I’ll listen to country, house, R&B, or anything that fits the mood. There’s something about walking through ancient streets with your headphones in that just hits different. It reminds me of home, but I’m also aware that I’m halfway across the world.
The most fun thing I did this week was visit the ruins of Trajan’s Market, which once had five floors and hosted 150 shops. It’s considered the first shopping mall in the world, and walking through it feels surreal. You’re surrounded by history that’s still standing after two thousand years.
I’ve been reading for my history class about the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. It is one of my favorite classes because we’re studying this history while actually living in the city where it happened. This week, we focused on what daily life looked like for Romans, especially how trading goods and markets worked. Learning that while standing near the same sites they used to shop and socialize in makes it feel real.
I played a little soccer at the park, but I’m not a huge soccer guy. They don’t really care about American football here, which still hurts a little, but that’s Europe for you. There is a basketball court right next to the Colosseum, and playing there, right next to that very famous, and very old, amphitheater (finished in 80 AD!), is wild.
I’ve been walking a lot lately, usually around 20,000 steps a day. In total, I probably walk close to twenty miles each week just exploring. Being on foot is the best way to see Rome.
