Story by Nicole

We didn’t learn any Italian before coming to Rome.

The closest we got was when we boarded our second plane, from Newark to Rome, and Jason realized that the screens on the seats in front of us had games, among them a language learning game. We quickly became masters of arbitrary nouns—gatto, carne, etc. But 12 hours later, as we were sitting at lunch at a ristorante near our hotel, I could not remember how to ask for the bill. I checked the book five times, and each time, I thought I could remember the simple phrase. Then, when I put down the book and tried to repeat it to myself, my mind was completely blank. Sleep deprivation is a funny thing.

We spent an entire day traveling. We flew out of Denver at 10 a.m., landed in Newark at 3 p.m., took off for Rome at 6 p.m., and got to Rome at 8:15 a.m. I still have no idea what time it is anywhere.

Landing in Rome. (Photo/Jason Rafal)

Rome has been rainy so far. It goes in waves—varying layers of clouds, then a light drizzle, then pounding rain. The streets are flooding in places; cobblestones may not always be the best way to channel water. The city is wet, somewhat dirty, surprisingly quiet. I love it. 

Our hotel is a Holiday Inn Express, which is annoyingly American, but the receptionists put up with my disorientation and terrible accent well so far, which is definitely a plus. Our balcony looks out over rows of working-class housing in various stages of dilapidation, as well as a metro station. We are just southeast of the city center, possibly in Municipo V. It’s hard to tell on the map.

The view from our hotel balcony. (Photo/Nicole Harrison)

Tomorrow will (hopefully) be a day of interesting adventures and better pictures. Maybe I will even make some progress with my Italian phrases. 

Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino airport. (Photo/Jason Rafal)