Me, Rome, and a lot of happiness

So our last hours in Rome had me down by the Colosseum. Kathleen and Danielle were too tired, and hung out at the hostel, but there was no way I was wasting my last hours in the hostel, or anywhere but the Colosseum. I was up and going by around 9am, and I walked down to the Colosseum. After staring for a few minutes, I walked the Via dei Fori Imperiali, it's the street leading to the Colosseum, but also the one that has the statues of the Emperors. I stood at each forum, Augustus, Caesar, Trajan and Nerva's forums. They are all just ruins, but I still enjoy looking at all of them trying to imagine what they use to look like. Augustus and Trajan had the biggest forums, which is not very surprising. I laughed a little bit at Nerva's forum, I mean it seems a little out of place. Who knows anything about Nerva?? Not me, but I do know a lot about Augustus, Caesar, and Trajan. It was a good time just walking among the forums, staring at the statues... just so cool. You have no idea how excited I was also to find a statue of Julius Caesar... it doesn't say that its Caesar, but it's next to his forum so I assume. Or it might say, but it's in Latin so yeah not completely sure. Oh well. I walked ever so slowly around the forums and on the street, just staring, soaking in all the history. To think that Augustus walked in the forum of Caesar and his own... sigh. Marcus Aurelius walked around the forums too... I mean what an amazing place.

I did end up around the Colosseum... I mean it was just there, so how could I not go up to it again. I walked around it just taking it all in. I was actually on the search for via Marco Aurelio, and I found it easily. It's right near the Colosseum. It's just an ordinary street, filled with cars, and houses. Still it was cool to be on a street named after Marcus Aurelius. I walked back to the Colosseum, and sat down on a wall, and just stared.

Let me see if I can even start to say what was on my mind as I was looking at the Colosseum. I kept thinking about fortunate I was to be in Rome, to be in this amazing city, with so much history, in the one place that I have been dreaming to go to for a long time. I never imagined in a hundred years that I would actually go to Rome, and see all that I have seen. I've had the most wonderful year, I've been places, seen things, that last year I didn't think was possible. But here I am. I try and not think about it, but soon I will be home in the States, and the opportunity to travel around Europe will no longer be available to me. I won't be able to sit by the Thames and just do nothing, or sit in a pub and just talk over a pint. I had a lot of dreams about this year, but it's nothing like I thought it would be... it's ten times better. My thoughts also kept going to the Colosseum, this giant building right in front of me with so much history inside of it. A building that has seen so much death, people, and Emperors... just so cool. It was built for the people, and even 2000 years later, it is still for the people, but just not Romans anymore but everyone! People come from all over to see the Colosseum and just wonder at it's size. I also thought that it is a good thing I didn't study in Italy, well Rome, or I would never leave the Colosseum. Hahah. Class? What, who needs it when you have something like the Colosseum!

I did leave after being there for awhile, very reluctantly of course. As I walked down the road away from the Colosseum, I kept looking back trying to take it all in. There was this guy behind me, who I probably scared, oh well. I will admit that I had a tear in my eye as I turned the corner, and the Colosseum was gone from my view. It took every inch of my will power to turn the corner... I just didn't want to. I never have to look at a picture of the Colosseum again though, I can see it as clear as day in my head, and I have a feeling that it won't fade easily.

After I left, I went back to the hostel, but stopped at our pizza place. I had to go in for one more dose of abuse. The guy gave me a smile when I entered, but nothing else exciting happened. It was a little sad. But I brought the pizza back to the hostel where Kathleen and Danielle were just hanging out with Nate, one of the guys who works at the front desk. Nate was a little insulted that I brought pizza back without getting him some, but oh well.

After I ate, we had to go, we caught a bus at the train station to the airport, and then went home. I so did not want to leave. Italy was amazing, such a cool trip, and I want to go back. Well okay I want to go back to Rome. I would love to see the rest of the country, but as always Rome is a priority.

Well that's my spring break. Finally finished posting about it.