Rome

I loved you more than I thought I would.

The weekend started with Anna coming into Florence on Thursday night. We watched the sunset and caught up for a solid 3 hours before grabbing dinner. We got tipsy off of wine, and were laughing about how we have had more sleepovers in Italy than in Fond du Lac, where we have lived 5 houses down apart for years now.

Friday morning, we got up and headed to Rome! When we arrived at the airbnb, Hunter checked my location and to our shock we were only 600 feet from her apartment. Anna & I had unintentionally booked an airbnb right down the road from her apartment, which worked out perfectly. We all grabbed a bite to eat and then returned to the airbnb.

We got ready and were talking about how excited we were for a weekend ahead with us and Allie and Rachel when I got FaceTime from Doyle. I commented to Hunter about him calling and then answered it to brag about our cute airbnb. His response was the furthest thing I expected. He goes, “I’m here” and then turned the camera on the building. I initially thought he was lying, and looked at Hunter’s shocked face confused me even more. Then Anna jumped out and said “surprise” which confirmed that Doyle was right outside!

You don’t realize how much of a nerd you are until you’re surrounded by some of the most notable monuments and places.

On Friday, we went to the Colosseum. The Colosseum is undoubtedly one of the places everyone has heard of and/or seen in history books or websites. Seeing it in person was a remarkable moment for me because it was the first tourist attraction that I had wanted to see for years. Doyle, Hunter, Anna, and I must’ve decided that seeing this structure wasn’t enough because we had a few drinks and next thing you know we were drunk outside of the Colosseum. How many people can say that? 

The next day we went to Vatican City after having the best American breakfast at a restaurant behind it. It wasn’t anything special, but after 3 weeks of only having croissants for breakfast, it felt like a 5-star restaurant to us Americans.

After grabbing our passports to enter Vatican City (its own country), we headed towards the Vatican Art Museum entrance. As someone not necessarily interested in art, this place was breathtaking and should be on everyone’s bucket list. It was much larger than I could’ve ever imagined and filled with paintings, sculptures, and artifacts from every era.

Being in a place with such historical beauty made me appreciate and connect to all the life before me. Anna, Doyle, Allie, and I walked around, which slowly got funnier as we followed the path because none of us really had much of an understanding of what we were seeing. We had more laughs in that place than we probably should’ve.

After that, we met back up with Hunter and Rachel and got ready for our dinner at Tonnarello. This dinner was the stereotypical Italian meal that one would see in a movie. We got drunk on good wine and ate bruschetta and pizza while a man played us the Accordion outside in a cute Italian neighborhood. Because of the environment and the company I was with, this dinner was my favorite.

Scholars Lounge (which is Hunter’s favorite Rome bar) was where we headed next. Luckily, two couches and tables opened up on the loft where we sat, drink, and listened to American classics like “Born In The USA” because apparently, that is Italian’s music of choice.

We all had lots to drink and then headed over to the Trevi fountain (a well-known landmark where many throw a coin in for good luck). It felt magical at night with the lights shining on the fountain and the water extra blue. Not to mention being surrounded by some of my absolute best friends. Definitely a core memory & one that I’ll never forget.

This morning we woke up, grabbed some breakfast, and again went to the Vatican where the Pope was giving a blessing. Going to see the Pope felt like we were going to a concert. People were frantically running to get in line to get through the gates, and you could hear distant cheering. The Pope preached out of his window to the thousands in the piazza in front of St. Peter’s Basillica. It was a tremendous experience and a gorgeous day out for it. 

Now I am sitting in the Piazza Adriana (a wholesome park in the center of Rome) listening to distant live music, surrounded by families and couples taking Sunday walks… my heart is so full of life’s beauty I’m honestly tearing up. Sundays just keep getting better and I am so thankful for God’s Day — especially when that includes a blessing from the Pope.