When in Rome...

My favorite hobby of all time has to be traveling. I love learning about the world around us and immersing myself in new cultures. I have been fortunate enough to be able to travel to Europe twice now and those journeys helped me not only grow as a person, but truly appreciate our earth's beauty. My experience in Rome was both exciting and very education as well. While in Rome I was lucky enough to experience Pope Francis' election and I will forever hold on to the newspaper I purchased in the Vatican that day. While in Italy I came to realize that American's are spoiled because we have the luxury of being able to get by with only speaking English in most European countries. There was rarely a time when anyone I came into contact with did not speak English. Since my trip I have taken a beginners Italian college course in hopes that I will travel to Italy again someday.

The food is probably what I miss most about Italy, Italian cuisine is to die for. What surprised me was that we were served four course meals every night for dinner. We were started off with a salad or appetizer, and then a generous portion of pasta. I was stuffed after having the appetizer and pasta but I figured I could make room for a few bites of dessert. I was shocked when the waiter sat a plate of pork and potatoes in front of me. It smelled so delicious that I couldn't resist. Then of course we were served dessert. If you ever travel to Italy, expect to leave ten pounds heavier, and don't forget to try the gelato. Gelato is the Italian version of ice cream and is topped with fruits, cookies, and candies.  There are so many flavors that it was almost impossible for me to choose. Some gelaterias will even serve your gelato atop a warm waffle. Remember, a gelato  day keeps the doctor away. That's how the saying goes right?

Photo by: Eric Lowe

 One of the highlights of my trip was touring the Roman Colosseum. I had only read about it in textbooks and was fascinated by it's significance to the ancient Roman Culture. The Colosseum was used in ancient Rome as a stadium for games. The most known games were the gladiator battles and the man vs. beast battles. The Colosseum held around 50,000 people. Everything about it was breathtaking and knowing that I was walking in the same place that the gladiators had fought was amazing. Reading about something in a book and actually seeing it through your own eyes are two entirely different things. I'm glad I got to cross this off my bucket list.

Another part of my trip I will never forget was visiting the Roman Forum. The ancient ruins were beautiful and when the sun began to set the view was breath taking.  In this plaza are the remains of ancient government buildings and originally served as a market place for the Romans. It was also used for speeches, elections, and criminal trials. I have so much respect for Rome and how they have preserved their history for the world to experience.

I remember being 13 years old and watching the Lizzie Mcguire movie. That was the day I knew I had to visit the Trevi Fountain someday. The legend is that if you toss a coin over your shoulder into the fountain while making a wish, your wish will come true.  People travel from all over the world in hope of having their wishes granted by the fountain.The fountain is also a popular spot for proposals, but double check that you're tossing a coin into the fountain and not the ring! The Trevi Fountain is beautiful in the day time, but absolutely spectacular at night.

If you are like me and love to travel but have a tight budget I recommend traveling with EF Tours traveling company. EF tours stands for Education First and is a travel agency for high school and college students. My high school worked with EF so that our group was exclusively from my high school. If you are in college or a solo traveler you can browse their website and travel with other students from around the US. Included in the cost of your trip is: meals, hotel stays, transportation, airfare, admission to all planned activities, and a full time travel guide. My trip was between $3000-$4000 so you are really getting a lot for your money. If you are interested in seeing what EF has to offer, here is the link to their website. www.eftours.com