R is for Roma Romance

Whoa whoa whoa, take it easy. Nothing sketchy went down with any Italian men, nor will it (this trip at least . . . BYU lays down the LAW on dating here).I am simply wanting to express how much I loved Rome tonight.

First of all, we went to Pompeii today, and then briefly to Naples to go to the Archeological museum, which has lots of artifacts, mosaics, etc FROM Pompeii. It was a really cool experience, I was not expecting what I got. I took quite a few pictures, but none really do it justice (is this going to be a common theme? I swer I'm not trying to make excuses for my photography skills. They suck and I know it). The train rides were really fun too! On the way to pompeii I sat by Heather's (Professor Jensen) two daughters, Annie and Lucy. It was Lucy's eighth birthday today, too bad she couldn't get baptized in Rome. :) I ended up becoming with friends with Lucy and later Henry, who is maybe 5 or 6. George is warming up to me, but I think he will love me by the end of our trip. George is 3 by the way, and super awesome. All of these kids are so much fun, I wish they could hang out with Dallin, Claire and Spencer. Although, I just thought of the George/Spencer combo, and it would either be the funniest thing I have ever seen, or the most chaotic. The ride back was really fun, I'm starting to really enjoy each of the people I am traveling with, and I'm excited for the new friendships!

So back to Rome. We got back into town around 9pm, went back to our apartments, freshened up really quick, and then headed back out as a slightly smaller group. Rome was a having a Night at the Museum event of sorts (I am curious as to how often they do this), where anyone can get into the museums for free from 8pm to 2 am. So to start this off, Rome is straight up BEAUTIFUL and night. Add to that tons and tons of people EVERYWHERE out appreciating art . . . let's just say I was in heaven. We walked around, I just soaked up the whole experience. They city felt so alive, I didn't want to go home! There were crazy lines for every museum, but we (and especially me) wanted to go to a modern art exhibit that was just temporary. It was all art from about 1958-63, from Milan and Rome. Saw some Man Ray's, Duchamps' and a Louise Nevelson, which I loved and just knew I would. It was a nice break from all the more ancient stuff we have been looking at.

We ended up heading out a little before 1am, but I could stayed there all night, and honestly, it felt safer! There were more people out there than during the day it felt like! I was in love with the beauty and excitement of this city. I don't know if it will be my favorite, it is the first place I have been, but so far, it's amore.