One Month In Rome: Top Ten Highs and Lows

I can't believe it -- my girlfriends and I were talking all last week and into this week about how we've been here a month, and only have three left! Unbelievable to think about how fast time's gone. This post is dedicated to the highs and lows of the first month in Rome... Enjoy! 

Highs (why start with anything else?):

1. The city of Rome: What can I say? Rome is absolutely beautiful. A city of art and history and beauty all jammed into one crazy busy place. It is very different from anywhere I have been, and everyday has offered new alleys to walk and new parks and markets to explore. 
2. The fashion: Everyone is dressed to the nines. Very refreshing to see well-put-together people on a daily basis. 
3. The food: Italian food really is my favourite. Officially. The produce is so good here, and the herbs and cheeses just add so much to every meal. So great! I think this is the one place where you can put olives, tomatoes, basil, spinach, and cheese into every meal, and somehow it tastes just as good as the last time you had it!
4. Ryanair: It's so cheap here in Europe! To think I've been to three different countries in one month, all for less than 200 bucks total is totally sweet!
5. The weather: None of this raining/drizzling/showers/light mist/pouring rain that Vancouver or Norfolk can see at this time of year... Rome has blessed us with beautiful sunny days and decent temperatures that really are great. 
6. Class schedule: I have class from 5:15 to 8 every night -- so basically I am free to do whatever during the day! This actually allowed me to get a babysitting job for an Italian 13 month old, aptly named Franco. :) He's so cute! All thanks to my great class schedule. 
7. Playing soccer at JCU: Alright, I'll admit it, I am terrible at soccer. But I love it! I am back to riding the pines, and am totally okay with it for the first time in my life! The girls are great and our team is actually pretty good! We're in second in the Roman League of 6. Could be worse I guess.
8. Busing to babysitting: Every time I go to "work", I take the bus right past Circo Massimo (ancient Rome ruins), and on the way back to school, I pass by the Colosseum and Piazza Venezia and the Roman Forum. Unbelievable to see that everyday. Completely different world. 
9. Speaking (or attempting) Italian to locals for directions, shopping tips, etc: This has definitely been an entertaining highlight. Strange, after going to the French-speaking countries of France and Belgium, I struggled more with my Italian based on getting used to using French. But the attempts in Italian are often a hybrid of Spanish, French, and English -- which really throws a lot of Italians into blank stares or even laughs sometimes. 
10. Runs along the river: I run everyday between 11 and 12 (except for when I'm away eating chocolate) along the Tiber River. I'll admit, it's not the prettiest running path I've ever seen, but seeing St. Peter's in the distance and all the hills of Rome sticking out really is eye-candy as I'm sweating through stairs workouts or make-shift repeats that I somehow have rekindled a love for and actually enjoy doing here. Running and I have never gotten along too well, but here, I actually enjoy it! 

Lows (not necessarily lows...more like annoyances...I couldn't think of ten, but this is what came to mind):

1. Attack of the carbs: Everything I eat here is carbs! Albeit, very good carbs that taste incredible, the runs seem necessary! A friend of mine from Paris put it best..."There are no calories in Europe...just great food that shows more for some"
2. Tram 8, do you ever rest???: Tram 8 stops right outside my apartment. And it runs. All. Night. Long. Every 20 minutes, I swear it rolls up to Trastevere. I've become used to it, but at first, this was not a welcomed sound. 
3. Cobblestones: Every alley and road is cobblestone. They're cool the first week you're here. Now, they're just a big pain. When it rains, they're slippery. When you think you've got the hang of walking on them and you can finally lift your head up to nod at passerbys, you trip and look like an idiot. Yes, they are a big pain. 
4. The buses: It's amazing, the buses are bi-directional, so if you need to take a bus back, you just cross the road and take the same number in the other direction. Vancouver should figure that one out. Drawback though, you can't guess a bus number, because although they have all the stop names on the bus signs, they're all Piazza this or Plaza that, and there are HUNDREDS of them and I can't tell them apart!! So that does me a whole lot of no good. I need to research online before I can go anywhere...what numbers go where, count the stop numbers, etc! 
5. Begging: There are a lot of beggars in Rome. Very sad to see. Most sit calmly on the sidewalks with a cup out. Others come on the trams and buses and vocally address their needs. It's very sad to see. 
6. Lost in translation: Two of my professors have very thick Italian accents. They are also my two hardest classes. I initially struggled bigtime to actually tell the difference between the difficulty in the material or the difficulty in understanding the lecture. I am used to it now, but half my notes I had to re-read or re-write based on a sort of "Lost in translation" feeling. 
7. Temptation by gelato: There are gelaterias everywhere in Rome. On every corner, in every alley, everywhere. And they all smell and look so great!! It's so tempting! I've actually done pretty well to ignore the temptation. Strangely! 
8. Internet? Where art thou?: Our apartment has the worst internet; we either have it and get no bars, or we don't have any signal at all. It has been a month long battle of walking to cafes or school for skyping and facebooking. On the other hand, it has really toned down the need for both of those potential addictions in my generation!

I couldn't think of two more things to complain about or have an issue with! The highs absolutely outweigh the lows here -- I'm loving it. The lows for me are more funny than actually annoying. Bring a smile to my face when I think of them actually. This month has been great. Totally loving it. Looking forward to an exciting month of travel and Roman fun. I'll be in Rome for the next two weekends after a day trip this Friday up to Siena in Tuscany, then heading to London the first weekend of March, and then off to Greece for spring break for ten days. SO much to look forward to!