When in Rome...

It's my third day here and I am currently in Santi, L'aquila, Italy for the weekend. This is a town about an hour and a half outside of Rome where another one of my Uncles and cousin lives. It's a very quaint mountainside and vert beautiful. As soon as I get better internet, I'll be able to post some pictures. But until then, just know that it is breathtaking, serene, quiet, and very different than in Greece. It seems like that here though, or at least in my perspective. Don't get me wrong, Italy is an amazing place, an amazing country... And it really is shaped like a boot! I felt like a little kid, looking out my window in the plane, and just being dumbfounded by the actual boot shaped mass of land! But for some reason, and it may be just because of my own bias... I find Greece just a wee bit more beautiful. Nonetheless, the two are unique in their own ways and I appreciate both. And I feel VERY priveleged to be able to spend a good amount of time in each.

Anyways, it's a shame that I don't remember the names of the things I've seen so far. On my first day we [my two cousins and I] saw most of the famous fountains, of which one was the one where you make a wish with a coin and throw it in backwards. We also dropped by the Republic, Piazza Venezia... and sadly, other things that I don't remember the name of. But perhaps by the time I get pictures up, I'll have time to look things up. I admit it's hard when you don't have a tourguide around who can give you enough background information to compile itself into one history book. Rome is exquisite in its architecture. VERY VENETIAN, which is such a contrast to that of Greece, although at some points you can find Venetian buidlings in areas with Roman infulence. Now, for a little while, let me get all nerdy on you all... I find it amazing to be in area, where in Greece, we talked so much about. It's absolutely funny how everyone in Greece talks about how the Romans stole everything they ever did and tried to call it their own. For example, the Greek Parthenon and the Roman Pantheon. But besides that, me seeing it so many centuries later, borrowed and unorigianal as Greece may see it, Rome is beautiful. After this mountain experience, my cousins and I have plans to see Venice and Florence, as well as finish up Rome. I'm very much excited about this, and it's weird because Italy for me is a vacation. And unlike Greece, I'm not quite the traveller because I am going to see all the touristy sites with perspective lens of a toursit. But then again, I'm not exactly a tourist seeing as I'm kind of immersed with the locals, not quite living in the moreso comforts of a hotel... I'm staying in a humble little apartment with my 2 cousins... Not quite touristy there if you get what I mean.

Nonetheless, I am overwhelmed with just how blessed this adventure has been so far. I'm going on about 5 weeks being abroad now - and it's a blessing that I'm not as homesick as I could be. But to reassure the family and friends back home, I constantly think about you all, and always try to picture you all being here with me. Well, besides the not-quite-so-homesick schpeel, being here in Rome is awesome. I have a chance to get to know some of my mom's side of the family better, which I know she is absolutely ECSTATIC about. All my life, I've been close to just my dad's side, so it's awesome to get to know my mom's brothers and sister-inlaws, as well as cousins on her side. Most of the time, I've spent with my cousin Junior... We exchange language lessons - he fills me in on basic Italian and I get to teach him English so he can communicate with everyone lese better. It's actually quite an amazing tradeoff if you know what I mean. [=

I figure I'll end here for now. Pictures will hopefully come soon!
With love from Rome,
Carla