Can I Stay Here For the Rest of My Life?

I’ve lived in Rome for almost a month now and the only thing that hasn’t change is my absolute love for this experience. February marks a shift in the overall vibe of the semester because of one major addition: travel. I have friends going somewhere new every weekend: Barcelona, Paris, Brussels, Romania, Ireland, Amsterdam… it’s a frenzy for booking flights and a battle for hostels. Everyone is super excited to start jet setting around Europe!  I’m going to credit my insane Euro Trippin’ 2012 adventure last fall with Katie and company for my lack of initiative in booking my own mass quantity of trips. Also, my dwindling bank account, slow internet connection, and general lack of sobriety. Just kidding...

Oktoberfest throwback: Euro Trippin' 2012 was unbeatable! 

I have one trip outside of Italy planned that outshines every other option I’ve seen: Dublin and Galway, Ireland with my partner in pub hopping and hitchhiking, Casey Jones. 

Ireland here we come!

I love Rome. I want to be here forever, but as of now I only have until May: anyone with an alternative option please email me. I’d rather take this opportunity to live in Rome as opposed to travel in a bunch of other beautiful cities. Call me crazy, but I’m fine with settling in. And unless a zombie apocalypse occurs, this semester is not my only chance to travel. I’d love to go back to Amsterdam or London this semester, or even explore Morocco, but I’ll let them fall into place if that’s what lies in my cards. My goal is to discover Rome, then Italy, then Europe. Preach.

Besides booking trips, this is what’s been taking place in Roma:

- Casey chopped off her hair at an Italian salon! It’s a big change and she loves it.

- Some broad projectile vomited in front of me while I was sitting at the bar in the Abbey. Anyone that knows me well understands why is this notable. If you're squeamish please skip ahead to the next paragraph. If you agree that nothing tops public vomit sightings, enjoy: Avery had just turned and walked away three seconds prior when all of a sudden a huge rush of liquid soared by us. I genuinely thought someone had thrown their drink at another person but quickly realized it was so much better than that. Immediately after witnessing this assault on the glass door, all while seated a mere foot away from the splash zone, a crazed looking girl was forcefully pushed forward and outside of the pub by her friend. I instantly starting dying laughing and actually clapped my hands together in pure joy. Avery turned around and started screaming that he, "totally matrix-ed out of the way of her vomit by an inch". This of course only delighted me further and had me in tears laughing. I'll stop the story there because it only gets increasingly vile, but it was without a doubt one of the best things I've seen happen in the Abbey. Thank you, random drunk girl, I wish you well. 

this conversation followed the incident

- We adopted Brandon into our family. He's a giant and is taking the last spot in our Venice apartment this weekend! Yes, he's the one that drunkenly yanked my hair in a club... he's obviously a keeper.

Tom, Avery, and Brandon.

- We went back to Gilda and I met a Canadian that was also in the US Marine Corps. We all made it home around 5am: we're going to live our whole lives in the night. We also discovered Mega Burger. 

Pretty Lights but not much else.

- We've been spending a bunch of time around Barbarini and found a fantastic restaurant that has the best four cheese gnocchi I've ever had. The area is beautiful and lots of fun! Casey and I visited the Palazzo Altemps sculpture museum on Sunday as well. The collection of mythological gods and goddesses was stunning! On our way, we stumbled upon the Trevi Fountain and made a wish!

- My woman Beyonce dominated the Super Bowl halftime show, even in Rome! We were able to watch around 12am to the early hours of Monday morning at the Abbey with other Americans. We even had nachos. Unfortunately, we had to watch the same commercial about traveling to the US in place of traditional Super Bowl ones every single stoppage of play. This tactic had the opposite effect on the audience; no one will ever want to visit the States again, especially if they have to hear that song about it being a land of dreams. 

the Abbey

Thursday afternoon we leave for Venice to celebrate Carnivale! WOO HOO! Four days of classes until we’re wearing masks and eating local artichokes. It's unreal how much fun we get to have here.
Here’s the round up of notable captures until then:

we found liter beers in barbarini! 

I bought some pumped up kicks.

We love creative bartenders

Trevi Fountain snap shot.

The italian who sold Case these phantom heels gave me his number.