May 5

Spring has finally arrived according to the locals and Rome is finally coming alive. The natives are shedding their shells and living outside. I had a great dinner at a place called Paris near a crowded piazza in Trastevere. Tonight I am going to my first professional soccer match. I saw Real Madrid play in D.C. a couple years ago but this is different. AS Roma is facing Catania in a Serie A match tonight at Olimpico Stadio, the stadium built for the 1960 Olympic Games. Tomorrow I will be working on projects and making some posts and hopefully I have time to squeeze in a museum visit. I have Tuscany and part of Spring Break written already. I am trying to spend as much time exploring Rome as I can. The city looks incredibly different from its mid-April counter part. This is the Rome people fall in love with. The program is officially over in 12 days and I'm trying to decide what to do in the few days between the end of finals and when my mom and sisters come. I'll probably spend them in Rome, maybe go to the beach for an afternoon. The ATP tennis tournament runs from the 12th to the 20th. Alternatively, Tally and Paige are going to the French and Italian Rivieras. Nice, France would be awesome, but I think staying in Rome would be more fulfilling.