Roaming Rome

Uncomfortable chairs and my inability to sleep on planes made the 10+ hour ride to Rome, Italy tough. Once the plane touched down, not even my lack of sleep could ruin what I was finally seeing after years of wanting to go abroad. 

My family’s Airbnb was not ready yet, so we rolled our suitcases along on the uneven cobblestone streets while exploring the markets and downing espressos for the first hour of our day. I sat staring at the beautiful sights of Rome missing my brother since he was the only family member not on the trip. With the loss of him, I gained the ability to bring a friend. I watched as my best friend since kindergarten grimaced while quickly learning that she does not like espresso. 

We dedicated each day to tours, sights and food. We sweated in our sundresses and shorts while walking around in the brutal June sun. Small attitudes would start to show when the heat and dehydration would take over, but nothing was going to stop us from seeing everything. 

My dad beamed with pride and joy as we walked everywhere; he was so excited to have his whole family here since he is Italian himself. His joy would slowly slip after the tenth rose salesman would approach our table interrupting our conversation during the meal, but you had to respect their determination. 

It felt like we had been there for a month. I would love to think, considering how much walking we did, that we saw everything in Rome, but it is amazing knowing that is not true. Three and a half days. Three and a half days packing in everything you could possibly imagine doing in Rome. Then, we packed up the suitcases and moved again. We leave Rome knowing that we still have Florence, Cinque Terre, and Venice ahead. I sat on the train eating a box of Cheez-Its I had bought at the airport while reading a book and looking out the window. It is amazing that this is already the best trip I have ever been on, and I still have so much left ahead.