Ciao, bellezze! From now on, I am only to be known as Patriccia, not Patty — when in Rome, do as the Romans do… Right? Just kidding. I would probably never recognize my name being called, ever. Anyways… I am so incredibly excited to start this blog and to take you along in my crazy adventures (and misadventures)!
I arrived in Rome less than a week ago, and it’s already been a whirlwind of unbelievable experiences and ecstatic emotions. Ever since I decided to study abroad, I developed a mantra: “Do the unexpected, but go without any expectations.” It has been a non-stop, barely-take-a-breath ride, but it has most definitely been exhilarating. Since these five days have been jam-packed, I decided to break this up by writing about a few of my favorite experiences so far and what makes Rome (in my humble opinion) the best city in the entire world.
1. As a huge history nerd, I think Rome is the epitome of perfection. History oozes from every single street corner, and my only regret is that I don’t have an international plan on my phone and can’t immediately log onto Google to find out what those ancient-looking columns next to that building really are. My favorite moment that really brings this into perspective was when we visited the Trevi Fountain, or Fontana di Trevi. We threw our coins and our dreams into that fountain, gave evil stares to the pick-pocketers, and headed on our merry way. Some people in the group were hungry, so we decided to split up and meet back up at a small piazza around the corner. Turns out that the small piazza (plaza) was in fact the Pantheon — you know, no big deal. A beautiful moon was reflecting off its grand columns — the same moon that was present 2,000 years ago, when the Pantheon was being built. I get so sappy when it comes to this.
Let’s move on to some of the juicy details of the Roman nightlife instead…
2. On our first Friday here, we headed to Trastevere, a Roman neighborhood known for its lively nightlife. We laughed, drank, ate, and were having a great time. At a one point in the night, we happened to meet some Italian college students (thanks to the fact that one of them was wearing a Miami Dolphins hat), and they showed us around some more. After, they wanted to head out to a discotheque (fancy, huh?), but most of the others didn’t want to. They warn you not to jump into taxis with strangers, but I had a good feeling about that night (at least, that’s what I tell myself). I grabbed two of my friends, and we went off in a tiny taxi with them. Thanks to Sofie, Juan, Lucas, and company, we danced all night, and then they walked us all the way home. And guess what? I made them only speak Italian to me. I made up so many words, but they kindly corrected me — that’s how you learn, va bene?
3. I love the mix of old and modern. Take Saturday night, for example. We headed to Campo di Fiori, another hot Italian nightlife spot. What we saw was incredible. Young Italians, wine, and cigarettes in hand, were surrounding the piazza, with a statue overlooking it all. I found out later that the statue belonged to Giordano Bruno, who was burned at the stake in that very same spot for hearsay in the 1600s. What would Bruno think now? And a better question is: In what other city would this ever happen?
In all, this experience has been a complete dream so far. Yet, I am so alive. Everything is perfect, even the imperfections. What imperfections, you may ask? Oh you know, taking a half-hour shower in the boys’ bathroom, only to realize it after I was finished. Yup, there’s still some Patty in me.