ROME: Veni, vidi, vici.
When I came to Rome in January, it was so different that I never thought I'd grow to love it as much as I have. The language was daunting (I couldn't understand a word), the city itself is different from anything I was used to, and the people were so different. But now, Rome is a home away from home, a place where I will always remember the best memories.
Rome has been on of the best experiences of my life. I have made some great friends and seen some of the most beautiful places in the world! I've seen a Pope resign and seen a new Pope get elected, I was in St. Peter's square for the white smoke. I've been to the grave of my favorite poet, John Keats, and walked by his home in Rome everyday for weeks. I've seen a crypt made entirely of human bones. I've been to the Vatican Museums and stood in the Sistine Chapel. I've climbed the Spanish Steps, stood in the Forum, and have had a class in Pompeii and one in the Colosseum, and marveled at the Pantheon. I've thrown a coin into the Trevi Fountain, ensuring my return to the eternal city.
It sounds corny... but I grew so much as a person here, I am so much more independent. Everyday here has been a blessing, even the ones with transportation strikes. I'm ready to bring all of my experiences back home and grovel over how much I miss every single thing about it. It has been so much more than I had ever expected.
This beautiful city has made me understand nad appeciate things like family, friends, faith, awe, wonder, and how priceless memories are. Today my room looks like an empty skeleton, it has been stripped of everything that made it mine. It's time for it to be the home for someone else's experiences. As I'm writing the room echoes the sounds of the busy street on the other side of the shutters. Those sounds will not come back to the states with me, vespas and 1 am garbage pickups will be things of the past -- I'm ok with that. I'm only just realizing that when I do come back to Rome, it will never be the same. I won't live here, I'll be a tourist. Things I remember will be gone, people I remember won't be here any longer. People call Rome the eternal city, they're right. Once you've lived in Rome and been touched by all the remarkable beauty and amazingness that eminates from the city, Rome will eternally be in your memories, standing out as one of the most amazing places you've ever been and the place you always want to go back to.
I will miss the food, the language, the people, and the gelato, naturally. I'm going to miss being able to walk up the street and see St. Peter's when I want to. Take a ten minute ride to the Colosseum, the Pantheon, or a five minute ride to Piazza Navona. I'll miss drinking wine with every meal and how it is totally acceptable to eat pizza and pasta every day. There are so many places I've seen, so many things I've fallen in love with, and so much fun I've had walking down the cobblestone streets with my friends.
To my new friends who are reading this: I love you so much, you don't even understand. It was, honestly, an absolute pleasure for me to be able to experience all of these amazing things with you all -- you're great, you're lovely, you all make me laugh, you're all so perfect, every single one of you.
I can't believe our closing mass and dinner are tonight and people will be flying home tomorrow. I get to spend some extra time here but, it's different. It's over, I can't believe it's over.
