August 29, 2018 - September 2, 2018
The first full day in Rome is a breath of fresh air. I take a taxi to UC Center Rome within the Piazza dell’Orologo for paperwork, and another to my home for the next four months, an apartment in Trastevere. My homestay mom Valeria is wonderful from the start, and I couldn’t have asked for a better host. She lives with her son Alessandro and is a seasoned veteran when it comes to hosting, not even being able to remember how many students it’s been so far. Apparently the guy from the term before wasn’t the most considerate, so I’m determined to make up for it. She’s an incredibly calming presence, and she works as an OT like my Dad, biking to work every morning. She speaks very little English as well, and it’s a perfect match. At dinner that night plenty of Italian words fly over my head, but there are plenty of laughs, more than enough to keep my resolve to learn well-sustained.
The next day is orientation, and I meet many new friends, including my bud Charlie. The next couple of days is a whirlwind of errands, food, and sites as we settle into the city before classes begin. For now, the public transit is relatively uncrowded as many natives are still on vacation, so it’s a perfect time to get acquainted.
Looking back on these old photos, it’s already become disarming to see such huge throngs of people! The Trevi fountain is one of the obvious first stops, but much more exciting and *slightly* less crowded is the Pantheon, which I would visit maybe a dozen more times, and would become my favorite building in all of Rome.
The weekend ends with an excursion to the Forum and Colosseum, hosted by the amazing Professor Corrado, whose enthusiasm for Ancient Rome is earnest and invigorating. 😁
I go to bed that night excited, with a twinge of homesickness thinking about my friends and life a world away, but ready for everything to come.
