There's a lot to see in Rome. With all of the history and culture surrounding you, it's hard to ever get bored. And as a study abroad student you will want to check a lot of sites off your list. The inside of the Colosseum, the Vatican Museums, the Roman Forum...these are all kind of a big deal.
But, while it's important to plan your time in Rome wisely, it's also important not to over-plan. Before you know it, your time in Italy will be over, so take advantage of every single day. Make it count!
When you study abroad at John Cabot University, you will get to know Rome better than any traveler or tourist. It will become your home, and the way you will get to know it so well will not only be by site-seeing, and visiting museums but by discovering the soul of the city; by getting lost.
Roman Mornings
It might sound strange, but once you adopt the habit of getting lost, you won't be able to stop!
This is what getting lost in Rome looks like:
You wake up early in your cozy Italian apartment on a beautiful Saturday morning. You had a great dinner out with friends the night before. You open up your bedroom window, letting in a cool breeze, and the sounds of the world below slowly come to life.
You hear the glorious clink of espresso cups and saucers hitting against each other as they're thrown onto the top of the bar downstairs. Buongiorno's and other cheerful morning greetings echo through the street, and every once in a while, the loud motor of a scooter hurries by.
You get ready for the day and head out with no particular plan in mind.
Getting Lost
Once you step outside, the beauty of reality sinks in. "I live here," you'll think to yourself, and then you'll start out on your day's journey. You'll probably grab a coffee at your local bar and meet up with several friends along the way.
Then you'll stroll through the streets of Trastevere without walking towards a specific destination and without setting any goals for the day. It is your day off, after all. Once you wander through the little streets of your home-neighborhood, you'll pop out and find yourself along the Tiber River.
You'll let the spirit of the Eternal City lead you, and you'll just keep on going, walking in whatever direction looks the best at that particular moment. You'll cross one of the many bridges and find your way into a neighborhood you've never been to. You'll turn a corner and stop in a piazza you've never seen before. It's absolutely beautiful. You'll pause to take in your surroundings, dipping your hand in an ornate fountain.
You'll take in the moment and realize you've stepped into another world, and you'll wish to come back here one day...but you'll have no clue how to find your way back, or even re-trace your steps.
And you'll smile to yourself and remember that Rome is not just about the sites and history and the touristy stuff. It's about a soul of the city that no one can truly write about or perfectly describe. You just have to feel it.
