La dolce vita

Emily and I are in Rome for a few days over my fall break. It is the first time here for both of us, and it has been a fantastic experience so far. We are staying with my friend, Jonathan Rhodes, works lives here and works with the United Nations' World Food Program.

We got here on Sunday morning after an overnight flight, and Jonathan gave us his best jetlag medicine: a quick shower followed by an all-day walking tour around Rome! We hit a brickwall of fatigue at about 3 p.m. and had to go back to his apartment to rest. But overall, the jetlag hasn't been too bad.

Today we visited a lot of the major sites associated with ancient Rome in the city's historic center: the Forum, the Coliseum, and the Capitoline and Palatine hills. All were amazing; I was surprised at the extent of the imperial palace on top of the Palatine. It is so massive that it is hard to conceive what the entire, intact structure must have looked like.

Tomorrow we'll visit the Vatican, as well as some of the Christian catacombs and the Circus Maximus. If I am able, I'll send a couple more updates throughout our trip. I've got to say, being where so many famous Romans and famous Christians have trod has been quite an experience thus far.