After spending a few full days discovering Florence, I found myself laying in bed (in the cutest little Italian apartment – thanks to AirBnB!) contemplating taking a train to Rome for the day.

I had seen all of Florence, and was feeling a bit spontaneous and adventurous. So after consulting with a few friends and my family – I decided to book a roundtrip ticket from Florence to Rome!

For the small price of 40 euros, I woke up before the sun and headed to the train station.

This was one of the many moments while abroad, that I fell in love with my experiences, and appreciated every opportunity that came my way.

Not many 21 year olds can say they conquered Rome in a day – as the Romans would say!

But I did it all by foot, no public transport or taxis taken, and I loved each and every step of the way.

I arrived at about 8 am, and left close to 9 pm with an entirely different perspective of the world.

Rome was truly a sight to see – I couldn’t believe what was before my eyes, all around me the entire day.

It was an experience like no other, like walking through history in today’s modern world.

From the Colosseum to the Roman Forum & Palatine Hill, the Trevi Fountain and Pantheon, all the way to Vatican City.

Out of the many decisions I made while abroad, this one was perhaps my favorite.

To take on Rome on my own, by foot, in just over 12 hours was something I would have never imagined doing, not in a million years.

But I did it! And I am forever grateful for that.

Besos,

Madeline Alice Johnson

Side Note: This blog post is originally from May 18, 2016.