Buonasera to you all! I’m writing this as I enjoy my most adventurous dinner yet. It is hard to cook in a small kitchen that is not as well supplied as the ones I’m used to, but I’m trying to make due without resorting to pasta every night. Tonight I made chicken and mushrooms in a white wine lemon cream sauce with garlic green beans on the side. Perfecto! I started the sauce with a roux, a thickening mixture of 50% flour and 50% butter. This is my first attempt at a roux and I am pleased to say it went well! It is quite a delicious dinner and I feel very accomplished considering I had no real recipe and it still turned out so yummy.
This post’s quote by Francis Bacon has a significant meaning to me this week, as I’ve just finished my first week of classes. Studying abroad really is part education, both inside and outside the classroom.
My first week of classes went very well. First, I have to say that, while I knew I was coming to Rome to go to school, it is hard to get back into “school mode” after a week-long vacation when I first arrived. I started my morning early on Monday, getting ready to race to campus and sign up for trips sponsored by the school. I chose a weekend trip to Tuscany (Florence, Pisa, and Trequanda) and a day trip to Assisi, a beautiful town that my grandfather told me was a “must-see.” I started my Italian class that day, incredibly eager to learn the language. I find the Italian language beautiful, romantic, and very pleasing to the ear. Unfortunately, I am having a hard time convincing myself to not go into Spanish, as the languages are so similar that I have a tendency to want to say “Me llamo Julie” instead of “io mi chiamo Julie.” Regardless, I can’t wait to be able to converse with the locals soon!
My next class was Media and Gender. The professor was funny, interesting, and very friendly. Unfortunately, a lot of the gender discussions are very similar to what I have already done with sociology, so it’s a little repetitive. In a way this is good, since it will help me connect both of my majors to this class. In other ways, it could get a little boring. I’ll just have to wait and see.
I switched into another class that started Wednesday called Introduction to Italian Culture. I thought that this course would really help me make the most of my time here and begin to understand the history of this place. While I’ve only been to one class, it was very interesting and will surely come in handy as I tour the city and Italy in general. But now on to my favorite class.
Drum roll, please….
A Moveable Feast: Writing About Food! Those of you reading this know me well enough to know that I truly am a “foodie.” I love to cook, eat, read food blogs, watch the Food Network, and look up recipes online. This love affair with food makes the course perfect for me. One of the things I love the most about it is that I am being taught skills that will actually make me a better writer. So many of my college courses have been about theories, where teachers have even said “You’ll never use this but you have to know it for the test.” I love that this class makes me feel as though I am learning with a purpose, allowing me to develop better writing skills and a true voice as a food writer.
While the quote I chose for this post mentions education, it also discusses experience. One of the most memorable moments of the week was an experience that I had outside of the classroom. During a break on my first day of classes, I decided to walk around the park across from school. AUR is nestled between two of Rome’s largest parks, Villa Pamphili and Villa Sciarra, the closer and smaller of the two. As I entered Villa Sciarra, I was immediately taken aback by it’s charming nature. There were trees, fountains, and a playground where several children were plying with their parents. As I ventured further in I found more than just charm, but true beauty. The pathways are lined with many trees, including palm trees (a universal symbol of peace and serenity in my opinion). There are dirt and stone pathways winding throughout large grassy hills that beckon visitors to wander further and further. I found a staircase and decided to explore, spotting an adorable gazebo at the top. I also found an adorable couple- my apologies go out to them for interrupting what appeared to be a rather intimate moment! I quickly turned around and continued on, finding many fountains, fields, benches, and pathways. The park is also famous for its views of Rome, as this area sits on the highest hill in the city. The vistas of Rome were absolutely breathtaking. A pathway along the side of the hill was covered with a canopy of vines and branches, creating a setting that any Hollywood set designer could only dream of. It was one of those moments where I was filled with nothing but happiness and gratitude that I am able to have these experiences and be in such a wonderful place.
The rest of the week allowed me to settle into a bit of a routine. Classes, grocery shopping, etc. It’s now starting to feel like I truly live here, as opposed to feeling like I’m just visiting. Along those lines, I also feel like I’ve been here two months instead of just under two weeks. The semester has started off very slowly, but I know that it’s only a matter of time before it begins to fly. On tap for the end of February is a trip to Venice. Then in March, I have the trip to Tuscany, then my sister surprised me with booking a trip to see me, then my friend is coming out for spring break (and we are planning a trip to many parts of Italy), and then my parents are coming here for a week and a half (we will be visiting Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast). This brings me to April, where I will be spending the first weekend with my parents, then taking the day trip to Assisi, followed by hopefully Easter weekend in Greece (as Italy and Greece are the top places in the world that I want to go, I figured I can get to Greece while I’m here too). By the time that’s done, the semester is basically finished! It’s just started but already I know that it will fly by! To my sister Steph, my friend Julie, and my parents: I can’t thank you enough for coming out to see me! While I want to savor my time in Rome, you can’t imagine how badly I want it to be March so that I can see you all! Now that I’ve started to learn my way around the city a little more, I am eager to share this incredible place with you!
Ciao!
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