Hello, hello!
I apologize for not updating this week, but I was busy packing and traveling back to the states! If we're being honest, it wasn't until earlier last week (my last week in Rome) that I began to feel pretty sad about leaving. That's not to say, that I didn't appreciate my trip there while still being there, but I had been itching to get home since mid-March. I mostly wanted a salad, bagel, pizza, fast food and a Grande, black dark roast from Starbucks as I waste my Saturday in Target shopping for things I don't need.
By the beginning of the week, Kelsey and I had made a list of all the final things we needed to do/see/eat. We took our finals and tied up all of the loose ends we had academically, and every afternoon we set out to accomplish some of the things on our list. At this point we had no more schoolwork, and all we had to focus on was packing and saying our goodbyes. We had a little coffee with Paulo & Guillaume to say our farewells, and ate at our favorite restaurant (had a kickass steak). The last two nights in Rome were probably the most memorable. We went to Jetlag64, our favorite little restaurant/cafe that has an amazing aperitivo and drinks. We ate outside and sipped on our wine one last time while absorbing the busy friday night around us. Saturday night we returned to get Kelsey her signature carbonara. I was caught between whether or not I wanted my staple Amatriciana dish or a personal pizza, and so GianLuca (the best waiter in the world) made me a personal heart shaped pizza adorned with a lovely "arrividerci" on the top. This was a highlight of not only my night but basically my life because I mean, a free, personal, heart shaped pizza is nothing short of incredible especially when you love pizza as much as I do.
After our final meal in Rome was complete, we walked to Piazza del Popolo to watch the sunset. By the time we got to the top of the gardens that overlook the piazza, the colours of dusk were just starting to hit full effect. We sat there for a long time and took everything in, not saying much. After about 15 minutes we decided to go on our way and do some final packing for our flight the next morning. After arriving at the airport around 5:30, we checked in, got a little snack and waited to board. Not only did we board earlier than I expected, but we also got to JFK an hour before schedule, making it the most pleasant flight experience of my entire life. Once in JFK Kelsey and I ran to McDonalds and Starbucks, turned off airplane mode for the first time in 4 months, and bathed in all our glory.
It's day three here in the states, and I am feeling a little jet lagged; not quite as much as I had expected mostly because the transition to Italian time was awful. It's colder here, but that was to be expected, but perhaps the most surprising thing about being back home is my lack of appetite. I thought that I''d go crazy over food but so far I've only really had Chipotle and a slice of pizza, and have spent most of my time just getting used to the time and temperature and using American money again.
I shall update by the end of this week or early next week with any additional reverse culture shock that I'm experiencing!
Thanks for reading!
da New York,
Kat
I apologize for not updating this week, but I was busy packing and traveling back to the states! If we're being honest, it wasn't until earlier last week (my last week in Rome) that I began to feel pretty sad about leaving. That's not to say, that I didn't appreciate my trip there while still being there, but I had been itching to get home since mid-March. I mostly wanted a salad, bagel, pizza, fast food and a Grande, black dark roast from Starbucks as I waste my Saturday in Target shopping for things I don't need.
By the beginning of the week, Kelsey and I had made a list of all the final things we needed to do/see/eat. We took our finals and tied up all of the loose ends we had academically, and every afternoon we set out to accomplish some of the things on our list. At this point we had no more schoolwork, and all we had to focus on was packing and saying our goodbyes. We had a little coffee with Paulo & Guillaume to say our farewells, and ate at our favorite restaurant (had a kickass steak). The last two nights in Rome were probably the most memorable. We went to Jetlag64, our favorite little restaurant/cafe that has an amazing aperitivo and drinks. We ate outside and sipped on our wine one last time while absorbing the busy friday night around us. Saturday night we returned to get Kelsey her signature carbonara. I was caught between whether or not I wanted my staple Amatriciana dish or a personal pizza, and so GianLuca (the best waiter in the world) made me a personal heart shaped pizza adorned with a lovely "arrividerci" on the top. This was a highlight of not only my night but basically my life because I mean, a free, personal, heart shaped pizza is nothing short of incredible especially when you love pizza as much as I do.
After our final meal in Rome was complete, we walked to Piazza del Popolo to watch the sunset. By the time we got to the top of the gardens that overlook the piazza, the colours of dusk were just starting to hit full effect. We sat there for a long time and took everything in, not saying much. After about 15 minutes we decided to go on our way and do some final packing for our flight the next morning. After arriving at the airport around 5:30, we checked in, got a little snack and waited to board. Not only did we board earlier than I expected, but we also got to JFK an hour before schedule, making it the most pleasant flight experience of my entire life. Once in JFK Kelsey and I ran to McDonalds and Starbucks, turned off airplane mode for the first time in 4 months, and bathed in all our glory.
It's day three here in the states, and I am feeling a little jet lagged; not quite as much as I had expected mostly because the transition to Italian time was awful. It's colder here, but that was to be expected, but perhaps the most surprising thing about being back home is my lack of appetite. I thought that I''d go crazy over food but so far I've only really had Chipotle and a slice of pizza, and have spent most of my time just getting used to the time and temperature and using American money again.
I shall update by the end of this week or early next week with any additional reverse culture shock that I'm experiencing!
Thanks for reading!
da New York,
Kat