I get to take a break for the next three weeks and enjoy Christmas, and also begin to prepare for China (they're already sending us homework)! But I wanted to conclude my Italy adventures before I embark on any new ones. I had an absolutely crazy last week in Rome between taking finals, writing papers, and also trying to go out and take in the city as much as possible, but amazingly it all got done by the time I hopped on the plane Friday morning. Finals went well and I was especially happy with how my final research paper turned out. (Let's just say it was worth the several hours of sleep I sacrificed working on it)!
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| My Italian class |
My final day in Rome was especially unforgettable. I spent the morning finishing my paper, but after that was complete (success!) my roomie and I took a bus to the Vatican to climb St. Peter's dome. Going up in the cuppola had been on my Rome 'to-do' list since I arrived, but for some reason I never got around to it. I'm kind of glad I didn't though, because going up there, right around sunset on the last day in Rome was just a really amazing way to say goodbye to the city and end the final day.
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| I got some good wallpaper pics too |
Though the day was over, we still had the whole night ahead of us, and
we intended to do as much as we possibly could in the twelve hours we
had left. We got dressed up and went as a big group to our favorite
Roman restaurant to have our last dinner in Rome (pear pasta)! The
Italians weren't about to let us leave without some ceremony: the owners
of the restaurant found out it was our last night and gave us wine free
of charge, and we had a big toast to our Roman experience.
After dinner we went to a favorite gelato place nearby, Fridgedarium, and bought our last gelato (so sad)! Even though it was chilly out, I enjoyed every bite of that gelato!
After dinner we went to a favorite gelato place nearby, Fridgedarium, and bought our last gelato (so sad)! Even though it was chilly out, I enjoyed every bite of that gelato!
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| The Last Gelato |
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| Via del Corso with lights down the street for miles! |
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| A Christmas tree at Piazza Venezia |
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| Throwing our coins in the Trevi to ensure our return to Rome! |
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| One last picture with the Colosseum |
We ended the all-nighter with one last stop to the secret bakery to grab some goodies for the plane ride home, and then we made our way back to campus to finish packing, say our goodbyes, and hop on the bus to the airport.
I think my two favorite nights in Rome were my first night going out and seeing everything for the first time, and my last night saying goodbye and seeing it all for the last time. It was exciting to see how far we had come - we didn't need a map to navigate our way like we did the first few weeks in Rome, and we knew so much more about the places we were visiting; Rome had taken on new meaning for us.
It was really sad to say good-bye to our home in Rome, but I plan to keep in touch with the friends I've made and experienced Rome with. And we're all counting on that coin in the Trevi Fountain to ensure our return to the Eternal City one day! I am so blessed to have had such an amazing semester in Italy; it was an incredible experience, cento percento!
