Tourin' da 'Hood.

I GOT MY SUITCASE!! :D But so I woke up this morning feeling refreshed and ready to go, cause I'm pretty sure I got almost eleven hours of sleep -- it was a beautiful thing. We ate breakfast and set out. Dr. Anderson wanted to show us more of what's around our neighborhood and how we're staying close to many popular sites and within the Aurelian Walls, which are these huge brick walls that were built between 271 and 275 AD and enclose the seven hills of Rome, the Campus Martius, and the Trastevere district.

This was part of the wall coming into Rome from the airport... 

and this is near where we're staying.

After touring the east side in the morning, we were free to do whatever we wanted. So a few other girls and myself went to a panini shop and ate lunch. It was surprisingly good and cheap! After lunch, I accidentally came back to our room and fell asleep for like an hour and maybe a half -- I suppose all the walking in the morning wore me out more than I thought it would. Plus, I am still getting over my jet lag. But my favorite discovery today was the Via Salaria, where a ton of shopping is at, and the Villa Borghese, which is this HUGE, beautiful park where I will be spending a lottt of time at. The pine trees, or umbrella pines, are pretty neat too and are all over.

This was the beginning of the park.

There were a lot of random statues and memorials to people from all over, like poets, kings, and German authors, etc.

On the main road through the park there were people doing skating tricks through these cones. Never seen anything like it before, 'twas cool.

Such a pretty place. Makes me want to live hereeee. And at the end of this street, you can kind of see it in this picture, is an obelisk.

It's one of five or something like that. But behind the obelisk was a breathtaking view of the city...

I may or may not be falling terribly in love with this city.. help. We got back to the hotel, ate dinner, then went out for gelato. I got cestina caffe, which is just coffee gelato in a small cone. It was SOO good. I decided, along with a few other girls, that we were going to have to limit ourselves to how often we went out and got it.. I ain't tryin to gain weight haha. But so now I have to read a lot of stuff for tomorrow because we'll be starting school.. which I keep forgetting that's what I'm here for. 

Finally Hereeee.

After a nine and a half hour flight, we finally landed in Rome. I didn't get to sleep much on the plane, maybe thirty minutes or so because I could not get comfortable between two strangers. So I got to catch up on my movie list -- watched Chronicle and In Time, and then an episode of Dexter, Frozen Planet, and Family Guy. Oh and I listened to all of the new Coldplay album. 
But so everything was smooth sailin' until we get to the baggage claim in Rome and I find out my suitcase was left behind in Atlanta. Yayyy meee. Of course something like this would happen to me.. well not just me I guess because it did happen to three other girls that are on the trip also. So we will be getting our luggage delivered to the hotel tomorrow afternoon sometime, and I can't wait.
I already miss America a little -- the people I left behind and Chick-Fil-A (I apologize to those that read this regularly because you'll probably here me mention Chick-Fil-A a lot, sorryy :/)
It's 3:27 in the afternoon right now and I just want to go to sleep. I think I've gotten five hours of sleep since I left Milledgeville on Wednesday. I'm struggling. But I'm holding off to sleep until tonight. We're meeting at five to learn our way around the block and then eating dinner after that. 
Oh and if anyone wants to write me, the address is as follows:

Samantha Bourque

C/O Hotel Ercoli

Via Collina 48

00187 Rome, Italy

Departure Day -- Adios 'Merica.

Today is the day. Yayy :) I hardly slept last night, went to bed around four in the morning -- couldn't sleep/still was packing and buying last minute things -- and woke up before nine to tell my sweet and studious boyfriend good luck on his second maymester test. Thought I would be able to go back to sleep after talking to him, but I couldn't. I do suppose that is a good thing though, it'll be easier for me to fall asleep on the nine hour and fifty minute plane ride over there, something I am not looking forward to. But today is also my wonderful father's birthday, so happy birthday daddy! Thank you for everything you do and provide, you mean so much to me. 
I'm going to miss everyone so incredibly much. These past few days have been a struggle for me, emotionally and mentally. I know it's only six weeks that I'll be gone for, but that's the longest I've been away from the people I love and care about. So needless to say, it will definitely be a challenge and a test. 
I decided around 9:30 last night that I should start packing -- a little last minute procrastination never hurt anyone. But if Kristen Walker hadn't been here, I don't know what I would've done. So thank you Kris for keeping me focused and organizing my life. And also, thank you mommy for supervising and not letting me forget anything. You are da bestest.
I reallyyyy wanted Chick-Fil-A breakfast one last time before I left, but it looks like that won't be happening, and that makes me sad. I think Chick-Fil-A is the only American food that I'll be missing.. A LOT. So when I get back, whoever meets me at the airport, pleaseeee have Chick-Fil-A with you. That would be the sweetest thing ever.. :)
Anyways, we'll be arriving in Rome tomorrow, the 18th, at 7:30 AM. I think I might die trying to survive the rest of that day.. good thing I have a 5 hour energy leftover from finals week. And we won't be doing anything school related for the first two days, so that's always good. Get to explore Rome and the area we'll be staying in. Yayyy!
But it's been real America, see ya in six weeks!