finalmente, buon giorno Roma!

I finally made it to Rome. On my way to Rome I experienced the worst flight of my life (I was delayed for a total of 25 hours, I sat next to a  crying baby for my longest flight, and my connecting flight lost my luggage - actually no, they put one of my bags on a different flight arriving in another terminal so I confused Italian security when I tried to get through without a boarding pass and with a large bag...) but despite those problems, the little time I have spent here has already made up for it and then some. 

For this trip, I signed up for an apartment and that is all I knew about my residence. I told the taxi driver my address and from there on it was a mystery. When I arrived at my residence, I saw this...

So beautiful! I buzzed the name that matched my assignment and this student came down to help me carry my luggage up the 6 flights of stairs (I will be getting lots of exercise on this trip!). She gave me a tour of the apartment and I was thrilled. My living arrangement is perfetto! I live with a mom, her daughter, and this young teacher. I signed up for an apartment, but technically it is a home stay but with less restrictions. I have my own room, my own bathroom, and I am allowed to eat anything in the kitchen. Feels like home already.

Here is the living room.

Here is my bedroom.

And here is the view from outside my bedroom. Yes, a Hitchcock poster! They knew I was coming. 

It is surreal walking around Rome knowing I will be here for 5 weeks learning Italian. I love history, so seeing the incredible sites of Rome every day is fantastic. One girl in my class got lost yesterday near the Pantheon. My response was, "Oh so sad, the Pantheon..." incredible! When in Rome! 

Here is a photographic tour of my path to class every day.

I take a bus from my apartment to the Piazza del Popolo. 

Then I walk down a beautiful street to the Piazza di Spagnolo. 

Then one block past the Spanish steps is my school!!!

After the first day of class we visited the Trevi fountain and ate gelato. Last night we went to the Campo dei Fiori for dinner and experienced the Italian night life. Strangely enough though, I didn't talk to many Italians... I found a group of Irish people from Belfast! 

So, I love Rome. I could stay here forever. And yes, I am learning a lot of Italian. My friend forgot his address last night and he is in Italian 1, so translating directions for our poor taxi driver was certainly a fun experience for me.

Ciao! Off to the Coliseum.