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FORZA AZZURRI

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Rome Metro Map

#studyabroadwithdrawls - I was in Italy one year ago

Exactly one year ago I finished my first week of class in Rome and was spending the weekend in Sorrento. This year, I am about to finish week three of my dream internship, but pictures from this year's Rome class are in my Facebook newsfeed since I have a sorority sister in the program this year. Memories are starting to flood back.

I still cannot believe that it has already been one year since I walked the cobblestone streets of la citta eterna, ate gnocchi and gelato almost every day, frolicked in piazzas and on the Tiber River, and longed for free bread, water, and ice at restaurants.

Luckily, Chicago has a lot of Italian influence! Although it is not truly Rome, a trip to Davanti Enoteca, Mario's Italian Ice, and the AS Roma soccer game at Wrigley Field are in order! Chicago has a riverwalk too, but unfortunately that will definitely not measure up to the Tiber River's bean bag filled restaurant/bar.

I know I will return to Italy someday, I just don't know when. But, as the random quote I found on Polyvore says: "Italy is a dream that keeps returning for the rest of your life." 

Also, I threw TWO coins into the Trevi Fountain, so I will be going back!

Video Tribute to Rome

For my Video Editing final, I had to make a Stealomatic of anything I wanted. Obviously, I had to make it Italy themed! Set to the Rome Remix by Phoenix, it is a combination of my photos and shots from Federico Fellini's film, Roma. Enjoy!

Another Italian inspired photo!

San Pellegrino bottle and my Colosseo and Trevi Fountain statues. Taken with Instagram.

Gioielli Turistici

When I was abroad, I bought one of these bracelets for each major city I visited, with the exception of Sorrento/Pompeii/Capri and Bari. Such a great way to reminisce! Taken with Instagram.

Becoming Italian: Gelato, Cappuccino, and Shopping

While living in another country, you develop a daily routine.  After reaching our "bottom of the W," experiencing Campi dei Fiori (to which we paid many visits during our time in Rome!), we were able to embrace the Italian way of life as much as American college students are able to.  

Incorporating gelato into one's diet is an essential part of living "la dolce vita," and truly living like an Italian.  If you have never tasted gelato, try an American version of it.  And if you've had true Italian gelato, you understand when I say that there is no gelato like gelato in Italy.  Magnificence.  

Gelato 101:

• Blue Ice is a popular Roman gelato chain store - overpriced and low quality; only frequent in desperate times. 
• OLD BRIDGE, right next to the Vatican wall, is THE BEST GELATO IN ROME. The line winds around the street, but it is completely worth it.  You get so much gelato for a euro fifity. Che bello!
• I reccomend cioccolato, nocciola, ricotta, and stracciatella.  Pistachio is also apparently delicious. 
• Eat gelato every day while in Italy. You will not regret it.  

I also became a coffee drinker while in Italy.  Really, I never drank the beverage regularly before that - just a few sips as a child and that is it! However, I was introduced to cappuccino and espresso, which completely changed everything.  Sitting through screenings and discussions was long and tiring, so cappuccino breaks were common among myself and my friends. 

Grocery shopping is another way we acclimated ourselves to Italian life. Restaurants in Rome are pricey due to the influx of tourists, however, the true way to eat well and eat cheap in la citta eterna is to grocery shop. Food is insanely cheaper there than it is eating out every night.  Although we definitely ate in a ton of trattorias, pizzerias, and vinerias, eating at home also became common - especially in the morning! 

Food was one of my favorite parts of my Italian experience.  However, another fantastic part of Rome was definitely the shopping.  I could definitely go into detail about every shop we visited in Rome, but that is for another post.  From the galleria to small shops on random side streets to the Via Condotti and chain stores we fell in love with, regular shopping and window shopping were both a part of the daily routine - after all, when else are you a student in Rome!? 

Breakfast, lunch, class, shopping, dinner, and going out became routine.  Some of the best memories from Rome were class excursions, shopping trips, and dinners. I miss it every day.