Ciao Roma!!

+JMJ+
So... I'M IN ROMA!!!  I can't believe it, I can't believe it, I can't believe it, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!!  Back up a little--this is how I got here:
1. Fly from O'Hare (Chicago) to Washington, D.C.
2. Flight from O'Hare is an hour and a half late, rush to make it to Gate C2 in time to catch my flight!
3. Brush teeth before the eight and a half hour (overnight) flight.

4. Fly from D.C. Rome!! (while sleeping on the plane--strategy to avoid jet lag)

My flight survival kit

5. Ciao Roma!!!

The resident director of the study abroad program met me and three of the other students at the airport and we rode back to the villa (where I live and have classes!  Pictures coming soon...).  Some things that surprised my on the drive to the villa:

1. There's a lot of graffiti along the side of the highway.

2. Where's all the old stuff?!?!?  I was ready to see things that were older than anything I'd ever seen in my entire life!  Well, I learned that the residential area of Rome (where I live) isn't so ancient...and you don't have to drive through the ancient part of the city to get to the residential area.  Who knew?!

The villa is in the city of Rome, not outside of it.  I know there was some confusion about that before I came, so this is verification that it is actually IN ROMA.  Yay!!

Here's a list (another list!  This is a very list-y post) of the things I've done since arriving at the villa (about 10:00am here, 4:00am back home):

1. Accidentally woke up my new roommates

2. Had a lovely breakfast

3. Received a mini tour of the grounds

4. Saw a kitty!

5. Started unpacking

6. Took a shower (yes, this is noteworthy)

7. Visited the market area of the neighborhood I live in

8. Bought some bus passes using my beautiful broken Italian

9. Learned about riding the bus

10. Witness a pick-pocket attempt on one of my classmates

11. Saw the ruins of the Roman Forum where Julius Caesar was murdered...wait, WHAT? Yeah, that's right, and it's only going to get crazier!

13. Went to the Church of the Gesu

Sorry about the bad quality of the picture, I forgot to bring my real camera

14. Prayed at the burial place of St. Ignatius of Loyola!!

St. Ignatius's body is in the little gold rectangle at the bottom

15. Saw the hand/forearm of St. Francis Xavier

16. Saw Jesus! 

17. Had a lovely dinner with 13 of my 14 other classmates.

Now that I actually have interesting things to write about, I'm going to have to work on choosing what to focus on in my blogs; otherwise, I would spend my whole time blogging and no time Rome-ing...haha get it? Roaming...Rome-ing...

Tomorrow, we are going to mass at Chiesa Nuova (I think), a church dedicated to St. Philip Neri (well, it's dedicated to God above all of course, just to God in through St. Philip Neri).  Then, we are going to the angelus with Pope Benedict XVI!!!  On Monday, we've been invited to go to a private Mass in the crypt of St. Peter!  Funny, a few minutes after I found that out I thought "I think I had a dream about being invited to a private Mass in the crypt of St. Peter..." then I realized: no.  THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.  It really is hard to believe this is happening.   I better get my act together and believe so I can be present and really live it!