Daily Journal 2024

September 20, 2024

Day 14: Departures and Exits

September 12, 2024 Shawn & Julianna Shawn: First, I have to congratulate everyone for putting in so much effort to make our class a success. Our goal in the class is not so much to learn everything there is to learn about ancient Rome, as it is to learn how to be travelers (not tourists)…

September 18, 2024

Day 13: Free Day

September 11, 2024 Tiramisu: Parker, Rachel, Matthew Rachel: Today was the second free day of the trip. I decided the theme of “history and calm” perfectly captured my experience as I went beyond the bustling city streets of Rome to the scenic and ancient road of the Appia Antica. While others from our group split…

September 13, 2024

Day 12: “Every feeling waits upon its gesture” Eudora Welty

September 10, 2024 Zabaglione: Salina, Aly, Emi Salina – We had been looking forward to this day for so long. The 10th was the day we were traveling as a group to Ostia Antica to see the ancient city’s ruins before going to the nearby beach for the rest of the day. So, we met…

Day 11: Memory

September 9, 2024 Panna Cotta: Vasudha, Cate, Skyler Cate: Spending two weeks in a place allows you to become a bit more in tune with its daily realities. We’re all feeling more comfortable navigating crammed subways during rush hour; confidently weaving our way through suited Vespa drivers on cobblestone streets; picking up “Too Good to…

Day 10: Talismans, Things We Carry

September 8, 2024 Gelato: Cole, Adelin, Anjana Cole – Our tenth day in Rome held the theme of “Talismans.” As a way to start off strong, the group took a field trip to the flea markets at Porte Portese early in the morning. I had been to flea markets before and I held what I…

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…

September 10, 2024

Day 8: Faith and Safety & Faith and Power

September 6, 2024 Bomboloni: Claire and Freya Claire: I woke up this morning to the bright Rome sun, a clear sky after a few days of threatening rain clouds. I chose a long skirt and tank top with a scarf to cover my shoulders in case I chose to enter the St. Peter’s Basilica, a…

September 9, 2024

Day 7: Power

September 5, 2024 Tiramisu: Parker, Rachel, Matthew Rachel – Morning: After my exciting trip to Florence yesterday, I had planned to sleep in, but I was surprised that my body had adjusted its circadian rhythm, and I woke at 9 AM. The dorms were still quiet, with everyone fast asleep, so I decided to make…

Day 6: free day!

September 4, 2024 Zabaglione: Salina, Aly, Emi Salina – September 4th was our first full free day. We had some options for how we wanted to spend our day, but, in the end, we decided to visit Orvieto. Towards the beginning of our Rome program, Shawn had mentioned a small hill town that could be…

September 6, 2024

Day 5: Portals and Entrances

September 3, 2024 Panna Cotta: Vasudha, Cate, Skylar Cate: As is turning out to be typical here, our morning started with an unreliable bus ride: the 87 route, while on time, stopped randomly halfway through its projected course and the driver popped out for a cigarette break! With that, we walked the remaining 15 minutes…