viva italia

Going to Italy for 10 days in college was a dream come true.  I worked with one of my theatre professors to create this trip, and we actually got it approved for credit.  It counted as a “senior synthesis” course…college is all about what you make it, so I made the system work for me 🙂

We worked for a few months getting everything together, and I selfishly got to see the country where my roots all began.  Mapping out our trek was exciting enough, but actually getting to see all the things in person that I grew up reading about was incredibly moving.

This was my first real trip anywhere.  I changed time zones, crossed an ocean,  heard lots of different languages being spoken in the airport, and I couldn’t read any of the Italian signs…the weight of my adventure was sinking in!

Rome was the first stop, naturally.  Where to begin?  Our small group stayed in hostels, which (I believe) cost about $20 a night (which included a free standard breakfast).  It was like dorm life at school, which was fun.  Guys and girls were separated, we had large bunk rooms and shared bathrooms.  And I don’t think I met another American staying at any of the hostels we went to, which was a nice change of pace.

I guess I expected Rome to be less hectic, a diamond in the rough, so to speak.  I was blown away by how busy, noisy and modern it was.  Everyone drove scooters or smart cars, and parked them in every free inch of space that was available.  The constant stream of traffic was reminiscent of NYC, and public busses were everywhere.  And as we were whisked away through unsafely crowded streets, every so often we could catch a glimpse of a famous building, old ruins or other point of interest.

The Vatican was a high point of the trip, of course.  It was by far the largest building I had ever been inside of, and it was actually a little overwhelming.  Every inch of the building was beautiful.  Uniquely colored marble was everywhere.  The huge altar was completely hand-carved wood.  The dozens of large mosaics were so big and perfectly done, that everyone thought they were smooth paintings.  I was totally awe-struck at the level of craftsmanship and attention to detail that went into every inch of the building.

After seeing the most iconic structure in Italy, we continued to see a number of other landmarks that also inspired awe.  Some of these included the Pantheon, the church of Santa Maria Minerva (which had beautifully painted blue ceilings), The Bridge of Angels, the Coliseum, the Arch of Constantine, the Sistine Chapel, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain (the most popular tourist place in Rome), and St. Paul’s cathedral.  And lastly, before moving North, we took a drive to Pompei for the day, to see the remains of the city.  After the congestion of Rome, it was so nice to be out in nature for the day, drinking in the sun and fresh air, and imagining what life must have been like for my ancestors before the volcano erupted.