Long time no talk friends...
It's been over a month now that I've been living in one of my dream cities: Rome, Italy. This whole experience is surreal and every day feels like a blessing. I had always wanted to study abroad ever since middle school (shout-out to Ms. Whitmore for inspiring me!) and to think that I am finally doing what's been on my bucket list is truly amazing. Speaking of bucket lists, I've been checking things off one-by-one and apparently, my list keeps also keeps getting longer and longer. There is so much to do here in Rome that I don't even think I can explore it all in the few months I am here.
Studying abroad is everything I expected and more. The first few days were difficult. I had a hard time adjusting to all the new faces and culturally, Italy is a very "in-your-face" type of place. I honestly cannot remember the last time I breathed in air without the smell of cigarettes (lol). I got homesick...really homesick. I still do feel a longing for home, with all my friends and family and food, but the simple fact that I am here living out my dream keeps me from getting to a depressing state.
Learning the italian language has been quite difficile. I had never learned a new language until this trip so it's been quite a challenge; however, being a student (not a tourist) in this city has helped a lot in my progress as I'm forced to speak the native tongue whenever I'm out and about.
Here's a few things I've noticed about Rome so far:
-smoking is very prevalent; teenagers and old folks alike do it...and they do it everywhere
-yes, there are fiats, smart cars, and vespas everywhere just as you'd imagine
-in regards to the previous post: italians drive crazy and park crazy
-you can cross the street whenever you'd like but only at your own risk
-public display of affection (aka PDA) is REAL
-you can cross the street whenever you'd like but only at your own risk
-public display of affection (aka PDA) is REAL
-pasta is a staple and I've been eating it almost everyday...literally.every.day.
-italians are all about that civile lifestyle (google it and you'll see what I'm saying)
-taking the bus/tram takes about the same time as it does walking
-breakfast here consists of a caffe and a pastry (also, one should never order any with a latte aka milk after 11AMish)
-grocery shopping is cheap and must be done pretty much bi-weekly
-italians are all about freshness especially when it comes to food
-there is no such thing as personal space
Bonus: they do indeed dress well here (I'm currently diggin' the men who wear these really nice dark navy suits + dress shoes + sunglasses + riding away on their vespas...mi piace molto)
So there's a little catching up with me. Of course, the things I've listed above do not include everything (but I can have another post for that if you'd like). I've got weekends booked for places to visit both in Italy and outside. I'm flying out to Spain-Portugal-Paris-Brussels for our fall break next week! Also, I'm currently babysitting on the side to help bring in that extra cash. I'll probably be broke as heck when I get back to the states but hey! Still blessed to be here and I pinch myself everyday to make sure I'm not daydreaming.
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And here's a unedited selfie of me in Firenze...don't mind my swollen eyes, I got bit on the eyelid by mosquitos:
Ciao i miei amici,
Rachel