Back in Rome: Day One

Well it’s been a few days since I’ve been back from my vacation.  In all actuality it wasn’t a vacation at all.  To sum it up:  had a few hours of sleep; rushing from here to there; packing in too many activities all at once.  Not to mention sharing an apartment with 7 people while getting ready for a wedding at the same time.  Yep.  It was pretty stressful.

But there WERE some beautiful moments.  Moments I will never forget.  Moments I WISH I CAN FORGET.  I’ve been dealing with a lot of emotions over the weekend.  Overthinking as usual ( typical Gemini) and haven’t really come to a conclusion on why things turned out the way they did.  I was pretty drained being around so many people, too.  Needless to say, I miss traveling alone, and feel somewhat anxious about me traveling with other people in the future.  Have I reached that point of just enjoying my own company and not “needing” anyone around?

The plus side of traveling with others is they sometimes bring out the best in you.  And you get to share some amazing moments as a group.  Feelings are “enhanced” because someone is there feeling the same thing you are.  It’s nice.  The downsize is, sometimes one bad mood can alter everyone else’s.  It’s hard to navigate away from it when you are stuck together for the rest of the ride.

I’ll recap Day One quickly, because that’s how that day went in general.  I landed in the afternoon and rode the train in from Fiumicino airport to Roma Termini station.  This was the first time I have done this.  I have rode to the airport before, but not the other way around.  When I got out, I was completely overwhelmed.  I knew our hotel was nearby, but had no idea there were going to be so many people around.  Again, I’ve been to Rome before but this was something unreal.  I messaged my friend who had arrived the night before from LA to come meet me because I felt I would get lost.  Luckily she was up and met me in no time.  The hotel wasn’t far away, but with Italy’s small signs, I wasn’t in the mood to go in circles.

Once back at the hotel I showered up and we got ready.  I managed to sleep in on my flight so I was ready to start my day with everyone else.  In the past, I would have terrible jet lag and would have to nap but this time I wanted to keep going.  We decided to walk to sightsee which was a great idea.  We found Eatly not far from the hotel and we grabbed some espresso.  Then off we went again.

We made our way to the Spanish Steps because my friend wanted to check out the Louis Vuitton store.  The Spanish Steps area has mostly high end retail and luckily we found the shop but they did not have the bag that she wanted.  We continued to sight see.

We ended up at the Trevi Fountain (which reportedly has another Louis Vuitton shop nearby) and the crowd was insane.  The amount of people here was nerve wrecking.  We witnessed a heated altercation between two men, all for a photo!  I really thought these two would duke it out.  The energy was too much and we decided to leave the area.

By now we were growing hungry.  I did some research on gluten-free restaurants since my friend has a restrictive diet.  I noticed we were nearby one of them and we decided to check it out.  Taverna Barberini was pretty empty, but we concluded we were walking in during siesta.  Luckily they invited us in and we had the place to ourselves.  The chef reassured my friend that everything is gluten-free, so we ordered a pasta for us to share.  It was delish!!!  I was amazed because it didn’t taste differently at all.  My friend enjoyed her meal very much.  It felt good knowing she could have pasta here in Rome.

We felt better after our late lunch that we decided to continue with our sightseeing.  We came upon Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II (Altare della Patria) and I noticed the gate door was opened.  I’ve been to this monument before but never got a chance to go inside.  We quickly ran up to see if we could get in. 

The view from the top is amazing!  You get the panoramic view of the Piazza Venezzia and all of its hustle and bustle.  We took a ton of pictures before witnessing the changing of the guards.  I’m pleased we discovered this on our way to the Colosseum.  

The Colosseum had some construction going on around the perimeter but it didn’t alter the view of its majestic structure.  We were now catching the sunset of Rome and it looked beautiful!  After taking more pictures we noticed the metro station and decided to take it back to our hotel.

We had another person that was flying in later that day and he reached out to us once I was connected to the wifi.  We were all going to take the train down to the southern region of Italy.  We decided we should meet up so we could introduce ourselves as well as form a plan for the morning commute.  This was crucial since we luckily had tickets for the fast train.  Of course we got a bit lost but we found each other and headed over to the train station to get familiar with our surroundings.

As most nights in Italy were short, we decided to get up around 6am to head out no later than 7:15am for our 8am train.  Looking back, I realize that commuting is a stressful situation when you are in another country.  You can’t make any mistakes.  You are on your own…

Journèe Della Femme

Today I fly out to Rome.  I AM SUPER NERVOUS.  My anxiety has crept up on me these past two days.  I am trying my best to remain calm but the butterflies in my stomach won’t stop fluttering.  I am proud that I didn’t feel this way sooner as I have in the past.  I use to get nervous weeks at a time before a trip would come up!  I am aware that this will always be a struggle for me, but I refuse to stop travelling!  The rewards are amazing and I wouldn’t dare do such a thing.  I love it too much.

Last Sunday was Mother’s Day.  My mom was not in the mood to celebrate.  I wasn’t sure what this was about, but I convinced her otherwise to let us take her out for dinner.  She had her reasons but we kept persisting.  We settled on Las Tablas which is a popular restaurant in our neighborhood.  The restaurant was packed when we arrived, and we had to wait to be seated.  I didn’t think it was too bad of a wait but again, my mom was not in the mood.  Not to mention, it was unseasonably cold in Chicago that day.  Regardless, I’m glad we went out as a family.  She enjoyed her soup and seemed ok at the table.  It’s hard to read her sometimes and know what’s really going on.  I asked my brother later on if he knew what that was about, but we concluded that some people are not fond of overly packed restaurants on holidays.  Next time we’ll plan something else.

Wish me luck on my new journey!  I can’t wait to tell you all about it when I get back! 

BLVD

My big trip is tomorrow and the nerves are kicking in!  Not to mention, it’s been storming a lot here in Chicago.  Yikes.  My anxiety comes and goes, but I think the fact that I finished up a book about Jesus over the weekend has helped me out a lot.  Think about it.  Anxiety stems from “fear of the unknown” but I’ve learned through reading self-help books and practicing my faith that I have to believe in it as well.  It’s all about trusting yourself that you will be fine.

Easier said than done of course.  Especially when you can counter up endless questions of “what ifs” in your head.  I managed to clean up my apartment and do laundry all weekend and started to pack my luggage.  Our softball game was cancelled due to rain last week.  Softball season officially started the week prior but we lost terribly.  Since our game got rained out, my co-workers decided to walk over to our bar and enjoy the night off.  I decided at the last minute to head out.  I figured I could purchase my new luggage down the street in order for me to pack.  This suitcase is a bit SMALLER than my last one so it will definitely be challenging to get everything inside.  Today I laid out my toiletries on my bathroom counter while I got ready for work.  This has helped me in the past by actually going through my morning ritual and setting everything aside.  Hopefully today I’ll get my belongings IN MY LUGGAGE to finalize my packing, but we’ll see.

Back to recapping my week!  After Sunday’sbirthday party, the week was filled with appointments and obligations.  Tuesday I finally had my dentist appointment.  It was brief but we opted to file my front tooth a bit to smooth out the ridge.  It doesn’t look TOO BAD but I now have one front tooth longer than the other one.  UGH!!

Later that day I made plans to catch up with a friend at BLVD restaurant.  We lucked out with the weather.  It was gorgeous that day.  I had never been to BLVD before, but this place was super fancy!!  I felt underdressed when I walked in.  A gorgeous crystal chandelier draped over the restaurant.  There were no windows to peak out of.  It was very dark inside which made it feel much later than it actually was.  It was a little after 6pm when we walked in, but to me, I thought it was nearing11pm!  Lol.  

Despite the intimidating ambiance, we had a good time.  I love discovering new spots.  My friend really loved the place, but that’s more his style.  He felt the darkness was cozy and intimate.  For me, I haven’t been out in a while, and it was nice catching up over cocktails.  It got my mind off my trip. 

King for a Day!

I am so grateful today is Friday!  I am pooped out.  I had an eventful week and I’m glad it’s almost over.  I am also proud of myself.  I managed to get some things done for my upcoming trip.  It’s nerve wrecking everytime I have to fly out.

Last weekend Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby was going on.  And I didn’t do a thing.  I was not in the mood to deal with overly drunk people.  I skipped out on the day parties and enjoyed my usual Saturday routine.  I cleaned up my apartment, did some French lessons, and read a chapter on a book I’m trying to finish up.  I also had the chance to lay out on my balcony.  I missed being under the sun.

Sunday I had a birthday party to attend to.  My friend’s son was turning one, and she threw a big soiree for him!  He was calm throughout the party despite being around so many people.  We were impressed!  It was nice to see my friends together.  It’s getting harder and harder to catch up with one another.  I had a good time until someone let the yorkies out.  My allergies started right away and I left shortly after.

With all of us moving in different directions and dealing with personal struggles of our own, I think the importance of being kind to one another is more important than ever.  I’m stressed out as well and my anxiety is not helping the situation.  The countdown has begun…

Happy hour and Housemusic

Now that the weather warmed up a bit in Chicago, people took the opportunity to go out and enjoy themselves.  I got a chance to see my friends on tax day Tuesday for happy hour at Union Sushi.  My friend will also be in Europe the same time I will be but traveling in different locations.  It was nice comparing notes.  I am reminded how fortunate I am to go once again.  We ended up at Concrete Cowboy to check it out before we all jumped in our Ubers.

Inside Concrete Cowboy 

That Friday I found out that one of my favorite djs had passed away.  I was quickly saddened and decided to play his music all weekend at home.  Avicii brought a different element to edm that was recognized throughout the dance scene.  I was going through my breakup when he was at the top of the charts.  His music helped me cope with the sadness I was dealing with.  To hear that he is gone too soon shook me.

A few days later the media announced that his family implied he might have taken his life.  NOW THIS HURTS.  I had watched his documentary Avicii True Stories at home earlier, and to hear this news brought a new perspective on what was going on in his life.  He was exhausted about his work schedule, but his management team would not lay off the grueling tours he had been committed to appear in.  Eventually he took some time off to recoup, but reports suggest his management team were continually pestering him about returning to work.  

It made me think a lot about what success means to people.  For some, it’s having a lot of money.  With that in mind, it gives off the notion that you would be free to do whatever you want to because money would be there to provide for you.  But is that true?  Avicii employed a crew for his tours and business.  He was the talent of course, and without him involved, how would the business survive?  There is speculation that Avicii never liked the spotlight, and had anxiety whenever he performed live.  He just wanted to make music behind the scenes.  

I have my struggles too, on “Meaning, Life, Happiness”.  I sometimes look back on my life and see the mistakes and wrong turns I’ve made.  They lead me to a different path that was not what I expected.  I can’t help but feel responsible about the outcome, but I try not to beat myself up too much about it.  

For Avicii, I pray that he didn’t suffer much on his final hours here.  I can’t help but wonder if people would have left him alone this all could have been avoided.

RIP Avicii 

Friday the 13th weekend

Hello everyone!  I AM NOW SUPER EXCITED!!!  The countdown to my next adventure begins today!  T-minus 16 days until I board another plane (ok nerves are slowly creeping in) to head back to Italy.  I’ve been in contact with my friend more frequently to brainstorm some ideas, but other than that, I think we got enough information on what’s ahead.  I have yet to talk to the girl I will be meeting up with in Rome but she was busy this past weekend.  No worries.  In the meantime I have to buy another carry-on luggage for this trip.  The wheels on my suitcase have practically disintegrated.  So much for cobblestone roads!

Back to recapping my events.  The following weekend was Friday the 13^th, and although I try not to step out on bad luck days, a friend asked to meet him up for a cocktail at Latinicityafter work.  I’ve been curious to see what he’s been up to and how his new restaurant is coming along.  He will be opening up another location soon and I wanted to hear the details.  He was super helpful loaning out his area when we threw that baby shower a while back.  Luckily he was doing well and we got a chance to catch up.

Happy Hour at Latinicity 

The next day my little brother had tickets for a comedy show out in Schaumburg.  My older brother and step brother were coming as well.  It was going to be a family affair.  My older brother ended up inviting his girlfriend along and purchased a ticket for her to join us.  We decided on having dinner first at Westwood Tavern before heading to the show.  It was nice to see everyone.

Unfortunately my younger brother forgot to send the email to rsvp and they were not going to honor the tickets.  We had to pay for them at the door.  So much for trying to have a freebie night out!  My older brother and his girlfriend decided to skip the show and we bought out the ticket he had purchased for her.  Now our group dwindled down to 3, but we had a great time anyways.  I would definitely recommend trying to catch a comedy show once in a while.  It dawned on all of us that we probably haven’t laughed like that in ages.  Sometimes the routine of work and home gets the best of us. 

I’ve had this long denim jacket for 14 years!  I’m glad it still fits.