Writing Assignment #1

Topic: find borders in Rome and borders you encounter in your wandering. Borders can be physical, psychological, or metaphorical as manifested in language, identity, memory, etc. Engage the city as a "traveler". Don't always go in a group. Often you will find more inspiration alone or with one or two companions.

I didn’t arrive in Rome on a chariot; I most definitely wasn’t wearing a ‘stola’ and sandals; it’s not 140 AD. I drove into the ‘eternal city’ in the back of a taxi cab wearing a pair of blue jeans and a sweater... and the year is 2010. Of course I knew before coming here that Rome is no longer the ancient metropolis surrounded by stone wall fortifications and toga-wearing men discussing politics and philosophy that I have seen in the movies. Nevertheless, a small part of me was secretly devastated upon facing this reality as I watched worn-down, dirty, tightly packed apartment buildings whip by through the window of my cab.
The border between the historical and modern-day Rome has been the most frustrating for me. Not because it’s the only one that I can’t bridge, I have encountered plenty of seemingly impenetrable boundaries here. I’m dealing with the ever present language barrier, the discomfort of being an obvious outsider with my blonde hair and American clothing, and the difficulty of stepping outside of my comfort zone to engage in a culture that I don’t understand... even in the most mundane activities like shopping, buying food, and using public transportation. I’m stubbornly determined to see this city as the legendary “Ancient Roman Empire” that I am so fascinated by. I walk about the city, taking in all of the different ruins, artifacts and memorials, using these points of contact as bridges to the past… trying to imagine Rome as it was… attempting to see over the border that Time has established between then and now, between the “Ancient Romans” and myself.
I usually associate “border” with geographical, political, or psychological divides. However, Time is in its own category; it can’t be manipulated or changed… it simply builds on itself, becoming denser, as years pass and layers of history are added, thickening the walls around the ancient empire, burying it deeper (Modern Rome is about 25 feet higher than it was when the forum was built after all). But just as the archaeologists have managed to expose the evidence of Ancient Rome through the excavation of architecture, art, and other works, as a student I am able to transcend some of the borders of Time through reading, seeing, exploring, and imagining the way that Rome was 2000 years ago.
Rome is unlike any other city I have traveled to, in that it is the most layered with tangible records of its history. I come here with the hope of peeking into the past, rather than delving into the distinct energy and character of the here and now. Perhaps this is why I find engaging in the culture so overwhelming and impossible… because I’m not as focused on it. Instead, I’m engaging in a culture and a people that have long passed away.