It’s amazing how quickly the time has flown by, and here we are about to leave for our midterm break. With it being our week to catch up on school work, complete our thesis journals, and pack for our trips, I hardly have time to think about a blog; however, in all of the chaos, I find it nice to stop and reflect on what my time in Italy has meant to me.
I am so aware of what a special place this is—just sitting on a bus or a train I get chills looking out the window at the beauty that surrounds me. The journey is as magnificent as the destination. What a blessing it is to live, even if only for a short time, in a place where beauty surrounds you, architecture astounds you, and even the smallest things have the ability to inspire you in ways that nothing has before. I know that my life will be forever changed by this place and this experience.
Since we landed in Rome, we have gone nonstop. We toured the Castelli Romani, did a scavenger hunt all over Rome, hiked Mt. Vesuvius, ventured to Pompeii, saw the magnificent Villa Adriana and Villa d’Este in Tivoli—and that was just the first three weeks. Since then we have traveled to Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, and had the opportunity to visit the Uffizi and Accademia museums, where we saw some of the most prominent works of art in the world. We have been to Siena and rode horses across the Tuscan countryside. In Umbria we explored Assisi and Orvieto, and made the trek to the crumbling city of Civita di Bagnoregio.
As I was writing my essay on the Grand Tour, I could not help but relate our adventures to those who embarked on the educational rite of passage to gain a greater understanding of art and architecture formed by exposure to great masterpieces. Isn’t that exactly what we are doing? We have seen the most influential art, the most powerful architecture, and the most beautiful landscapes. Each day, we expand our knowledge and our understanding as we experience the history and the culture of Italy. We are Grand Tourists.

Of everything we have seen, the first sight of the Colosseum is still the most memorable for me.