Midterms in Rome

And a groggy buongiornio to you too. I’m sure most of you are killing yourselves over finals right now, hating me for being abroad, thinking that I’m living it up while you’re stuck in Davidson. Falso! My program is in the middle of midterms, and well, let’s just say that when they say “study abroad” they actually mean study. I’m coming up on round two of midterms and papers, and there is no time for gelato afternoons near the Pantheon (well I mean, there is, but I’m trying to make you feel better). There is light at the end of the tunnel however; in fI’ve days I will be on a plane on the way to Prague and four days after that will be sonsuming so much schnitzel and beer in Berlin, I plan on gaining 30 pounds. So I just need to push through my two midterms and paper proposals for fI’ve more days! Wooo!! (more…)

La Dolce Vita (con Nutella)

Buonacera to all of you! I’m currently studying in the UC Rome program — in Italy, obviously. As of right now, I have been in Europe for one month and seventeen days. And let me tell you: it’s AWESOME! I am literally in love with the city, the buildings, the ruins, the river — everything. Granted, I am a classics and Renaissance studies double major, so this place is basically my Mecca. Today, per esempio, we visited Emperor Augustus’s mausoleum and altar of peace during class. For those of you who a) don’t know who Augustus is b) have never heard of either structure or c) don’t give a crap, shame on you!!! It was awesome to be able to see where one of the greatest rulers of Western civilization chose to be buried, and to see an excavated monument from the ancient Roman empire dedicated to him (I mentioned I was a classics major, right?) And all this was covered extensively by my professor right in front of the monument during class. Unbelievable, right?! We have site visits like these every week where we get to go out into the city and learn about history right where it took place.

Basically, the nerd in me wets her pants daily.

Besides class and trying to learn Italian everyday (for me, it’s an uphill struggle), my friends and I explore the city via walking, food, and, of course, drinking (oh, hello nonexistent drinking age!). We try to explore everything we can when we can, but despite Rome’s centralized historic center, we have yet to experience even half of what Rome has to offer. (more…)