Hey all,

I don’t know about you but I have been wavering between hopeful, productive, optimistic, and worried, anxious, and sad for the past few weeks. Not knowing how long this will last and not feeling like I am able to do enough are getting me down but then I also see some of the beautiful things happening around the world right now. I’m reminded that humans are resilient, creative, and compassionate beings and that there’s a big, beautiful world still out there to be explored and understood. I saw a quote on the Conde Nast Women Who Travel Instagram last week that said, “When it’s game on, I’m getting my butt to Paris as soon as humanly possible because there’s no other city that makes me feel more thrilled to be alive.” I’ve been thinking about this quote a lot but instead of Paris, my place is Rome.

I miss Rome like no other place I’ve ever been, the people, the history, the FOOD! Yes, the frequent transportation strikes and the nonchalance with which they close up shop whenever they feel like it can be frustrating, but having visited Italy twice, spending a lot of time in and around Rome specifically, I’d say those things are worth the rest of the magic you experience when you visit.

Rome makes me feel alive. Whether it’s the sound of an accordion down the cobbled stone street, or the speed and bustle of the vespas and fiats whizzing by, or the smell of pizza wafting out of a window, it constantly engages all your senses. Overstimulating to the point of making you dizzy, it feels exciting and full of life everywhere you turn. Even on top of the peaceful Janiculum Hill in Trastevere, where you are perched over the city with views of Rome’s rooftops, it’s domes blending in with the hazy blue outline of the Apennine Mountains in the distance, you can hear the sounds of fountains behind you and cars and scooters below.

While Rome is a living city, it’s also a very old one. The ruins from thousands of years ago pop up between buildings like tiny flowers between cracks in the sidewalk, a pleasant and beautiful surprise. You take a turn around a corner and suddenly the Colosseum is perfectly framed by the terracotta colored facades lining the street. The ruins are a constant reminder of all the life this city has lived and all those who have walked these streets, drank from these fountains, and lived in these structures before you arrived. You feel connected to the past in a way that’s so unique it’s inexplicable. Musicians perform recitals in the ancient Theater of Marcellus, people drive to work past the Ancient Roman Forum, a cluster of Roman teenagers board the train to the beach across the street from the Pyramid of Cestius all without even batting an eye.

I’ve held 2,000-year-old pieces of pottery freshly dug out of the ground, eaten more gelato than I can say, and marveled at renaissance gardens there. Each of these things has made me feel like I was experiencing a little spark of magic and when I think about those memories I ache to go back. I don’t think I’ll be able to get back this year, especially since we don’t know what the state of the world will be even a few months from now, but as soon as I can, I’m going back to remember how wonderful it is to be alive, to take advantage of the opportunities I have, and check in on my favorite place in the world. For now, I’ve been following Instagram accounts posting photos from Italy, listening to podcasts about Italian culture, and reading a book that so perfectly encapsulates Rome that I feel like I’m there when I read it. And even though that isn’t the same as actually being there, it will have to hold me over.

What’s your favorite place in the world? What place, near or far, makes you feel thrilled to be alive or makes you feel more like yourself than anywhere else? I encourage you to think of that place whenever you start to feel trapped or overwhelmed with how things look right now. Make a plan to get there ASAP once restrictions have lifted and it’s safe to leave our homes and for now, find any way possible to feel close to that place until you can be physically. We’ll get past this together and someday get back to our favorite places.

Stay safe and stay home,

Sami

Vatican from the top of St. Peter's Basilica