Rome via Brooklyn

38 9 words, 2 minute read

Right now, as I’m writing this at 0137 EST in this cramped space of an airplane seat- I’m most excited about being able to sleep for a full night on an actual bed. On a more serious note (although I am really looking forward to that bed), I’m excited about going to all the different historical sites and museums, as well as the days we will be spending with specialists of various topics we’ll be encountering.

I came to the airport with my roommate Tina, and we met up with our other flightmate, Dante. Besides them, I actually interacted with 2 people who stood out so far. The first one was a woman sitting next to Tina and I as we were waiting for Dante to check in. She had a leg injury and was waiting for a wheelchair for a while so I offered to ask the receptionists at the desk for an update. They gave the default ‘it’s on its way’ response, but I had a short conversation with the woman because I had recognized her accent (she’s from New Zealand! I guessed she was aussie at first because my best friend is from Australia) And she’s traveling to Portugal because apparently there were no direct flights to where she was going in France.) The second person is the elderly woman sitting next to me in my flight. We’ve had some brief and polite interactions despite the language barrier as she spoke mostly Italian. I offered a sandwich I had brought because she had some dietary restrictions with dairy (though she assured me she had medication) and during dinner, she told me ‘bon appetit’. She’s very sweet in general.

The reading was a good introduction to the trip. What surprised me (and what I found funniest) was how blunt the author was when it came to less than glamorous parts of Italy. In particular was the section about public transportation and how you would likely need to shove your way out to get anywhere. I appreciated that it wasn’t an entirely romanticized viewpoint of Italy and that it described things quite realistically. The funniest quote was in the chapter on transportation, “Don’t automatically expect a seat. Buses and trams are crowded and children do not normally get up if an adult is standing.”