This morning when we left Rome, I felt a lot differently about the city than I did when we arrived Sunday.
In my few days there, I started to fall in love with the city.
The mix of the unthinkably ancient and the brand new. The men trying to sell me everything from roses to sunglasses to bubbles became background noise. Even Kaitlyn had learned to look at them and say No! I had enjoyed my afternoons window shopping on my own… even starting to pretend that I was a local and not a tourist. The pizza last night was simply beyond compare. The coffee has spoiled me completely.
The hotel was ideal: walking distance to everything (although that tends to lead to a lot of walking!) with a view out of our window of the Pantheon! Kaitlyn loved the slippers by her bed and she even slept in her own bed! Yes, I could have done without the guy who sat right outside our window begging rather loudly, but even he became just part of the noise of the city.
But maybe the thing that made me a little sad to leave Rome was that I heard and read more English than I have in months. Heck, I think there’s more English in Rome than in Los Angeles! Except for one waitress, everyone we came in contact with spoke English. No one made me feel bad that I don’t speak and didn’t even attempt to speak Italian. Honestly, it made the return to France and to the struggle to fit in and speak the language a lot harder than I thought it would.