When in Rome...

The 'when in Rome' philosophy holds a different significance for everyone who experiences the city, much like how everyone experiences life itself. In my experience, when in Rome I fell in love; with the city, the monuments, the energy, and yes, even the public transportation! As soon as we arrived, I was off to find the house I was going to be staying in for the weekend while everyone else waited to be able to check into their hotel rooms. How did I get so lucky, you ask?

Well, it just so happens that my two moms met a wonderful couple while they were in Rome last year. The weird thing is, out of the five nights they were there, they ran into this couple three times! Clearly, it was meant to be. Because of this they formed a relationship, which is how the opening for me to meet her came to be. The timing couldn't have been more perfect because she and her husband were going to Umbria for the weekend and were in need of a house-sitter. Of course, I jumped on the opportunity to experience Rome in a more authentic way!

As I walked into door of her house, an amazing energy smacked me in the face. It was an energy that was much like the one of Rome itself: sensual, creative, warm and full of life. I came to realize very quickly that Sienna is a very talented artist and business owner and has been living with her son and husband in Rome for twelve years! Learning this inspired me to dream of a life like this for myself (possibly minus the husband and kids) in the future. Unfortunately I wasn't able to meet the rest of her family, but I did get to know her cat, Spike, pretty well.

She showed me where the best stores were around her house as well as where to drink the best cappuccini! The best part? She lives about three blocks from one of the most famous monuments in Rome: the Colosseum. It was an insane feeling to walk almost right outside of her door and see the very thing that people come from all over the world to see. In my experience, it's a feeling that never really goes away completely.

We covered a lot of ground during the first tour of the city. We saw and learned about the Colosseum, the Roman Ruins, the Forum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps, which were all very interesting and beautiful in their own ways. Of course, we all threw a coin into the Trevi Fountain to make certain that we would be coming back to Rome in the future, I'm sure on top of a few other endearing wishes. We wolfed down gelato from the best gelateria in all of Rome (according to the tour guide), and gazed at a panoramic view of the city from atop the Spanish Steps. The evening was topped off by taking a warm, relaxing shower and going to bed early to prepare for the next full, exciting day.

Saturday was spent taking a tour of the Vatican museums and the Sistine Chapel. I could not believe the breadth of these holy places! The inside of the cathedral was complete with an elaborate, winding altarpiece designed by Bernini, the original Pieta' sculpture by Michelangelo and other features of immense beauty. The energy in this building made my jaw drop and skin tingle (although the most beautiful Italian man I've ever seen probably intensified that feeling ;)) and a sense of peace washed over me like a wave spreading on the sand, simple and sure. I still can't believe how much time, intelligence, creativity and man power it took to build cathedrals like these. It humbles and inspires me on deep, intimate levels, and this only became more prominent as we walked into the Sistine Chapel. It completely blew me away; the amount of frescos and detail, as well as how well maintained and preserved they all are. Although I'm embarrassed to admit it, most of the time I had in there was spent thinking about how buff Michelangelo had to have been in order to pull off such a feat. My arm hurts just thinking about it...

The last wonderful day we had in Rome was busy and filled with joy. I got up early to go the Borghese Gallery to look at five of Bernini's most famous sculptures during the Baroque period. Of course, there was more to see other than those five things, but these were without a doubt the highlights. I could really connect with these sculptures because they represented passion, action, and emotion. I could feel them right down to my very core because they communicated such powerful and intense human characteristics. This is an appeal of Baroque art; it isn't just an interpretation of a simple figure in three dimension. They tell stories of human desire, power and sensuality while bringing real life into it's subjects in ways the art of the Renaissance could not. Bernini was the first to make sculptures come alive, and I'm so very glad he did because Rome would not have been the same without his influence. Perhaps this is where the energy of Rome comes from, and perhaps this is what fuels it. I hate to think of what would happen if all of the art and architecture was no more.

After working up an appetite exploring the city, I went to a cute little place called Caffe' Roma with two of my friends. The waitress was a very sexy, bold, and direct character who completely caught me off guard. She spoke perfect english, and as she set down my food she told me that she could tell I was a person with great inner strength, among a few other things like what my horoscope sign was. I was taken aback by how confident she was, and how well she could read my friends and I. It was possibly one of the coolest experiences I've ever had with a waitress, one that would make me want to go back again and again. I'm constantly amused by the kind of interactions I have with complete strangers. It makes me realize that there is no need to be afraid or hold back because you never know who's reading you ;)

It never ceases to amaze me how much history there is here and how far back it goes. I would love to have seen how they really lived back then, and to see how magnificent the buildings looked compared to  how they look now. I wish I could truly know the ins and outs of the ancient civilizations of the Roman Empire...I think that would be so interesting! My imagination will have to do for now, at least until we invent time travel.

When in Rome, I realized that no matter where I am in the world, I am completely taken care of and comforted by strangers, but that there are never really any strangers in strange lands. When in Rome, I felt peace within the chaos of a very large city and the hustle and bustle of crowded transportation. When in Rome I felt the sensual and grounded energy of the art and locals alike; I felt what it would be like to live here someday. Everyone's experience here is different, but when in Rome I fell in love.