french(esca): Italy

Thanks to my wonderful parents, I was able to squeeze one last weekend euro trip in. My roommate Minh and I headed to Rome early last Thursday morning to meet my friend from SF, Hannah, and her friend Jessica who were coming from London. Even before checking in to our hostel, we got amazing pizza and gelato, which you can find on every corner in the city. Then, the four of us figured out the little Roman metro system and went to check out the Colosseum. Being there was pretty unreal because of how old it is and how much history it holds. After, we took a scenic bus route back to our hostel and got familiar with the area. That night was karaoke and beer pong at the hostel bar and don't you worry, I showed the world my vocal talents.

The next day, we went to Vatican City to see the museum, church and surrounding area. On our way there, we stopped by Pinsere pizza and got theeee most amazing pizza I've ever had. I highly recommend it. Going to the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica and seeing the Vatican was really cool, again for the history. The church was huge and so impressive because of all the fine details. After exploring the Vatican, we decided to walk to the Trevi fountain. Along the way, we found cool markets (indoor and outdoor) and beautiful buildings. The Trevi fountain was super cool and way bigger than I imagined. Legend has it that if you throw one coin in, you'll return to Rome and if you throw two, you'll fall in love. We all threw our coins in and then trekked back to the hostel. After a long day of walking, we welcomed a huge plate of pasta and glass of wine with wide arms.

Sunday, we walked to the Spanish steps and found another incredible pizza place to obsess over. The food in Rome was definitely what made the trip so amazing, along with the super fun hostel and historical vibe of the city. We walked a ton throughout the weekend, ate awesome food and met so many cool people from all over the world. I am so glad my first hostel experience was this good and can't wait to try out some more in the future! Rome was such an incredibly fun, fast paced, exciting trip and I'm so grateful that I was able to go. Thanks again mom and dad!

Also, I felt inspired to record pretty much everything we did in Rome - here's what came of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfgxfcc6B3A