YORO

YORO: You Only Rome Once. The other day my roommate Katie came up with this saying as a joke but all of my friends loved it so much it quickly became the catch phrase of our trip.

I have now been in living in Rome for 18 days. 18 DAYS!!! It feels like I've been here for months. Even though I can't speak the language, I'm starting to feel like a local. I love taking the metro to different parts of the city and I've walked the city so many times that I'm actually familiar with street names. I was even able to give a lost Australian couple directions the other day!

This week my friends and I finally made it inside of St. Peter's Basilica. Vatican City is beautiful on the outside but the inside is so gorgeous its almost magical. It's hard to explain exactly how I felt standing inside of the basilica. I guess overwhelmed would be the best adjective to use. The statues, mosaics, paintings, and other decorations that adorn the church are massive but they are breathtakingly beautiful at the same time. As a Catholic it was so cool to be able to see the heart of my religion.  My grandma would be proud to know that I took the opportunity to pray in one of the designated prayer rooms.

My friends and I went to the Vatican on Thursday when the weather was sunny and in the high 50s/low 60s so we decided to climb to the top of the basilica. For those who don't know, I absolutely hate heights so this climb was a big deal for me. However in the end I wasn't even that afraid. I was way too busy focusing on my breathing and trying not to die as I climbed the hundreds of stairs that lead to the top. Although the view was worth all of the fear and exhaustion.

I don't have class on Fridays, so this Friday I spent the day at the wedding cake monument and the Colosseum.  The Colosseum is everything I pictured it to be. I can't wait to book a tour and see the inside of it. The way that modern day Rome is built around all of the ancient ruins like the Forum and Colosseum blows my mind. Its crazy to me that on my 20 min walk to school I pass buildings and statues that are hundreds, if not thousands, of years old.

This week was also kind of crazy because three of my new friends celebrated their birthdays. We celebrated in small ways during the week (I made a cake, my roommates made sangria), but on Thursday my friends and I all went out to dinner to celebrate properly. We went to dinner at this rather infamous restaurant named Tony's. The owner, Tony, loves american study abroad students so he gave us free appetizers, dessert, and champagne. We had a blast.

On Saturday my friends Mackenzee, Shannon, Katie, Mackenzie, and I took a day trip to this little town named Tivoli. Tivoli is this little town outside of Rome that is know for its fountains and gardens. It was a fun and peaceful day trip to take with the girls. And it was cheap! We took the train and the whole day (including lunch) cost me about $15.

I think that's about it for this week. Here are some pictures! Enjoy!

(From top to bottom: me outside of the Vatican, my friend Ryan and I inside of the Vatican, the view from the top of the Vatican, the Colosseum, fountains at Tivoli, more Tivoli fountains)