It has been ages since I have blogged. The last time I connected with WorldByMegs I had just returned from a much-needed solo journey in Austria and Germany. Since then, classes have ended and my best friend from Colorado paid me a visit! It has been a rich few weeks with travels to Galway and a field trip to Colaiste na Rinne, an entirely Irish-speaking area of the country. It was refreshing to have a piece of home with me in Ireland for two weeks. There is a centering quality to solitude, but that quality can also be found in the people who are most familiar with our centers. Mari and I are both rapidly changing and evolving in our lives, and our worlds are so vastly different. It is always reassuring and comforting to have that foundation of sisterhood, no matter the circumstances. After that refreshing two weeks, I had a day to do laundry before taking off for 9 days in Italy. I flew into Rome last night, landing after dark around 8:30. It took a bus and a tram to get to my air B and B which is located about 20 minutes outside of the Rome city centre. I arrived on Easter Sunday, and Rome was bustling. Even in the dark. On my bus ride into the city it was clear that Rome had an element that was all its own. Bustling, busy, booming. There were people of every culture and every breed around every corner and groups of nuns and priests walking through the streets together. I was amazed at all the scam artists working day and night with the tourists: fake cabbies, souvenir kiosks, “car washes” at red lights. I realized I was up against a lot in this city. I write to you now from a magical café called “The British Corner,” which is lavishly decorated with precious china and ceramic dogs. The two men working behind the counter wear white oxfords and black vests, sipping their nightly espresso out of toy sized cups. Buzzing above me is “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” Wizard of Oz edition. Fitting, I suppose. While I sip Italian red picking at a local cheese and meat plate. Deeply comforting, if nothing else. My first day in Rome was a whirlwind. As it turns out, the entire world flocks to Rome on Easter. Dozens of languages tongued my ears as I walked the cobblestone streets. I couldn’t make it 100 meters without being blocked by a scam artist who forced me to be rude for my own safety. Each magnificent site was robbed of its beauty by the crowds, the shouting, the scams, and the difficulty to just stand still and admire. Today I am extremely grateful for the chance to have seen the Spanish steps, the Forum, the Trevi Fountain, the Coliseum, the Santa Maria Maggiore, and a few other churches. I moved as gracefully and as peacefully as I could, attempting to remain undisrupted by the crowds and noise, but I could not shake the insecurity as I approached each site. I walked through 3 metal detectors today and never took my hand off my purse. I saw countless military officers holding machine guns patrolling popular sites. And I told about 4 scam artists to step off after their bartering and badgering was too aggressive for comfort. I regret to say that when I look back on this day, I will be able to say I visited these places, but these memories will not carry the sentiment of peace and awe that they deserve. Already they are sort of all stuck in a blender, and my head was doing the stirring the whole time. Tomorrow I will be in the Vatican. I am aware that I will face the same challenges, but my goal is to find that peaceful headspace, one where I can move like liquid and inhale the experience. Those are the ones that give us life.
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March 2017
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