Ho Ventuno Anni!!!!

I have 21 years!
So I have not written for a while because we have literally walked all around Rome. I have already had to buy a new pair of sandals. Sad day. Anyway, since I last wrote I turned 21!!! (Ventuno) My birthday was on the 11th, so last Friday. It was possibly the longest day, but I could not imagine spending it in a more wonderful place.

Quick recap. We met at our school in the morning and had an orientation. (Picture: 2nd floor left side is our school, far left window is my classroom) Right by our school we have a snack bar where we get breakfast. A few of us go there daily and now have become friends with the owner. Anyway that first day we got a fruit cup, freshly squeezed orange juice, and a croissant with nutella in the middle. Amazing! After our orientation we were supposed to have a short tour after and be done by noon. Nope. We did not end till 4pm. I quickly found out that the concept of time in Italy is way more relaxed than in the states. During orientation we met our italian teachers and we got a crash course of italian. Then we went to the market and had to identify food. I was pretty unsuccessful, but I am learning! During our tour we stopped to have lunch at around 2. Many of us were exhausted because of the heat and the fact that we were super jet-lagged. At lunch someone told one of our teachers that it was my 21st and they surprised me with a giant plate of pastries with a candle! They sang to me in italiano and I was able to make a wish. It was so nice of them. Then we left there and got gelato. YUmmm!
Later that night we went back to the area by our school to get dinner, watch the world cup, and celebrate my birthday! After we got gelato again :) Well actually Michelle bought me some for my birthday. (Picture of my "cake")

The next day, Saturday, we had another massive tour of Rome. We saw the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain (picture!), Villa Borghese, and a bunch of other places. I could go on forever telling you all about everything that I saw, but I feel I need to show the corresponding pictures and videos to accurately describe it all. GORGEOUS! UNBELIEVABLE! Many of us just kept saying how crazy it was that we were in Rome looking at monuments that are ridiculously old. We have always heard of them and seen then in our history books, but to actually be in the building, throwing a coin into the fountain, or to be standing on the steps is an entire new experience!

Sunday we went to Ostio Antica. They consider it the Pompeii of Rome. It was a city that held around 20,000 people back in 5 AD. It was abandoned and due to the way it was constructed with cement from volcanic ash the city was preserved. I took so many pictures and videos! It was unbelievable to see how these people lived and how similar their life style was in comparison to ours today. We think we come up with some amazing concepts and ideas, but the truth is these people developed it all before us! (Picture of me in a Tomb at Ostio Antica) After we walked around their city for a few hours we went to the beach. What an experience that was... Very little swim suits or nothing at all. Since we went on a Sunday, all of Rome was there. Once we found a spot we ran into the ocean. BEAUTIFUL. The temperature was perfect, the salt was salty, and the italian boys were flirty. We met some Americans at the beach too so that was nice to speak english with some others besides ourselves!

Generally at night we go to Campo di fiori. It is a large area where a lot of people around our age go to hang out. There are TV's at every restaurant there and everyone is super crazy with World Cup. It has been so fun! We were able to cheer for USA when they played and then on Monday night we got to see Italy play. Italy won the world cup last time around so the Italians are insane here. My roommates and I went to an early dinner (7:30) and then stayed to watch the game. We had the most ideal seats for the game! We found ourselves going crazy even though we are not Italian!

Hmm, I have already written a lot but I need to tell you about my classes. We started classes on Monday and all I had was my Italiano 101 class. My teacher Francesca speaks about 99.8% Italian. So difficult but I am excited! We have that class Monday-Thursday from 12-2. On Tuesday I decided to check out a class I was not originally signed up for and I loved it. It is called Italian Media. The teacher is remarkable. He was born in South Africa, his parents are very Irish, he started working for the radio at age 5, he worked for BBC, was a war correspondent for CNN for 3 years, and now he has raised a family in Italy, teaches at Gregorian Pontifical University where most Pope's have attended as well as numerous Bishops and Saints, and lastly he is the Director of Italian and English Communication and Media for the Vatican! His office is in the Vatican! He is so amazing. I never got bored once in his class. During this course we get behind the scenes of the Vatican where no one else can ever go. I am so excited! So needless to say I added the class. Now I am in three. I just want to learn a lot while I am here and with the teachers that I have been given I know I will experience unbelievable things. I had my other class this morning, Made in Italy. It is a marketing class and we get to go to a vineyard in Tuscany, go to famous designer shops and meet some very important people!

Today I had class straight from 9am-2pm. It was long, but we had some entertainment right outside our classroom window. There was a movie being filmed right in front of our school! There were fake gun shots, chase scenes, and camera crews everywhere! So cool! Our building is on a very famous street in Rome. It is the road that the Pope would take after he was elected years ago. Now he takes a helicopter... So I am assuming because of the history that is why they filmed there. Who knows!

So obviously I am excited for what the summer has in store for me. I just hope my legs hold up! I am running every morning along the main river that runs through Rome and then we walk about 4-9 miles a day. No worries though, I think the amount of Gelato we are consuming will make up for the amount of calories we are burning a day!

I will write more frequently so my blogs aren't as long. Sorry!
Love you all,
CIAO!

<3