Trip to Rome Reflection

I had a great time in Rome seeing everything that we have learned about throughout the quarter and more.  I also really enjoyed getting to know everyone better, both the students and professors.  This was an experience I'll never forget.  Even though I took several pictures along with everyone else, I don't think it can replace the experience of actually being there and seeing it for yourself.  I can tell friends and family all about the Vatican, the museums, the art, but it will never truly sink in until you've been there. 

I was inspired but the Roman's ability to build structures to the scale that they did using only the basic building materials and technologies.  The roman civilization definitely left their mark in the world for their innovations in engineering and design.  It is important to remember that not everyone Rome benefitted from the lavish luxuries that we associate with Rome.  But just to have a system of clean running water for all to benefit from was pretty amazing.  I'm almost certain that the quality of life was much greater than other establishments around the world at the time simply due to the water and sewer systems that they utilized.

The food was great too.  I learned that tomatoes were not actually part of the Italians original diet and that traditionally, you don't eat meat with your pasta dish during a meal--the is an American-influenced tradition.

I don't know much Italian, but in some cases, I was able to get away with Spanish.  However, that made the locals think that I was from a Spanish country.  In the tourists areas though, it seemed like there was someone who spoke enough english to get a point across.  I also discovered that you could find much more affordable meals away from the main attractions.  One of my favorite dishes was the grilled calamari that I had at one of the restaurants in Rome.  It was almost an entire leg of squid sliced open, slightly crispy.  Once you get over the fact that you're eating a dead sea creature, it's very tasty.  The night out at the dinner with the dean was definitely the best meal I had on the whole trip.  Overall, hanging out with new people outside of my major was fun and exploring through an ancient city was also an experience in itself.