Last weekend, I decided to take a trip to Italy on my own. My friend put the idea in my head, so I was determined to go.
I left Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. and made it to Rome around 2 p.m. It was a long and exhausting morning of travel. I had a layover in Zurich, Switzerland, which I wasn’t concerned about until my first flight was late. I ran to my second gate with literally three minutes to spare. It was extremely nerve-racking. But besides that and the long travel time, it was pretty amazing. I could see the Atlantic Ocean and the edge of mainland Europe. I also saw beautiful mountains in Switzerland that went above the clouds. That sight was breathtaking.
When I landed in the Rome Airport, I got on the Leonardo Express and arrived at the Roma Termini station, which was right next to my hotel. When I checked into my hotel, I found out I had a balcony. I was on the top floor so I could see a lot of Rome and mountains in the distance.
I saw old ruins of theaters and homes from Ancient Rome as well as the famous Colosseum. Since I was with a tour, I got to walk around the stage area, which was amazing. Surprisingly, though, the Colosseum was much smaller than I had expected.
On the second tour, we went through the Vatican Museum and then went into the Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel was very small, and you were not allowed to talk, take pictures or sit down. The painting was beautiful though. After that, we headed to St. Peter’s Basilica. This place was beautiful and huge. One of my favorite statues in the Basilica was Michelangelo’s Pieta.
On Sunday, I got up early in the morning to take a train to Pisa, Italy, to see the leaning tower. Pisa is quiet and quaint, until you get to the tower. Honestly, it’s a little unsettling when it leans that much and people still walk up to it.
After Pisa, I headed over to Florence. I really only wanted to see Michelangelo’s David and then walk around and explore the city. There was a marathon going on, so streets were blocked off and I kept constantly getting lost. It was fine though, because I did see some pretty beautiful things while looking for the Galleria dell’Accademia, where David was located, and I did eventually find it.
My travels while abroad have been life changing. It’s almost time to me to come back to the United States, and I’m excited to see my family, my friends, my pets and my co-workers.
But London has become my home away from home, and the thought of leaving it makes me just as sad as when I left Fargo. I’m going to miss the United Kingdom, but I know I’ll be back. I am so thankful for this experience and the person I have become because of it, and I hope to have more amazing experiences ahead of me.