52 days. One Italian adventure.: To the Colosseo!

Today tested our ability to navigate the complicated streets of Rome using a map. It's difficult to visualize the layout of the city because it contains so many winding roads and alleyways. Our class was meeting at the Colosseum (in Italian, "Colosseo") at 8:30am. Emily, Lane, Lee and I left the apartment at 7:45 with a map in hand and little idea of how to get to where we needed to be. Fortunately, with a well-labeled map, it was easy! The four of us made it on time without problems. One of the best resources I have on this trip (besides a map) is the teaching assistant for the courses, Amanda. She lives in our apartment with us and both lends a hand and encourages our independence. It's nice to know that we can go to her for advice, but also that she wants us to mostly figure things out for ourselves. Developing that sense of independence will allow me to make the best of this experience. Successfully navigating places is the most tangible way to feel independent, like this morning.

Lane, Emily and I also went to the grocery store last night on our own to buy needed ingredients for our dinner. I have been moderately struggling without my routine morning coffee. I stared blankly in front of the espresso and coffee section of the aisle in the market, unable to read any of the directions or understand what products I was looking at. I could just buy a cup of something each day, but I know that would get expensive and be the easiest solution. I wanted to try something on my own! I finally decided on an instant (the horror! I know!) mocha cappuccino. It's actually not half bad, but I will savor my first authentic cup of Italian cappuccino dearly.

I am still overwhelmed with what I am seeing here in Rome every day. Though I did see many of the major monuments of Rome on my trip in high school, I enjoy the independence of exploring these pieces of history on my own. After a short tour of the Colosseum by our professor and a few hours of class in a nearby park, Emily, Lane, Lee and I bought sandwiches and wandered around the city. We passed some incredible sights, which I hope to go back to soon with more knowledge of their history. As we crossed the bridge over the Tiber River, the calamity of the atmosphere subdued. Our neighborhood is much quieter than what we explore across the river. I appreciate this little escape from the chaos!

I am looking forward to this weekend to have a break from class so that I can spend an entire day exploring the city. Also, we leave for Venice and Florence on Tuesday! That trip is with the program, but many of us are traveling to Cinque Terre for the weekend after we are finished in Florence.

Here are some pictures from today: