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| At the AS Roma vs. AC Milan football game. |
We’ve reached that point, my loyal readers. It’s time to say arrivederci to this beautiful city and incredible country. Phone numbers have been exchanged, final pizzas have been eaten, and the gelato cup is empty. This post’s quote, by Martin Buber, reflects how much this experience has been more than I could ever have hoped for.
I came abroad wanting to experience a new culture, meet new people, and travel in an amazing country. Check, check, and check again! I was incredibly scared to take the leap of faith and go somewhere half-way around the world with no one I knew and no ability to speak the language. I’m beyond thrilled that I decided to face these fears and take a chance. I have completely adapted to the Italian culture, made amazing friends, and gone to so many incredible parts of Italy. These are experiences I never dreamt I would have.
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| Cinque Terre |
I also never knew how profoundly this semester has impacted me. Not only have my eyes been completely opened to the world around me, but I have changed inside. I will come home a little more independent, a little more self-assured, and believing more than I ever have that anything is possible. I am forever changed for the better from a semester in Rome.
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| Pompeii |
There are, of course, things that I am looking forward to at home. A couple of things on my list include:
o My dog
o My family
o My friends
o My mom’s cooking
o My house
o My kitchen and cooking with a spatula
o A stove that lights itself
o A microwave (that’s right ladies and gentlemen, I’ve learned to live for four months without a microwave, even I’m impressed)
o The gym (oh elliptical, how I’ve missed you)
o A grilled hot dog and/or burger
o A belated birthday cake
o A summer at home
o My car and driving
o Pancakes with maple syrup
o My American phone number and the ability to text and call easily
o Seeing people dress for the weather, not the month
o Finally being 21 and enjoying all the perks that that entails
o Maryland
o Maryland Images
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| Can't wait to get back to my puppy! |
But with this list comes an incredibly long one of things that I’ll miss about Italy. Here is just a little taste of it:
o Food
o Gelato- Romagnani, Cremi, and Della Palma especially, banana and nutella flavors, and the ability to have multiple flavors in one serving
o Pizza- Dar Poeta’s San Pietrino and Da Simone’s Caprese
o Sfogliatelle- chocolate-filled pastries- Romagnani’s are my favorite
o Gnocchi Thursdays
o Sandwiches at the shop by AUR (Side note to my friends here, I just found out it’s called Specialita Alimentari Gastronomia- Santi Fabio. Who knew it had a name?!)
o Supplis
o House wines (especially Dar Poeta’s vino rosso)
o Amazing olive oil
o Delicious, cheap wine
o Parmigiano Reggiano
o Pasta Carbonara
o Prosciutto crudo
o Dried fruit
o My cereal- Bran flakes with mixed fruit- the best way to start my day
o Blood oranges
o Red pears
o Fresh, incredible fruit and vegetables from my market
o The way that everything somehow tastes better here
o Places
o My apartment
o Villa Sciara
o The Trevi Fountain
o The Colosseum
o The Pantheon
o The Vittoriano
o The church in Piazza Navona
o My open-air fresh market
o The Punto Sma grocery store
o Campo dei Fiori
o People
o My friends that I’ve made here
o My roommates who have made my apartment so wonderful
o Manuel, the man who sells amazing dried fruit at Campo, and always teaches me Italian and gives me free things
o My favorite fruit and vegetable vendor at the market (who makes my day when he sees me and says “Ciao bella!” and then proceeds to know the first thing that I always ask for: five of his amazing oranges)
But my emotions are not something that can merely be reduced to these lists. I’m feeling so incredibly blessed for everything that I’ve experienced this semester. The friends that I’ve made, the places I’ve traveled to, the food I’ve indulged in, the culture that I’ve fallen in love with- these are all parts of the amazing life I’ve been living. While it’s sad to leave Rome because I have to physically leave Italy, it’s not just the place I’m going to miss. I know that I can come back to Italy. It’s not going anywhere and I have promised myself that I will be back. But I cannot come back to this life. It’s a snapshot in my life, a moment in time that I can’t return to. At the same time that I wish it could last forever, it feels right that it has only been these four months. It was a precious and short amount of time and because of that I knew that I had to do it all. I have packed so many memories into this semester and I have absolutely no regrets. It was exactly the semester I wanted. Actually, it was more than I wanted; it was more wonderful than I could have ever dreamt it would be. I still lie in bed sometimes at night and have to give myself a reality check- I really did it, I’m really in Italy. There are days where I feel like I’ll wake up and it will all have been a dream. And it has been a dream. Famous poet Anna Akhmatova once said that “Italy is a dream that keeps returning for the rest of your life.” I now understand that she’s completely right.
While I know that this can’t last forever, I can’t help but want to hold on to this life. It may not be reality, but it has been my reality. Thank you to the people and places that have made this the best four months. And thank you to this city for the amazing life I have gotten to lead. Roma does and will forever hold my heart.
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| The lovely ladies of Via di Monte Verde 48 |
(I have made a video of my experience in Rome. I have placed it in this post and also posted the link to watch it on YouTube. Enjoy!)
Dear Julie,
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful final post! You had loads of opportunities in Roma and the semester at AUR and you made the most of all of them. Dad and I are so proud of you. Proud of that leap of faith. Proud of how you quickly learned your way around. Proud of the wonderful friends you made. Proud of how you explored the country. And proud of how you learned the language. You are amazing and the your life in Rome will always be a part of you.
Love Always,
Mom