Intro to Roma: Travel Karma, Traffic, and Roommates

After a direct flight to Frankfurt from Vancouver and an easy connection on to Rome, I made it to the Eternal city with the best travel karma I had yet to experience in my years of travel. Both my 50lb bags arrived, I was greeted by a John Cabot representative, and the adventure of my last semester of college was up and running...

I was funneled to the JCU meeting place in the Hilton Airport hotel, and sat patiently for my housing shuttle to take me to my apartment. My shuttle was the last to come. I sat with five other study abroad students, all from the States, and was so ready to get this vacation...errr...semester going. Little did I know that I was barely going to make it alive to my apartment. The speed limits are clearly more like guidelines here in Rome - I quickly found that out. The lane markings are also just for effect. As hundreds of mopeds and SmartCars channelled their way past our van in any opening possible, I said a quick prayer to the Big Guy for their safety, and mine in the speeding wobbling van.

I finally made it to my apartment building at Viale di Trastevere 114, in the Trastevere neighbourhood to the west of the Tiber River, just south of the Vatican. In the dark, I couldn't see much. The hike up the four flights of stairs to my apartment was slightly overwhelming after a day of travel, but my roommates greeted me with huge smiles and a very loud welcome. It was sure to be a fun semester with my roommates all meeting me with glasses of wine in hand ready to share.

My five roommates -- Laura, Madison, Annie, Natalie, and Mary Anne -- are all very different. Laura, from Charlotte, NC is a double major in French and Photography at American University, and is addicted to her guidebook and her maps. Madison, from Michigan, is a Graphic Design major at Michigan State U. and plays softball on their D1 team. Natalie, from Michigan as well but originally from Macedonia, also goes to State, and is an English major that naps like it's her job. Mary Anne is from Hershey, PA and she studies at American with Laura. Her boyfriend is here studying at John Cabot  too. Finally, Annie is from Ohio, and studies Sports Management and Marketing at Dayton College. Annie and I share a room together. We all get along great. "Family meal" has already been arranged for every Sunday, and we all plan on exploring the Eternal city together.