UnOFicIaL 2011 **********

Home from Roma Unofficial at 10pm. Win or fail. Not sure yet. Despite my early check in time, I'm going to have to chalk up tonight as a win, simply based on all the fun I had. After many a weeks trying to blend in to the Roma scene (which will obviously never be possible, i mean just look at me, Italian is just not in my genetics) we finally let our American (slash Irish) colors fly free.

After arriving home early from our TV station field trip we quickly began our power hour (and a 1/2). Several beers later we headed out on the the tram toward the Pantheon. Seeing at it was only 4:30 we were by far the loudest most obnoxious human beings on that tram, but I didn't mind. We wore our drunkenness as a badge of honor as we chanted our Illini cheers throughout the streets of Rome.

Never have I been more proud of my U of I/Irish Heritage. Yes, we made fools of ourselves all night, but it was in the name of all things good, all things fun, all things Irish. Any holiday that incorporates day drinking and Irish music is a good day in my book and today was one of the best of those.

To my bitties in Chambana and Dublin I miss you all, but thank you to my Rome bitties for making this day one to remember.

But the greatest love--the love above all loves,
Even greater than that of a mother...
Is the tender, passionate, undying love,
Of one beer drunken slob for another.
--Irish love ballad