People always have a goal to take in as much as they can when visiting places out of the country. I happen not to be that person to the fullest. I have been to England and refused to eat my fries with salt and vinegar, but I did take a ride on the London Eye. However, when I went to Rome, I found myself becoming a Roman girl. The only obstacles that prevented me from becoming an official Roman was my residency and my inability to speak Italian.

All of my time in Rome was cherished. With the guidance of John Musto, his wife Franchesca and some campers familiar with the Roman culture, I took in a lot of information. Our first day in Rome, we visited the Colosseum, the Forum, and walked through the cobblestone streets. After our long day of touring, we looked forward to dinner. Traditional Roman dishes such as Bucatini all’Amatriciana and Gnocchi became favorites. I do not have a specific dish that is my personal favorite because every meal was no disappointment. And right after dinner, what else did we crave other than gelato? Every trip to the gelato place was exciting. There was always a new flavor to try. Just imagine going to Giolotti, one of the famous gelato shops in Rome, where they have over 70 flavors…yea! That is where everyone goes for gelato, Romans and tourists.

Another traditional Roman thing is to drink aqua minerale frizzante, basically sparkling or seltzer water. I drank that everyday. Portobello mushrooms also happen to be a Roman favorite, although I am not a huge fan of mushrooms, I did eat them. So if mushrooms are your favorite and you happen to go to Rome, do as the Romans do. Eat portobello mushrooms, drink aqua minerale frizannte, try every traditional dish, eat gelato and play squash, because that is what we Romans do.

-Elizabeth Gatling ’10

Running from Kitty was our morning workout.