Week 5

Wednesday, September 25: My New Testament class went to the church of St. John Lateran (San Giovanni) which is the cathedral of Rome and of the world. Even though I don't love sight-seeing, the size and grandeur of this church was breath-taking. There are huge statues of different religious figures and really intricate mosaics and designs all over the church. So, I actually did enjoy this visit. After classes, my friend finally showed us the good Mexican place that is about 20 minutes away, by bus with some walking. It was delicious, but again I still don't feel a need to eat anything other than Italian. That night, we also went to a really cool "library" themed place that specializes in chocolate shots. The shot glass itself is made out of chocolate and they use different liquors like hazelnut or coconut before topping it off with some whipped cream. Way better than any other shot I've ever had! Then, we went to Scholar's, which is the Irish bar close to our apartment. We met some cool people from Australia who told us about crocodiles and kangaroos and used words that I've never heard of. It's so interesting to meet people from all over the world!

San Giovanni (unfortunately they were doing some construction)

Inside the Church

Chocolate Shots!

Friday, September 27: My program had another included trip to do some wine harvesting. We got on another bus around 9:30 and drove for about an hour before stopping at a rest stop. There was a long line for the bathroom so I got a snack while I waited for everyone to clear out. What happened next was probably the most awkward and embarassing moment yet for me here. I was the second to last person in line for the bathroom; an Asian boy in the SBSJU (St. John's in Minnesota) program (somewhat linked to my program CEA, but not really) was behind me. There were two one-person bathrooms, so Rachel went into the men's room and then I went into the girl's bathroom. I hadn't even completely sat down on the toilet when the Asian boy opened the door to my bathroom and literally started to walk into the room..... I was mortified! He mumbled "sorry" and then I ran to the door to double check that it was locked and shut. For the rest of the day, I avoided him but apparently he told all his friends, SO rude, even though I did tell mine. It was actually pretty funny but I never wanted to interact with him or see him again after that! 

So the actual wine harvesting was really cool. We were in a field full of grapes and we each got to clip off the grapes and fill a basket with them. Then, we got to see the big containers and machines that they use to make and store the wine. There were also a ton of animals here: dogs, cats, horses, and roosters. I wasn't really a fan of the dogs and cats but I liked seeing the horses and hearing the roosters. We were also able to purchase 3 bottles of wine for 10 euro which is a pretty good deal. I got some. Then, we went to a delicious and HUGE lunch. We had to walk up a really steep hill to get there but it was a good workout before all the food we ate. The meal included some appetizers, really good fried zucchini and fried carrots, delicious ham and cheese lasagna, lemon chicken, french fries, salad, and some flan-type dessert that tasted like cheesecake, and of course both white and red wine. We were all so full afterwards. 

Fields of grapes

Where we ate lunch

After lunch, we walked back down the hill and got back on the bus. Six hours later, and of course the Asian boy is sitting right in front of me on the bus. He kept glancing over at me and I was wondering if I had taken his seat or he had dropped something in my area. THEN, he looked at me and BROUGHT UP the incident and apologized again. He said something about how the security guard told him to go in and he kept rambling on and on. Honestly, I wasn't even listening and I just wanted him to stop talking. I think I said something like "don't worry about it" "it happens" "it's fine". I just wanted him to stop talking, I couldn't belive he brought it up! At least it's a funny story to tell now. On the bus ride home, I took a nap and then took another nap once back at home. Doing all of these trips and always being on the go is very tiring!

That night, we went to Tony's for dinner. Tony's is right by our apartment and while they cater to Americans, the food is really good and they do some nice inclusions like free wine, free bread, and free tiramisu. I got the penne alla vodka which was very good. Probably shouldn't have even had dinner since I was so full from lunch but a big group of us had been wanting to try Tony's for awhile so I couldn't resist. After dinner, we all went back to Gilda, the club from last Friday night. Right when we walked in, of course, who do I see but Asian boy dancing with a girl in my program!! Can't escape him, even though I REALLY want to. Luckily, the SBSJU kids leave Rome for good for 2 months in Athens in mid-October. Hopefully, I won't run into him too many more times until then. But, overall Friday was a really fun day spent with a lot of cool people in my program!

One Month Anniversary in Roma

It's crazy to think that I have been in Rome for one month! It feels like just yesterday I arrived here. I hate that the time is flying because there is still so much to do! I have written down a few highlights in my phone of what has happened to me since my last blog post that I didn't want to forget to write about.

On Thursday, my Italian class went to a market to practice ordering in Italian. The market was down the street from our school and it's open everyday from 7 am-7 pm. Everything is inside and it definitely reminded me of the market that I go to in Toronto with my Aunt Maria. They have stands with fresh fruit and vegetables and places that specialize in pasta or fish. We had to complete an assignment in groups of 3 and then each group was given 5 euros to spend. I got an apple, a tomato, and a peach: all so fresh and delicious! That night, I definitely went to the BEST restaurant yet with Rachel and Emmy. It is called Dar Poeta and it is in a non-busy area right behind our apartment. Rachel had gone here with her family 2 years ago and had been dying to go back ever since we got to Rome. I'm so glad we finally made it! I had the best pizza I have ever had at this restaurant: zucchine pizza with mozzarella and courgettes. It was so amazing that I ate the whole thing! In addition, what Rachel had been craving since her last visit was their nutella and ricotta calzone. The three of us split this and it was so delicious. Even though I don't want to repeat many restaurants, I definitely want to go back to Dar Poeta many more times!!

On Friday, my program had a make-up day for classes that will be canceled in November for Thanksgiving. My Italian class went to a bar (or caffe) on this day to practice speaking in Italian again. Once again, my teacher paid for everything. I got a biscotto and a cappuccino. It's so awesome that we get to go on so many cool excursions with my classes. That would never happen at home! Friday night, my roommates and I went to a cool club called Gilda where we danced all night! We got home at 3:30 am and then had to be up again at 7 for our Taste of Tuscany tour.

Barista made a cool design on my cappuccino

Saturday, my roommates and I left for a bus2alps Taste of Tuscany trip. First, we went to Montepulciano for a tour of a wine cellar and some wine tasting. Honestly, I liked the cheese and bread better than the wine, but it was really cool to see the big barrels where they store all of the wine. Here, we also had the treat of seeing one area where New Moon was filmed in Piazza Grande. Although I have never seen the movie, I read all of the books and it was pretty cool to be in the same place where Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart filmed the movie. This area reminded me more of what I expected Rome to look like, with narrow steep roads and lots of little shops and restaurants. After walking around, Rachel, Emmy, and I went for lunch at a place with a beautiful view of the Tuscan scenery. Then, we got back on the bus and went to Altesino. This was a really pretty wine vineyard where we saw some more modern containers that hold the wine. We tasted another three red wines here and walked around in the vineyard before heading back to Rome.

View at the restaurant

Wine barrels

View at our restaurant

New Moon tower

Roommates at the vineyard

On Sunday, we got up early again for a program-sponsored trip to the President's house. Sadly, it was closed for the day, which I guess is very rare. Instead, we went inside Trajan's market. It is basically what inspired our modern day malls and department stores. It also had some great views of the main area of Rome with the Forum and the Wedding Cake. After the tour, some of us went back to T-Bone, the American resaurant behind my apartment. They have some Mexican options on their menu and people were still craving it since our failed attempt at finding it last week. This was my third time there already and I got a super burrito.. Not that good and I am hoping to not go back to that restaurant anytime soon. I am perfectly content with having Italian every day (even though it's not always the healthiest option).

View from top of Trajan's market

Yesterday, I just had a regular, boring day of classes. And pretty much the same thing today. Tonight, I cooked some more pasta with pesto and I also made myself zucchini for the first time. Cooking for myself is actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. Also, Shelby has officially booked her trip to Rome, which is very exciting. She will be here in 9 days, so soon! Then, the following weekend of October 11, Rachel, Emmy, and I will be meeting up with Shelby again in Paris! We booked our flights last week and we also went through WSA Student Adventures so our whole weekend will be full of included tours and activities. I can't wait to go somewhere where I can speak the language and know my way around a little better.

Birthday, Campania, and Much More

So much has happened since I last had time to write! I can't believe how busy I am, and I hate that time is flying. It's 1:20 am here but I decided to at least start to write about some of what happened last week.

Saturday night 9/7: My roommates and I went to the Trevi Fountain for a "picnic". We brought prosciutto, salami, bread, cheese, grapes, and wine and sat by the fountain around 9 at night. It was cool to see the fountain at night, but even at this hour it was very busy. Some of us decided to look for gelato after our dinner and this is the first time that I got food in Rome that was really not delectable... We found a place right next to the fountain, so it was pretty tourist-y. I got a piece of ricotta cake that had to be the worst thing I have eaten here so far.  I'm used to Grandma's warm, fresh-out-of-the oven ricotta cake, but this was dry and strange-tasting, so let's just say I will not be ordering that ever again here. That night, we also walked to the Colosseum to see what it was like at night. It was not crowded and we got some good pictures before returning home.

Trevi Fountain at night

Colosseum at night

Tuesday: MY 20th BIRTHDAY!

At midnight, my roommates surprised me with signs, balloons, and toilet paper strewn around my room and played birthday songs. Then in the morning, in my art history class, we went back to the Colosseum for my third time; but this time was my first time going inside. We learned about the stadium and the gladiator fights. The view of the inside is pretty incredible. It reminds me of the Skydome in Toronto. Next, in World Religions, I had my first quiz of the semester which I was very nervous about. I ended up getting a 90, so it looks like I will do okay in the class! After Italian, my roommates and I went out to dinner at La Carbonara. Apparently it is where they invented carbonara pasta but I am not too positive about this... Anyway, it was kind of another tourist-y restaurant but the food was really good. Then, back at home, my roommates surprised me again with cookies from a delicious cookie factory down the street from our apartment. They put candles in the cookies and sang Happy Birthday to me. It was very sweet of them!

Birthday Signs!

Inside the Colosseum

Carbonara Birthday Dinner

Delicious Italian Cookies

These pictures just took FOREVER to upload and now it is 2:16 am, so I need to take a break. More to come tomorrow or soon! Goodnight!

Wednesday: The coolest part of this day was that we went to the Roman Forum with my New Testament class. We saw the place where Julius Caesar's ashes are located, along with many temples and other buildings. Unfortunately, sightseeing is not my favorite thing to do, so I don't really remember  much else about the Forum. But, I'm glad that we go to all of the sites in my classes because they are very beautiful and historical.

House of the Vestal Virgins

Friday: On Friday morning, we left our apartment at 8 am and boarded a bus to start our Campania trip. Pompeii was the first stop. The ride took about 3 hours, and I actually loved it! Although my legs were kind of squished on the bus, I love listening to music on long car-rides, so this was one of the most relaxing times I've had here. Along the way, we stopped at one of the coolest rest-stops. It was nothing like the old McDonald's/gas station stops on the way to Toronto. It was much more modern with more upscale to-go food places and a grocery store! 

At Pompeii, we had a tour of the archaeological remains from Mt. Visuvius's eruption. We saw the streets of the main town, a bakery, and some houses. We also saw the bodies of people who died, including a pregnant woman and a slave. Another main part of the tour was the brothels. Apparently, prostitutes were very common and men would pay hardly any money for visits.

Main Road

All 7 roommates at Pompeii

Inside a home

Also, as seen in the photos, I wore my glasses on this day for the WHOLE day. I haven't done that in years and it wasn't on purpose. I left my glasses on for the bus ride since I knew I would be napping. Then, I put my contacts in before we got out at Pompeii...only to drop a contact on the ground after 5 minutes. And since I only had my no-less-than-6-hours-cleaning-time solution with me in the bottom of our bus, it was glasses or going blind. I didn't really like wearing them because the prescription is not as updated and peripheral vision is almost non-existent. But thank goodness I hadn't left the glasses on the bus or else I wouldn't have been able to see anything at Pompeii!

After our tour and some lunch, we got back on the bus and headed for Sorrento. This took another 2 hours and it might have been my favorite part of the whole trip. I had just bought the new Ariana Grande album and I played it on repeat because the songs are SO good. After only 15 minutes, our ride turned into long, winding roads with beautiful views of the water. Listening to music and looking out the window at the amazing view was like a little piece of heaven.

BEAUTIFUL view out the bus window

Once we made it to Sorrento, we checked into our hotel (our room was all pink) and had some time to explore the town before dinner. I took a shower and for the first and only time since I've been here, I blew dry my hair! It was awesome! Then, Rachel, Emmy, and I got some postcards and looked at a cool villa. Dinner was at the hotel, good but not great. That night, we had free time to go out. We got some gelato; I had very good pistachio. Then we walked around trying to find a good bar. I ended up seeing a girl from PC who is in the Florence program, so we went to the English Inn with her. Crazy enough, I also saw Catherine Dambruch (also studying in Florence) at this bar. AND, I saw a girl from my grade at NDA. It was so weird to run into people in Italy, especially since none of us were actually living in Sorrento. Apparently all of the Americans always find the same places.

Saturday: In the morning, we had breakfast at the hotel. I had some weird hard-boiled eggs and other random food which I think was the cause of my later sea-sickness. Then, we boarded a ferry to Capri. Capri was absolutely beautiful. Our program organized a 2 hour boat tour for everyone. We went out on the water and saw so many beautiful views. We were also able to jump off of the boat into the water. It was really strange for me to jump into salt water. I am so used to fresh lake water that it kind of shocked me when I jumped in. The water was really blue and kind of rough so I only stayed in for a little while but I loved that we were able to jump in! After that, I started to get a little sea-sick but I just sat on the boat and enjoyed the views.

The beautiful blue water (these pictures don't do it justice)

Gorgeous Capri

After the boat ride, Rachel, Emmy, and I really wanted seafood. We found a place near the water and it was DELICIOUS. I got spaghetti with shrimp, tomatoes, and arugula, one of the best meals so far. Then, we walked around Capri a little before heading to the beach. We were tired from the boat ride so we just sat on the rocks (no sand) and relaxed before our return back to Rome. Before leaving Capri, we got the best gelato I have had yet: tiramisu and chocolate. So good! We took another ferry to Naples and then got back on the bus. Overall, it was a really great trip and I would definitely go back to Capri if I get the chance.

Great seafood

Sunday: Notable part of Sunday night is that I finally cooked myself a legitimate dinner in our kitchen. Up until this point, I would only have sandwiches or snacks besides eating out. So, I was pretty proud of my fusilli with peas and pesto. I had to take a picture.

Monday: My friends and I tried to find a Mexican restaurant since it was National Guacamole Day. The Italians we asked for help were confused and probably annoyed that we were looking for Mexican. After about an hour and a half, we decided to give up. Of course, we ended up getting Italian food. After talking to Dad on Sunday, I ordered the spaghetti all'amitriciana which he recommended as a traditional Roman dish. It has tomato sauce and pancetta, very good! After dinner, a friend really wanted cheesecake so we went in search of that... Pretty hard to find and I was anxious to get home to do some homework. We settled on a pizza place that had desserts. Instead of cheesecake, people got donuts and muffins.. When in Rome! I got a mini pie, where my friend said "You are the slowest pie-eater I've ever seen". I told him I'm just the slowest eater in general. We didn't get home until 9:30 so I was up until 2 am doing reading for a quiz, but these experiences make it worth it.

Amitriciana

Also, on this day, I was looking at a map at school. I was very excited to find Roseto on the map so I had to take a picture. For anyone reading this from the Pappano side, please consider visiting so I can go to Roseto! I don't want to go by myself. Thanks! 

ROSETO!

Tuesday: I was very nervous because I had my oral presentation in art history. We went to the Museo Nazionale Romano and saw a bunch of statues. Then, my teacher took us upstairs to see the frescoes from the Villa of Livia at Prima Porta. This is what my presentation was on. I was a little confused when my teacher started talking about them to the class, but I didn't know if she was just giving an intro to my talk. I looked at my friends to see if I should stop her but they seemed confused as well. She kept talking for awhile and then when she finally stopped talking, I told her that I had done this presentation... She felt really bad and had me talk about the points that she hadn't mentioned. She liked what I had to say, so hopefully the fact that she did half of my presentation won't affect my grade! 

For dinner, I think it's interesting to point out that we got veggie burgers. They were really good, too! Then, some of my roommates and I decided to finally try to plan a trip. We booked Prague for Thanksgiving weekend!! It was a difficult process to get a good flight and we didn't really do much research. Only after booking the flight did I realize that we should of looked up its credibility. We are flying with Wizz Air and it looks like the seats are very small and they are a pretty bad airline. Oh well, I am just happy that I finally have a trip planned! I don't mind having my legs squished on a plane for 2 hours. Next trip to be booked is Paris for Canadian Thanksgiving. Hopefully, I will do that today or tomorrow.

Updates

Yesterday, my roommates and I went out to try to find a bookstore for school.  It turned into a long day of walking all around the city of Rome.  First, we took a bus towards CEA and stopped at the wrong bookstore.  Along the way, we stopped for gelato at Caffe Ciampini.  I got chocolate and stracciatella, as always, delicious!  In this area, we ran into some girls from our program which is crazy because Rome is such a huge city!  From there, we realized we were close to the Spanish Steps.  We walked up every slippery and slanted step, and then Rachel showed us a cool park at the top called Villa Borghese.  It felt like we were no longer in Rome, being surrounded by trees and people biking and running.  Reminded me of the fall foliage at home.  But, unlike at home, it is still VERY hot here at above 80 degrees every day.

On the Spanish Steps

Next, we continued on to find the bookstore, but still had no luck.  Eventually, we figured out that the Trevi Fountain was near, so we walked there.  It was very crowded but really pretty.  I was able to make a wish by throwing a penny into the fountain, which I think has already somewhat come true (speedy recovery for Grandma).  I also recently learned that the restaurant where Domina and Giovanni met is by the fountain.  I looked for it along the way, but I don't think we walked by it.  I definitely want to go back to get a meal there though.  At this point, we were all very tired, so we decided to go home and continue looking for the bookstore the next day (today).  We stopped at Pizzeria Florida (the second stop in the crawl from Wednesday) for a slice of pizza and finally arrived home.  Still no books... But I was glad to finally see some of the major sites of Rome.  

Fontana di Trevi

Finally, we had another great meal for dinner last night that I just have to list out.  We went to a restaurant where one of the managers is friends with one of my roommates.  First, we got delicious bread with olive oil and some (free!) wine.  Then, they brought out french fries (random but free! and also really delicious for an Italian restaurant).  I had been craving pasta all week since pizza is the faster, easier, and cheaper meal here.  I ordered the gnocchi al ragu with meat sauce and it was very satisfying.  Finally, they gave us free! chocolate cake for dessert with shots of limoncello.  We definitely have to go back a few more times, since they really took care of us and the food was delizioso.

My Gnocchi

Colosseum and some great food

This morning before our on-site New Testament class, I went with Michelle to a cafe in Campo dei Fiori.  We both got croissants and coffee and stood at the counter while we ate.  Surprisingly, I enjoyed the black coffee, but I did have to put a packet of sugar in.  Then, we walked/took a bus with Rachel to the Colosseum meeting point for class.  While looking for our group, I took a few pictures of the Colosseum, but I didn't have time to take the standard selfie of me standing in front of it.  Hopefully, I will be going back a few times over the next few months so I can fulfill this wish.

After finding our class, we all walked to the church of San Clemente.  We got a guided tour by the art history professor at CEA.  The church has 3 floors underground with ancient stone and columns.  It was really interesting to see the ancient rooms of the 4th century.  After class, I had my first Roman metro experience in order to get back to campus.  I had management again today, and my teacher has grown on me.  The class seems like it will be my easiest class now, which is nice since some of the others are a bit stressful.  I also went to the bank and later today found out that I was charged $17 !! in international and withdrawal fees...  Mom told me to just pay the fees and not worry about it while I am here but that will add up to kind of a lot.  But I'm not going to let it stop me from doing what I want to do while I'm here.  Before my Italian class, some of my roommates and I went to a shop by school to get mini cannolis.  Mine had almonds and the ricotta cheese was so fresh.  Italian was my favorite class again today.  It goes by so fast!  

The best part of the day was our CEA-sponsored Pizza and Gelato Crawl.  First, we went to a bakery for a slice of plain pizza and a slice of pizza with only tomato sauce.  This type of pizza is most similar to the kind that Grandma makes.  These were really good, but kind of plain compared to pizza with multiple toppings, especially since cheese is my favorite.  After that, we went to another pizza place where we each were allowed two slices.  I got zucchini and potato.  They were both delicious, but the potato was a little better overall!  On our way to the gelato place, we passed the cat sanctuary...kind of gross to me, seeing as I strongly dislike almost all animals.  Moving on, we passed the Pantheon again and went to a gelato place that has over 150 flavors called Della Palma.  We were each allowed to get 3 different flavors.  Nostalgic for Toronto and since Grandma is constantly on my mind, I got Roche (like the Ferrero Roche chocolates, the best of the three), Kinder, and then the classic Mint Chocolate Chip.  It was really hard to narrow it down to these three flavors since they offer so many, so I definitely want to go back multiple times!  Overall I would say it was a great eating day.

Pizza and Gelato Crawl, in front of the Pantheon

   

Second Day of Classes

Today was my second day of classes at CEA.  First, I had Angels, Demons & Artists in Rome: Art through the Ages.  This class was very long but it seems like it shouldn't be too hard of a class.  Like my New Testament class, we go on site to different churches and monuments almost every class.  Next I ate my packed mortadella sandwich in the lounge.  I can already tell that the lounge is going to be my #1 hangout this semester because I usually have three classes a day with some gaps.  Since we live about 30 minutes away, it won't be worth it to walk back and forth between my apartment and the school unless I forget something.  After a break in the lounge, I had The Church and the Major World Religions.  This is my smallest class with only nine students and only one other Providence kid.  My teacher seems pretty laidback and funny, but we do have a paper and presentation that count for 40% of our grade.  As an accounting major, I prefer business classes that involve problem sets. I do not like classes with presentations and papers, which is basically ALL of my classes here.  I am pretty stressed about this but hopefully the overwhelming feeling will die down as I learn more about my teachers and the assignments.  After this class, Rachel, Emmy, Michelle, and I went to a pizza place for "linner" and we got a delicious nutella pizza for dessert.

After that, I went to my 4-5 Italian class, which is going to be a pain since it makes Mon.-Thurs. end late for me every week.  But, this is my favorite class because it's very exciting to recognize words and increase my ability to speak Italian with family.  After class, I did the walk home by myself for the first time.  It was relaxing to walk by the river and think about this experience.  It was also very hot!  I keep forgetting to put on sunscreen but the weather is still in the high 80's this week.  Tonight, I will be spending the rest of my night actually doing some homework...  Who knew you actually have work while abroad?  Shout out to Cate who forgot that I was even taking classes in Rome.  Wish me luck!

Primo giorno di scuola

Monday, September 2: Today was our first day of classes.  Also, happy 23rd birthday Mike!  A quick recap of Sunday is that I broke the washing machine and went out for American food for the first time since Rachel was getting sick of Italian.  When I tried to do laundry, the machine suddenly stopped and my clothes were stuck in a pool of water.  I didn't really understand what was wrong so I took all of my clothes out even though they were soaking wet.  I eventually unplugged the washer and plugged it back in, and after that, the machine worked fine.  My clothes were already out at that point and they took forever to dry but at least now I know how to deal with that! At dinner, I got a fish burger with fries.  Then, I got ready for bed early before the first day of class.
Today, we left the apartment around 9:30 in the morning.  My first class was the New Testament theology class through Providence College. It is all 17 PC students plus 5 others, including two of my roommates, which is nice because there is some variety.  Most of the PC kids are only hanging out with each other instead of branching out to meet new people. It's interesting because kids from other schools don't think anyone from Providence is friendly except for a few.  They are so exclusive!  This class seemed okay for the first day, but I am worried because we have a 2 page paper due once a week.  It should be a cool class though because every Wednesday we go on site to a Church or historical place.  For example, this week we are going to the Colosseum which I am excited to finally see!  After class, Rachel and I ate lunch (I brought a mortadella sandwich and an apple) on the steps of our building.  Then, I had a 2 hour break until my next class.  I hung out in the lounge which was pretty boring since I had no homework but this gap will be useful once I do have homework.
My second class was Basic Operations Management.  The teacher made us stand up and give introductions to each other.  He seemed judgemental of why I want to be an accountant and I didn't love him...  This class has a lot of presentations which I am not too excited about and the teacher seems to really want everyone to be comfortable talking in a big group.  I guess that will be helpful in the long run.
Finally, I had Italian class.  This was my favorite class of the day.  The teacher kind of jumped right in to having us speak the Italian alphabet.  I had never heard the full alphabet spoken, so I was a little overwhelmed.  But, he was very nice and told us not to be stressed.  I love languages and I want to really make the most out of this class, so I am very excited.
After class, five out of the seven roommates walked back together and we didn't get home until 6:30!  It was a very long day and now we are all just hanging around on our computers.  Michelle and I got pizza from Core.  It was my third time there!  I got a delicious ham, cheese, and zucchini.  Then, five of us went back to Grom for gelato.  Tonight, I got hazelnut and coffee with whipped cream on top.  The coffee is very strong and of course delicious!
One thing that is really cool is how many people I have talked to who are in love with Rome.  Todd from the Slavin Info Desk job said that he is so jealous and excited for me.  My advisor sent me a recommendation of a restaurant near the Pantheon (which is close to me) and she even sent a picture of her with the owners!  It is also really cool that Domina said she knows exactly where I am after she saw a picture I posted on Instagram.

My roommates from left Venesha, me, Rachel, Caroline, Emmy (back) Michelle, Danielle (front)

Lungotevere Farnesina no. 2, Trastevere