And just like that I’m back at the airport. I can hardly believe 8 weeks are already passed and I have to leave this incredible place. But over the course of this trip I don’t think I could have experienced, learned, or done more in such a short period of time. It’s funny to think of my first impression of the city upon arriving at the airport and frantically hopping on the train, and how different I feel about it now after living here for two months.  Rome turned from an overwhelming unwelcoming city, to a beautiful warm city, full of kind and easy going locals, that warmed up to you the minute you made the least bit effort and butchered at least a little bit of Italian. Yeah, maybe I could’ve squeezed a few more personal tours in of some sites, but I loved spending the amount of time that I did in Trastevere; frequenting the same businesses and getting to know the owners and workers there. Because of it I made some incredible friends, painted a mural on a wall, and got to experience local places I never would have gotten to see had I not been let in on their secrets. On my last full day of Rome, I woke up at 5:30, ran a  large loop to all of the major sites, sketched in Piazza Navona in the company of several lovely old Italian gentlemen who knew as little English as I did Italian, wandered around the city center trying to take in the last moments, and then stayed up to watch the sun come back around the next morning. This trip has been truly remarkable, and to anyone who has the slightest hesitation on whether or not to go, I say go. It’s worth every penny, I promise you, and you will create endless memories that will stay with you for the rest of your life. I realize how cliché that sounds, but it’s true, and I dare you to ask anyone else who came on this trip, because I guarantee they will tell you the exact same thing. And although I have to leave for now, I know I will be back.