till next time,
Franchesca
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