From Jet Lag and Exhaustion to Everyday Ordinary Life

Sarah and Hanna arrived today. (And they brought the sun with them! Can't wait to get pictures of things in the sun and not the rain and the clouds!) Seeing them experience their first few hours of being jet lagged and having no idea what was going on has reminded me that my arrival in Rome was not that long ago, yet it seems like it has been forever especially since things seem so normal and comfortable now.

Their jet lag and exhaustion is so typical and makes me so thankful to be adjusted to the new time zone and on a normal sleeping schedule because it took me a while just to get used to that. My roommate, Maria, and I would lie awake at night 'til 2 in the morning or so because we just weren't tired then and  we had napped which always messes you up. It took a good 2 weeks to finally be able to go to sleep and get up at a normal time.

I dragged them from the airport to the train station at the airport and then on a train to the Trestevere train station then on the tram to a couple blocks from my apartment. They were amazed at how easy the public transportation seemed to me, but I had gotten a full nights sleep and had been there before, its amazing how simple things are once you just do it.

I brought them up to my apartment where they made comments about the size, we really did get lucky having nice big apartments, and comments about the strange bathrooms that seem completely normal. They also made comments about the cars and I know they look different than what you find in the US, different body shapes, smaller, more smart cars etc. And the traffic being crazy and not following any rules. All of this I remember easily how it seemed weird and new, yet now it seems normal and going back to the US will seem a bit strange at first now.

I took them to get their first pizza, that was also my first pizza in Rome. Its a place near by that actually isn't that great. I hadn't had it since my first day here and it was close and I didn't remember the quality. I will show them much better that is for sure (Simone's by school for one, not the absolute best in Rome, but really good. It's the one by school that a lot of people get for lunch.) They were so confused with the ordering and the language barrier. I by no means have gotten past the language barrier because I don't speak Italian, I know a few words but I am used to not really understanding everything and having to struggle to get my point across at times so its not really a big deal anymore.

It has been a lot of fun realizing how much I know about this place through telling them about things they need to know like how coffee works here and other things and just remembering that same dazed, jet lagged, exhausted, and confused state I was in when I first arrived here. The only sad thing is that they will have to leave before they completely get over it and I have had the privilege to be here for a while to really feel at home here.

They then went to nap for a few hours to be awake for some birthday festivities, dinner at a real Italian restaurant (nothing too touristy), dessert and/or some real gelato, walking around to see their first views of Rome and things like the Trevi Fountain and Colosseum lit up.

While they were(still are) napping I went to the grocery store and fruit and vegetable stand. I am so used to buying my own groceries now and I love having fresh fruit and vegetable stands all over the place. The fruit and vegetables so much better here, its all organic and not genetically modified. Sarah asked me why anyone would want to go back to the US after coming here and if it will be hard for me to go back. I told her that it would be nice to go back and really couldn't think of a reason why... but I could think of a lot of reason why not. I think now the only thing I can really think of that I really miss from home are my friends and family. Everything else I can get used to, and even start to enjoy and prefer. (Oh and I am not a huge fan of the actual school aspect here, I prefer classes at State; however, ultimately I prefer no classes at all.)

But, I am loving my experiences here, time is flying, and before I know it I will be back in the US. I hope to update soon on some things I am looking forward to and some more details of things I have seen in Rome that I haven't mentioned yet.

Ciao!