The First Week

I have now been in Rome for one week and let me tell you, it has been a whirlwind of information, new friendships, exploration, and learning. The number of things that have already happened here makes it seem like I have been in Rome for much longer than I actually have been. Last Saturday was full of excitement getting settled in, greeting old friends, and starting to forge new ones. The jetlag hit me (and everyone else) pretty hard so even though I wanted to stay up to visit and soak in the start of this new adventure, sleep overtook me quickly.

Sunday morning, I kicked off my first full day in Rome with a slight culture shock--- going to an Italian mass. My friend Maria and I decided that we would shake off the tiredness and push ourselves outside of our comfort zones. We attended 9 a.m. mass at a basilica called Sacro Cuore di Cresto Re which translates to “Sacred Heart of Christ the King”. It was only a 7-minute walk from the Bernardi Campus which made it not as scary to attend considering we did not have our bearings figured out of Rome or even our own neighborhood yet. The beauty of the Catholic church is that even though Maria and I did not speak any Italian, we still knew what was going on throughout the whole mass. The basilica was very plain on the outside but was beautifully decorated on the inside. There were only about 40 people in attendance that morning, so it felt a bit more like home and not so overwhelming. Even though I could not understand anything, I still feel like I got a lot out of the service. It made me appreciate the universality of the Catholic church and allowed me some time to sit and revel in the wonders that my life is right now and what the semester will bring me academically, personally, and spiritually. The rest of the day was full of orientation meetings where we went over lots of information about our neighborhood, Bernardi, this program, Rome, safety, and how to make this a wonderful semester! We also had our first community dinner which takes place every Sunday night at 7 p.m. This is a great time to get Thanos, Professor Ojala, Professor Sal and his wife Theresa, and all 27 of us students together and have fulfilling community time. The amazing food is definitely a plus also!

Monday started bright and early with more orientation information. Most of us were still pretty jetlagged and trying to get our energy levels up so we could accomplish more things. In the afternoon we all got to go to Richmond University which is the place where we will be taking all of our classes this semester. It is about a 30-40-minute walk to class which seems long but is not so bad considering most of the walk is along the Tiber River. I took many pictures so check that out under the Photography tab!! I am so amazed at the sheer quantity of amazing architecture that is constantly surrounding me. Monday was the first day that I truly went out and saw Rome, so I was (and still am) in awe of the city. After the orientation at Richmond, we had our first Italian class. This is an intensive class so for the first week, we had it three hours a day. Instantly I was very overwhelmed with the amount of new knowledge that was coming at me. It is meant to be a type of crash course so that as the semester goes on, we will pick up more of the language faster. Many of my peers have taken another language either during high school or college which set me behind and apart from them. Italian is a Romance language, so the basis of the language is similar to either Spanish or French. I had no prior knowledge of any language, so it is slightly frustrating knowing that I am behind in that field. The competitor in me wants to be the best and absolutely excel in this, but I know that that is just not possible, and I have to accept that. Italian is a beautiful language and as much as learning it is frustrating, I do enjoy that I get the chance to study it in Rome.

Tuesday was nice as I had more free time which I spent getting groceries and getting a SIM Card for my phone. We were also split up into groups to do a Scavenger Hunt around Rome to see different historical sites. Quinn, Shimin, and I were in a group and we got to go to the Colosseum. The Colosseum is about 2.5 miles away from Bernardi and Quinn insisted that we walk both ways. The walk was super long and hot due to it being at least 85 degrees. We took slight tours on the walk there and we got to see Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. These were super cool to see even though they are typical “tourist” things to do. But, as the Italiaidea director said, we are not tourists but instead temporary citizens of Rome. I will definitely be revisiting these places. When we finally made it to the Colosseum the massiveness of it was almost overwhelming. I could just feel the history and importance of it seeping out of it. I did not realize that the Colosseum is surrounded by the Forum, two huge Arches nearby, and many churches. I appreciate history and the Roman Empire that it is hard sometimes to stay calm during these times.

Wednesday morning the whole group woke up bright and early and took the Tram to Vatican City. There we met our theology professor Doctor Donna Orsuto. We went to attend a Papal Audience. This happens every Wednesday morning. What happens at a papal audience is that the Pope rides around in his Pope-mobile and greets the crowds of people. Then there is a Biblical reading done in multiple languages, announcing different groups that were there (the University of St. Thomas was announced!!), the Pope gives a homily, then there is a summary of the homily in multiple languages, and then the singing of the Lord’s prayer in Latin. The whole ordeal was ended with the Pope blessing us, our families and friends, and any religious items. I brought the rosary that I received during my confirmation class, so I thought that was pretty cool. I ended up buying a new rosary afterward and I am very glad that I have a nicer one now. We were lucky enough to get special reservation tickets, so our seats were about 50 feet away from the Pope on the platform in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. I cannot lie, I most definitely did shed some tears. I was speechless 75% of the time. I just could not believe how much progress my faith life has made in the past year. About a year ago I made the decision to enter RCIA and I got confirmed Catholic only a few months ago. To be that close to the Pope and be blessed by him is a true blessing and a once in a lifetime opportunity. I am so glad that I chose to attend St. Thomas and apply for this program.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were a mix of getting comfortable with the neighborhood, slightly dying while studying and doing Italian, and getting more talks about how to stay safe in Rome. We were visited by an FBI Agent from the US Embassy, so she was a pretty cool lady. She was also very funny, and you could tell she is really good at her job. Saturday we also had our Italian midterm. I think I passed it, but I am not sure how well I actually did. I have decided to be gentle with myself because I have 0 language basis and we learned such an enormous amount of content in one week. I am excited to see how much my language skills grow throughout this semester. Being completely immersed in the Italian culture is hopefully going to make more stick in my mind.

As you can see and read, I have been super busy. I am very thankful for the friendships that I am creating here but I do miss a lot of people back home. Facetime, Facebook message, and WhatsApp have been a lifesaver to stay in touch and feel like I am not being (completely) forgotten back home. Your nerves can rest to, because I have not forgotten you either. I am very excited to start classes tomorrow and get into a regular schedule. My whole group is starting to plan different weekend travel trips so that is very exciting to. Being in Europe is so amazing for the pure accessibility to so many countries, cultures, and more! My hope and intention are that I will do blog updates every Sunday so stay tuned! Also check out my photography albums to see my life through my lens.

“A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there.”