September 11, 2024
Day 9: Storytelling
September 7, 2024
Affogato: Julian, Katie, Madeleine
Katie – Unlike many of the days here, we were lucky to be able to sleep in hopefully regaining the hours we lost staying up late at night laughing with our peers. I, unfortunately, am a light sleeper and woke up to the relentless, agitating bell that strikes every morning in the courtyard at 8 am. I glance over at my roommate, Cate, who is sleeping peacefully, as I sit up in my bed, frown on my face and hair a mess. I try my best to remain in a tired state so I can grab on to as many hours of sleep as I can. I may be over-exaggerating because when I hear the bell at a different hour of the day it is a more melodious and calming sound.
The morning began slowly as students mainly stayed in bed scrolling on Tiktok and texting with family members on the west coast. My bed felt so warm and comforting it became a difficult task to find the strength to finally get up and begin my day. I eventually got out of my bed and began getting ready for my day washing my face and taking forever to pick out my outfit, like most teenage girls. I then began my hair, dutch-braiding two strands into a ponytail. Braiding my hair becomes a meticulous process of smoothing every bump and making sure no hair is left behind. Once finished, I met up with Freya, Salina, Emi, and Claire as we headed downstairs to hopefully have Japanese pancakes.
Once we arrived at the Japanese pancakes restaurant, we were all distraught when we saw the line. We decided it was not worth the wait in the humidity so we strolled a little longer before stumbling upon another breakfast shop. Thankfully there was no line so we all headed straight in ordering pancakes decorated with fruits and white chocolate or nutella. Freya was able to order another iced coffee and at this point, I am amazed she has been able to find so many across Rome.
The other girls and I sat outside the restaurant taking in the view of the nearby buildings and people walking by as we smelled the cigarette smoke of nearly everyone around us. Towards the end of our meal, we were greeted by a friendly dog who enjoyed all the attention and pets we we were giving him. He reminded us how much we miss our furry friends at home so we began showing one another pictures of our puppies. Although traveling is a great experience and opens your eyes to so many different things you would not typically see, I have began to realize how much I miss my family, friends, and dog. While Rome has been fun and given me the opportunity to see so many fascinating things, I am excited for the long travel day ahead which will end in seeing those I love again.
Madeleine – I started the afternoon in my dorm in a dull way- finishing up my laundry. The laundry room is just across from my dorm, costing €2 per machine (€4 a load!). Most of us use a drying rack to save some money. Following my laundry, I went to Parker’s room to play games with her, Skyler, and Cole. As the afternoon meeting time grew closer, we left to grab a bite at Grekos, a nearby Greek restaurant, and then began our route to one of today’s activities; Villa Borghese. On the city bus, we surprisingly found Julianna, who helped us reach our destination.
Entering the Villa Borghese was serene. The lawns and the fountains were a pleasant escape from the chaos of the city. Being the first to arrive, we immediately found Shawn. As he recommended, we entered the Galleria Borghese to check our bags and returned outside. Despite the heat of the outside air, we enjoyed the view while we waited for the rest of the group to arrive so we could enter the gallery. The relatively small gallery included a variety of art forms, from strange textile heads to an abstract caged chair exhibit to beautifully detailed marble sculptures. While I can get lost in a painting, my current favorite art form is a mosaic. The Galleria Borghese had hidden mosaics everywhere. It’s easy to only stare at a room’s centerpiece sculpture, but art absorbs every inch in every gallery room. The gold-lined walls and ceilings are embellished with frescoes and marble carvings. It felt impossible to notice every detail.
After spending around an hour wandering through the rooms, I returned outside, where the air had become cooler and the light of the sun dimmer. I slowly made my way to a seat around a fountain, where dogs were circling and drinking the water. Joggers ran by, parents pushed kids in strollers, and couples spoke to one another. I noticed that the park represented a sacred place for many in Rome. Being surrounded by nature slowed down the pace of the afternoon. I felt appreciative to share an experience with Rome natives, where for a few peaceful moments, I didn’t feel like an outsider.
Julian – Today was about appreciating art, and its respective artists. Going to the Galleria Borghese told us of the stories of the past and gave us insight into our potential futures. When Bernini, who sculpted Apollo and Daphne and The Abduction of Proserpina, was making such works, he strove to tell a story, clueless to the grand degree of impact his artwork would have. Despite being now 4 centuries old, many still yearn to examine and study his art, with millions more in between that time. Beginning each of his pieces of artwork, all there was to focus on were the images and emotions in his mind and the techniques he would use to bring them to life in the marble in front of him. With this in mind, I feel that as of now this next chapter of our lives is our own block of marble, presented to us, waiting to be molded and formed to our liking. This place, like the others, tugged on my soul, urging me to stay, but more than usual, perhaps because my passion for Rome increases everyday, but also because this place, and the sculpture of Pluto and Persephone, fixed my focus in a way nothing else has so far. Though eventually we had to exit the museum as the time unknowingly glided by. It was evening now and we were walking to the Villa’s semi-heart-shaped garden, lacking hills but full of scattered stone pines, native trees with distinguishable thick branches and flat cloud-shaped tops. I was still left pondering, as Rome often leaves you, how influential this short portion of my life will be for my future, as the sun began to dim a slight orange.
When Matthew and I first landed early in Rome, we did not have free access to the metro system, and so we opted to walk to our various destinations. Now, for the past week and a half, we have had the gift of using the bus or subway wherever we’d like, our legs appreciating it for all that it is. But tonight, though far, we decided to walk once more, ending our night going to one of our favorite dinner spots right in front of the Pantheon. I finally ended up having ravioli, which I had been desiring for quite some time but was urged to have the night before by my family. Once again our taste buds raved with delight, even though Matthew had his favorite regular dish of aglio e olio for the third time. This is the paradox of Rome that seems to never fade; the extreme delicacy of the food, the art, the architecture, even after seeing it over and over again, never ceases to surprise.
