From the Unfamiliar to the Familiar//

    Today is the end of my second week in Rome. It is amazing how quickly such an unfamiliar and literally foreign place can start to become home.  Over the past few weeks my understanding and appreciation for this city has grown. The first week I was completely overwhelmed. The city appeared to be a labyrinth that would never be conquered unless I was lead by Matt or Miss Sillery. However, now I can say that after just two weeks I can find my way to at least one location, Santa Maria in Trastevere also know to me as “home base”. Trastevere is the district in which we will be living all summer. It is conveniently located right across the Tiber from the center of Rome.  The area is really quite becoming with its winding cobblestone streets, small restaurants, pubs, and boutiques.

   Thanks to my new personal experiences that I have made here I have begun to develop my own mental “memory” map of the city. The Pantheon quickly became a site of familiarity after seeing it the first night in Rome and attending the Pentecost ceremony the following morning. Both experiences were so moving I can hardly explain it.Seeing a structure that I had only seen in textbooks and photos could not compare to the real thing. It amazed me how myself like many others who have traveled to Rome for thousands of years could be so moved by architecture.

(The image on the left is the first night I saw the Pantheon and the image on the right is from  the Pentecost ceremony the following Sunday.)
    I have enjoyed learning how to navigate the city but, I admit that my favorite attribute about Rome is its ability to transform. From day to night the city changes its character. During the day Rome demonstrates this sense of an organized chaos as cars and people tear through the city eager to see new sights and destinations. But at night the city seems to decelerate. The speeding traffic seems to become more moderate and the sea of tourists no longer blocks the views of these incredible spaces. Whether it is day or night the city demonstrates a nature that is truly unique. I am thrilled about the opportunity to not just learn about the history of this city but, also to understand how it currently functions and evolves today. Rome has been great for the past two weeks and I can’t wait for what is next!!

 

                                                                  
(These are a few photos taken during the day and at night of the Colosseum)