The Outstanding Beauty of Roma
I remember reading this book when I was a kid. It was a book about a group of vagabond children living in the canal ways of Venice, Italy. The book described with great imagery the winding canal ways, bedazzled with long, elegant gondolas gliding from here to there. Although the book’s plot was to take us along a journey of childhood angst, as a child it was the setting of the story that ultimately intrigued me the most. The romance of the country kept my imagination hostage. Ever since then, I had a malignant obsession with the country that never went away. When I got older, I made it my mission to visit the country one way or another. Post graduation, as I was staring at my computer screen in my cubicle, I realized that it was time to stop dreaming and to finally execute a plan to make visiting Italy a reality. The next day, I booked my ticket and would be flying to Rome a year later.
The view of Roma from The Orange Garden
The beauty of Rome cannot be encompassed by words alone. When I first stepped off the steps of the plane and walked to the shuttle bus, I felt an immense feeling of comfort. It was a feeling of Déjà vu, which I attributed to my imagined nostalgia I accumulated over the years of dreaming of this magical place. Once I arrived, my brother and I navigated straight to our Air bnb. This Air bnb was amazing. Our host was very helpful and welcomed us to Rome in the most generous way, feeding us homemade Italian breads and pastries. From there, our adventure only continued to progress as we explored the architectural beauty and flavors of the eternal city.
The Trevi Fountain
The structural beauty of Rome is one of complete awe. The interesting thing I noticed while I walked around Rome is that it is a very walkable city, and history is literally around every single corner. It seemed we came across an historical structure every other second. Everyone is aware of the Trevi Fountain. It is probably one of the most popular architectural feats in Rome. It is definitely a favorite of tourists, as everyone wants to go there, take group pictures, and toss their coins in the fountain to ensure a return to the city in the near future. I of course had to do the same. The Colosseum is another site that has worldwide acclaim. We took a tour of the structure, as well as its surroundings. While touring the Colosseum, it really hit me just how magnificent it is. When people question just how the structure was built in what we believe to be a less advanced time, it begs the question, are we really that more advanced merely because we exist at a more modern time period? I believe there is validity in the idea that we have indeed underestimated the genius of our predecessors. Even the bathrooms in the Colosseum made much more sense from a logistical standpoint. Rome is hailed for its development of its aqueduct system, which conveyed water from distant sources to Rome. Especially in the Colosseum, the engineers had to consider the water and drainage system that could accommodate the massive crowds the Colosseum attracted. Considering these factors and seeing everything up close really puts the genius behind Roman structures into perspective.
My breakfast prepared by my Air bnb host
Italian food is also a wonder of its own. When people visit Italy the first thing that they usually notice is that the food is quite different than the “Italian” food they’ve enjoyed in their home country. Ingredients in the Italian dishes are generally minimal in nature, in that Italian cuisine really focuses on the true flavors of the items in the dish. When I first tried the pizza, I noticed that it had much fewer ingredients than the pizzas I was accustomed to in America. In fact, the options for the pizza toppings were limited to 5 items—cheese, tomato sauce, tomatoes, spinach, and pepper. Although the ingredients are minimal, the flavor is not. All of the ingredients that Italian chefs use are fresh, and that is what makes it special. Only fresh ingredients are used and because of that, no other flavor aiders are needed. All of this is to say, when you try the Italian foods, do not compare it to the flavors of the “Italian” foods in your country. And whatever you do, do not add anything to your dishes that is not originally included in your dish—that is the ultimate insult!
The food! As you can see, this dish includes a short list of ingredients.
Italian people overall are also very generous and giving to foreigners, but this is said with an asterisk. It would be naïve of me to say that me possessing an American passport and accent offers no benefit for me and my travel experiences. I have heard countless stories of black women travelers who visit Italy and experience being thought of as prostitutes, or being somewhat of a second-class citizen in a sense. Also, it is important to note that currently Italy is going through its own immigration issue, accepting many immigrants from northern Africa. This has much to do with the imperial history of Africa and the current economic crisis happening in northern Africa. All of this considered, traveling to Italy as a black woman does indeed have its potential downsides, but overall my experience in Rome was nothing short of amazing. My Air bnb host was very accommodating, showing me exactly how to get to the most beautiful locations in Rome. He even taught me how to get to the Orange Garden, a place that is revered for having the best panoramic view of Rome. Even more, after he and his girlfriend had a get-together with his family to welcome a cousin back home, they saved some of the food for me so I could eat for breakfast the next day. Walking in the streets, if I ever appeared lost, there was always someone there ready to assist with their attempts of conversing in English.
Italy will always have a special place in my heart, not only because of the historical and architectural beauty, but also because it was my first international trip. That trip introduced me to the beauty of travel, and has given me the travel bug that I can not get rid of even if I wanted to.
The Colosseum!
Once I got notified that I would be teaching English in South Korea, the next big decision to make would be to decide where I would be living in South Korea. Historically, many foreigners interested in traveling here are primarily concerned with living in Seoul. In fact, many people who are even somewhat familiar with South Korea are often times only aware of Seoul.