Rome via Brooklyn

433 words, 2 minute read.

The first full day of our long weekend! I wanted to take it easy for today (though when do I not), as I had a busy night ahead of me. Khadija, Dante, and I went to this super cute place for brunch, and they actually served cold coffee! I genuinely did not think I’d find that anywhere in Italy, other than at a commercial chain like Starbucks. I ordered what the cafe’s idea of a Mediterranean breakfast was, and it was really good, but definitely not what I’m used to. I’m genetically disposed to have ginormous breakfasts with mostly vegetables, but the sweet yogurt and fruit was a welcome change!

After brunch, we visited one of my favorite stores that are inaccessible in the states, Bershka! I’ve been having severe platform shoe withdrawals since arriving, and I needed to get my hands on some platform sneakers. And lo and behold, I found a pair perfectly in my size. I can finally feel like myself again, at my very fake height of 5’6 (as opposed to my actual 5’2).

Because it was pride, we got into the spirit of the season and visited an international-friendly gay bar. I was especially excited to go; not only would it be my first actual bar experience, but a lot of my favorite celebrity drag queens have recommended this place. We arrived right around opening time (which is very early by European standards), so we went to get something to eat beforehand while we waited for the venue to fill up. It was pretty packed when we returned, thankfully, and I found it hilarious that the TV was playing Youtube compilations of Drag Race instead of full episodes. Maybe they don’t have Paramount Plus here in Italy, though I don’t know a single person who actually has it at all. I was dreading the music a little, but thankfully they were playing top hits from 10 years ago rather than today. The people we met there seemed excited that we were from New York, I was certain we’d get ridiculed for being Americans.

The night winded down naturally as people began to leave and the music steadily declined in quality. The buses were surprisingly still running, though the driver drove like he’d rather be anywhere else. As I tiredly trekked back to my apartment, I looked up and saw the full moon. I chose to take this as a sign that I was being looked after tonight.

–Nico Vila