It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

"Won't you be my neighbor?" -Mr. Rodgers

Let's take a walk down memory lane, shall we? Flashback to my early childhood. Picture curly headed Mimi in green footie pajamas and a bottle of yoohoo... (am I outing my mom right now???)

I would lay it on back like your tired grandpa after sunday lunch. I was in my lounging clothes, chocolate milk, and my favorite orange cat, Boy Cat.

***sidebar:: we were inventive with our pet names growing up. Boy Cat, Little Fella (cat), Tick (dog), Gatty (alligator), Turdy (turtle), and Kitten (cat).

Mr. Rodger's Neighborhood would play and before that man could change into his sweater the chocolate milk was gone and my eyes were rolled to the back of my head.

While in Rome, we have made this neighborhood feel like home. Come with me as I walk you through our daily walk to the Rome Center from our apartment.

We are staying on the fourth floor of this sweet apartment building. Here in Rome, the first level is technically floor 0... After a long day of touring, we take the elevator.

When we arrived to the apartment jet lagged and loaded down with luggage, we almost cried at the sweet little elevator. This elevator looked exactly like the one Lizzie McGuire had in her hotel in Rome.

We have a neighborhood cat that hangs out in this courtyard. Sometimes I wake up early to walk to the studio by myself. 7:00 am is the prime dog spotting time in the Prati area.

Just a few of the pups I see in the morning...

We live on Giovanni Bettolo. We didn't know where in the world we were for the first few days of being in Rome. Come to find out, the street signs are on the buildings.

This cafe is open 24/7! It has been a source of joy for us on early mornings. They have the cheapest pastries! You can get a large pastry and an espresso for 1.50 euro.

Here we come to the part of the journey that you duck your head and speak to no one... This part of the walk is full of shops and tourists. With tourists comes the annoying tour guides trying to get you to "go to the vatican" "vatican is this way" "excuse me" "hello" "you cannot go inside dressed like that"

Strange man, please back away from me....

This is not just a crosswalk... it is a crosswalk of death. Here, you just walk and trust no one will hit you! No light or sign, just go...

After the crosswalk, you have a decision to make.

Walk straight to St. Peter's Basilica or...

turn left to avoid all the traffic. This is my regular route. I will go towards the Basilica if I get a wild hair.

Tiny gas station

A little floral shop

Here we approach yet another crosswalk of death...

This is the Castel Sant'Angelo that was initially built as a mausoleum but later used as a fortress and protection for the pope.

Every evening there is a new musician entertaining a crowd of people. This guy just so happens to be playing my favorite Santana song...

Ponte Sant'Angelo, or Bridge of Hadrian, is the bridge we walk over every morning. Two of the angels were made by the sculptor Bernini... It doesn't seem real to be able to walk past his work everyday. He is an artist I have been studying for years and to be able to interact with his work on a daily basis is unreal to me.

During the summer, the Tiber River is low enough to have pop up restaurants on either side. We sat down here during a lunch break one day and ate dinner one evening.

After crossing the bridge, we are now in the Campo Marzio area of Rome. It is one of the oldest areas in Rome and is full of charming shops and cafes.

Now we are about three minutes from the school. On either corner is a cafe that we regularly stop for morning coffee or a quick lunch.

The home stretch... I feel like this has been my stomping ground for years even though we've been here for such a short amount of time. The restaurants and store owners have made us feel extremely welcomed.

The back entrance to school is only accessible by a key card. It makes me feel like I'm in a members only club when I whip out my student card and hear the *beep*.

Ahhh... Finally, school.

After a sweaty 30 minute walk, we normally throw our things down, turn on all the fans and lights, and make an espresso. Our studio has no A/C but how can we complain working in a space like THIS????

Front entrance to the school

We work hard and learn so much! I could not ask for a better space to walk to everyday. Morning walks are a huge joy for me and give me a chance to be quiet and prepare for a day full of knowledge!

Thank you for joining me on my daily walk to the studio! Hope you didn't sweat as much as I did.

***bonus:: We heard this on the way home from dinner one night! I can just imagine the twelve year old little girl practicing for her next recital!