After my sister and I returned from Florence and Venice, we just had a week left in Italy before we were both going home to the US. And it was my chance to show off my knowledge of Rome as I played tour guide to my sister, taking her to all the best spots in the city. It was fun to revisit a lot of the big monuments and try to remember everything I had learned in my classes. It was frustrating at some points, though, having to deal with the crowds of tourists all over the place. You’d think it would be off-season in December, which I think it technically is, but the crowds say otherwise! I don’t think there is ever a true off-season in Rome. Which must suck if you live there—to never be able to see some of the major sites in the city where you live without being surrounded by thousands of tourists.

Anyways, in addition to taking my sister around Rome, I had finals this week. I had already taken my Italian finals in September and October, which meant I only had to write two final papers for English class and take a final exam in Theology. It was a bit of a stressful week with everything I had going on, but I made it through. We even squeezed in a trip to the Opera Ballet at the National Theatre. It was gorgeous and the music was amazing! Definitely recommend seeing an opera or play if you come to Italy!

The other thing I liked was that because my sister was here, I took her to all my favorite restaurants in Rome, which was a great culinary send-off my final week there! She of course agreed that the food here is phenomenal! And she couldn’t believe how much food my host mom forces down us! She said she’d be sick if she ate that way every night. Now she understands what I’d been talking about. The food is amazing, don’t get me wrong, but the portions and number of courses are out of control! It’s not this way with all the host families, I just got the host mom that’s trying to plump us up! I will definitely miss her cooking, but I will be glad to be able to eat more reasonable portions back home.

Well I was so glad my sister was able to visit me and share this wonderful experience of being in Italy. Venice was her favorite place too! It was cool that she got to see three great Italian cities, and she was glad to have an insider’s tour of Rome. I think that’s one of the best things while you’re studying abroad—to have your family visit so you can show them around the city and/or country you’ve come to know in your months abroad. Playing tour guide can be a lot of fun, and it shows your family just how much you’ve learned and how valuable this experience has been for you. I can’t believe how well I’ve gotten to know Rome! It’s like a second home to me. I hope to return to live there someday. In fact, I know I will. It’s a part of me now, and I will greatly miss Rome—even with all its craziness!

Posted by Lisa at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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Posted by: BOB KAUFMAN | January 2, 2007 08:58 PM