A Place to Call My Home // I'm Loving The Life I'm Living

It's becoming difficult to talk about what goes on during the week, because I've fallen into routine. My life in Tivoli is by no means a vacation. The town is no longer an unfamiliar place. I walk on the cobblestone streets every single day. I know exactly where to place my feet so the stones wobble and click harmoniously. I know where not to step in order to avoid the dog shit that's been on the sidewalk for a week. Friends will honk and wave from their cars while I'm on my run. I've developed my niche here. 

Tivoli has become my home. And I love it.

In order to keep this interesting for both you and I, I try to pack as much fun filled events into my short weekends as possible. This past weekend will definitely be one to remember. 

Saturday afternoon I walked home from school with pepper in my pants, because I was headed to Rome to see my fellow Americans. I arrived at home, ate my lunch, and packed my bags. Around 3:00 my mom and I hopped into the car and headed west. She drove me to the edge of Rome to the metro stop, Bologna. This was a liberating moment for me, because it was the first time I was going to 1. Take the metro and 2. I was doing it alone! I was beyond excited to have the trust of my host parents. (I'm slowing gaining independence.) I bought my biglietto (ticket) and headed towards The Colosseum where I was meeting Selena and Becca (my fellow Americans). When I arrived they were there to greet me with hugs, and immediately all three of us were smiling from ear to ear. 

Becca (Florida), Selena (Washington), and myself

Exchange students have an unexplainable bond. We relate very well since we are all going through the same experience at the same time. Usually when one exchanger is telling a story about their experience, all the others have extremely similar events that happened to them; if not the same. It's great to talk to other people going through the same things, because it reassures me that I wasn't completely crazy when I decided to hop on a plane and move in with a family I've never met. (I'm only slightly crazy.)

Now back to my weekend:

After Selena, Becca, and I met up we decided to go to the mall near their neighborhood. We hopped back on the metro to end of the route. From there we took the bus to the mall. While in route a drunk Italian man happened to get on and sit right next to me. He yelled and flailed his arms around for the remaining ten minutes. If there's one thing I've lost since being here, it's personal space. Although I miss it, I've definitely gotten used to having none. 

Finally, we got off the bus and went into the mall. We looked around, ate gelato, and stared at all the things we wish we could afford. I didn't buy anything, because I was carrying a heavy backpack and purse with me the whole time. I knew if I had to carry another bag I was going to fall to the floor. 

I think she's my long lost sister.

We decided to head home when it started to get dark. We got back on the bus and headed towards their town of Casal Polocco where dinner was waiting for us. Our meal was great with Selena's family. It was nice to have a little change for a night and see how her host family related to mine. They were very warm and welcoming. I was happy to be in their company. After dinner, we helped clean up, then put on our pajamas. We spent the rest of the night watching Youtube videos, eating pretzel m&m's, and drinking tea (like any other teenage girls). We ended the night by starting a movie, but I'm almost certain I fell asleep before it started. It was the perfect night, and it was our best version of the American sleepover. 

The next morning we woke up early, showered, and ate breakfast before we left the house. They showed me around their town square while we waited for the bus. When it arrived we headed back to the metro station where we took the metro to The Vatican. We were sure that we were going to be able to see the Pope, but when we got there we weren't permitted to enter. Too many people had the same idea we did, so instead, we wandered around the unfamiliar streets. We walked by a market, found a beautiful piazza, and ate the remaining m&m's on a bench there. A little while later, we started making our way towards the center of Rome. We stopped at a beautiful gothic church on the way and sat in for mass. Moments before communion began we noticed a man that had come in and quickly left. We turned around to see where he went and Becca noticed her purse that was right beside her was gone. We quickly left the service and by the time we made it outside, he was gone. We were shocked and couldn't believe what had just happened. There wasn't much we could do to get the bag back, so we continued making our way to the center. We stopped at a museum and looked at their Impressionism exhibition. It a was spectacular show with works by Degas, Van Gogh, and Seurat; only to name a few.

The Museum

This describes all of our personalities perfectly.

We finally made it to the center by lunchtime. We grabbed food at a market and carried it to the Spanish Steps where we relaxed and refueled ourselves while people watching. From there we walked along Via del Corso with all the amazing shops and I found a few of my favorites that I'll definitely have to head back to. We made our way to Piazza Venezia and hopped on a bus to find a popular gelato shop nearby that friends had told me about called Sweety. It's self serve like the yogurt bars we have in the States. We decided to try it out and I'm glad we did. It was delicious and better than anything I've had back home. Gelato just doesn't compare to ice cream or frozen yogurt. By the time we finished our gelato and it was time to head home. We made our way back to The Colosseum and said out goodbyes at the metro. They went back to Casal Polocco and I headed the opposite direction to meet my host dad at the edge of the city. 

On the way home I went through all the pictures I had take from the two days. We had so much fun, and although it was a quick visit, it was one to remember. I can't wait for the next time, and hope they'll come visit me in Tivoli. It's crazy to think that I've only met Selena and Becca twice before, but it feels like I've known them a lifetime. No matter where we are in the world the moment we reunite it will feel as though we were never gone. Those are the most important relationships to me. It's truly amazing what kind of connections you can make around the world. 

I'm finally realizing it truly is a small world after all.

I mean, I had to take a selfie on the Spanish Steps...

Gorgeous frescos  

Beautiful street I take on my run.