It’s hard to believe all the different things I have done since arriving in Rome. Today is my official half-way mark- it has been two whole months since I first set foot in Italy, and two months from today I’ll be heading back to the United States. Looking back on the past couple of months, I can’t believe the number of places I’ve been and seen!
This week I was able to visit, for the first time all semester, the Protestant Cemetery. Now I know that visiting a cemetery doesn’t sound like anything special, but this one is out of the ordinary. Although located in the heart of Rome, not one Italian is buried within this cemetery. This resting place is specifically for foreigners, who had such a strong love for Rome that they wanted to remain there for all eternity. Another requirement for people who wish to be buried here is that they must be either Protestant, Jewish, or Agonostic (surprisingly, no Catholics!). Not to mention, it is home to many stray cats who are very well cared for and fed. This was probably the most peaceful and beautiful cemetery I have ever visited. It’s very quiet, but comfortable to be in, like a park. I had the opportunity to go there with my painting class, and sit on the grass and enjoy the morning sunlight. For a little bit, I forgot I was in a city!
There are also plenty of things I haven’t done yet, and places that I haven’t been that I’ve been really anxious to see. With this in mind, I have made a check-list for me to complete during my remaining weeks in the beautiful city of Roma.
I want to discover more places in Rome that make me feel as the Protestant Cemetery did. On my list of places to visit, there’s the Jewish Ghetto, The Capitoline Museum, and the Barberini Palace. Places that I have already visited include the Borghese Gardens, Trastevere and Testaccio, however I wish to more deeply explore these areas and see what else they have to offer.
Over the past week or two, the weather has really made a complete turn-around. It is now warm, sunny, and nice enough to walk around without a jacket (my FAVORITE type of weather). This means that I will be able to be more adventurous than ever, exploring the city without having to worrying about trekking through mounds of snow!
Even though I am very excited to continue exploring Rome, I am unfortunately starting to feel a little bit homesick. Like I said earlier, it’s hard to believe I’ve been here for two months, yet it is also hard to believe that I won’t be home for the same amount of time that I have already been here. Of course, I know I shouldn’t take my time here for granted, but it just feels like I’ve been here for a long time. That’s probably because I’ve been doing so much since I’ve arrived! I will most definitely be able to keep myself distracted from being homesick by going on more adventures and hanging out with my friends.
I checked the weather for the upcoming week, and there’s even more beautiful weather! Next weekend, I will be traveling to Florence for my High Renaissance class, a city I have yet to visit. A lot of exciting things in the week ahead, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it!