This post is about my spring break that also ended up leaving me Spring Broke!
I started my spring break out with a 5 day trip to Rome, Italy. It was so amazing. I flew there on a German airline, Lufthansa, so I ended up having a cool layover in Frankfurt and drinking some great German beer! When I finally got to Rome it was around the evening, so I had an early night and grabbed a bite to eat. My first meal consisted of an authentic marguerita pizza and bruschetta, which was so delicious.
My first day in Rome I actually didn’t even stay in Rome. I went on a day trip to Naples and Pompeii. Naples is a beautiful city along the coast. It was so warm and very cute. You could even see Mt. Vesuvius in the distance. Naples is home to an ancient craft called cameos where they use 4 different types of shells from the ocean and intricately design them to make some of the most unique jewelry you’ve ever seen. I ended up picking up a a ring made of sterling silver and coral from the Mediterranean Sea. It’s my favorite purchase since I’ve been abroad, and was the start of Spring Broke, lol!
After Naples we traveled to Pompeii. I should start by saying Pompeii holds an extremely sentimental value to me. I was 9 years old when I first learned about Mt. Vesuvius and Pompeii, and something about it just resonated with me. It was something that really stuck with me and was a place I had always dreamed of visiting. Because I traveled to Rome alone, I was able to take advantage of my opportunities and do what I wanted. Thanks to the freedom I was able to make one of my dreams come true and visit Pompeii. Pompeii was unbelievable, I know that people understand how amazing the Romans were, but they’ll never truly understand it until they see some of the preserved works of the Romans themselves. They were truly a people ahead of their time, the preservation of some of their work whether it be art to architecture is unreal.
Pompeii was fabulous and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. After Pompeii I met up with my friend Colby from high school and we ended up going out and having a great night. The next day I ventured to the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum. The Vatican was very interesting, but by the end of it I realized it wasn’t really my scene. By me saying it wasn’t my scene is not me denouncing the importance or impact of The Vatican. I would absolutely advise someone to visit it, but I just wish it had impacted me far more than it did. I could definitely appreciate The Vatican for how beautiful it was. Nearly everything in the place is adorned by flecks of gold and marble, and it’s home to some of the greatest pieces of art known to man. Overall I felt like if there was nothing at all that I could appreciate about The Vatican, I at least was able to fawn over the beauty of it. I’m very happy that I went and I think that it was absolutely something worth seeing, but I almost wished I was Catholic or Christian even, so that The Vatican could have spoken to me a bit more.
After The Vatican I went to the Colosseum, which was hands down one of the coolest things I have ever seen. The Colosseum is what put Rome at the top of my favorite places list. The Colosseum was very interesting. The magnitude of the stadium, the history surrounding it and the fact that I was able to actually walk on it. I’m telling you, the Romans were unbelievable people. The knowledge they possessed is some of the greatest in the world. They were some of the most intelligent people to ever do it!
I felt amazed at how I was able to walk directly through history. It was a feeling that is indescribable. It made me remember how minuscule I am in this huge thing we call life. After the Colosseum I tried to head into the Roman Forum, but before I realized that it was closed I accidentally stumbled upon a small church. I realized I had made a mistake, but I decided to just act casual, like I belonged there. I sat in a pew for a bit, enjoyed a service and even lit a candle and spoke to God, which is something I hadn’t done in who knows how long. He seemed to have listened, but honestly I’m not really sure. They do say that God always answers our prayers, it’s just that we rarely get the answer we expected. I know that contradicts what I said before about the Vatican, but I figured I’d do as the Romans do and pray. I feel like everything happens for a reason, so there was a reason I ended up at a place that pushed me out of my normal comfort zone.
I spent so much time taking my time around Rome I didn’t realize that my day was over until I noticed all the attractions were closing for the day. I decided to wait and conquer the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. For those that don’t know the Roman Forum is a huge structure made up of extremely old and important building, and monuments from when Rome was the greatest empire in the world. It was mind blowing to see these 1,000 year old structures still standing. Although, they weren’t in mint condition, I mean who would be after 2,000 years, they were still really great to see. It also really showed me just how large Rome was. I expected it to be a big city, but it was far bigger than I could have ever imagined.
While in Rome, I stayed at a hostel where I met so many great people. I met people from Germany, Canada, Chile, the US and even Israel. I felt very comfortable traveling alone. At first I was a bit nervous, but I managed, and I managed well. Traveling alone was one of the greatest things I could ever do. I was extremely nervous, but I learned that I enjoy being by myself. I also learned that I can have just as good of a time by myself as I can in a group of people. Some people wouldn’t travel alone in a million years, but honestly that’s how I like it. I got to do everything at my own pace, without compromising or anything. If I had to sum it all up I’d say as long as I’ve got my cell phone, charger, money and selfie stick I can probably take on the world. Also this is just part 1 to Spring Broke. This alone didn’t dig a hole into my pocket, but my second spring break destination did. It was all worth every penny & if we’re being honest these are the types of dreams that people talk about when they refer to dreams that money actually can buy.
Stay tuned for part 2 in the next few days!
One Cup of Tee 