Reflections: A Year I'll Never Forget

I woke up this morning just like any morning. I took a shower, brushed my teeth, got dressed, and headed outside into the city on my daily walk to the architecture studio. I've done this well over a hundred times, strolling past the tobacco shop on the corner, the Perfect Bun bakery, Insalata Ricca, and the church of Sant'Andrea delle Valle. It is a walk of no consequence on any other day, but I realized this morning that it would be the last time I'd being traversing this path. The reality of the matter is, I'm leaving Rome tomorrow and my incredible year in Europe has come to an end.

I'm going to miss it. No doubt in my mind.

Looking back at all the places I've been, all the incredible architecture, and all the delicious food I've eaten, I cannot help but be amazed at how much I actually got to see and that I didn't entirely bankrupt myself doing it. I came close, but luckily I'll be able to limp back to the United States with a few dollars in my pocket. It was money well spent, though. I traveled places I had never even though about visiting at the beginning of the year and had a blast doing it. Who would have thought I'd find my way to Flåm, Norway? Definitely not me, that's for sure.

The memories of visiting Budapest, walking around Prague, exploring the fjords in Scandinavia, and island hopping in Greece remind me of what an incredible world we live in and how beauty can some times be found in the most unassuming places. I enjoyed visiting the major monuments and famous tourist attractions in cities across Europe, but I got just as much if not more enjoyment out of simply wandering the city streets seeing what hidden gems I would stumble upon. Nothing beats wandering down a side street in some beautiful European city. Around every corner there is something waiting to be discovered that the normal crowds never take the time to find. I can't even begin to tell you how many beautiful churches and buildings I've stumbled upon just walking around on some random afternoon. That is the truly amazing thing about places like Rome and other cities in Europe. You can wander off and find beautiful architecture and incredible street life just about everywhere you go. It's something I'll definitely miss when I head home.

Although I'll miss Europe in general, I will certain miss Rome more than anything. The city grows on you. I don't think I'll miss the whine of ambulance sirens at all hours of the day, tourist trap restaurants, or the inadequate kitchen we had to cook in all year, but I'll miss sitting by the Pantheon when I eat my lunch everyday and I'll miss traversing the streets amidst thousands of years of history and beautiful architecture. Living in Rome has been one of the most eye opening experiences of my life. I've gotten to live within a very different culture for nearly eight months. It's a very rare and humbling experience to do something like that. I'll treasure what I have learned from my time in this city for the rest of my life and look forward to the day I get to come back. Hopefully, that day will come sooner rather than later.

In my first post way back in July I said this year journey wasn't going to be about finding the best roads to take but rather finding the significance along whatever roads I take, no matter where they lead. After these eight months I can say it was the right way to approach this year. I could have done the standard tourist thing, taking tours and visiting museums, but I decided to wander off the beaten path, explore things beyond the ordinary, and see the living and enchanting non-tourist culture of Europe that a lot of people visiting miss entirely. The architecture, the food, and the culture all left an impression on me that I'll carry for the rest of my life.

I just can't believe its finally over. After being here for so long it's finally time to pack up my bags and head back home. I may be leaving Rome, but it will never leave me.