Month: March 2022

Out of all the countries I have visited so far,  Italy has been my favorite. Not only for its beauty, but because of the joy the experience of traveling there was able to bring me after two years of feeling stuck due to Covid.  The last time I went to Italy was 2019, therefore I was able to reminisce while also appreciating all that Italy had to offer.

My friends and I were able to stay in Italy for nine days and travelled to Rome, Florence and Venice during that time. I packed two small carry on bags and we traveled by train to each city.  We were able to stay in amazing Air BnB’s all week that came to a very cheap price when we divided it between the three of us. Although there were stricter Covid guidelines to follow, it did not effect any of our plans. Most restaurants just required proof of vaccination and the trains required special masks.

Day 1-3: Rome

Our first three days in Italy were spent in Rome and it was a great start to our journey. We were able to see everything we wanted to see even though they were not necessarily close to one another. The Colosseum was a short ten minute walk from our Air BnB, which made it so easy to walk by on our way home at night. We were also able to see the Trevi Fountain during the day time (right before it rained) and at night as well. All I could think about was how many coins go into that fountain everyday and how many wishes have been made over the year. I wondered how many of them have been granted over the years, and how many have gone unnoticed. We also saw the Spanish Steps and the Roman Forum. Apparently Caesar essentially made an apology video for the countries he invaded. We were also able to walk around the Vatican City at sunset, which was stunning. After shopping all day and enjoying the beautiful buildings, it was very easy to fall asleep from exhaustion every night.

Favorite Food: Alfredo at Maria’s

Favorite Monument: The Trevi Fountain

Favorite Sunset Spot: Vatican City

Day 4-6: Florence

Florence was very different compared to Rome. My friends and I agreed that it was much less hectic compared to Rome. Our Air BnB was once again in the perfect location. We were right near the Campanile di Giotto, which included the large Dome and the tall tower that we were able to climb to see the entire landscape of the city. We also went on tours of various museums. We were able to go to an art museum (for free!). It had amazing works of art and I specifically remember the Medusa statues the most. I thought that the prettiest part of Florence was the bridge. When the sun set, it gave one side of the city a golden glow that was the absolute perfect shade of orange. On our last day there, we were also able to climb this hill to watch the sunset over the entire city of Florence. We were able to see that same golden light that cast itself over the entire city itself. On this walk, there was photographer blowing huge bubbles and it made for great pictures. It was another trip full of shopping and excellent food. I particularly thought that Florence was my favorite city when I came to the food. In other eventful news, I bought a small glass dolphin who became my partner on the trip and I named him Gill.

Favorite Food: Margherita Pizza at a Pizza and Grill restaurant

Favorite Monument: Ponte Vecchio (The Bridge)

Favorite Sunset Spot: Piazzale Michelangelo

Day 7-9: Venice

As someone who loves the ocean and lives for the smell of the salt in the air, I was most looking forward to going to Venice. I was not disappointed. When we got there, we were able to watch the sunset behind along the shore. The golden light followed us across Italy and it touched nearly every building watching over the water. On our first day, we were able to go on a gondola ride and it was absolutely beautiful. We spent the first day walking around, enjoying the warm weather, and shopping. We got to see that many people in Italy do not walk their dogs on leashes, yet they don’t run away. St. Mark’s Square was beautiful and had such unique architecture compared to the other cities. The next day, we went to many different art and history museums. All the ceilings were absolutely stunning. The coffee was definitely best in Venice, although that might have been due to the exhaustion from  walking twenty thousand steps everyday. I also got pooped on by a bird in Venice so now I have an agenda against seagulls. On my last day, I was able to spend time in a cafe by myself while I read a book and journaled. It was the perfect end to a perfect spring break.

Favorite Food: Alfredo at Altrove SRL

Favorite Monument: St. Mark’s Square

Favorite Sunset Spot: Outside St. Mark’s Square

Before coming to Dublin, I honestly did not understand how big of a deal it was to have the opportunity to study at Trinity. Not only am I studying at one of the oldest colleges in Europe, but it has so many famous alumni such as Oscar Wilde and Sally Rooney. It is also an absolutely stunning campus in a great location.  Now that I have been studying here for over a month, I can say with certainty that I feel like Trinity student.

Here is what a day of at Trinity looks like for me:

I wake up at 7:30 (ew) so that I have time to get ready before I begin my twenty minute walk to campus. Sometimes I take the bus or the LUAS, which is a shuttle system, but I try to walk as often as I can. I live about 20 minutes off campus and I have to cross the river to get to campus.

When I get to campus, I head towards the Arts Building, which is where all my classes are held this semester. It’s usually very busy in between classes. My first class is a lecture for my Psychology of Religion class. This class is smaller compared to my other ones and has about 40 students in it. We learned about religious experiences that change peoples and how we can try to use it in research. Next, I went to my tutorial for my English Class,  Pulp: Introduction to Popular Literature. These are similar to Holy Cross classes in the sense that they are very small with only about 12 people in them. They are more discussion based than lectures and require participation.

After this class, I have a couple hours until my next class. I usually get lunch at O’Briens or KC Peaches to get a sandwich. Both of them are right off campus. Then I usually go to a library and get some work done for a while until I want a coffee break. Right now my favorite coffee is at Costas. 

My last class of the day is my Intro to History of Art and Architecture lecture, which has over 100 people in it ranging from eighteen year old students to eighty year old adults. I have never taken an Art History before and I am very glad I did while I’m in Europe. It makes me feel more connected to the country.

When my class ends, I sometimes stop at the grocery store off of O’Connell Street to pick up dinner for the next few days, which is one of the main streets of Dublin. This is where the Spire is located and other statures.

After that I head back to my apartment and I do a little bit of work. This was a special day because Holy Cross planned a special event where we were able to attend a comedy night.  I was able to get dinner before hand with my friends and we enjoyed our Chinese food before walking to the show.

The comedy show was great and we even got two drink tickets to get free drinks while we watched. My favorite drink has been Orchard Thieves, which is an apple cider and it is SO GOOD. When the show ended, we walked back to my apartment in the rain, which I still prefer over the snow storms in Massachusetts.

Everyday is an adventure in Dublin and I look forward to every moment!