Tired and hungry as we were, we made it to Rome. After roughly 24 hours of traveling, several flights of stairs, and empty stomachs, we were marching through the streets with a sense of wonder and awe at the ancient monuments and buildings that surrounded us. Over the millennia, generations of Romans and tourists have found themselves navigating the city under the same sky and the same sun. With espresso and adrenaline keeping me upright, I soaked in the sights and tried to memorize the slew of emotions I felt with each new sight. Rome had sparked my imagination since I was a child—does anyone else remember “The Lizzie McGuire Movie” (“This is what dreams are made of!)? – especially the Trevi Fountain. According to legend, throwing a coin into the fountain with your right hand over your left shoulder, with your back to the fountain, you will return to Rome. Within an hour of sights, I decided I was going to return to this ancient city, and the Trevi Fountain was going to help me. Clearly, I was not the only one who felt the same way about Rome, because I was not alone in following the tradition!

Walking the streets later that day with a gelato in hand and the Pantheon to my back, my original desire to return was only reinforced. There is beauty in the statues and in the history that Rome is deeply steeped in. However, what intrigues me the most is the city’s ability to spark introspective thoughts in me. For example, I was siting in the shade of the Colosseum, I couldn’t help but marvel at humanity’s stubbornness to melting away into the past. The Romans left their mark on the world- the Colosseum is not only a monumental monument in itself, but it is a testament to the cooperation between mankind, and mankind and beast. It is easy to see why the greats such as Keats, Shelley, and other Romantic era authors found inspiration here in Rome– I believe I feel the same way they did.