I realized today that I only have 10 days left in Italy and instead of getting sad and depressed I decided to make a list of the things I will miss most about being nella cittá eterna.
Camminare. I know you're thinking, "whhhhaaaat?!" But walking is really liberating. I like not having to pay for gas or make sure no one takes the car so that I can go places. I just walk outside and I'm on my way and there is always something to look at in Rome. The buildings are always gorgeous, the streets are winding and lit with glowing yellow lights, and you're always on one hill or another so there is always a panoramic view of the city. It's such a romanticist's city, no wonder Keats came here to die. (Side note: this does not mean I appreciate having to rely on Rome's buses. That is something I will never miss, but that's a topic for a different list.)
La Gente. There is an old man in our building who knows we're American and he'll hold the door open for me and say the only English word he knows about 3 times with this huge smile on his face. "Heeellllo Hellooo Helllo" So precious. And then there are the friends I've made here who all seem to live in the Mid West, so it's going to suck trying to keep in touch. Although there is a Zombie parade/pub crawl in Minnesota that sounds too good to pass up. Who's with me?
La Gelateria e La Pasticceria. Cioccolato, Bacio, Zabaglione, Biscotti, Nutella, Niocciola, Stracciatella, need I say more? I am in heaven/trouble whenever I walk by one of these places because I haven't been able to build up a resistance to them. It is an addiction and I'm going to need plenty of help weening myself off of this stuff when I get back. Expect many side trips to Italian bakeries.
Il Colosseo. Being able to be on a bus and ride past the Colosseum or any other ancient structure as if it was any other building is beyond amazing. The oldest thing I've driven past in America is Independence Hall, which is a little infant fresh from the womb compared to the Colosseum. Plus seeing all the idiots paying €20 to take a picture with the fake gladiators is very amusing. I saw fake gladiators outside of places that had nothing to do with Ancient Rome, like St. Peter's for instance. I guess when you're at a point in your life where you're dressing up in a costume and charging people to take pictures with you, it's not all that important to be historically accurate. (Side Note: Have I stumbled across a potential summer job? How do you think tourists will react to a Lady Gladiator outside of Independence Hall?)
Il Cibo. I have a feeling that I won't be eating Italian food in America for a very long time. I'm sure it will taste like cardboard in comparison. I just had a pasta dish tonight with fresh cut tomatoes, ricotta, basil, and olive oil mixed over cooked half shells, and it was divine. Random mixing of whatever food you have available in your pantry in America does not turn out that delicious, ever.
La Musica. Europeans in general seem to have no sense of the word "genre" because they will play songs that have nothing whatsoever in common. For example at dinner the other night the playlist went something like this: Madonna, The Black Eyed Peas, Stevie Wonder, Andrea Bocelli, Aerosmith, The Fugees, and I'm pretty sure I heard The Rolling Stones at one point. See what I mean? And they'll play weird 80's sounding songs that are clearly by American artists who never made it big anywhere but places that didn't understand the lyrics. (Side note: I will miss hearing this song being played on the radio because it makes me so happy. Side note to the side note: It means "kiss me again")
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