It is hard to choose a specific story that
represents my experience in Rome. I have
found that my time here has not been made up of individual memories, but rather
it has been one running dialogue that continues to become more complex daily with
different tangents entering the conversation.
When I first arrived, I followed my map.
After a couple days, I would put the map away while walking with
friends. A week later I would venture
out by myself, and from there I started wandering down paths as they called to
me without being concerned about getting lost.
I now speak with locals in the little Italian I know, greet the “gelato
man” by name, and pick up groceries as needed while passing by shops and
markets. Now that I am fully comfortable
with the routines of everyday life, I can focus on exploring more of the city
and participating in the countless cultural events without having to be
concerned about whether I will find my way or be able to communicate.
Some of my favorite Italian outings include
eating on outside patios, walking through the parks and rose gardens I find
during my travels, and enjoying a coffee in the crisp morning on my terrace as
the sun rises. I have grown so
comfortable here that it is hard to believe that I am still a relatively new visitor. When I return home to “what I know,” I feel
that it will be a shock to see just how much my patterns have changed. While I may not be able to stay in Rome
forever, I will certainly never forget the time I have spent here nor the
lasting relationships I have made.
