Yay for Emergen-C

At the Vatican I was able to mail postcards to my parents and my wonderful boyfriend.

Cool stamps!

Mailing the postcards :) 

Shortly after we got back from the Vatican and lunch, I started not feeling well. My throat was sore and I started getting a cough. Boo! Luckily, one of my roommates Haleigh, had some Emergen-C that I have been taking. Last night I got a good night's sleep and was able to sleep in a little this morning. I hadn't slept in,  since we arrived on Monday. I simply got too run down, but thankfully I'm feeling better this morning. I just have some sniffles left over.

Yesterday afternoon I had class and then went with my roommates to the Moses statue and along the way saw the Colosseum. We're going to tour the inside of it next week.

I don't like taking pictures inside museums, so this is actually a photo outside on the board. haha. 

  Along the trip we saw a bride and groom taking wedding pictures :)

Beautiful!

We had dinner as a class and then we went on a night walking tour. My friend Meylin and I walked the Spanish steps and people-watched, which is one of my favorite things to do in Rome.

I had some sort of asparagus lasagna. 

Today, Meylin and I went to the Basilica of St. Mary in Rome, which is Michelangelo's last architectural  work. He finished it at 86.

Entrace to the basilica

 After that we walked to the Gardens, which reminded me a lot of Prospect Park in Brooklyn or Central Park in Manhattan.

 Shortly after Meylin and I visited the park , we stopped for gelato and rested our feet.

Meylin's yummy gelato!

There is no telling how many miles we have walked this trip so far. I wish I would have brought a pedometer with me, because it would be interested in know.

I am getting better with my sense of direction around Rome and am learning when things are. It does help that there are signs like this to help :)

Five days in and  I'm tired of Italian food, so I got Chinese tonight.

Sweet and Sour Chicken for 5 euro. Yum!

I must give a shout out to my friend Meylin for taking pictures :)

Check out her blog at  http://ecclesiis.blogspot.com

The Vatican

Today at the crack of dawn...6:30 am to be exact, we made our way to the Vatican. We stopped at a little cafe along the way.

Apple pastry

The Vatican

One of the fountains outside St. Peter's Square. 

Michelangelo's Pieta, inside the Basilica, which shows the body of Jesus on the lap of Mary after being crucified,was beautiful. Sadly, my photos of the statue are too dark to post.


My friends and I took the 500-plus stairs to the top of the St. Peter's . Some of the stairs were quite narrow and I definitely felt claustrophobic at times. I just tried to get through the tight spaces as quickly as possible. Once I made it to the top, the view was breath-taking! There were mountains in the distance that reminded me of home :)

We stopped for a quick bite and I got a tomato, basil and mozzarella sandwich. 

Well it looks like it's time for my siesta :)

What time is it again?

This morning we met as a group and explored various sites around the city. I spent much of my time at the Capitoline Museum which houses several well-known pieces of art including the Venus, the Head of Mendusa, Dying Gaul and the head of Constantine. One of our professors, Kelly, talked with me a lot about Roman history and about the pieces at the art museum. It was like having my own personal tour guide. Made the visit a lot more fun for me!  We took several shots from Capitoline Hill which was redesigned by Michelangelo in 1546.  

View of the Colosseum

The entrance to the museum

Colossal Head Of Constantine. 

My roommates Christine & Meylin

I don't think I'm used to the time difference yet. Rome is six hours ahead of the States(makes talking to family/friends back home difficult)  I get tired at weird times and hungry at weird times as well. I heard that the third day of the trip (today!) is usually the toughest in regards to jet lag and I would have to agree. When I am hungry, there's lots of great food to eat!

A pizza place our group stopped at for lunch yesterday.

(thanks for my friend Meylin for taking these pictures)

A wonderful pizza with tomato & buffalo cheese. So good!

We walk a lot while we're here, so this water bottle stays filled up. There's various fountains like the one above throughout the city. 

My first (and certainly not last) taste of gelato (tiramisu) Very rich!

Our Welcome Dinner/Breakfast this morning

After we all had some naps and chill time, off we went to our 'Welcome' dinner to officially start off our trip to Rome. We ate at place called 'Antica Biblioteca Valle'. 

Rigatoni

Yummy tiramisu

There's a small cafe next to our apartment were some of my roommates and I ate breakfast. Breakfast isn't a huge meal for most Italians, but I have to eat something in the morning (and have coffee) or I can't start my day.

Selection of cornettos (pastries)

Karla and Christine enjoying our breakfast before our tour of the city. 

My cornetto (very fluffy!) and a (strong) cafe americano.

 We did a lot of walking today seeing the Spanish steps, the Twin Churches (one of which is under construction)  the Saint Agnes Church and the Trevi fountain.  There's a tradition at the Trevi fountain to throw either one euro in (to come back to Rome), two (to fall in love) or three (to marry an Italian).

For the record I threw one euro in the fountain;) so I'm destined to come back to Rome. Who wants to join?

I'm here!

This morning at 8:30 am Rome time (2:30 am-Philadelphia time) I landed in Italy. I enjoyed watching several movies, The Artist and Tangled on the flight. Both great movies! I also listened to Adele's 21 album along with Lady Antebellum's and some classical music while I tried to go to sleep. I flew out from Charlotte, connected in Philadelphia and then arrived in Italy. I took a thirty minute nap once I arrived at my apartment (I'm sharing it with girls who are in the ETSU program with me). I feel surprisingly well having not slept for more than 3 hours or so last night. My friends and family who have traveled to Europe, suggested that I jump into the new time zone as quickly as possible. I am doing my best to stay awake, but it's probably going to take a while for me to get adjusted to the six hour time difference. .

Enjoying a drink at the airport

While waiting for some of my classmates at the airport, Kelly, one of our leaders and I grabbed a Coca-Light. I haven't seen 'Coca-Light' since Argentina. The taxi ride from the airport to our apartments was a little scary at times. (Drivers pretty much ignore the painted lines on the  road...much like they do in other big cities as well) 

The boys in the back of our taxi van.

We're staying in a residential part of Italy. One of my roommates and friend Meylin, who is from El Salvador, and I discussed how where we're living in Rome reminding us of other big cities we've been too such as  El Salvador, Buenos Aires and Brooklyn, New York.

We ventured out to a market to get some snack food as everyone was pretty hungry this afternoon. My grandma packed me some buttermilk biscuits to bring with me on my carry-on. I'm so glad she did, they're delicious and quite filling! Tonight we have our welcome dinner and I can't wait to eat some good Italian food.  I'm looking forward to learning much about Italian culture and seeing all of the history Rome has to offer. 

Some pictures before I left. I was so glad my parents were able to take me to the airport.  

Happy Mother's Day!

So glad I got spend time with grandma & Ray :) 

Tomorrow, tomorrow...I'm leaving tomorrow!

Wow! I can't believe this time tomorrow I will be on my way to Rome, Italy. This will be my first time traveling to Europe. In fact, this is the first time I'm going out of the country (besides Canada and Mexico) since my family moved back from Argentina in 2001.
I was sick with a sore throat earlier this week, but luckily it has subsided and I'm feeling well! I've been having some pre-travel nerves that I think are pretty normal. Will I be able to find my way around the city? What if I get lost? What if I get sick? What if my skype doesn't work and I can't talk to my boyfriend for three whole weeks? (Tears have been shed over the last 'worry' haha)
I could go on and on, but I just have to remind myself that I can't control what happens once I get over to Italy and that everything will be okay. That being said, prayers for a safe flight for everyone as well as safety once we get there, would be greatly appreciated.
Since I'm flying out of Charlotte, my parents and I drove down today and spent time with my grandma this afternoon in Concord, NC. She's been hospitalized the past couple of months so it was great to see her. Tonight, my parents and I are staying at my other grandma's house. My aunt Robbie and uncle Michael joined us for a nice seafood dinner.

My suitcase and carry-on bags are ready to go. Hopefully my flights will be on time and I'll have a pleasant seatmate. I will be arriving Monday morning (Rome time) and I'll try and post everyday about my daily adventures. Despite being a little nervous, I keep reminding myself of how I felt as a ten year old flying 8 1/2 hours to Buenos Aires for the first time. I saw that trip as an adventure and an opportunity to learn new things. Italy is such a rich country in culture and in food. I'm definitely looking forward to indulging in lots of gelato!

~Missy

I'm going to Rome (just like Lizzie McGuire!)

Hello friends!

It is now less than a week before I fly to Rome, Italy to spend three weeks studying abroad as a part of my grad program at ETSU. I must admit that after I found out I was going to Italy, I pulled out my 'Lizzie McGuire Movie' dvd and watched it. Granted it is very corny, but I still love it. It came out when I was in 7th grade and of course like any fan I was cheering for Lizzie and Gordo to end up together. Which they did :) I still wonder though, what ever happened to Miranda, their best friend?  Anyways, it was cool to see several tourist spots in the film. (I've also watched Angels & Demons and New Moon which have scenes in Italy as well)

I am SO happy two of my classmates/friends Meylin and Christine are coming too! I'm very glad to be able to share this experience with them. Christine has her blog up and running. Check it out at http://christinewaxstein.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/packing-woes/. We are required to blog for the class we are taking. I've recently got into video blogging (vlogging) as well . If you follow my other blog (www.missysbodyrevolution.blogspot. com), you know I've been on a journey of health for the past couple of months and I daily vlog about that. I may vlog about my Italy trip some, I'm not sure yet. If I do, I will post a link on this blog.

Today, I began the tedious process of packing for my trip. My biggest challenge (as any girl will tell you) is obviously packing way too much for this three week adventure. I've been reminded by the boyfriend (who spent 6 weeks in Europe with just a backpack) that I need less than I think I do. I am limiting myself to one suitcase (a big suitcase and a carry-on bag) Anyways, tomorrow I am going shopping with my mom to get comfy walking shoes and possibly some new outfits.

I don't speak any Italian, so this is probably the time I should learn a couple of phrases (i.e. bathroom, please, thank you, excuse me). There is so much to do before I fly out on Sunday, but I've learned it always ends up getting done, so I don't need to fret.

I have already packed some of the necessities for my trip. It will be a long flight and there is a six hour time difference, so I will lose an night's sleep. Coffee is a must! I've packed my Starbucks Via and several books. It is so nice to be able to read for fun again. On my agenda is "The Lucky One" by Nicholas Sparks. I saw the movie today with my grad school buddy Deidre. It was so good! I am also bringing "The Revolution for Women" by Priscilla Shrirer. It is a companion book related to the movie 'Courageous', which I wasn't a huge fan of, but I've heard very good things about this devotional book.  I will also be packing a book of Sudoku puzzles to keep me occupied on the plane.

Advice anyone?


6 days and counting!