Oh, Rome... where have you been all of my life? To say I had an amazing time would be an understatement. If someone told me to describe Rome in one breathe, I would say that it's a remarkable city with a great story to tell. There's an amazing history to discover with every turn of its cobblestoned streets. 

My sister and I found Romans to be equally charming and comical, living up to their stereotype of being 'expressive' people. We witnessed a lot of 'talking with the hands' accompanied by bright and expressive eyes. 

Since the weather was in our favour, we walked absolutely everywhere... and I mean to the point of exhaustion and dehydration - but it was so worth it! We fell in love with the winding streets, lemon trees, and the coral and yellow coloured homes that were scattered across the city.

Rome made me feel so small. Literally and figuratively. You can easily get lost in the sea of tourists and high school students that wander about the city. Rome is overflowing with ancient monuments that have been standing strong for centuries. My favourite was the Pantheon. It made me think about how advanced civilization was back then, to create such a large structure with slave power (regrettably) and simple resources. It also makes me realize how short the human life is because I'm sure there are millions of people before me that have stood in my place (and surely after me). Humbled, I held onto that thought for a minute or two while quietly staring into the night sky through the oculus of the Pantheon.

The food! It's so simple and yet so wholesome. I found a favourite pasta dish and ordered the same thing the entire trip. It's called Cecio e Pepe, it has a cream-based sauce and it's sprinkled with a bit of parmesan and pepper on top. My sister generally opted for anything with a tomato-based sauce, which was perfect because we got to sample more things from the menu.

Before leaving, I promised myself to go back in the summer to see the Trevi fountain (it was under construction and opens in another year) and the Spanish steps. And to have more espresso, gelato and tiramisu. I'll leave you with some of my favourite pieces from the Vatican!