This was my second time traveling out of France. My friend Noor and I wanted to spend Halloweekend in a different city, we both were eager to see Roma and I have three fantastic friends from Amherst studying abroad there so it seemed like the perfect choice. More importantly, Rome is where The Lizzie McGuire Movie took place - ergo, I had to go. We left bright and early Friday morning and didn't get back to Paris until super duper late Sunday night, leaving us lots of time to go roaming Rome-ing around the eternal city.
Noor and I stayed at a lovely little hotel located minutes away from the Trevi Fountain. Ironically, the Trevi fountain is closed for renovation until next spring but obviously that did not stop us from making a wish there. I'm pretty Noor actually threw a coin in twice. Very superstitious, like Stevie.
If you look closely you can see that little 1 Euro cent piece soar.
Even though the Trevi Fountain looked nothing like Noor and I imagined it would due to all the scaffolding and construction around it. I got to see all the other quintessentially touristic sights I have only seen in movies!
Friday afternoon Noor and I watched Katie and her IES Rome friends play American football in what just might be the largest park I have ever been in. This was also an epic Amherst reunion because Adam and Andrew had also flown in from Paris for the weekend and Riley from London. Walking around Rome for gelato side by side with Riley, Nic, Conner, Katie, Adam and Andrew was hilarious. We were chatting and teasing each other like we would during a Val sit. But sadly, Val's ice cream doesn't taste anywhere near as amazing as the Nutella flavored gelato we all devoured in a mere amount of seconds.
Andrew and Nic having a ROMAntic moment.
Nic quickly coined the term HalloRoma and we all shared costume ideas and plans for the evening as we made our way back to the center of the city.
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. HalloRoma is the same way. Let's just say it was an unforgettable night for Noor and I that was filled with Frozen character costumes, pumpkin lasagna, one very bruised foot and glitter. Lots and lots of glitter.
On Saturday morning, Noor and I left our hotel after breakfast in bed. Noor and I are still convinced we had the honeymoon suite or something. Anyways, we left our hotel with a clear plan for the day - to walk all the way to Vatican City and stop at the must-see touristy sights along the way. Almost immediately Noor and I stumbled upon the Spanish steps.
Two girls and 135 Spanish steps.
We then walked through the most picturesque tiny street ways until we found Piazza Navona - definitely one of my favorite study abroad memories.
Noor and I stopped at a gelato shop there. Noor eagerly asked for a sample of the guy's mango gelato. Without hesitation, he offered me a sample of Nutella gelato. Noor and I started giggling and I couldn't help but say something embarrassing along the lines of: "Dude, Nutella is maybe like my favorite thing in the world!" He literally laughed out loud and said in his accented English: "How is it I know dis?!"
After making a new Italian friend, with gelato in hand, Noor and I sat in the picture perfect Piazza Navona and soaked up sunlight for days.
Noor and Nnex squinting shamelessly and posing awkwardly in Piazza Navona.
The warm weather we had during Halloweekend in Rome, in contrast to cloudy and cold Paris of course, was practically therapeutic. Sitting in that sun had the same effect as a gigantic dose of Devin O'Connor's happy pills (You're welcome Doc).
Wait lol that these happy pills might contain peanuts?
After Piazza Navona was Piazza Navona minus the first a and minus the Navona. That's right, pizza. Noor and I literally and figuratively had pizza for every meal whilst in Italy and I wouldn't have had it another way. We finally made it to Vatican City but when we saw how long the line was to go inside the basilica we suddenly became super content to admire the building from outside. But seriously, the line was at least a 3 hour wait. Ain't nobody got time for that. So instead of waiting in line we spent like an hour admiring the Basilica's architecture and asking about 5 million different people to take our photo because pics or it didn't happen, right?
But first, we took a selfie.
One of the many shots of Noor and Nnex in front of Saint Peter's Basilica.
Saturday was such a great day because we got to see even more important touristy things but also because we were able to explore such a beautiful city. Sunday was an even greater day though because we started with a morning mass at the Pantheon. Noor and I walked from or hotel, once again a chance to truly explore Rome whilst navigating it's ancient alleyways. We met Katie and three of her program friends at the Pantheon.
Noor captured this awesome panorama of me admiring the inside of the Pantheon.
After the mass, all of us went to brunch nearby and got an American style breakfast. When in Rome, right? Katie then took Noor and I on a mini guided tour. She showed us Trajan's Forum, the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine and so much more in such little time. 'Twas a treat. Or a trick? Get it? It's funny because it was Halloweekend! Or Kay Rei, is it funny because it's Billy Crystal??
Reilly loves Roma and Roma loves Reilly.
Lizzie McGuire and Isabella sang here nbd kbd VBD!! But other important historical events also took place at the Colosseum I hear.
Noor wanted a new pose, for "Noor and Nnex in front of the Arch of Constantine" so we went piggy back pose - le duh.
John Lennon once said: "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." I, like so many others, have probably heard this quote upwards of a buhjillion times. Yet after my weekend in Rome I can truly appreciate it. So many things went right in Rome but so many things went a little lot awry as well.
On Friday afternoon Katie searched Termini endlessly for Noor and I but because of a lack of a means of communication, aka French phones and no WiFi, she freaked out that she was living a real life version of the movie Taken. Obviously that wasn't the case but she had no way of knowing otherwise until Noor and I finally made it to the hotel and I was able to reach her with WiFi.
HalloRoma was well HalloRoma.
Saturday night can best be summed up by two words and two words alone: Benadryl and bedtime.
And last but not least, on our way to the airport Noor and I got into a verbal showdown with one mean Italian train conductor lady named Michela S. Then, we got charged 50 euros for failing to validate our ticket. Finally, Noor and I make it back to Paris and almost get stranded at the airport because our flight was so delayed that we almost missed the metro.
Coming from Paris where everything is so fast paced was definitely a challenge for Noor and I. We had to catch ourselves as we got impatient with the slow place of Italians on the metro, in the street, and just in life. It was in the moments when Noor and I forgot about checking everything off on our to-do list and just pulled a One Republic to stop and stare and revel, that we had the most fun. Being abroad has taught me that you really do need to roll with the punches. And the kicks, the scratches and even the paper cuts.
Here's to surviving HalloRoma, having pizza for every meal and meeting my new frenemy - Nutella flavored gelato!
(Turns out Italians also say "chin chin" for cheers but they just spell it wrong differently)
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