This is the last post of this blog.  There's been a lot of lasts for me in the past few days.  Last jury.  Last gelato.  Last group dinner.  Last walk to studio.  Last glimpse of the Pantheon.  I have left Rome.  I'm sitting in my room in Saint Paul as I write this.  It's been a very hard and strange experience.  It's given me a new outlook on life.  Re-entry into the U.S. wasn't what I thought it was going to be.  But nothing is.  I think it's pointless to try to describe reverse culture shock, so I'll just say what everyone says: it's weird coming back.

Now, I'd like to direct attention to people reading this blog who are interested in or are considering going to Rome with CUArch.  I know I read past blogs before I made my decision.  And I know what most of you will do.  You'll scroll down through the posts looking for pictures and completely skip the text.  That's fine, but if you do read anything, PLEASE, READ THIS:

DO YOUR RESEARCH.  Know what Rome is about.  Where it is, how it is, what sights to see, etc.  This is very important because you'll be living there for 4 months.

TAKE MONEY INTO CONSIDERATION.  Find out the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the euro.  The biggest blow that hit me was the expense of Italy.  Everything is at least twice as expensive in Italy, and the declining value of the dollar to the euro didn't help.  There is no meal plan, so plan to cook often.  Going out to eat, especially in Northern Italy, gets expensive.  I spent a little under $4000 in four months.  Although I traveled quite a lot, I was still on a budget.

TRAVEL.  A LOT.  They told us to stay in Rome during the meetings.  "There's no need to travel too much.  There's a lot to see in Rome."  While I agree that there is a lot to see in Rome, I couldn't emphasize more for you to travel and get out of Rome.  Because it was through visiting other cities that I came to see the true glory of Rome.  Every time I left, I missed it.  It made me love Rome that much more.

DON'T GO FOR THE PEOPLE.  Don't consider the other people going to Rome.  If you want to go to Rome, go to Rome.  Don't let who's on the list dictate where you go.  I would've made a grave mistake if I had done this.

DON'T EXPECT A VACATION.  You're not going on an extended holiday.  You'll be with the same 20 people every day for a long time.  People will start to go crazy.  Studio will become more intense.  You'll have a lot of work.  Expect to deal with stress and anger just like any other semester.

DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME.  When you're there, please do as much as you possibly can.  If' you're in a relationship with someone back home, work it out so that you're not always on the computer or the phone.  If you're feeling lazy and want to watch TV, get up and go do something.  I saw so many people wasting precious time abroad (including myself).  Experience the city while you can!

It was a great semester.  It was more amazing than I can describe.  All I can say is that I miss it already.  Some aspects of the program could have been better.  First, coordination between our courses would have been much appreciated.  There were several occasions where we visited a site (like Teatro Marcello) for both sketching/studio and history class.  Second, there were many times (especially in Northern Italy and Istanbul) where we would be let off at a random location and told we had free time.  This sounds like a good thing, but in reality, it wasn't.  None of us knew where we were most of the time and usually ended making our way back to the hotel.  Third, the trip's budget seemed very tight.  I always had the feeling that we couldn't get all that we wanted when we were provided with lunches or dinners.  These minor problems caused little trouble along the way.

Now I come to the conclusion.  They say all good things come to an end.  I would disagree.  The idea, the dream, that is Rome (at least for me) will never die.  I can see the cobblestone streets of Trastevere with my eyes closed.  I'll always have that.  It's become a part of me.  I'll carry the memories with me for the rest of my life.