First Semester in Review

Now that I have been home almost 2 weeks, I feel that I have finally (sorta) collected my thoughts about my last couple days in Rome and my first semester in general.  Plus, it is New Year's Eve, so what better time to reflect on my fabulous first semester in la citta eterna!

Amidst my packing and studying for finals during the last week (yes, believe it or not, I did actually study this semester!), I took some final walks around the city with the girls to do our favorite things for the last time of the semester.  I ate my favorite pear pasta as my final dinner in Rome, drank my last caffe latte at Pascucci, and visited the classroom building one last time....see picture documentation of every moment below :)

A very messy room 603!

My hard work paid off in the end---3 As and one B+ this semester!

Saying "ci vediamo" to Bruno, my favorite Pascucci man :)

Last caffe latte until second semester

The Tiz: my home away from home

Last dinner with my fall Rome girls

Pear pasta with creamy carrot sauce...a must try in Rome!

My regular seat in all my classes this semester

Final late night walk to the Pantheon

I also was able to attend my first papal audience of the semester because I didn't have class on that last Wednesday, and I am definitely glad I was able to go.  Pope Benedict is so little and precious...I just wanted to give him a huge hug :)  He gave a Christmas blessing in 8 different languages, and people from the respective areas of the world cheered in response when he began speaking their languages.  The whole experience just further solidified the fact that Catholicism is, by definition, universal.  We are not alone in our faith; quite the opposite in fact.  We are connected intrinsically and intimately with the Body of Christ throughout the world, despite our differences in culture, language, appearance, etc.  SO COOL.  This semester has definitely been a period of growth for me in my faith life.  If there was ever a doubt in my mind about any of it, it has virtually disappeared now.  It is one thing to read about the lives of the saints, but quite another to actually where they lived, worked, ministered, and are now buried.  Similarly, it is one thing to learn about the papacy in a religion class, but quite another to visit the Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter's Basilica to actually see where the process takes place.  I of course am not saying that seeing is necessary for believing, but living in Rome, amidst centuries of Catholic history, really makes you think, "How couldn't you believe?"

Il Papa Benedetto XVI

St. Peter's at Christmastime

Anna captured this moment as I was praying on my final night at St. Peter's Square

On Thursday of our final week (the day before we all parted ways), we had our final meal of the semester at the Tiz: the Christmas banquet!  Like the Thanksgiving banquet, everything was decorated and presented beautifully.  It was a great time to enjoy each other's company, talking about our memories of the semester, while also anxiously looking forward to going home to our families for Christmas.  Some of the girls on the program who are in choir back at SMC sang "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and "The Belles of Saint Marys," and Dr. Prebys gave a great reflection on the semester in general, complete with quotes from famous writers about Rome.  

Needless to say, the banquet and the hours that followed were quite emotional for me--I just couldn't bear the thought of such a good thing coming to an end and not having my amazing friends by my side for second semester.  I've always struggled with goodbyes, but this one was especially tough.  Thursday night, I stayed up late reminiscing with my roomies, reading our "quote book" of the semester, and watching all our funny videos.  We all had separate flights back home, and I was the first to leave.  As the car pulled away at 4 am on Friday morning, all 3 of my quad-mates stood waving goodbye in their pjs from the steps of the Tiziano, and all I could think of was the quote, "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."  Of course, adding to the emotion-packed 24 hours, it rained all the way to the airport, just as it had the night we arrived in Rome in September.

A lot has happened since that first rainy night when 49 girls from Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana showed up in a foreign city, confused, nervous and excited for the adventure that awaited.  I've witnessed centuries-old history firsthand.  I've become more independent and comfortable in traveling.  I've seen the natural beauty of God's great earth in the unique places I've visited.  I've gained a semester of education unlike anything I've experienced before.  I've grown in understanding my Catholic faith.  I've made lifelong friends with whom I will always be able to share my memories of studying abroad.  And Rome is no longer a figment of my imagination, but a reality. A home.  The place I get to return to for another semester of adventure in January.  What more could I ask for? 

A special thanks to my Rome roomie and one of my new best friends, Hannah Ziegeler, for her fabulous photography over the past 3 months. You have beautifully captured so many memories that I will always cherish <3

Until January 2013, ciao for now, Roma!

Last bits of the semester

Christmastime is in full gear in la citta eterna.  All the streets are decorated in lights and tinsel and there are Christmas trees in the main piazzas.  It's so beautiful to walk around at night especially and feel the magic of the season in the city.  Two weekends ago, my roommates--with the exception of Cara--were away on trips, so Cara and I had a chill weekend getting our comm papers done (okay, maybe that part wasn't so chill), watching too many movies, and enjoying Rome in its wintery goodness (translation=chilly, but acceptably cold...no snow here!).  We walked along Via Condotti (the main designer/luxury fashion brands street in Rome) and people-watched/saw all the Christmas decorations.  Later we went to a nativity scene exhibit in Piazza del Popolo which included nativity scenes from all over the world made out of everything from popcorn, bread, pasta, and dried oranges, to wine corks, paper, straw, felt, clay, shells, and ceramic.  They were all so intricate and creative; definitely was a cool way to truly feel Christmas around me, especially in the Catholic capital of the world.

Piazza di Spagna

Pasta nativity scene...so Italy

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas :)

Saturday, December 8th was the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, during which the Pope visits Piazza Mignanelli (near Piazza di Spagna) every year to crown the Mary column.  Needless to say, all the streets even remotely close to the area were jam-packed with people.  We managed to get a decent spot along the Pope's route on Via del Corso and after a lot of waiting in the cold, we were rewarded with our first sight of il Papa!  He was so cute and tiny in his little popemobile!  I was so frazzled trying to get decent pictures (they were all coming out blurry) that I just barely looked up from my camera to actually see him go by.  Wow. What a "Is this real life?" kind of moment.  Here is the best pic I was able to snap of Papa Benny.  Hopefully I'll get some better ones next Wednesday when I go to the Papal audience!

Papa Benny

Last week was our last week of classes--how crazy is that?!  Last week was busy finishing final papers and projects as well as getting prepped for finals.  I must admit--the stress of papers and finals, the near approaching goodbyes and end of our first semester, and the million other little things to get planned and figured out in a week's time are all wearing on me.  I took a break yesterday to go with Anna to a prayer hour that Deacon Nick was leading and it was kind of just what I needed.  5 of us went in total to the convent/chapel of an American order of nuns who are studying in Rome (pretty much just like how the 6 deacons are studying at the North American College here).  They led a prayer hour that included a Rosary, Adoration, and Vespers--all of which we joined in on.  Afterwards, we stayed around for a good amount of time just to chat with them.  They were all so interested in our study abroad program and were so grateful to have visitors.  After we left, Deacon Nick bought gelato for the 4 of us who went at Giolitti and stayed around to chat with us!  He is always so nice to all of us SMC girls (as are all the other deacons and priests that work with our program).  I'm definitely looking forward to another semester of visiting all the cool Catholic things that this city has to offer with them.

On Friday of last week, 23 of us on the program took a break from studying to attend a cooking class that we had planned a couple months ago.  I knew I wanted to try to do some kind of cooking class while in Italy (aka the capital of amazing food), but I never imagined it would come together so well and be so fun!  The place is called Cooking Classes in Rome, and is run by Chef Andrea (an Italian) and his wife Erica (an American).  All 23 of us smicks worked together to make and enjoy a delicious four course meal with their guidance, which included a salad, homemade pasta, a meat dish, and tiramisu.  Oh and I can't forget, WINE!  We were given 4 different types of wine--one glass for each course!  Chef Andrea was so funny and nice, joking around with us in the kitchen and teaching us all about the best and freshest foods as well as tips for preparation.  Afterwards, he let us take pictures on his moped like true Italians :)  Talk about a great study break.  It was so much fun getting to know Andrea and Erica as well as talking to some of the other Saint Mary's girls who I haven't had much interaction with over the course of the semester.  It was really a coming-together of our group and another wonderful memory of studying abroad that we will cherish forever.

Chef Andrea and Erica

Love me some Smick Chicks

Biggest bottle of wine I've ever seen!

Homemade gnochetti

Tiramisu = amazing

Amidst the many emotions of these past couple weeks, I've come to a few realizations.  Or maybe they were things I already knew but hadn't yet thought about.  In either case, what it comes down to is that plans change all the time; you can't expect the best from everything, but you also can't expect the worst.  You have to expect (and truly know) that in the end, it is God's plan--not yours--that will prevail.  And His plan is where you will be happiest.  A few days ago I had to change my plans for our upcoming 4-week Christmas break.  I was intending to travel Europe with Ann-Marie for 10 days before continuing further travel with Shannon (who is also staying for spring semester); however, I had to reevaluate my plan, and it turns out that now I am returning home for the Christmas break.  At first I was upset at the change of plans, especially amidst the stress of finals and my last week.  I was so intent on seeing everything I could possibly fit in during my study abroad experience, but the truth is, it is exhausting trying to do everything!  I feel that I have certainly made the most of my fall semester, and that I am in great need of time to relax and recharge at home for Christmas.  Plus I get to reconnect with my family who I miss like crazy, especially during the holiday season.  And the best part?  I don't have to say goodbye to Roma quite yet.  It's just "see you later" for a month until I return for spring semester in January!  Even though it wasn't my original plan, I know it's going to be great--and probably much better--than anything I could have planned!  There's no place like home for the holidays!  So as of today, I have 5 more days in Rome until I return to my little Egg Harbor.  I just have one more final tomorrow and then I will be soaking up the remainder of my time with the fall semester girls.  I'll be sure to post my final first semester blog entry later this week!

Rainy adventures in Venice and Verona

Another great weekend is behind me! On Thursday after Italian class Shannon and I took the train to Venice. It took us about 4 hours during which time I got some homework (but mostly sleeping) done. Our hotel was very nice and conveniently located near the train station. Our room reminded us of a cruise ship room--not much space around the bed, but all that mattered was it was clean and we had our own nice bathroom! So I wasn't complaining. We didn't venture far the first night since it was late, but we did have some pretty good pizza and vino at a restaurant near the hotel. Somehow during the short period of us eating, the sidewalk entrance to the street of our hotel became completely flooded! We were not about to go walking through the deep water, so we navigated around the block just to avoid getting our feet wet. haha.

First dinner in Venezia

Shannon made sure I was up bright and early on Friday so we could make the most of our sightseeing time. I had researched very little about Venice, but the things I had read all said not to even worry about maps in Venice. The city has too many streets that dead-end into canals and it is just not worth it to try to navigate ahead of time. So taking the advice to heart, we decided to purposely get lost all weekend long, and let me tell you, it was the best way to travel! People say Venice itself is the sight--more than any particular monument or building within the city--just because of how unique it is. I definitely agree with that statement. Venice was unlike any place I have ever been. Absolutely zero cars. Just narrow streets, bridges, and over 300 canals. There are little doors facing the canals that act as back entrances into peoples' homes for when they get out of their motorboats. And parts of the city just flood at random points during the day. We would be at Piazza San Marco in the morning and most of it would be covered with water, and then a few hours later it would all be gone, even though it had rained throughout the entire day. There are elevated "sidewalks" in many places so that people can still get where they need to go without having to swim through the puddles. I definitely was regretting not bringing any rainboots to Italy though! You could definitely tell the locals from the tourists because the locals were wearing the heavy-duty rainboots, while tourists waded through the water wearing plastic shopping bags over their shoes!

Ooops, wrong way ;)

How presh is this?!

Piazza San Marco

I loved not having an agenda of things to see or places to go; instead we just wandered and saw things as we happened upon them. Friday we saw Piazza San Marco (we actually went into St. Mark's on Saturday), the Bridge of Sighs, the Naval Museum, and the Rialto Bridge, as well as several churches. It rained nonstop all day Friday and being soaked did not help with the fact that we were freezing! We attempted to use our umbrellas a few times, but we gave up after the wind kept turning them inside out. We must have looked ridiculous once we finally sought shelter in a restaurant to warm up and dry off! Shannon and I were enamored by the several Murano glass (glass from the nearby island of Murano) stores everywhere--at every colorful window display, we would stop and go inside. We must have gone to at least 20 stores! At one of them, the shop owner was making the jewelry right in front of us and giving us a whole history of the glass in Italian! Once he got talking, there was no stopping him, but Shannon and I didn't mind, as it was great practice for our Italian listening comprehension! And we surprisingly understood the majority of what he was saying. He told us about the various dialects of Italian spoken throughout the country and how if someone speaking Venetian talking to a Sicilian, neither would understand the other at all! How crazy is that?!

Murano glass

Bridge of Sighs

Venice waterfront

Oh, you know, just hanging your clothes out to dry over the canal :)

VERY WET

On Saturday we went inside St. Mark's right when it opened and then went up into the Campielle tower in Piazza San Marco for fabulous views of Venice. It was great being there outside of the tourist season, because although there were quite a few people around, we never had to wait in any long lines. The top of the tower was absolutely FREEZING and very windy, but the views were spectacular. In the late afternoon, we took a gondola ride--a must during a visit to Venice! Our gondolier, Diego, was very interesting and told us that gondoliers have to go to a special school for 18 months to get licensed! They have a special system of signaling to other gondoliers when they are rounding corners, but they navigate the narrow canals very skillfully. The gondola ride may have been one of my favorite parts of the weekend because we were able to just sit back, relax, put our feet up, and peacefully cruise the canals of this quiet and very unique city (especially after scaling it on foot for two full days!). Italy at its finest.

View from the Campielle 

Bella Venezia

Overlooking the beautiful city!

On the gondola with Diego, our gondolier

That night we ventured into another neighborhood of Venice and had dinner at an off-the-beaten path restaurant. It was fabulous to have the waiters speak Italian to us and to feel like we were in a cute family-owned place rather than a tourist trap, like so many other places. It's crazy though how hard it is to avoid the tourist traps! Wandering around the back streets, it was so cute to see how authentic Italians live: a woman hanging her clothes out to dry outside her window, a father and son playing soccer with a crushed-up water bottle in the middle of the street, and people out for their evening stroll, stopping to engage in conversation with other passer-byes. You can't help but smile as you take in the slow-paced life in this Italian town.

We left Venice Sunday morning to spend the day in Verona, a city about 90 minutes away, the setting of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. That was pretty much the extent of my knowledge about Verona, so we just kinda showed up and figured it out as we went! I love that about traveling here--we just arrive in a new city and go. We took a bus to the city center, Piazza delle Erbe, which was all decorated for Christmas, complete with a tree, decorations, and Christmas markets. We climbed the main tower, the Torre dei Lamberti, in the square for another great view (my third tower climb in a week!). Afterwards we went to mass at one of the nearby churches, St. Anastasia (incidentally, the name of my grade school in LA!). Of course mass was completely in Italian, so needless to say I had a bit of trouble staying awake haha. During our few hours in Verona, Shannon and I made our obligatory visits to Juliet's house and courtyard, a major tourist attraction where people take pictures on the balcony (which I read was actually added in the 1930s to draw tourism!) and rub the Juliet statue's right breast for good luck! The tunnel that leads to the courtyard is covered in colorful gum and graffiti with messages to Juliet and proclamations of love. After seeing the courtyard--and escaping some creepy French guys who wanted to take pictures with us there--we went to Juliet's tomb, visited Castelvecchio, and went inside a few churches throughout the city. It took us a bit to figure out the bus system back to the train station, but we got there in time for our train back to Rome. Our first train was a regional one to Bologna, meaning that we didn't have assigned seating. It was packed to the brim, so we had to stand in the crowded aisles for the hour and a half ride. Not the most conducive to relaxing, but we were able to sit and sleep on the next train back to Rome.

Christmastime in Verona

Piazza delle Erbe

View from tower in Piazza delle Erbe

Casa di Giulietta

Casa di Giulietta

Verona

Altogether, it was a fun weekend and so much less pressure to travel with only one other person. That was my last weekend trip for two weeks, as we are rounding out the first semester here in Rome. This weekend, two of my roommates are going away, so Cara and I are going to be hanging out here together. And then next weekend we have finals! I seriously cannot believe how fast this has all gone. I am so incredibly thankful that I don't have to go home yet! I still have Christmas break to travel Europe plus another whole semester in Rome. I sure am going to miss my fall 2012 girls though! Amidst final papers and exams, I am soaking up every last moment of this beautiful adventure!!