ROMA

I have arrived! I landed in Roma about a week ago, and honestly, I was so busy this summer that it didn't even truly hit me that I was coming until I walked off the plane. Literally, I got off the plane & said, 'well, I guess I better get myself to my apartmento' lol. 

I am living in the Gabratella neighborhood, south of the city centre and about 20 minutes by bus from San Pietro. The lady I am living with, Mariateresa is fantastic. Very warm, welcoming, super helpful &  speaks perfect english as well as Italian. I don't remember the jet lag hitting me this hard last time....I am absolutely exhausted and my body clock is still off, even a week later. I also managed to catch a pretty bad cold on the flight over, but that hasn't stopped me from spending all my free time walking around the city and exploring. 

Not much has changed here in Roma & I have picked up right where I left off two years ago....I still don't speak Italian : ( I take the metro & bus everywhere, I go to a lot of the same restaurants & cafes (and the same people still work there!! Although I am on the lookout for new spots to eat & drink) and I still spend a lot of time with Katherine & Anita. It has been so fantastic catching up with them. 

I am still waiting for my orientation schedule with Caritas, so in the meantime I am back working at the Sisters of Charity. Only one of the Sisters I worked with is still there, Sister Teresa Claire, but all of the volunteers are the same & I am still on vegetable chopping/cleaning/cooking/kitchen duty. The Seesters are just as fiesty as ever, in fact, today (Wednesday, my third day back at the convent) Sister Claire said to me, "Sarah, you look fatter than last time." UMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM she must have noticed the look of horror that came over my face, as she immediately tried to backpedal & tell me I looked "happier & healthier" hahahahaha ok, thanks Seester! I am going to chalk that one up to the language barrier! This is the same Sister that also told me two years ago that at age 29 I had no hope of finding a husband- I haven't yet told her I am now 31 & still without any prospects, lol. 

It is supposed to rain on tomorrow & the Seesters are closed on Thursdays, so I booked a trip to Siena, which I am super excited about as I have never been! It is a little town about three hours away by train. 

I have yet to run here in Roma- I am entirely too tired & am probably walking on average 7-9 miles a day with all the exploring I am doing, but I hope to get back to it this weekend as I am running the Athens Marathon with my cousin Ryan in November. Only two months to get back in marathon shape, EEEEKKKKK!!! 

Above are some photos I took while out & about in Roma, I will post photos of my Siena trip soon. I am missing all of my family & friends back in the States! Love you all. 

Sarah