It’s been four days since my feet first touched down in Rome and since then it’s all been an orange-y, hazy dream. Truly. There simply are not words to encapsulate how incredibly regal yet blatantly, beautifully worn this city is. Every nook, alleyway and side street is a movie still, every bridge is a love letter and every cobble stone is a piece of the paths of poets, artists, philosophers and dreamers.

I’ve had multiple experiences where I’ve literally exclaimed, “God! Rome, seriously?!” because in the most unexpected places there is a hidden ancient ruin or a work of Michelangelo (or HIM… pronounced “heem,” as Luke says). That’s the thing about this place. It’s unabashingly gorgeous in its age and still so casual in its presentation. A sculpted stone fountain at the end of this quiet alley? Oh yeah. Forgot to mention it. Galileo’s home away from home right across from this restaurant you’re eating at? Mhmm, yes. Didn’t you know? ….  See what I’m saying?

As someone who’s never been in the Eternal City, the amount of beauty is literally too much for me to take in at times. I’ve gotten weepy twice thus far. Once, while dodging pedestrians as well as the Colosseum and god knows what other historic monuments in a taxi from Termini Station on our way to our apartment for the first time. And the second, witnessing the Vatican for the first time at midnight. Okay, maybe some wine had to do with the last one… but you get the point.

Luke and I have had some great moments thus far with this city in the past few days. We’ve eaten the best pizza in the world at Dar Poeta. Not joking, the gorgonzola pizza with sausage is UNREAL. We’ve had some great and fulfilling conversations with complete strangers. One Australian couple sold us into going to their neck of the woods this time next year while we all sweated our faces off in the midday heat. Another Italian couple wrote out their favorite combination of ingredients for bruschetta after Luke implored them for their knowledge. We’ve picnic-ed in the Villa Borghese Gardens overlooking the city with wine, the reddest tomatoes I’ve ever seen, fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and balsamico in tow. We’ve sung a lot, strolled a lot more and are really feeling settled in our apartment.

One of our main goals in staying five weeks in this city is to really take in its people’s culture and develop ourselves as artists. Luke is taking in a lot of the Italian language and has been bulking up his vocabulary in between writing music and learning harmonies. Yes, my music ed degree comes in handy sometimes! I’m really excited to become more familiar with the camera, as well shoot a short film, write and whatever else my heart pleases. (By the way, the shots you see here are from my morning walk today and are my first batch ever. Photographers be kind. I’m learning!) More and more we’re getting into the swing of Italian living and I’m getting entirely too spoiled by all that Rome has shown me thus far. But, I’m definitely not complaining!