Roma!

First off, I am EXHAUSTED so this will be short.  Wifi is very spotty in Rome, so uploading photos is a bit of a prob at the moment.  However, let's talk about how things have gone so far, shall we?

We arrived on time this morning at 7:30 am here in Rome, as bright eyed and bushy tailed as we tired folks could be.  Sleeping on a 9 1/2 hour flight is a NIGHTMARE.  Please tell me if you have any suggestions for how to even semi-comfortably sleep (even with taking a melatonin!)  After we met up with our tour guide, we had no idea what we would be in for next. 4 1/2 hours LATER we are finally boarding our tour bus.  Yeah...  Look, I know there are many things I knew to be prepared for.  I knew to be patient and just go with the flow, especially for all our students, however there is a limit to how much a person can take of waiting... and waiting... and waiting... but it wasn't waiting to get in line to some awesome point of interest, it was waiting for our tour guide to finally take us somewhere else instead of literally just standing around outside of a place we've stopped for an hour or more. I digress, this post isn't about the negative we have experienced today (and my oh my have we had a journey already), it is about the wonderful feeling of travel.

As I sit in this tiny Roman hotel room at the Carlo Magno and listen to myriads of Italians walking around outside, shouting excitedly and passionately to each other in a language I will never understand, I am thankful for this opportunity.  I have wanted to travel abroad my entire life and I have finally had the chance. 

I cannot wait to share all the stories, photos, and memories we have made on this trip (and there will be plenty).  Please say a little prayer or keep us in your thoughts to continue having a positive, fun adventure!!!

Ciao!