Today I woke up in Rome, packed up my bags and got on a bus headed to Siena, Toscana. We took a stop in a charming town called Orvieto with an amazing duomo. I took a nap for the rest of the bus ride and when I woke up, the hills of Tuscany were just outside my window!
I moved in with my little Italian host grandma. Her name is Rita, but she wants us to call her Nonna {Italian for "grandma"}. Nonna is an amazing cook. She made us some delicious pasta for il primo piatto. For the second course we had pecora, or lamb, and potatoes and tomatoes fresh from her garden! Nonna's cooking was better than anything I had in Rome.
Speaking of Rome, I've compiled a list of helpful tips of things that I learned first-hand in the two weeks I was there. These tips are tested and true.
Live 'em. Love 'em.
Plan in advance for travel time and lines at museums and famous sights.
Nighttime is the best time to explore the city. Rome is truly magical at night and it comes alive.
The metro is the most efficient way around the city.
Avoid eye contact with the accordion players on the metro. They will stand right in front of you and stare you down if they can tell you are entertained.
Always keep your bag in front of you on the metro.
When taking the train, always validate your ticket before boarding {props to Megan for knowing this one}.
The easiest way to get an Italian man to leave you alone is to tell him you are married. Two words: Sono sposata.
Italian police officers really don't make you feel any more safe than the creepy men you would want protection from. They are probably checking you out too.
You are going to get called beautiful and asked on more dates in your first few days in Rome than you ever will in all other times of your life combined. Enjoy it {just don't let on that you are enjoying it}.
Eat gelato everyday!
Don't be alarmed if you drink a lot of water and never have to pee. You are probably sweating it all out {Seriously I think I drank at least a gallon of water everyday and peed once before bed and once in the morning. TMI? Sorry.}. Drink A TON of water anyway. Gotta love that 95 percent humidity!
There are fountains of water everywhere. They are gorgeous and people drink from them all the time. The water is constantly flowing and super yummy. Bring a water bottle and refill here.
If you see something that you like, just buy it. You never know if/when you will find another like it.
Be daring when crossing the road. You won't get fined for j-walking. This will probably be the scariest part of Rome, but if you don't go for it, you will never cross the road!
Italian women have an amazing presence. When they walk into a room, you know they are there. This is a little intimidating at first, but you'll get used to it. You really have to embrace your inner diva if you want to convince others you are an Italian woman {this one is still difficult for me}.
Just tell people you are from Chicago or New York or L.A. or the closest big city to your hometown. Italians really don't care about Michigan or Utah.
Use the language as much as you can. Even though almost everyone in Rome speaks English, it's fun to try and they love you for it!
You'll never really be in culture shock because of all the English and American songs playing everywhere.
Spend more time taking everything in with your mind than with your camera. You'll never remember the way you felt when looking back at a picture if you never took the time to feel anything.
Enjoy everything. You have nothing to complain about...you're in Rome!
I seriously fell in love with Rome. It's funny to think that it probably won't even be my favorite part of the trip two months from now. I'm excited to see what kinds of adventures these next few weeks will hold!
{Sorry about the lack of pictures. You'll have to check my Facebook for now!}
Ciao amici :)
