By Briyah Paley

The following is a firsthand account of spring break spent abroad.

A few months before spring break, I found myself anxious to go away. Not to Cancun or Florida, I wanted to go somewhere far away and full of culture. My cousin, a junior in high school from Boston, is spending the spring semester at a school in Rome, Italy. Suddenly I realized I had the perfect excuse to go there for vacation!

I started to think about the trip constantly. I viewed numerous Web sites to find the best ticket price. Finally I found a round trip ticket for $460, including taxes and all other fees. I was on my way!

To plan how I would spend my days there, I got a few guide books to help me. I would stay with my cousin at her school, and at youth hostels in Rome and Florence, which is a 2 hour train ride from Rome. One of my grandmothers was born and raised in Rome until she left for Australia, when she married my grandfather shortly after World War II. Her family is still in Rome. I was unsure if I would get to meet them, but still wanted to very much.

So Thursday afternoon after my last final, I left for the airport. When I got there, the woman at the Air France counter told me my flight had been canceled.

“What?!” I asked in disbelief.

“There were technical problems, you’ll be put on an American Airlines flight leaving in a few hours,” she said.

Ooookay. So after being the last one on standby to be let on, I was finally on the plane. More bad news. Since it was snowing, the plane had to be de-iced. That took 2 hours! About 15 hours later, I was finally in Rome. And wouldn’t you know it, they lost my luggage. I was reasonably furious (thankfully, I got it back the second day). But still, it was my first time traveling on my own, and I was just grateful to finally be there. I didn’t even have jet-lag. I was in awe of the city. Everything looked too magical; seeing the Coliseum made me feel like I was dreaming. That night I went out with my cousin and her friends, and let me tell you, those Romans know how to party. There were bars and clubs everywhere, without an enforced drinking age.

The next few days were filled with sight-seeing, gelato-eating, and museum-going. I was in heaven. The Sistine Chapel was the most exquisite thing I have ever seen.

Afterwards, I went to Florence. I had met a girl from Canada at the hostel in Rome and we decided to go together. You might be asking yourself, “How could this girl have gone to a foreign country by herself, only knowing a little Italian?” Well, it wasn’t always easy, but it was definitely an adventure, which is exactly what I wanted.

I went to Florence, bargained for leather, saw priceless works of art, and three days later, made my way back to Rome. Only this time I was greeted by my cousin Roberto (my grandmother’s first cousin). Although he only spoke a little English, he couldn’t have been more welcoming. He and his wife have two children, Francesco, 28, and Marta, 26. Meeting my cousins was the highlight of my trip. We looked through family albums, talked as much as we could, and ate the best food I had in Italy. My cousin Manuela can cook a mean fried artichoke!

I was sad to leave, but glad I’d done everything I wanted to: stayed within a budget (for the most part), went shopping, and enjoyed a meaningful family experience.

So of course there’s nothing wrong with going to some warm beach for spring break, but I chose Rome and I couldn’t be happier. Like they say, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” I did.