As I signed up for this class, I thought I was an expert at flying. In the past couple months, I would fly every couple weeks and handle layovers like a pro. However, I was not prepared for the flight that was Charlotte to Rome. After a quick flight from Pittsburgh to Charlotte, an eight hour overnight flight was necessary to reach Italy. I figured this wouldn’t be a problem, as I would be tired from a long day of traveling.
I thought wrong. According to my Fitbit, I slept for a mere 59 minutes, but those precious minutes did wonders. (I mean I’m still alive as I write this at 10:21 PM.)
Once we landed in Italy, our journeys were nonstop. We met out tour guide, Matteo Troiani, at the airport, and if an outsider looked at our group, one would swear we had known him from before. He was able to loosen us up and give us a second burst of energy.
After a panoramic bus tour on the way to Rome, we set off on foot to visit the Trevi Fountain and the Panthenon. We received our first lunch break at this time and had our first taste of authentic Italian food!
A group of us tried Antica Salumeria, which could be described as a small deli. Nothing could beat a fresh salami and mozzarella panini- except for the gelato that soon followed after. On Matteo’s suggestion, we tried Della Palma Gelato, which has over 150 flavors. No, I’m not mistaken when I say that. It was overwhelming trying to narrow down a flavor when all of them sounded delicious.
Our evening consisted of a group dinner full of delicious pasta and tiramisu. I think “Italy Day 1” was a success in my book.
While all of today’s adventures were exciting, I am most looking forward to participating in the media trips. I cannot wait to get an insight on what consists of Italian media, especially since this is an opportunity few can participate in.