When in Rome...
By Jacquelin Anderson
Day 5 began a little different than the others so far since we got to sleep in!! Some chose to get up and walk around the market next to the hotel while others enjoyed some much needed sleep.
At 11:00 am we headed to the metro to take our longest ride yet to the Colosseum and Roman Forum. We enjoyed a two hour tour and learned about Romes ancient entertainment and city center. Our tour guide, Theresa, was amazing and made it such a good time.
Following the tour, we had 2.5 hours to return to the hotel before leaving for the game. This is when we split up to eat some lunch (mainly pizza) and do some souvenir and clothing shopping. Here is when things got a little interesting for J, E, Sarah, Soph, Gab, and Jac. In trying to go back to the hotel, we got on the B metro line instead of the A line. First, we went on the wrong side of the tracks then ran to the other side, to then question if we were even going the right way. Someone started screaming at the top of their lungs in the background, scaring Sar, as we couldn’t decide wether to get on or off, but we ended up deciding to stay on the line and made it back to the hotel safely. Adrenalin was pumping!
After a small break, we packed our uniforms and loaded the bus to head to our second game of the trip. We traveled an hour and a half out of the city of Rome and into the winding country side to the town of Sora. We pulled up to the athletic complex with a beautiful view of mountains in the background and a team practicing soccer. Upon arrival we were met by the city's council woman and traded gifts. We gave her a Millikin flag and a jersey, while we received miniature jersey of their own.
We then took to the floor to warm up. The gym had a unique set up with a domed roof, decorated with advertising and the Pope's face (see pictures). We tipped off at 7:30pm in a familiar Gris heat. It took a quarter for us to get our well traveled legs going before we went on scoring tear and ending in a final score of 97-78.
Following the game, we exchanged shirts with the team and did a group break saying “together.” We enjoyed some dinner with the team and even got to talk to the girls a bit while sharing some food. Honestly, one of the best parts of the evening! Then, we loaded the bus to return to Rome for our final night, which is finalized with a late night team trip to McDonald’s!
