A week and a half ago, 46 students arrived in Rome to begin our semester abroad. We knew we’d learn about history, better understand a new culture, have trouble with the language for some and eat plenty of gelato. Little did we know we’d be climbing up a mountain, see a traveling band or be whisked away before the peace march could commence. I’ll explain all of these events in a minute.
Our orientation took place in Assisi, a usually sleepy town in the Umbrian valley. Home to St. Francis of Assisi and one of the most beautiful view in Italy. Our 3-hour bus ride led us to the base of the mountain, something we would climb halfway to our hotel. Our fearless leader, Ms. McHugh climbed this in heels, which made her even more astonishing.
We had good food, explored a bit and all went to bed early. We then rose and took our first tour, up the rest of the mountain to a castle rightfully named, La Rocca. The rest of our trip was very similar. Tours to various churches and other markers, people catching up on sleep and exploring to find the better gelaterias.
Our last day though provided some excitement when we were suddenly rushed out of dinner and we pushed into 8 waiting taxis, all waiting to take us away. Some girls were confused, others excited. One even exclaimed as we left “It’s like the von trap family escaping the nazis”. It was quite exciting because as we drove away from the place we’d become comfortable in, we saw the beauty of the town once again, but also the impending peace parade. The peace parade is when 50,000 people march across the region to Assisi in promotion of peace. They were coming and would not let us out, so it made sense we left quickly.
Rome, which we would soon call our home for the next 3 months, came shortly after. We soon settled in our hotel, got a tour of our campus and had delicious pizza, which was far cheaper than any in the states and tasted much better.
I noticed many things in my first week in Rome. For one, I laughed at the Mercedes buses and taxis and the BMW police cars. I loved how much cleaner the city was then I imagined (if you pretended the graffiti didn’t exist). I also noticed how they were constant sirens, everywhere. This could be because of the fact we were in the city or because we were close to a hospital. Little things such as old men in suits eating gelato at lunchtime make me laugh. Hearing all the different languages makes me smile, especially when I hear English or even better, understand Italian.
The language barrier wasn’t as bad as I thought. For one, I could understand them more they could understand me. Also the hand gestures my teachers had told me about made a huge difference. They trusted me because I knew them and I understand more because they were universal.
The trip so far has been an amazing experience. I love my classes, I love my professors, I’ve made great friends and have had a lot of great food. It’s going to be a great experience I think and I’m glad it is just beginning.
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