Way to make me feel old, people. Ha.
A few of my Facebook friends from college have been posting about how it’s been ten years since we all started our adventure of living in Rome together (I arrived there January 4, 2006!).
Ten. Years.
Yikes!
That is the main reason I started this blog – to keep in touch with people while living in Rome. Then I stuck with writing – it turns out I love having this journal of selected parts of my life.
I wonder what it’s like for the students from my university who participate in the Rome program now. Do they live in the same apartments? Is the school in the same place? Is it way easier to keep in touch with people back in the states, because technology is so much better?
I lived in Rome before smart phones. I didn’t even have a cell phone there. I used calling cards to call back home, and wrote LOTS of emails. Skype was just then becoming popular. I wasn’t on Facebook. Craziness! (But maybe all for the better? I would struggle with those distractions, as a student.)
I’ve mentioned this before, but I was NOT a runner when I lived in Rome. Ahh, how I’d love to go back and run in Italy!!! Someday!
Our apartment on Ciambella (that means doughnut!) street
The building where our classes were
And to think, I was b*tching about the kitchen at the rental house…
Cats liked to hang out on the clay tile roof across from our apartment
Me and a random cat at the Colosseo…
You with a cat? Never! 😉 I would love to travel to Italy and run the cities. Heck, I love running when I travel period. Such a great way to experience a new place. And you’re not old, because if you’re old, then I’m old. So definitely not old 🙂
I know, what a shocker! 🙂 Running is SUCH a great way to see a place when you travel! It would be so cool to do the Roma marathon… even though it’s mostly cobblestone (from what I’ve heard).
Ha! Definitely not old! They were just making me feel that way 😉 I know we aren’t!!! 🙂
I had already been working at my current job for a year when you went to Rome! Crazy. Monday is my 11 year anniversary.
Awesome! Congrats!
Running in Italy was a lot like driving in Italy- dangerous! Cars and scooters would just drive up onto the sidewalk! When I was there (a year before you), not many women ran, and so people looked at me like I was crazy. One day the Carabinieri (police) even pulled over and told me to slow down or I’d hurt myself!
I wonder if it’s any better now?! Eek! I hope!!!! That is funnyt the police pulled you over. LOL!!!
That’s probably my biggest regret about living in England. I dabbled on the treadmill but was not a “runner” ergo I didn’t dare take on the London Marathon. Sigh.
In England circa 1999 cell phones were everywhere. But we Americans were just getting them, I think.
Have you been back to Roma since? Last summer was my first time back there since 2000. Great memories!
I hope you get a chance to do it in the future!!!!!
I haven’t been back since! I’ve only been back to Europe once since I lived there. Eek!
I swear, one day you’re doing something amazing and then suddenly it was 10, or even 20 years ago! Time goes by so quickly, but I think part of that is because we (the royal) are so busy living, doing, experiencing…and that’s good, right? Your time in Italy looks like it was so fun!
It IS good! 🙂 And I am happy I have these memories documented so when I do remember them, I can go back and see photos/read about it. 🙂
Summer 2007 will be 10 years since I was in Italy, which means 10 years since college graduation. Ack!
Nuts!
I can’t imagine you not ever being a runner! I visualize you wearing your ASICS and tearing it up on the roads even as a toddler. =)
You’re too sweet! Thank you for making my day 🙂
Wow – ten years!? Time flies…
Same here when I lived in France and the first ten years or so in Belgium – no smart phone, email, FB, skype. It has gotten so much easier to keep in touch with people nowadays…how did we ever manage??? 😉
I think about all the stuff I did WITHOUT a smart phone back in the day, and am pretty proud of myself. I’m still resourceful, but obviously, not as much.
It’s so nice to have it to keep in touch with people, though. I became surprisingly lonely in the summer, after my classmates left, and being connected would have helped!
I agree that it would have been more stressful (and for me, FOMO-y) to have had as much social media when living abroad or in college, in general. I wonder how much more stressful it is for “kids these days” constantly having those distractions in college.
Sounds like Italy should be added to your list of potential trips!!