Perche no?

Mi dispiace!  I have been absent from my blog updates for the past couple of weeks!  I was struck with the Roman flu (it seems have been going around rampantly here) and then had some camera /weather technical difficulties!  But other than that, these past few weeks have been filled with adventures!

I have done plenty of wandering around Rome these past couple of weeks, including being a "tour guide" for a new intern--it was kind of fun because I didn't get lost and actually showed him some of my favorite places!  A friend showed me that there are Cravaggios in churches all over the city that are almost hidden from crowds and, of course, have no entrance fees. I discovered caffe at Sant'Eustachio--some of the best coffee I have ever tried, I went to an aperitvo in a book store--amazing, and have done some decent ground work on finding the best gelateria in the city!

I have now been in Rome for two months.  It still surprises me that it has gone by so fast, but at the same time I feel so far away from the U.S and San Francisco.  I was walking around the city today with a friend when it started pouring, so we ducked into a book store.  I wandered into the travel book section, and ended up looking at the California guide (in Italian, certo...).  I was reading all of the recommendations for San Francisco and the Bay Area (many of which are my favorite places--they recommended the Makeout Room and the margaritas at Latin American Club haha) and couldn't help but feel like I do miss home!

I finally attended a welcome orientation at work and met some more amazing people from all over the world.  It is such an incredible experience to working and hanging out with people from every country you can imagine.  My world has expanded its borders not only in meeting these new people, but also through the work that I have been doing.  One project I've been working on included surveying the legal systems and meeting with lawyers in countries all over!

Santa Maria Maggiore

Piazza della Repubblica

This Friday marks the 150th Anniversary of the unification of various city-states to establish Italy, an event that will be celebrated for the rest of the year.  Who knew it was such a young country! 

Amazing caffe--the caffe is served with this unique foam, so unique that how it is made is a secret.  The caffe is prepared behind a barrier!

I hosted an aperitvo!