Submitted by Kristina Demou on the 2017 spring semester program in Rome, Italy…
This weekend, I wasn’t jetting off to some other country or city. I stayed put in my Roma, and it was incredible. Not only was I spared the stress that comes with waking up at absurd hours to head to the airport or long days of walking 10+ miles to see as many landmarks as possible, but I was given the incredible gift of being a tourist in my own city again. The last time I spent a full weekend in Rome was almost two months ago, back when I still didn’t really live there yet, but now, I know my way around. I have my favorite sites, food spots, shops and I have an established group of friends to explore with.
On Friday, my roommate and I went on a school trip to Montalcino, in Tuscany, for a tour of a winery. It was so cool to learn more about the process that wineries go through to make quality wine, and to see firsthand what the winery looked like rather than what I had just seen from brochures and in movies. We were also lucky because it was a rare warm and sunny March day in Tuscany. Experiencing the wide open, rural spaces in Tuscany and contrasting that to the more crowded city of Rome was interesting, too. Most of the destinations I’ve been to this semester were urban, so it was nice to breathe in truly fresh air and see miles and miles of green grass and trees instead of buildings and cobblestone.
Saturday, I explored my neighborhood. I started the morning touring the Vatican Museums with my cousin, who also lives in Rome. It was incredible to see the amazing work artists did by hand. Afterwards, my friend and I went to the local botanical gardens and sketched while enjoying another beautiful day. We ended the day by getting pizza and eating it on top of Gianicolo Hill, while watching the sunset. This weekend was definitely one for checking off Rome bucket list items. I’m grateful that even weekends not spent traveling to another country can be adventures in themselves and it’s definitely inspired this sense of local adventure that I hope to continue when I return home this summer.
