Bella Roma: I’m Basically Lizzie McGuire

Take me back. Right now. I’m in love with Rome. I had been there before, but I don’t think I had ever fully soaked everything the way I had this time around. I just got back from a lovely weekend there, seeing a dear friend from school, eating amazing food, and just absorbing sun and the richness of such a beautiful city. I’m studying abroad in Paris, another incredibly beautiful city, but Rome holds a beauty of its own. It’s really the vibe of the cities that are different – if I were to describe Paris in colors, I would describe it as a black or dark blue, with occasional bouts of pale blue and unexpected reds. But Rome is a vibrant mix of orange and bright blue, all melted stirred together with a warm brown. Both have the “poésie,” but everybody in Rome seemed so happy and they were all so kind. There was much more of a familial feeling among all of the people I met, and just a general passion and vibrance.

It didn’t hurt that every single thing I ate was unbelievable. Every pasta, no matter what restaurant we went to or what type of pasta it was, was perfectly al dente, which is the perfectly cooked pasta – perfectly chewy – just perfect. We had a minimum of one gelato everyday and for our last meal, we ordered traditional Italian desserts – my friends ordered tiramisu and I ordered possibly the best cannoli I’ve ever had in my entire life. Also, is it just a coincidence that the most traditional Italian foods have the colors of the Italian flag??

I just want to go back and feel the sun and warmth. The “city,” although I hesitate to call it that, is scattered with the brightest green trees and beautiful, ancient Roman structures. Everywhere I turned, there was another beautiful ruin or an apartment in the style of a Tuscan villa. Although I didn’t go on a vespa ride with a famous Italian superstar (The Lizzie McGuire Movie…), I miss it already, but fortunately, I came back to a sunny Paris as well, and coincidentally, a friend visiting from Rome. Leaving one friend for another, leaving one city for my home.