This past weekend two of the other members of the UA in Oxford cohort and myself had the opportunity to spend the weekend in Rome, Italy. A weekend in Rome has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl as I have extended family on my mother’s side that lives just outside of the city. To be able to walk the same streets that my ancestors have for years was such an incredible and surreal feeling. Unfortunately, my family members were away for the weekend but we were still able to explore the city and enjoy the culture. The biggest item on our to-do list was the Colosseum which is pictured above. We also took a tour of the Pantheon, walked the Spanish Steps, and visited the Trevi Fountain. We also tried our best to immerse ourselves into the culture by trying different foods and interacting with the locals. We were able to befriend a man named Oscar who was around our age who was native to the area in which we were staying in and he was able to give us advice as to where to go and what to do while in the city. To be in a city so rich in culture and filled with so much history was beyond every expectation that I had. It also was interesting to view the stark contrast between the old versus new aspects that are displayed throughout the city. It felt like every step we took we would find another historical landmark but then would also be across a modern store or restaurant. Overall, we had an incredible trip and we would love to return.