I was really excited about going to Rome. I couldn’t wait to see the Colosseum, have some “REAL” Italian food, have an Italian conversation, and buy an Italian dress. So, I bought Italian language books, researched the Colosseum, the Emperors, ancient sites, and looked at an Italian Vogue. After all that preparation, I still had no idea what I was in for. After a long flight and checking in the hotel Bernini, I decided to walk around. My first view of the Colosseum and ancient Rome was from the top of the so called “Wedding Cake Building” or “Typewriter Building”. It’s actually the Vittorio Emmanuel II Monument and was built to honor unified Italy’s first king. There is also a tomb for the unknown soldier. I went up the building in a glass elevator that brings you to “Rome from the Sky”. It had to have been over 90 degrees. It was even hotter on the top of the building. Suddenly, the heat, my thirst, and tiredness from the flight were gone. I could see Trajan’s Forum, the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, and the Vatican in a 360 degree view. That’s when it happened, the magic of Rome changed my life. I wanted to learn everything I could about the Romans, ancient history, and the amazing ruins that stretched out before me. As if that wasn’t enough, a walk around midnight revealed the full moon and north star shining through the arch of the Colosseum. Life has just not been the same since then. The more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know enough about this amazing subject. Oh, I did purchase a Sandro Ferrone dress! It’s one of my favorites! The lure of Rome is calling me back. I’m headed there next month, the magic is still working!

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