I can’t believe it has been a month, but it has, and I feel wonderful. I mentioned how life has slowed down for me here and it truly has. I feel happier, healthier, and simply feeling like I am living life. Yes, I have my responsibilities and I am able to balance those very well with my personal life and with that balance, I am contenta, no felice, no molto felice. It has been an amazing month here and I have explored many a neighborhood, ridden the metro, walked many kilometers, met many people, both friends of Rosa’s and finally, finally, Rosa’s momma, di persona, yes, in person, not on a video chat and that is how I ended this last week of July and first full month here in Roma. 

It was a wonderful meeting, but this past week was filled with several experiences beyond the usual and that usual did not include going to the market every day. We met momma near metro Emmanuele Vittorio, which is near the Fassi gelato place, where took me weeks ago for the first time. We enjoyed time there and then took a drive outside the center to Eur, to another part of Rome where I had never been. We then parked and took a stroll along the manmade lake which had been used in the Rome Olympics in 1960 for rowing etc. It was nice to stroll around the lake, chat, and even though momma’s English is good and my Italiano, not so, we were able to have a nice conversation. I am truly getting to know this city, the more I am here and recognize where I am without the need of google maps, but yes, the technology is nice. We also made a call stateside to Mr. Kenn, so I talked to my old man when I was with Rosa and momma. It was nice and even they spoke for a few seconds. In any case, it was a nice time. ​

This week for the American in Rome was nothing out of the ordinary, but it certainly was special. Of course, I took in my morning walks to the markets and stopped in several places along the way. It was a feeling of belonging now that I have been here into my third week and finding my way around, getting to know the neighborhoods and simply feeling like I live here, which in a sense I do. I also went to the Liberation Museum which is about a 25 minute from where I am living, which is built on four floors of an apartment building. I walked each flight, but don’t worry, there is an elevator, and while everything is in Italian, there are some English captions, and an audio-guide in English, so you can understand what happened in Rome during Fascism and the Nazi takeover. I don’t frequent the tourist areas, unless I am meeting up with Rosa after a tour, which of course, I have done. I also met her on one of her tours this week, as it was clients from Minnesota, who were off a cruise ship.

Perhaps, this is another milestone post, perhaps not, number 75 and being here in Rome to date, has been everything I could have imagined. I have not missed being in America, and getting used to the everyday vibe, that is this special place. While I was here in Rome last June for a total of 10 nights and then returned in November for a weeklong stay, I have now “lived” here for that first week plus, shopped, explored, met people, and simply tried to become a part of the fabric that is Rome and live like the Romans do. Of course, Rosa would disagree to a point, as I still shop for an army, knowing that I can break up the purchase into portions and freeze items, which is not the Roman or Italian or for that matter, the European way, but it has its advantages in finding a good price on food, buying it, and then having the opportunity to experience different meals with it. I have, however, most days, and even today, gone to the farmer’s markets, and purchased something here and something there. I enjoy the mingling and it helps in learning the language.