Student Bloggers
First Week Down!
Date
September 11, 2014
I realized I've only been here for a week. Wut. It's crazy because I've done so much in such a short amount of time.
Catching up, I've been to most of the big sites in Rome but still have a ton more to see, and I'm planning my trips outside of Rome for the rest of the semester.
Being honest right now, I miss Wal-Mart. I could get everything in one place and be done. Here I am in desperate need of some tweezers and literally cannot find them anywhere. It's kind of an adventure (albeit a slightly annoying one) finding places that sell all the different things you need.
Tiger Mosquitoes. These little (to keep it clean) jerks are horrible. They have come over from Africa and for some reason have a fascination with biting my knuckles while I nap. Maybe it's a sign I shouldn't be napping. I'm excited for cooler weather so these stupid bugs will go away.
We had a cultural adjustment workshop this past weekend and one of the things we talked about was the little things in a new culture that will start to annoy us. I think I've found mine: meal length. We had lunch on Sunday and it was awesome, but also four hours long. OMG I cannot sit for that long. However, it's custom. It's something I'll definitely have to get used to and just suck it up.
And although it may sound like I'm having a miserable time, I promise I'm having a wonderful time. It's really something to stand in the midst of ruins 2000 years old and know that so many huge things happened there. I got chills standing on the grounds of Nero's home thinking about his impact on history, at the site where Julius Caesar was murdered, even in the Pantheon looking at Raphael's tomb and that of three babies from some year B.C.
The city is intricate, complex, busy, and so different than anything I've ever experienced and I learn something new everyday. It's awesome. Sign me up to stay forever.