When you begin traveling without much of a plan, it allows for a great deal of flexibility. This is something I really learned from after living such a scheduled, organized life. Being adaptable is a skill we all need to practice! When I chose Italy, my biggest goal was finding the beauty in simplicity and slowing down. Turns out, this is completely tied to being flexible and going with the flow!

My original plan was to head to Lucca in Tuscany, but after the rental car battle, I changed plans last minute and decided to head to Verona instead. After hearing how much my dad loved living in Verona, I knew it needed to be a stop on my journey.

I secured a last-minute reservation in Verona for the next day, so I stayed in downtown Rome for an evening. The space was small, but clean and comfortable. The host Manuel was so helpful and I met him at a local restaurant where he works before he showed me to the apartment.

After getting things tucked away and figured out a direction to go, I headed towards the Colosseum.

I could not even begin to explain the feelings I got when I turned a corner and could see it in all of its glory.

When you spend a whole lifetime learning about places this magnificent and then finally find yourself at the base of its massive form, the shock is overwhelming. My eyes filled with tears.

It was so moving to stand there and realize not only the power of what it represented for so many years and generations before, but also in showing me how small I really am in the scheme of things.

I am just one simple individual, but I still felt a strength within to make a difference despite my size in the world. I continued to wander through the historical area, coming upon Piazza Venezia where Mussolini declared World War II after America joined to fight against the awful events that had happened. Again, a reminder that one person has the power to change history (both for good and evil).

Next I found my way to the amazing Pantheon, again blown away and moved to tears.

It was unreal to be so close to all of these places and experiencing them in person rather than through a photograph. The Pantheon is a pagan Roman temple built and dedicated between AD 118 and 125.

I hunted down my first gelato, and cannot express how delicious it all was.

Next, the Trevi Fountain. I wanted to live that moment of life where The Lizzy McGuire Movie became real and Hilary Duff tosses her coins into the water. It was COVERED with masses of people and the swarms of people were not letting up anytime soon.

I didn’t think throwing coins at people’s heads was a nice idea 😂 so instead, I took a moment to soak every bit of it into my senses and then made a run for it out of the crowds.

Walking back to the Colosseum area and my apartment, I came across a man playing some AMAZING classic American songs on a guitar. It sounded so beautiful! I sat down to listen and soak it all in.

For dinner, I stopped in a small pizza restaurant close to the apartment. It was literally the best pizza I had ever eaten, and my first official meal in Italy.

Every bite was magical!

The kind woman working there was even generous enough to let me eat even though I was short about 0.70 Euro.

The apartment in Rome was perfect for the one night I was there. It had two large beds, a clean bathroom, a safe, and a small fridge for water. Because it was so central to everything in downtown Rome, I wasn’t too worried about not having a kitchen to cook in.

It was also an amazing touch to find a Netflix connected TV so that I could fall asleep to a show in English because it’s the simple things, you know 😉 ?!

Before heading out of Rome, I stopped for brunch at Flynn O’Briens Irish pub where my host worked. It was my second official meal that I hadn’t cooked in Italy. It was so delicious, I almost cried again haha. The waitress was so sweet, and did her best to explain things to me in English. I got a Fettucine with Zuccini and parmesan, and the most amazing fresh-squeezed orange juice.

After eating, I was able to chat with some lovely people from Chile and use my Spanish for a bit. It seemed so silly to be chatting semi-comfortably in Spanish while sitting in a restaurant in Italy!

Language has the power to break down barriers, open hearts, and transform the world.

They were patient with my language failures and I really enjoyed our conversation.

I dragged my suitcases back to the Rome Termini station. As I approached, a kind old man came and offered to help me pull them the rest of the way. He told me about how he and his wife came to Italy every single year for a month. They were from New York City and he was a retired history teacher. He explained that his wife was the ambitious one, and was taking Italian classes. His schedule included seeing sites and eating lots of good food (priorities!).

It made me so excited for the possibility of finding someone to love one day. Someone to travel with and see the magnificent world around us together.

I caught the train and headed towards Verona, excited to discover more of Italy’s beauty.

Comment below: have you ever been moved to tears by a piece of architecture or historical site? I’d love to hear your experience!

XO – Heath

Find more ideas to plan your Italy trip at Italy has my Heart board on Pinterest.