Until you go through the process of traveling to a foreign country for the first time, you do not know how chaotic it can be. Getting on the plane to Rome was definitely an interesting and crazy experience, but it was well worth the all-day traveling and exhaustion.

When arriving in Rome, I did not know what to expect. I did not have any expectations really, I just wanted to follow the mantra of “go-with-the-flow” so-to-speak and let things happen. This is not what I am used to and I made a conscious decision to establish a new, fresh perspective of travel on this trip.

I have to say that it was difficult at first, although patience and flexibility won out and I ended up having the time of my life in Rome. I’ll never forget the first time that I saw the Sistine Chapel in person. In that exact moment when I was looking up at the beautiful and shockingly realistic masterpieces, everything was worth it. Despite the guards rushing everyone along, and the elbow-to-elbow wall of people that are constantly moving around–it was worth it because witnessing these works of art made me more humbled and appreciative of the rich history. Some say “If walls could talk, what would they say?” But these walls did talk. And they told me of Michelangelo and the importance of the art that was missing in my life. As with all of the moments and masterpieces in Rome, I fell immediately and passionately in love with their awe-inspiring beauty. Being in Rome for the first time was an immediate love affair for me. I knew that from then on, I had the confidence and appreciation to not only see the rest of Italy, but maybe even the rest of the world.