A moment of thanks.

It's Saturday night in Rome--one of my last Saturday nights in Rome--but I decided to stay in tonight in favor of having some time to relax. The past week has gone by in such a blur, and I needed some time to catch my breath.

Kate arrived from the US early Sunday morning, and the next few days were spent showing her around Rome (and you know, attending class). On Tuesday night, we jetted off to Paris, where we stayed until Friday night, when we flew back to Rome. Then, we got up early this morning, saw a last few Roman sites, then I dropped her off at the airport to fly back to the US. Whew. Quite a week, I must say, but a wonderful week all the same.

With American Thanksgiving this past week, the idea of "giving thanks" has been on my mind lately, and for good reason. In addition to all of the other wonderful things in my life, I have so much to be thankful for just in regards to this past semester. I've traveled to amazing places, met fantastic new people, and done a lot of things that most people only dream about. From sitting in a rowboat in the Blue Grotto on Capri to going up in the Eiffel Tower, I won't hesitate to say that this past semester has been the most incredible experience of my life thus far.

I just looked through the pictures that everyone has been putting up on Facebook over the course of the semester, and I can't even comprehend everything that I've experienced in these few short months. I'm so grateful for where I've been and what I've seen on my weekend trips, but I'm equally grateful (if not even more so) for my time in Rome itself. Rome really has become comfortable to me; I feel like I love and know this city as more than just a tourist, which is exactly what I wanted to get out of this semester.

So, here's to still celebrating the real meaning of Thanksgiving, even when my Thanksgiving dinner consisted of eating an omelet and crepes in a French cafe outside of Notre Dame. After all, the point is still the same no matter what country I'm in or what food I'm eating.

-megan