Less than four months ago, I traveled to Rome, Italy for a school trip. I took a class for eight weeks where I learned about the culture and everything that Rome had to offer. Every day I am reminded of the greatest week of my life so far. I miss everything, from the street performers, the food and the ancient city. I don’t know if I will ever make it back to Rome, but if I get the chance again, I will.
I miss the street performers.
Italian men singing on the street, or groups of string instruments playing helped make the experience in Rome incredible. It was so cool to be able to see street performers all throughout the trip. They were nothing like the ones in New York City. They weren’t begging for money. It seemed like all of them were there because they loved the music and all they wanted to do was share the music with everyone passing by.
I miss being able to walk out into traffic knowing that every vehicle has to stop.
The law in Italy is basically that Jay walking is okay. When my professor told us that, I didn’t believe it. Until I watched my short, older, Italian professor just walk out in the middle of the street across four lanes of traffic. It was like he was parting the red sea. Every car stopped and not a single one beeped at him like they would do in New York City. I wouldn’t do it in any other city, but I felt safe doing it in Rome.
I miss the food.
Mouth-watering all you can eat mozzarella balls, 150 different flavors of gelato, margarita pizza the size of two of your head, the endless bowls of pasta with fresh sauce and cheese and I could go on forever. During the week, there wasn’t a single day that I didn’t like the meal I ate.
I miss being able to walk everywhere.
Rome is a lot like New York City in the sense that driving is incredibly difficult. Besides, everything is a subway ride or walking distance away. I was able to take the train from the Trevi Fountain to the Colosseum and walk back to the hotel.
I miss seeing a cathedral on every corner.
Rome has some of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world. Every corner there is a different cathedral that we were allowed to just walk into. Some of the paintings on the walls were so old and yet so beautiful. The ceilings were also incredible. One of the churches had gold ceilings and such intricate details.
I miss seeing a part of ancient history all over the city.
Part of the law in Rome is that if they are building somewhere and find any sort of ruins, they must keep them intact and the property gets turned over to the government. That basically means that everywhere you look, a piece of ancient history is all around you. This was probably my favorite part of the city, other than the food.
