A Bitter Sweet Return to the US of A

Ciao Roma, I will miss you!

In the cabin of the boeing 767-400 I fought hard to block out thoughts of doing an immediate turn around back to Rome. It was extremely difficult for me to be leaving my home of the last 4 and a half months.

I dreaded the moment of touching down in Newark, New Jersey and walking through the airport of predominantly English speaking people. It has become a harsh language to my ears and I find myself increasingly annoyed to hear people speaking it around me.

This will no longer be a part of my everyday landscape...
weird.

I won't be seeing too many of these in N.Y.

            Of course I was glad to be reunited with family back in New York, but with every joy of being home there was a pang of longing to go back. I wasn’t ready to leave and I know I have a long road of adjustments ahead of me.

I can say with every fiber of my being that living in Rome was one of the most spectacular times of my life. The adventures I had, new friends I made, and cultural experiences I had are irreplaceable.

This time in my life helped me to grow and become a more independent person. I will forever remember my time in Italy and know that I will be returning in the not so distant future.

For now, as difficult as it is going to be for me, I will re-acclimate to American life and never forget how lucky I was to have such an experience.

A note to my readers:

Travel. Let yourself experience a different culture and a different way of life. It is the best education you can ever have.

Try not to be a tourist. Really immerse yourself. If possible stay in one place and make a home their, even if for a brief time.

 Get to know the place around you, don’t just breeze in and hit the tourist spots. Find local spots, hidden unknown places, and meet real people- the true locals.

Hopefully you will gain an experience similar to the one that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

Making a wish to return to the beautiful city of Rome!

That’s all for now and remember to always try and live “La Dolce Vita,” The Sweet Life…

Côte d'Azur the Magnificent

I looked out at the Mediterranean, as blue and clear as turquoise glass.

The pictures I’d seen of the French Riviera were incomparable to experiencing it firsthand.

Smooth surfaced rocks littered the shore. The coastline, an endless stretch of pure heaven, instantly reminded me of my love for the sea.

The beach brings summer, relaxation, happiness, and has always held a calming element for me for as long as I can remember. 

After four amazing months in Rome, this was my last trip before heading back to America.

I leafed through my salt kissed pages and entered the mind of the author while I lay out in the early May sun.

 

As we lounged on the beach I could hear French speakers mixed in with the occasional English speaker. Once in a while my ear would pick up Italian, which I am now accustomed to listening to.

The beach we were on is not far from the airport. We could see its lights in the distance. Our close proximity to Nice’s airport was also evident by the roaring engines flying overhead every 20 minutes or so.

I’m glad my last trip got to be with close friends in an absolutely beautiful location. Four months ago I never would have imagined I’d be sitting on the beach on the French Riviera. I kept picturing Cary Grant and Grace Kelly in “To Catch a Thief” because this is where part of the movie was filmed (I love classic films and it was exciting to visit a site where one was filmed).

Nice is definitely a place for my readers to add to their bucket-lists. It’s beautiful, peaceful, has amazing foods, breathtaking scenery and offers a glimpse into the glamorous and well-known French Riviera. 

Ahhh to Live in a Villa

When my mom came to visit me in Rome for ten days we decided to do and see as much as we possibly could. After our weekend trip to Barcelona for Easter she asked me to see more of Italy. The perfect idea came to mind. Tivoli (home to several beautiful, mostly intact villas). I had heard from friends who had visited how absolutely beautiful it is and that I should definitely try to visit if I had the time.

           

The two of us decided to go on Thursday because I had no class and the weather report said it was going to be a beautiful day. My host mom helped us with our plans and kept saying how perfect Tivoli was for a day trip. We were very excited to embark on our journey and when we arrived at our destination I can honestly say my friends words did not do the Villa d’Este justice. It was breathtaking.

          

The time, energy and money that went into the construction of this villa was obvious from the second we stepped into the courtyard. The details around the house were impeccable and the wall frescoes were rich in color and many told a story with there images. I could not believe that people had lived here. All of this for just one family? I found myself daydreaming about what it must have been like. Imagine waking up in such beauty and then deciding to head outside for some fresh air in the sprawling gardens laced with fountains and waterfalls. It was definitely a life I know I could easily get used to.

        

I enjoyed stumbling upon secluded areas, tucked away and out of sight. The grounds were designed in such a way to optimize serenity and peacefulness. My mom and I must have said, “Can you imagine….” A hundred times followed by some form of, “…living here; growing up here; being here in the summer; relaxing here; being a guest here, etc.” The two of us were completely smitten with the villa. We never wanted to leave because it was so peaceful and it felt like the gardens and fountains continued on endlessly.

           

I think the most fun and intriguing part of the day for me was imagining what life must have been like for the owners or even the friends of the owners. Just imagine owning a magnificent villa like this one, a paradise within itself. It is the perfect place to go and relax, even today with all of the tourism. When it was privately owned it must have been infinitely more tranquil than it is today. I also found myself thinking about how different things are today. This type of villa is not often constructed, especially not with all of the amazing detail and that covers the Villa d’Este.

          

All I can say to my readers is that if they find themselves with a free day to spare in Rome or not far from it, they should add a trip to Tivoli to visit the Villas to their list. They are an example of how luxurious and almost fantastical life was for a select few during the 16^th century.