Ciao a Roma!

Hello all my fellow cycling friends and mentors! Number one: Rome is amazing! I had to move this week out of my apartment into a temporary apartment for four days because the heat in our place has been non-functioning since we arrived. And everytime we turned on any big appliances, i.e. a space heater, a blow dryer, two many lights, the washer, pretty much anything, the power cut out! That was because out apartment only supported 2000 watts. Pretty much nothing at all. So my clothes sat in the washer, 10 minutes into the cycle all weekend, and my roommate and I shivered all damn night because there was no heat! So they moved us to via dei Fori Imperiali for 3 nights. We were pretty much a stones throw from the Colesseum and practically in the damn Forum! It was pretty cool I have to admit! So now we are back at our original apartment, with 6000 watts, working heaters, and clean clothes. Nevermind that practically no one in Italy owns dryers, so everything has to be line dried! It's a wierd country!

I know everyone reading this right now is saying..."shut up Becky, you are in Rome." And I have to admit that even including the apartment in Antartica, and the moving, this trip has been absolutley amazing! I saw the Sistine Chapel last weekend. I have never seen anything more beautiful in my life. I just stood their staring with my mouth wide open taking it all in! WOW! I also went to Via dei Condotti last Saturday...the street with YSL, Gucci, Bulgari, Prada, Fendi, Cartier and such on it. Unfortunatley I did not buy anything. But if you all want to send me some money for a trip to those stores, I will have no qualms about sending you my address. Just let me know!!!

I am having so much fun! And yes I am even learning Italian. We have one more week of Intensive Language classes, and then a week break, during which I am going to Paris for five nights, with my roommate, and then we begin our core classes! I know I am spoiled!!

For more photos check this website! Love all of you! And I miss my bike (I mean Amy's bike), terribly! But I will be back soon enough and on the Bella road team with Michael to yell at me and tell me to pedal harder and Dave coaching me for cross! Ciao Bellas!

Becky

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