Snapshots: Rome

It was hard to concentrate the day my parents arrived in Italy. Rome seemed a world away as I attempted to focus in class. Over half of my classmates had already departed from Florence to the various reaches of Europe and northern Africa. After the bell finally freed us (yes, they ring to mark the end of class periods just like in high school) I could think of nothing else but seeing their faces.

I scarfed down lunch before trekking to the train station. As I plunked down in my seat, relieved to catch the train I wanted I was seized with a panic. Remember the magical yellow boxes I described before embarking on my first train ride to Naples? Well, I temporarily forgot it too. I left my backpack—heavy in its fullness of clothes and my computer—grabbing only my coat and my purse before launching myself down the platform back to the terminal to find that precious yellow cube. I received a few odd looks from Italians who probably haven't jogged a step since grade school, but as I windedly boarded the train and worked my way through compartments I could not have cared less. My stuff and I were going to Rome together, and there was nothing that could stop us! Had I missed the train trying to validate my ticket, my belongings would have made their way to Naples unaccompanied, landing me in an all together terrible situation. Thank goodness my rare on-time arrival at the station left me with time enough to survive this ordeal. The irony of it all: no attendants came to check my hastily validated ticket during the voyage southward. All that stress for nothing! Go figure.

The train ride was quiet. I finally caught my breath and enjoyed the early springtime scenery and the few moments I had to myself before seeing mom and dad. Having already memorized the directions from the train station to the hotel, I picked my way through the gigantic Roma Termini and was glad I told them I would meet them at the hotel. A five minute walk later, I found myself in the arms of Momma!

I'll confess, I have not necessarily been homesick during my stay here in Europe. I actually find myself dreading the dwindling number of weeks left, not just because of the boatload of work I have yet to finish before the end of the semester, but to say goodbye to a country that I've finally felt like I've grasped my bearings in. I had a conversation with a professor earlier today about the moment when an individual transitions from being a tourist to being a resident in a foreign place. Most of my classmates decided that they were somewhere in between visiting and living in Florence. For me, spring break marked the turning point, or rather it was the first night we had dinner together in Rome at a small trattoria recommended by our concierge. As soon as we sat down at the table, the older Italian waiter began asking us if we wanted water for the table and so forth. My parents looked wide-eyed and supremely confused—why wouldn't they, neither of them spoke a word of Italian—but I could understand and answer him perfectly well. As soon as I interacted with him in Italian, it was as if my parents didn't exist to him; he was only catering to me. In this small experience and the repetitions of it throughout our time together helped confirm that being here in Italy is what I am supposed to do. I belong here as much as the next native. Although I do not claim that I know every nuance of the Italian lifestyle or language, I do know that this is a place I can call home if only temporarily.

Mom, Dad and I hit the cobblestones running almost from the moment of our reunion. I'm so proud of them for walking as much as we did. They generously put up with my aversion to riding the public busses even if their feet did not agree with them. We saw it all, from the Colosseum to the Vatican City and pretty much everything in between. Every night we all slept like rocks from sheer exhaustion and every morning we'd start again thanks to the annoying beeps of my alarm clock (RIP). I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Raphael's School of Athens
I didn't get to see this the first time I was in the Vatican so
this was a real treat. The nerd in me was ecstatic!

Sistine Chapel

Last Judgement Altarpiece

St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City

Colosseum

Tourists

Trevi Fountain

Spanish Steps

Springtime at the Borghese Gardens

Braving the rain with the sad maroon
umbrella. If you don't have one, the vendors
will hassle you until you do.

Tired Troopers

Roman Forum

Pantheon

Cubist mosaic, which fascinated Dad.
Who knew the Romans started such a movement?

Another major theme of our trip, aside from constant walking, was laughter. From Mom catching the menu on fire in Rome to discussing the possible nicknames for pecorino cheese here in Tuscany, our time together was made all the more memorable by the smiles we shared.