Ciao, Roma!

I didn't think leaving Rome would be such a sad occasion.

If you told me two weeks ago before we left that I would be near tears as our bus pulled away from St. John's, or when we said our final goodbyes at the airport, I would call you crazy. I knew going in that I would have a wonderful time, but I had no idea that this really would be the experience of a lifetime.

Of course I knew that I would see what remains of the ancient city, but I didn't realize what it would mean to me.  I will never forget our unique, special tour of the Colosseum, especially running around on top of it taking as many pictures as we possibly could. Climbing up the Castel Sant'Angelo and seeing that spectacular view from the top was incredible. Walking into my first Roman church, Santa Maria in Trastevere, was breath-taking. The interior of the churches in Rome were spectacular and beautiful.

Then there was the food. Oh. My. God. I don't think I can ever appreciate American pizza again. The variety alone of pizzas offered was incredible. And the quality of the food... I can't even begin to talk about the freshness. The pasta was amazing everywhere! Even the simple things, like running into the place down the street and grabbing a suppli (rice-ball) for lunch was always so different and unique than at home.

But I think the best part of this trip for me was, hands down, the friendships I made with 23 amazing people. There's nothing like being dropped off in a random, incredible city with a bunch of friends and attempting to find your way back. There's nothing like exploring, trying to figure out what bus will get you back, or trying to figure out which way will get us back the quickest with a great group of people.

The friendships I made on the trip are incredible. I cannot wait for our Gnocchi Thursdays, our attempts at copying and recreating some of our favorite Roman recipes, and maybe one day, an actual reunion in Rome (June 5th!).

To those of you went on this trip, especially Dan and Jackie, thank you for making it so incredible. By far these past two weeks have been two of the best weeks in my life. One day we'll head back... I'll start looking for my apartment in Trastevere!