Travel

The Odd Reason I Am Traveling To Rome This Winter

My Travel To Rome Is Jinxed — I Hope It’s Different This Time

It’s February and I hear it’s not the best time to visit Rome or anywhere in Italy, for that matter.

It’s gray, cold, and damp, and it rains (a lot). In fact, I checked next week’s weather and my heart sank to see that it’s going to rain all the days I am there.

Well, too late. My bags are packed and I am ready to go. Rome, here I come.

To make matter worse, my Italian colleague didn’t encourage visiting Rome either. Definitely not at this time of the year. But also in general.

They say Rome is dirty. There’s garbage piled up everywhere. The Italians didn’t do a good job of keeping their cities clean. There’s litter and dog poo everywhere.

But come on. Rome is Rome after all. And how dirty can it be? I have been to and lived in some of the dirtiest cities in the world. And I heard Amsterdam is dirtier (I can’t compare though, not yet).

But even though my bags are all packed and I am flying tomorrow morning, I can’t believe I am finally going there.

You see, I have been living in Europe since 2011. And since then, I have tried many times to visit Rome.

I had my flight tickets and hotels booked. But I had to cancel it every time at the very last moment because something or other would happen. Sickness or another emergency would make me cancel my trip.

I had lost flight money because, well I booked cheap, and the money wasn’t refundable.

After a few unsuccessful efforts, I decided to stop trying.

But I never stopped dreaming.

As a child, I grew up with an atlas and a diary where I noted down all the places I want to visit one day. I don’t need to remind anyone about how rich and incredible the art, architecture, and history is in Rome. That’s knowledge to even a child.

Living in Europe and not visiting Rome is like eating a sandwich without a filling.

Every time I have planned a trip somewhere, I have painfully omitted checking the deals to Rome. I have struggled not reading more about the Spanish Steps or the Pantheon in vain.

I have drooled over those cute pictures of the Vespa and have become nostalgic about how life in Rome must be. (Although my Italian colleagues have tried to create a different picture, which isn’t as romantic.)

In every movie where I have watched people throwing coins in the Trevi fountain, I have desperately hoped, my day will come too.

But because I felt quite sure that somehow my travel to Rome is jinxed, I made other plans.

Until a few days ago.

You may ask what happened.

Well, I watched the movie Angels and Demons.

I have definitely read the book by Dan Brown before and of course, I have read so many history books about Rome. But this movie was spectacular.

And I don’t mean the movie is better than the book. Of course, they have deviated from the movie a lot. And the book is so intense.

But the cinematography in the movie is spectacular. When I saw the grandeur of the Vatican or the awe-inspiring architecture of the museums, I said enough is enough.

I can’t wait any longer. Not visiting Rome at least once in a lifetime is a sin (I am kidding, or maybe not) you mustn’t commit.

I booked the tickets on a whim. Yes, I know it’s gray, it’s dull, it’s winter and it might rain, not the best time to visit Rome, but I don’t know if I should postpone it any longer.

My daughter has a ski vacation at her school next week. Most people go somewhere for winter sports. Or some go to the sun, sand, and sea like the Canary Islands. I was planning for something like that.

I am usually desperate for warm and sunny weather during this time of the year after the long dreary winter when rain rarely stops and the sun rarely shines.

But suddenly, the movie changed everything. It has to be now or never (well, that’s quite melodramatic). I suddenly got back this longing that I have been resisting for so long, the urge to be finally in the city of my dreams.

But no more.

Enough of procrastination. I will see tomorrow if Rome is still jinxed for me or if this time I can finally reach there to experience it myself and bring back fond memories of a lifetime.

Till then, Ciao — although I read that it’s a default greeting only when you don’t speak Italian, otherwise, you shouldn’t use it often in Italy (will talk about the history another time).

So let’s say — arrivederci.

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