September 22, 2023
Day Fourteen
September 14, 2023
Zabaglione – Tess, Emilio, Audrey
Audrey
It was the last full day in Rome. Unanswerable Question of the day: How has the time flown by so fast?
I started my day by heading to Vero and getting my last chocolate croissant and peach cup, a staple breakfast for a while now.
Before heading to lunch, I bought my early morning train ticket to head to the Fiumicino airport. The anxieties about traveling on my own that riddled my brain at the beginning of the trip had ceased. I felt much more confident in my abilities to navigate public transport and the complications that come with a long travel day alone. Luckily, I found out that Margaryta and I would be on the same flight back to Seattle, so at least I’d have some company along the way!
A few of us decided to head to the UWRC (the UW Rome Center) and eat lunch out there. I grabbed a panini at the Pasticceria across from the RC and we headed inside.
We had our last class, listening to Shawn talk about the trip wrapping up and what comes next in our journeys. Moa gave the final presentation of the trip, an excellent story about the 30 men who came after Romulus and Remus. She connected it back to our own group’s experiences in Rome and how we were able to express our true, authentic selves to each other. It was a very full circle moment for the ending of our travels.
The group split up before heading to our goodbye dinner at Hosteria Dino & Toni. It seemed like just a few days before we had our welcome dinner. Though, this time, we were much more than just a group of tourists eating around a table. We were now bonded travelers who had formed lifelong stories together. At dinner, we were stuffed to the brim with course after course and carb after carb. Shawn patrolled the tables saying, “You guys know this is your final exam, right?” We’d groan with how full we had become, knowing that there were more pasta dishes coming.
The dinner was wrapped up with appreciation and goodbyes to Shawn and Julianna. We were finally able to gift them our unique Roman flea market finds, along with thank you postcards. They were small parting gifts that’d hopefully act as mementos to our time in the city. Shawn received a Tweety Bird pencil sharpener and Julianna got a squishy cat muffin. While the goodbyes were a bit sorrowful, since we were leaving the Rome experience, they were always comforted with a final “See you on campus!”
Our group parted ways, some heading for gelato (how they still had any room for it, I have no clue), some for the grocery store, and others back to the apartments and dorms. While we went in many different directions and weren’t able to say goodbye to everyone, we were reassured by the fact we’d be seeing each other in less than a week. Others and I were reminded that the campus and city where we had started our college experience wasn’t going to be ours for much longer. We’d all be heading to Seattle and soon call it home.
I packed up my belongings and headed to Moa and Cara’s room for a final group hang out. I was pretty somber about the trip ending but was thankful to be spending my last few hours with some of my closest new friends. I said some final goodbyes and left for the airport around 3-4am.
I am unbelievably excited by the fact I’ll be stepping into this next stage of my life with 20 of my peers by my side. We can rely on each other and reach out in times of need or uncertainty. All of the unknown territories we are bound to face will be navigated together by our group of travelers.
Emilio
My first thought today was remembering today is our class’s last day in Rome. The last two weeks went by both fast and slowly, though I am most grateful that I have enough stories and memories to tell my family once I am home. I am glad I found a way to fill my every day, my exhaustion by the end of each day tells me that. Though I am leaving tomorrow, I felt no need to do anything particularly special during my last day and thus walked 2 minutes with Ernie to one of the cafes we found 2 weeks ago: Ciampini. A light salmon sandwich sounded nice. Sitting, I noticed the sun today more because I imagined Seattle wouldn’t have such bright and hot days once I returned. I also noticed the birds that constantly fluttered around the tents, hoping a customer might break off a piece of their pastry for them, though we didn’t fall for it. We chatted about Rome and how college will likely be once we return. Before class, we figured it would be smart to pack most of our things, though we were only here for two weeks, it is very easy to spread out! Class was at 4:00, so we decided to stop at another place we have frequented during our stay, Corner Pizza. I have decided that the cafe’s way of cutting our slices into rectangles gives perfectly sized portions and wish there were more Subway-style pizzerias near me back home. We filled our water bottles from the drinking fountains I have learned are called nasoni, they are very convenient! We heard our last presentation about Rome before leaving the classroom we had only used a few other times; it has been incredible using the city as our main classroom. We were told to keep our stomachs empty in anticipation of a very large dinner, though by 7 I still felt full from lunch. I cautiously sat down, wary that the portion might be way too much. Of course, the food was fantastic, and we had to get it all down, you can’t say no to great food! We gave two cards to our teachers, thanking them for leading our very unique start to college. There were many goodbyes as everyone realized this was the last time we would all be together in Rome. Full and ready for the long journey home, I spent the night chatting with a few friends; a community I managed to meet thousands of miles from home.
The photo is the view from the terrace by our classroom. It looks over the market that was set up nearly every day in the Piazza del Biscione. It shows the more touristy part of Rome, making me grateful I go to see both the busy and calm sides of the city. Plus, I didn’t know this is where pigeon like to hang out!
Tess
“An Unforgettable Opportunity of a Lifetime”
The last day. I couldn’t believe it when I woke up this morning. The last day in Rome. I wasn’t sure exactly how it was going to play out, but I knew for certain that I had to make the most of my final moments within the eternal city.
There was no better way to start our last day with a full nights’ rest and a good sleep in. I think I can speak for the majority of us in saying that this trip has been an experience of a lifetime, but also the tiredness of each day wore us down to the core (in the best way of course). Therefore, it was nothing but fitting to sleep in until around 11 or so to ensure that we would have the most optimal chance of having the best ever last day in Rome.
When we were all up and ready to go, Maddy, Maddie and I set off to a fresh and clean café called Ginger Sapori e Salute, which translates to “ginger flavors and health”. They had some of the BEST fruit I’ve ever had the pleasure of indulging my taste buds with; specifically the mango. We all ordered separate dishes, but shared a hefty platter with an array of fresh fruit — such as red pear, watermelon, apples and of course, mango galore — just waiting for us to devour. Maddie got the caprese, which had super fresh tomatoes and mozzarella that was actually light and melted in your mouth, Maddy got a ginormous salad that was in a huge, white, bowl that looked like a colossal Reese’s-cup. I got the Açaí bowl, which was actually way better than I was expecting it to be, but not as smoothie-like as I would’ve liked it. The flavors and fruits in it were still probably one of the best I’ve had before. By the end of the meal, I don’t think I’ve ever been so stuffed.
We then proceeded to the UW Rome Center for the last time for one last class. During Shawn’s lecture, I looked out the window in our classroom, seeing the beautiful buildings, all different shades of orange, and I realized that I’ve been given a once in a lifetime opportunity. Being able to meet people and make friends in a class ABROAD before I even start college is not something that I am able to just see, but I was fortunate enough to experience. Traveling and actually visiting these places in person allowed me to expand my mind and experience the world from my own perspective, and not just from what I have read in text books in the past.
One of the quotes that Shawn said during the lecture really resonated with me; “No matter what story you tell, it’s a travel story” I let it sink into my brain for a second, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that everywhere I have went on the trip with my friends is a process — a journey. It always takes a little effort to get somewhere or come back, some places more than others, but the whole trip and destination is an adventure in itself. Even though technical difficulties are never favorable, they are bound to happen and sometimes add more memorable moments!
During these two weeks, Shawn’s lessons make me ponder the question: “what is my narrative?” I learned that it is “your own truth over the facts”. I learned to see the story behind just the dates, and most importantly, grew to have a small sense of what it would be like as an incoming UW student.
Below are some pictures from some of my last meals in Rome: the fruit place Ginger Sapori e Salute and our goodbye dinner. These are just a fraction of the eternal memories I have made with my friends in the eternal city.
