Writing Assignment #10

Memory

The Tiber River. Dirty, brown, and prone to flooding, I love it. The sidewalks along the Tiber are open, light, and often void of pedestrians. Jogging along the river fed my spirit. The silvery grays and greens reminded me of Frodo's journey down the Anduin River after leaving Lothlórien, and the statues on the Ponte Sant'Angelo alluded to the statues of the ancient kings of Gondor. There was something majestic about my little morning jaunt down the river. My favorite part was on the way home, after turning around, when I had a direct view down Via della Conciliazione toward St. Peter's Piazza. With my hands on my knees, attempting to breathe deeply, I would have a look at St. Peter's, and just take a little moment to thank God for another beautiful day.
On my last night in Rome I did my walk one last time; the walk from the Campo de' Fiori along the Tiber to St. Peter's. Darkness changes the river from brown to velvety black. At night I have the river to myself and I feel as though the river is mine. Like always, I turned off towards the piazza one bridge before Castel Sant'Angelo. St. Peter's Basilica at night is the most spectacular sight. I knew I'd have to come at night to have a moment alone with Peter. The loud, obnoxious tourists and swarms of pilgrims during the daylight hours had made it impossible for me to say a proper goodbye before going home. The night was clear and beautiful, and the piazza was empty. I stayed for over an hour before the security drove me away.
Coming home was easier said than done for a variety of reasons. It took me 41 hours to get home, which I wasn't prepared for. When I saw the Space Needle through my airplane window I cried a little bit. Picking up with my relationships here in Seattle turned out differently than I'd expected, and I found myself disappointed and frustrated with what I came home to. I have gone from thinking of Rome as a break from the confusion and stress of my daily life, to a bridge between two ways of being. Rome taught me how to take care of myself, to live on my own, cook my own food, live with people whom I don't necessarily relate to easily, and take responsibility for myself. These are skills that I took home with me, and effect the way that I relate to my friends here.
Although I can't spend my mornings running along the Tiber River or my evenings wandering around St. Peter's Piazza, I have already begun to find new places and routines here at home that give me that same sense of space and peace.