First off, I still can't believe that I survived finals. This whole week -- which, of course, was absolutely beautiful weather-wise -- was swallowed up in a terrible flurry of papers, late nights in the library memorizing things like the date of when the ceiling frescoes in Palazzo Barberini were painted, reminders scribbled on post-it notes, my hand cramped up from writing the equivalent of a novel in my exam booklets, racing against the clock and against the sad fact that time was inevitably slipping away.

And now, that it has slipped, all I can do is shake my head and say, "Guys, this is it. This is our last day."

My last time petting Stanley, Livio's adorable dog (and our loving mascot); my last nun bun; my last meander through the convent halls; my last gelato... the idea is proving to be a bit hard to swallow. I mean, it hasn't really hit me yet that I have just one night left to take advantage of this magical city, reflect on my experience, and enjoy a few final bottles of real Italian wine.

To be honest, there were a lot of things that I wanted to do while here in Rome that I didn't get to do -- ride on a Vespa, go to a squat, take a cooking class, ride a stallion through the Tuscan countryside, meet a fabulously wealthy and attractive Italian man who wanted to lavish me with expensive gifts... But I also did a lot of things that I'd never even realized were within my reach.

I went to a plaster cast laboratory and got to see the renowned Andre Felice actually make a plaster cast sculpture. Then I got to see the storeroom, shown here, where he keeps a menagerie of his past creations. Awesome.

I took a 14-hour train ride to Vienna (with my fellow Bucknellian Sarah Schoenhut) and then, quite daringly, stayed in an apartment with a group of students who I'd met through my membership with www.couchsurfing.com (if you plan to travel on a budget and you like to meet new and interesting people, I highly suggest you look it up)... and it was probably the best trip of my entire semester. Not only was the city amazing, but our "host" Nikkola and her five flat mates made us feel totally welcome, cooking us meals and taking us out to university parties (which, to our amazement, actually took place in the building where they have classes... got to love those carefree Europeans). Meeting and talking to them about the vast differences between our cultures, our upbringings, and our views on the state of the world was fascinating.

I saw some of my most favorite works of art in person (I'll admit I cried a little each time from sheer joy) and fell absolutely head over heels in love with a few new artists [such as Kupka (whose work is seen below) and the incomparable Oskar Kokoschka].

I carved my initials in a block of marble with the same kinds of tools Bernini used to make his masterpieces.

I stood in the Coliseum with my parents and hummed the theme from the movie Gladiator. Then I took them around the city, translated for them, and showed them the sites, navigating the streets like a true Roman, without a map, without a doubt but with a smile.

I picked flowers in the Forum. I dipped my toes in the Mediterranean. I watched the sun set from the top of the Spanish Steps. I drank local wine from a vat and saw the vineyards where the grapes that made it were grown. I met people and I saw things that have changed me forever. I lived in Rome for five months and regardless of the fact that it may not have been perfect, I wouldn't have traded a minute of it. Not for the world.