When in Rome...

Italians seem to be just as friendly as Belgians. I sat next to two Italian guys who were in Brussels for business. They found out my birthday was next week, and bought wine bottles for our row to celebrate! Strangers and their kids even sang Happy Birthday to me. :)

 

Day 1 

We got so lucky with the weather! Clear skies all day. So we did more outdoorsy touristy things such as the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Spanish Steps. Although these famous structures are beautiful by themselves, the gorgeous blue backdrop adds a nice touch.

Day 2

We took a trip to Tivoli, and visited Villa d'Este. Villa d'Este is the perfect representation of Italian architecture. It truly is a palace with its green gardens, running fountains, and magnificent views! My favorite part of the trip was the pizza we had at a local cafe in Tivoli. It was the best pizza I've ever had! Still dreaming about it. Yum. 

Day 3

It was a rainy day so we did indoor stuff: Musei Capitolini and Christmas midnight mass at the Vatican. My sister had to ask a nun back in the States to help her write a letter so we could get tickets to attend Midnight Mass. Getting tickets is one thing, getting in is another. If you ever seen a line for the iPhone, it's about 10 times that size. There were about 2500 people in front of us, and they let in about only 100 people behind us. We barely made the cut! Although we're not the most religious family out there, it was still a wonderful experience! 

Day 4

Christmas day most establishments are closed excluding restaurants. So we went to the Christmas markets, Pantheon, and Trevi Fountain.




We had clear skies and sun for 3 out of 4 days. Pretty good ratios if you ask me. Overall, Rome was a success. Next stop: Barcelona!





xoxo,

Amy

Just in time

My family is coming to Europe over winter break! They arrive in Rome today, and I'm suppose to fly to Rome to meet them.  I went out with a friend from the States last night, but responsible me decided to come home early to finish packing and a project. Good thing I did too, because I had absolutely no sleep. Packing for 2.5 weeks of traveling in a small carry-on is more time consuming than it looks! (I made an excel sheet for my outfits, anything worn less than 3 times gets left behind :D.)

Well I had some mishaps traveling this morning, what's new.

I left my house 4 hours before my flight departs, which I thought was more than enough time to get to an airport that is an hour away. Well the transportation system of southern Belgium decided to go on strike a wee bit earlier than planned. No trains were available. Now to plan B. 

Bus into Brussels, another to the center of Brussels. An hour long taxi to the airport.

I really appreciate the taxi driver doing some illegal moves to get me to the airport on time!  I got to the airport 10 minutes before the gate closed. :) Luck strikes again.



xoxo,

Amy

AHHHHHHH!!! FINALS.

You see my title there? I usually have that feeling of anxiety around this time of year. Oddly, this semester I don't. I have one final this week: an oral exam. I've never taken an oral exam for a business course, nor have I had 15 minutes of conversation count for 60% of my grade.

If you think that's a lot of pressure...

January 4th- Not only do I have an art history exam that counts for %100 of my grade, but it's also  written in FRENCH. On top of that, she's a new professor so she doesn't have a textbook.

January 7th- Corporate Strategy and Antitrust exam that accounts for %70 of my grade.

January 9th- Advanced Finance exam that accounts for %75 of my grade.


Never again will I ever complain about final exams accounting for %50 of your final grade.


Wish me luck!


xoxo,
Amy