When in Rome...

Ciao!

I had such an amazing time in Italy back in January that I decided to return-this time to conquer the Capitol- Rome!

This trip stands out from thee rest of my travels this year for the following reasons:

-I stayed with Claudia-my crazy, amazing Italian who studied abroad at my high school in CO! 

We quickly became friends during our school's tennis season. Since we were the top two singles payers on our team, that meant we spent a lot of time training (and messing around) together.  Which brings us to another unique aspect of this trip...

-I went to Rome to visit Claudia to join her to watch the Italian Open- a major tennis tournament in Rome! So this trip was not a full-out sightseeing trip (although we did squeeze in time to see one of the arguably most historic cities in  thee world!)

The most beautiful tennis courts were found here!

To make things even better, Claudia was a ball girl at the tournament which allowed us to meet all sorts of tennis pros, coaches and see the behind the scenes of the tourney! (I definitely smooched off the benefits as seen bellow...)

MEETING GRAND SLAM CHAMP AND #3 IN THE WORLD
ANGELIQUE KERBER
fun fact: she's German and wasn't meeting or taking pics with people that morning but
I called out to her in German and she (and her coach) came over and talked and took a pic with me!

The height difference >

Serena Williams warming up!  She is a beast up close

and Serena  William's tennis coach! 

Andreas Seppi

Front row on the first day!

Watching these professionals play was unique. They are so consistent and play at such a high level, it reignited my love for the sport and gave me an abundance of ideas on how to improve my game.

-I was also in Rome for my birthday! Claudia's family was so incredibly nice and helped me celebrate the day! We ate all sorts of yummy Italian food, had an AMAZING chocolate cake and then I later went out with Claudia and her friends to celebrate! Going to Rome for my birthday was pretty neat needless to say!

Claudia and I out  on my birthday

-The best thing about staying with Claudia and her family was that they gave the best tour of Rome...local style! They are so proud of their city and it showed every time they took me out. I saw the city in every possible way- through going out to local bars with Claudia and her friends, to driving around Rome and seeing the city by night with her dad, to cooking with her mom and trying all Italian foods (Gelato, Carbonara, white pizza, pastries, and more Espresso than I thought I could ever consume!), really covered Italian culture! I'm so thankful for the opportunity to have stayed with them and seen how Claudia lives in Italy! Plus, her friends were all super nice and welcoming! 

I low key nerded out when sightseeing in Rome. Having gone to a classical school
K-8th grade, we studied ancient Greece and Rome almost more than we studied
American history. 

Making wishes at Trevi Fountain-!

Claudia and I at her favorite monument!

We played short court tennis here...

Vatican!

All in all, this was definitely a "highlight" of the year. Being reunited with Claudia and seeing her in her "natural habitat" was incredible! It's amazing to see where friendships from exchanges go...they truly last a life-time!