New Years Eve in Rome

New Years Eve was by far the craziest night I have ever had since being here in Italy. It really a compilation of a lot of really funny separate stories that come together to make an EPIC night!

For starters we bought a couple bottles of wine and some beer at the train station supermarket, got back to the hostel, and the hostel had bought us a bottle of wine to help us celebrate the new year (BAD IDEA).  

We got ready and drank in the hostel and then set out for what was an absolutely crazy night. To just preface this, we all set out together, and all returned separately (Mrs. Hoogland if you are reading this it is not our fault, but rather the Italian boy that Lucie met). We had plans to meet up with Lucie’s aunt and uncle at the Spanish Steps, but we found out later that the place to be was the concert at the Colosseum. We were walking towards the steps when we noticed everyone was walking the other way. Luke made the ultimate decision that would forever change the night; to turn around and go with the crowd. We made it to the outskirts of the concert and it was about 1130.

Once we got there, we met a couple Serbian women that would end up being Luke and I’s New Year’s kisses. We found out later that they were 29, and once they found out that we were 20… well that ultimately ended our time with them. At one point Lucie felt compelled to complement them on their makeup (she continues to tell us that it looked really nice).

To follow it up, we met a few Italian men that fell in love with Lucie! The conversation went like this;

Lucie: How old are you?

Italian Guy: 20

Lucie: No you’re not, how old are you really? ... 18?

Italian Guy: yes 18

Luke: No you’re not!! You’re 20!!!

The New Year came with a crazy celebration here in Rome, there were people everywhere, fireworks, people lighting fire crackers, and everyone yelling. It was one of the largest collections of people I have ever been a part of.

This was where we were for New Years. It was this crowded for a 15 block by 7 block stretch.

The night was going well, but we now had our first problem.  After Lucie’s New Years moment with one of the Italians, the three of them turned into leaches. So Luke’s idea of a solution was to push Lucie and act like the angry boyfriend of Lucie… the only problem of this idea is that the Italians didn’t speak English, so they didn’t understand what Luke was doing. Rather Lucie just got mad at Luke (he failed to tell here his plan either) and this started the eventual demise of the three of us. After this we got separated. Luke saw a couple of girls dancing in the streets and wanted to go over there… so we did!

A short time after this our paths completely separated. I ended up walking around for another 3-4 hours, but nothing exciting. The night before we were at the Trevi Fountain and a random lady told us that she was there last year and 3 guys jumped in the fountain, so of course I wanted to go check it out. Of course nothing exciting happened, and I wondered home to the hostel at 4am.

I really wanted to see someone jump in, but rather I just saw a lot of couples kissing and plenty of cops and glass bottles everywhere. Side note: The gypsy population at the fountain is drastically higher New Year's Eve as well!!

Lucie on the other hand wasn’t so lucky! She got separated from us when Luke “her fake boyfriend” decided to get angry with her, and her night took a huge turn for the worse. It turns out that a Polish couple found her, saw that she was distressed and decided to try and act out a scene in Taken with her… or at least that is what she thought!!

 I would like to think that Luke and I would have been able to do something like this and track Lucie down, but the truth is it probably would have been more like this.

Luke and I just keep talking about how the phone call to her parents would have gone... Thankfully she is still here, and no one had to call anyone... well sort of!!

She later told us that they asked her if she had been drinking (of course she had), and then if she had done any marijuana or cocaine (of course she hadn't). After walking hand in hand with them for about 20 minutes her mind really turned into Taken, and decided to ditch them. However at that point she was completely lost in Rome. Two hours and two maps later she finally made it to the train station. Once she made it back to the hostel her night was just starting.

Although she was worried about us worrying about her, we were out having fun in Rome on New Year’s Eve. However she decided to take my phone (which I had purposefully left in the room) and call every single person in my phonebook until they picked up. She claims that she wanted us to know that she was ok and alive, but I must say that at 3:30 in the morning my professor and boss at my internship are not as interested in this as she is. Turns out that she called everyone until they picked up (sometimes that meant 4 or 5 phone calls). My credit on my phone was just under 20 euros before we went out that night... It was 8.36 the next morning. On a side note, my professor called me the next day to make sure that everyone was still alive and out of jail... thanks Lucie!

 Luke on the other hand hung around the concert for a couple more hours. When he reached the hostel at 5am I was waiting for him on the steps on the stairwell (I may have been asleep and convinced that we had lost the keys, but that is irrelevant, rather I was waiting for my best friend to return). He was so excited to tell us all that he had gotten four different girls numbers!! The next day when I asked him how he communicated with them all, he simply told me "I used the phrase ciao bella more last night than an average Italian does in their lifetime."

Today we saw the last bit of Rome, and have officially arrived in Napoli. I know that I have not exactly kept up with my blog as much as I should have, but the truth is we have been really busy; 5 days, 50+ miles, and 1600 photos later, we are done with Rome.

Regardless, our evening in Rome was absolutely epic and one that I will never forget.

Traveling With Friends

Yesterday Luke and Lucie arrived here in Rome, and we spent the whole day walking around. We saw 8 or 9 churches, the Vittorio Emanuele monument, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, the Capodolio (a square designed by Michelangelo), and walked around the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and much more of the city. It was really a great day. I was able to see two of my friends that I hadn't seen in four months, we were in Rome, and the weather was great.

At one point we were sitting on this ledge watching the sun was go down while just looking at the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine and I truly realized what an amazing experience these next two weeks are going to be. I have spent the last four months living with Matt in Torino, and our relationship has grown drastically because of not only living together, but traveling as well. And here I am with my best friend, and another one of my very close friends, or as we joked last night "Lucie, don't get mad... you at least make the top 56 closest friends of ours", and I get to spend two weeks just traveling around Italy with them. I really am excited to show them around, let Luke tell us about churches as we are walking into them, thank you Rick Steves (However, there are some churches that don't get any triangles that we thought were some of our favorites!!), and enjoy the company of two people that are very close to me.

As today is starting (I am up writing this, and they are still trying to adjust to the time difference) and it is the last day of the year, I am making the promise to myself for this coming year not to have a stupid new years resolution of loosing weight, not eating fast food, or anything like that. Rather this year I am going to focus my time on spending it with the people I want, in the places I want, and for as long as I want, but appreciating it along the way. I think that sometimes people get used to things and forget the value of the things they have, but also the people around them, and this is something I don't ever want to do.

This study abroad experience has helped me to realize that time truly is the most valuable asset that we have as humans. And to not recognize that may be the biggest mistake you can make in life. I am not saying that this means go go go all of the time, because some of my best memories have been when I am sitting and relaxing and just talking with people, but rather use your time to your advantage and don't settle with something you don't want to do just because you want to be nice. Rather go out enjoy everyday, and do what you want to do, or at least this is what I am going to do!!

A few more of my photos from yesterday (you can see them all on my Facebook);