The Joseph S. Bruno Auburn Abroad in Italy program has placed us in a very unique situation. We are living in a small town with Rome only a short train ride away so you would think that many girls would spend lots of time exploring that legendary city every chance they get. At the same time though, we are also living in a continent where you can travel to an abundance of other countries either via a short flight or train ride. These two options pose an important question, how do you want to spend your weekends and free time while you are here?

Rome is a city that many people dream of visiting at some point in their life, for good reason too. In my opinion, Rome is one of the most amazing cities in the world. Our Italian teacher, Sandra, helped me realize just how lucky we are to be so close to this city and how foolish we would be to not take advantage of what is literally in our backyard. Since I had this realization I have spent a good amount of time exploring Rome on my own and I must say, it has been one of my most favorite things I have done on this trip so far.

Rome as a city has so much to offer; from great food and shopping to museums and historical sites, this city is jam-packed with things to do. Some of my personal favorite things I have done have been watching the sunset from the top of the Rinascente Department store, eating gelato at Gelateria Della Palma, going to the market at Campo Dei Fiori and exploring the neighborhoods of Trastevere and Aventino. I also really enjoy just walking around exploring random little streets and going into the smaller local shops.

It is only my fifth week in this amazing country and I definitely plan on spending more time in the city of Rome and taking advantage of our very unique opportunity.

– Caroline Tippett