Learning About Rome Through Their History

The first week has gone by so quickly but I had the opportunity to experience amazing things. My roommates have been amazingly supportive and incredibly fun. My program leaders have been the best leaders I could have ever asked for, making all of us feel at home while ensuring our safety. Art history class is amazing and fascinating. After a general lesson on Rome's history and then we directly headed to one of the most famous monuments: the Pantheon. On the way there and in the Pantheon, our lesson continued. It is incredible how I can learn about the past while standing in the past.

I have finally visited the place I've been looking forward to since the beginning of the trip: Tivoli! Pictures really cannot do the place justice. We entered through the beautiful villa, allowing us to view beautiful fresco art. Fresco is an art technique where a thin layer of plaster is applied to a surface and then paint is applied on top of the plaster, allowing it to be one of the most durable art forms. Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel was painted using this technique. Next week we will have the opportunity to try out that technique ourselves! Following the walk through the villa, we entered the garden. It was absolutely breathtaking. Beautiful fountains guided us through the gardens, all leading up to the beautiful fountain located in front of the villa.

In regards to the food, Italians love their pasta and pizza. It is absolutely amazing being able to eat pizza in Italy. I absolutely love gelato; I cannot go a day without having to stop by a gelato shop to get some. Italian has not been a huge problem because many Italians speak English. However, I love learning Italian! Being able to get a sentence across is the most rewarding feeling in the world. I haven't had culture shock yet because the culture is not radically different from my own culture. I've been able to communicate with my family once everyday to share my experiences. This has been an amazing week and I can't wait to see what the next two weeks are going to bring.