Is this the real life?

Is this just fantasy?

No, really! Next semester is approaching ever more quickly, and it's still only just starting to dawn that I'll really truly be spending it in Rome. Tomorrow we register for our classes. In Rome there are only certain Core classes that everyone has to take, with just a few other options. I'll be taking four of those five classes and switching out the fifth for Intermediate Italian II. On top of that I'll taking a one-credit, pass/fail course which is actually a volunteer opportunity where we go to a nearby Italian school and essentially tutor the kids there in English. Deciding on classes, doing the paperwork...all these little details of the registration process are really helping to hit it home just how soon this will all be happening...
The other night we had a class meeting about the Rome semester and some previous Romers did a panel covering various topics and answering questions. We heard all about academics, what campus life is like, what to pack, how to travel, and sundry other advice, tips, and funny stories. It made everything suddenly seem so real and so close and still so unbelievable. Me? Taking a bus into Rome multiple times a week? Hanging out at a cafe in a small Italian town up the street? Travelling to places like Florence, Venice, Sicily, London, Paris, etc with my friends? Psh, that's crazy talk! That's the stuff of dreams!
It is the stuff of dreams, my dreams, and it's almost here. A few more weeks of this semester to push through, then Christmas break, and then on to Roma, La Città Eterna, and all the adventures to follow!