My trip to Rome was an absolute dream. The Eternal City completely and utterly captured my heart from the very start. The weather was perfect, the people were amazing, just the bus ride from the airport to the city was fascinating and gorgeous. I immediately dropped my things at the hostel and began to walk around Rome. I didn't take a single picture, I don't even think I took a breath. I was simply enchanted. Every street is exquisite, there are ancient ruins and magnificent old buildings around every turn. I got completely lost for hours, walked until my feet bled and loved every second of it. 
Somehow through just ambling around the city I managed to see Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon, The Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II, and Ancient Rome, among other things. Somehow - maybe this isn't a very tourist-heavy season for Rome - I managed to walk right into a guided tour of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. It was absolutely fascinating. I am such a nerd when it comes to history, and being right in the heart of it was mind-blowing. I could have stayed there forever. 
Like my hostel in Paris, The Yellow in Rome had a bar downstairs which was a great way to meet amazing people each night. This particular night found me hunkered down at a table with two American guys, three British girls, a guy from Germany, and another girl from India. After a late night I was pretty baffled by a knock on my door at 9 AM the next morning. It was Jake, Will, Laura, Lottie, and Alex, the Americans and Brits from the night before to tell me that they had rented Vespas, or motor scooters for the day. The result was one of the most beautiful days I've ever lived. We scooted around warm, sunny Rome all day just casually driving by some of the most beautiful structures in the world. We ventured out of the city and into the countryside a bit before making it back to Vatican City where we parked the scooters, ate lunch, and took a tour of the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica. It was wonderful and striking, and afterwards we had an almost cinematic drive home as I watched the sunset from a bridge over the River Tiber while being driven on a Vespa. Incredible. That night I took myself to dinner where I enjoyed real Italian bruschetta and ricotta tortellini with sage - good thing I wasn't in Rome longer, I would have gained 100 pounds.
I walked along the river where I found a gorgeous old mossy cobblestone path which led me up to Aventine Hill. I found a lovely old church with a huge courtyard garden overlooking Rome. I must go back to Rome. Absolutely stunning.
I then walked back to the city center where I had the best gelatto of my entire life and went to the Largo di Torre Argentina, a square in the middle of Rome where Julius Cesar was said to have been assassinated. The square now hosts a no-kill shelter for homeless cats so I sat and ate my gelatto in the company of a few curious furry friends that came to see what I was doing. My last night in Rome began with dinner at a table with a Marine from southern california and a woman's activist from NYC. I then met up with the Canadians from the night before and somehow got roped into a game of beer pong which ended in the entire hostel/bar - about 200 people - chanting my name as I led my team to victory. A group of US Navy guys based in Italy were there as well, and of course I found the only gay one of the group and we became best friends...there's just something about me and gay men, must be the musical theatre in me.
Thus ends my amazing trip to Rome. I can easily say that it was one of the most special places that I have ever been, and you better believe I threw all three coins into Trevi Fountain in hopes that I will find myself there again someday. Rome has my heart!
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