Living in the Present

Four weeks ago when I stepped on a plane, I had an idea of my life in Rome, but I wasn’t sure. After four weeks I am starting to understand the ‘Roman way of life’. By now I have had: Nocciola (hazelnut my favorite :) Gelato at 5 different shops, bought 2 shirts and one pair of pants, had at least two dozen coffees, been on 3 dates, met a few American girls and one Kiwi from New Zealand,  picked up 3 new students to teach (all Italian boys), gone dancing a few nights, and ate the most amazing pasta dishes I have ever had.

Becoming acclimated to my new surrounding has taken me a few weeks, but I have settled in and truly enjoy this city. There is so much to say about Rome. The streets captivate me in the morning. There is a New York style hustle, with a 1940’s feel. It’s like stepping back in time and tasting what life was like. The men are all dressed in suits and ties, with brown leather pointed shoes and a crisp hanky in their pocket. They are captivating, sometimes to captivating. The other day I was driving the boys’ to school and there next to me was a little gift from God; he was wearing a navy blue suit, a baby-blue and white stripped perfectly tailored collard shirt, and an orange tie. He was perfect, his skin was a deep brown, his hair was a little longer and his eye’s were a light hazel, but his lips, oh my gosh those lips, they were lightly outlined and the perfect size, slightly shaped like a heart at the top, and the perfect color of a rosie pink. In the matter of seconds my mind was gone imagining his motorcycle as his horse and I, Sleeping Beauty just kissed by my prince charming. “Honk Honk Honk”and poof my day dream was brutally interrupted by the car behind me, I literally forgot I was driving, I have no idea how long the light was green, but I’m sure the car behind me knows.

I love walking through the park (Villa Borghese) grabbing my coffee and reading a book in their big outside patio. This bar has become my favorite bar in all of Rome, not because the coffee is particularly exceptional, but it is peaceful and pleasant, and a great contrast to a regular Roman bar.  After, I go for my morning walk through Pizza del Popolo, and then I head down Via del Corso, one of the main streets in Rome. I love to window shop and chat with the people; I started to help direct the tourist as well, which helps me feel very local. I know the area around the park very well, but Campo di Fiori, and Trastevere, I am still getting to know. In the mornings, Campo di Fiori has a great open market, they sell fresh produce and household items. One afternoon, I was wondering around the market and decided to go out for lunch. I had heard that there was a tiny delicious restaurant in Trastevere and was excited to try it. I wasn’t too sure of the location, but I knew Trastevere was around a 15 walk from Campo. I spent an hour just looking for the restaurant and yet I never found it, so I decided to grab some pizza instead. I had 45 minutes to walk to back to the school. Twenty minutes later I noticed that the beautiful double teared church I had seen on my left, was now on my right. I had made a complete circle around Trastevere and was loosing time quickly, I stopped and asked for directions, the gentleman told me it would be best to take a cab, so I hopped into the first one I could find. We made it to the start Via del Corso with 15minutes till 3:30 and there was at least a mile to go. We were at a stand still, traffic was horrendous, so I did what any sane person would do, I hopped out and started to run. Hardly prepared with running clothes, I was in black shorts, a white sweater and of course Rainbow flip-flops. Off I went in an all out sprint down the center of Romes' main street. I ran and ran and did not stop until I reached the boys schools. My face was  redder than a beet, and I was completely out of breath, dripping sweat, and slightly embarrassed in what I just did.

No matter how hard I run, or how much I walk, I still have to watch what I eat. There is a place near my home that bakes the most amazing profiteroles; the outside is a light fluffy, yet crisp texture, but the inside is what counts. This cream that fills the center is smooth like pudding, leaving your taste buds with a burst of confusion: Is this banana? Vanilla? Lemon? I just don’t know, it is the most sensational experience.  Ohh and the Profiteroles dipped in chocolate topped with a little whipped cream, I am at a lost for words….

The sweets are not the only thing that keeps me walking each day…One Tuesday afternoon I went to a restaurant that had a melted cheese bowl as my pasta dish. Inside was traditional Roman pasta, Pepper and Cheese, very simple, but its creamy texture complemented with the cores ground pepper made the dish exquisite. I must savor the flavors of the dishes I taste,because I can only eat them once, otherwise my pants will have to grow… But food is only as good as its company. Along with my quest to find great food, is my quest to find great friends.

I do tend to miss certain habits I had in Orange County, I miss running at the beach with Melanie and Toby (before they moved), I miss cooking with Ashley from next door, I miss Yoga and Tennis with Bree, I miss laying around with Priss having the deepest discussions about Life and Love. I really miss the serenity of the Ocean waves, I miss the sand in my toes and the music the water makes. I miss our group of Cucina Girls who all lived a block away from La Cave and every Wednesday night would find all sorts of trouble. I realized that I needed to find a group of girls, ones that I could relate with… I have met quite a few Americans, which is against everything I wanted, but in order to remain a happy person I need a few fabulous girls in my life.  Out of all the girls I have met, there are two I have bonded with, Jackie and Sara  from Loyolla University. I also have a friend from New Zealand, I call her my Kiwi, she’s been here for 5 year and she turns 31 on Wednesday; she is a great balance to my young college girl friends. It’s amazing that no matter how far away from home we are, there are some traditions that we must keep. One is ‘going’ for coffee. This concept does not exist in Rome… Café is something that is 'taken' standing up, and this event should be a maximum of 3 minutes.. tops. Today, my Loyolla girlfriends and I went for coffee, we sat down outside and chatted, and this single event was such a sweet taste of home. They also gave me a night life! They opened the doors to late night adventures and trouble.  Last Saturday I walked in around 5:45, but we didn’t even get to the club till 2:00am… the nightlife in Rome is one of the best around. It has a Vegas feel to it. You can do bottle service, or  'bum it' at The Drunken Ship American Dive bar. No matter where you go in Rome there is history, stories, beauty, art,WINE and of course Italian Men….remember God is The Present, I am learning to focus on what present he has given me during each day...