the most memorable moments thus far are hard to narrow down. walking through campo marzio to see the exact location where julius caesar was stabbed twenty-three times, climbing the spanish steps and looking down over the historic center of rome, going underground to see the original streets of ancient rome; these are a few that make the cut. of course, it’s the little things that always end up being my favorite memories. sitting on my laptop in a coffee shop and the barista asking to take my picture because she thought it was funny, wandering around at 2am to see what rome looks like without all the people, meeting other study abroad students from texas in tiny basement bars. i can’t believe how many times i’ve laughed this week or unintentionally whispered “wow” under my breath.
the other night, i had terrible (and i mean truly awful) italian food. you don’t believe me? my roommate’s ravioli came out frozen and my gelato tasted like i was drinking straight from a torani syrup bottle. but i also munched on fantastic 4 euro pasta while sitting on a wall overlooking the tiber river. we got yelled at for not wanting to buy a (clearly NOT) handmade ring but we also spent twenty minutes talking with a sweet italian woman we met while wandering down a pretty alleyway. we were given a sexist lecture from a male panhandler who didn’t take rejection very well (it’s not just america, people) but the same barista who took my picture remembered me and poured a heart into my cappuccino. the balance is real, and i feel like it’s necessary to have both the encouraging and the discouraging experiences.
after spending a few days here in high school, i had completely romanticized rome in my memory. now that i have time to truly dive into the depths of the culture here, i have realized that i still adore this place endlessly despite its flaws. every single place has flaws, but those flaws do not make up the heart and spirit of this city. i feel like i’m gaining a truer understanding of everything rome is and is not and i know that i’ll still be obsessing over it for years to come. i guess that’s what they call true love.
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Junior English/Creative Writing major Rylie Frederick is spending the summer 2019 term at the University of Arkansas Rome Center.
Read more from Rylie at https://rylieinrome.home.blog/
Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/
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