Getting Settled in Rome - My First Week

When I decided to study abroad in Rome, I could only think about the day this dream would turn into reality. I was so excited about all the adventures I was going to have, even though I had some jitters in the back of my mind. 

My biggest uncertainty was about housing since I moved without seeing any pictures of the apartment I was going to stay at; another one was not knowing any of the girls who were going to live with me. Surprisingly, the apartment provided by CEA was way better (and bigger) than what I thought it would be. There were three large bedrooms, one for every two girls; two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a small living room. All furnished, clean and organized. I was more than ready to start off my semester abroad! 

My first week in Rome was so amazing! I mostly did the “touristic things”, but honestly, I feel like even if I was living here for my whole life I would still be mesmerized with the beauty of the Vatican (inside and outside), the vivid air of Piazza Navona, and how incredibly detailed the Trevi Fountain is! 





I really like how there’s always a lot of people walking around everywhere at any time of the day, especially because it brings back memories from my hometown São Paulo, in Brazil. Also, I love the fact there are gelaterias in almost every corner of the city! No matter where you go, there will always be one gelateria testing all your self-control with those wonderful and tasty gelatos just waiting for you to try them all! 

The best part of my first week was confirming that I will always have something new to see in the Eternal City! 

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Gabrielle Oliveira is the Fall 2018 CEA Content Creator in Rome, Italy, and is currently studying at University of Texas at San Antonio.