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Adventures in Tourism: Rome, Day IV

The only surviving picture from my fourth day in Rome, featuring a set of statues at the Piazza de Popolo.

 
Hello!

By my fourth and final day in Rome, I was exhausted, nearly out of phone storage, and impatient to get on the train to Florence. We checked out of our AirBNB at 10 AM, so I spent the day lugging around my travel backpack filled with everything I would need for the week. Still, I enjoyed a pleasant, relaxed day with limited responsibilities beyond ensuring that I caught the train to Florence. In lieu of the usual "photos with commentary" Adventures in Tourism blog post format, I am posting an excerpt from my journal, with minor edits for grammar and clarity.

I am writing this while resting at the Piazza de Popolo. My phone has cursedly run out of storage space, so I am unable to take photos, and Google Maps won't load correctly. However, I am trying to see this as a positive. When I'm traveling, I always feel bad taking the time to look after myself instead of doing and seeing more things. Now, I am forced to just rest and enjoy my time here in Rome.

I think maybe touristy places all around the world can be kind of similar, but Piazza de Popolo really reminds me of the Santa Fe Plaza, with basilicas nearby and both local people and tourists mingling and relaxing. It's hard to explain why or how, but Italy reminds me of New Mexico/the Southwest in a way that Paris (and France in general) do not. Warm, constantly changing weather, cool breezes, fountains, historical churches, and touristy things everywhere give me such a strong Santa Fe vibe.

It's also just been so nice to be on vacation. It has been fun to see French people who are also on vacation, because I kind of feel a connection to them. I really enjoy approaching the world from the bewildered wonder of a tourist.

It's so weird to think of myself as someone who has travelled places. What a weird, strange world we live in, where Lydia Bateman has left their continent!

I hope that you enjoyed this glimpse into my vacation journaling! 

My next blog post will not be an Adventures in Tourism blog post, because (a) travel blog posts are some of my least favorite blog posts to write, (b) I have many, many Florence photos to sort through before I can even think about writing about them, and (c) I want to ~be reflective~ and ~explore other writing ideas~.

Best wishes,
Lydia




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