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June 11th 2012
Published: June 11th 2012
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Well, here we are. Day one, and it's like I've never left. A few years ago I came here with my friend Nicole and she told me "I've never seen you so happy. You come alive here." Fast forward, and today as we were walking down the hill on Via Monte Del Gallo, Maggie says to me "there's something about this place that just suits you. You can see it." See, I'm not crazy. As a matter of fact, the first words out of my mouth when I got off the plane yesterday were, "home sweet home."

It's not just because I spent over 2 years of my life here. It's not just because I have come back every year since I returned to the States. It's that Rome has a piece of my heart. It's one of those places where I honestly feel "at home." It's a sense of relief. It's a feeling almost too intricate and too personal to truly describe.

My closest friends know my connection, and those are the ones most understanding of my desire to spend 5 weeks here this summer. My only hope is that time crawls by, though in my heart I know it will be gone in the blink of an eye.

Day one was a dream. It was everything I wanted it to be - slow and relaxing. One of the reasons I love Italy the most is for their priorities in life. No, it's not work, the size of the home or the fanciest car. It's not the label on their clothes, purse or sunglasses. It's life. It's friends, family, love. A good meal. A nice, long walk. A seat on a bench watching the world buzz by. Sitting next to a fountain with a friend catching up. That is what I appreciate most, and that is what day one was all about.

We slept in, recovering from jet lag. We woke up, made some caffe' con latte, and got ready. The first stop was to Bar I Tigli, where I spent so much of my time when I was living here. Same crowd, same scenery, same atmosphere. Like nothing had changed...only time. We were greeted like family with hugs, kisses, and smiles. Cappuccini, cornetti, and acqua frizzante for breakfast. Once we caught up, we headed out to explore. Maggie has never been here, so we walked to the Vaticano, which from the house is about 10 minutes. I found myself closing my eyes and taking in the sounds and smells I miss so much. I could feel the smile stretch across my face. This just feels right. A few pictures, a few whistles and comments from the locals, and we were on our way to the center.

The major part of our day was a pit stop to Piazza Navona to take in the beauty, and of course stop by the ristorante I have been going to for years for a bottle of wine, Ristorante Dolce Vita. We walked to the Tim store so I could finally buy an Italian cellulare, instead of borrowing my friend's, and then it was off to lunch at Da Francesco for a pizza. We split a funghi (mushroom), prosciutto e mozzarella, and a mozzarella e pachino (cherry tomato). And of course, a bottle of wine.

I come back to the apartment we are renting, I put on the TV, I sit down, and it feels just like home. I can only pray that God has it in His plan to somehow bring me back to this magical city to live. For the first day of our vacation, I can only say it has far exceeded my expectations.


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