Rome via Brooklyn

470 words, 2 minute read

The first museum trip of the class was a one-of-a-kind experience for me. I’m a huge fan of the industrial machinery aesthetic, especially when it’s beside much older objects, such as marble statues. I was genuinely transfixed with every room we explored.

Limestone is a familiar and almost comforting material, it’s what most of the older buildings in Istanbul are made out of. I couldn’t help but touch a lot of the objects on display, though I know I’m technically not supposed to. The main subject of the museum was also super interesting! Rome’s republic era is (in my opinion) more fascinating than its empire era. Since the imperial period is all anyone talks about, I’ve gravitated toward learning a bit more about how Rome functioned as a republic.

It might be destiny (or dehydration hallucinations) that I kept finding myself near statues of Athena. Maybe it’s because I wear a necklace with the Aegis symbol, the shield with a gorgon’s face that she is known to wield. I’ve always admired her as a goddess. I think she was a recurring figure because of her domain over war strategy, as Rome is known to be very militaristic. I imagine generals like Marius and Sulla using statues of Athena as a way to symbolize their military prowess. I use the statue as an opportunity to pose like a middle-aged dad who thinks he’s funny.

I was pretty disappointed that like 90% of the stalls at the market were closed by the time we got there, but I found a much happier percentage of 50 in regards to prices on a clothing rack. I’m fairly proud of myself for keeping conversation with the store clerk, she even said my Italian was bello. I obviously stumbled with some grammar and my lack of vocabulary, but I was able to go back and forth. This interaction boosted my confidence, and I’m definitely not as scared as before to converse with people here now.

I actually accidentally left the clothing I bought at the market at the bus stop, so I had to maneuver back and forth on my own. I think I’m pretty good at figuring out public transportation on the fly, so it went surprisingly smoothly. Maybe Mercury (the Roman god of travelers) was there with me! The walk back to the building was so peaceful, I really enjoyed just taking in all the sights and sounds.

Lunch together was great, I’m always happy to bond with my classmates and get to know them better! I found the restaurant’s concept very amusing too, I also think everything can be made into a meatball.

I’d consider this a perfect Nico day; I went to a museum, learned about public transportation, and had a great meal. Can’t wait to see what the next one brings!

–Nico Vila