CW #6: A Roman at Last

By 5:30PM I found myself bolting out the computer lab in the Rome Center, flying down the stairs and directly into the evening chaos of the Campo de’ Fiori. I dug around in my bag while I was speed-walking towards my apartment building, listening carefully for the jingling of eight keys. Ah ha! Found them. I hastily pulled them out and jammed one of the keys into the keyhole of the front door and kicked it open. The door had a tendency to get stuck. I swiftly ran up the treacherous eight flights of stairs leading to the comforts of my apartment room. Apartment #8.

I dashed through the kitchen and the living room and finally landed in my room. Dumped my laptop onto my bed, changed my shoes, grabbed my keys and bolted out the door once again, with barely enough time to shout “see ya!” to my roommate. It was my last full day in Rome, and I still had a whole list of gifts to buy for family and friends, and it was also approaching 6:00PM. I really hope the stores don’t close soon…Why did I put this off until the last minute?!

As I stormed out into the Campo once again, I created a mental schedule of all the places I needed to go for gifts. Too bad there isn’t enough time to visit all the other sights I want to one last time, too... I wasn’t exactly certain how fast I was walking, but it probably could have been comparable to that of a bullet train – it felt like I was walking as if I was on fire, shooting down the sidewalk, dodging everything and anyone in my path. However, I was brought to an abrupt halt at a busy intersection where it would have been reckless of me to try to cross it with the light red flashing. So, I waited. Reluctantly.

Because I was so intent on crossing the street as quickly as possible, I didn’t automatically notice the woman who had approached me with a map. She turned to me and asked for directions to the Trevi Fountain in Italian. At first I was extremely surprised because here I was, clearly an Asian girl who did not resemble a European woman at all, being asked directions as if I were a native Roman. It was quite flattering, but even as excited as I was about her question, I still felt the need to quickly check behind me, just incase she was really trying to get the attention of the person behind me. Nope, no one else there -- she was definitely asking me for directions.

Once the woman realized she had my undivided attention, she asked me again how to get to the Trevi Fountain in Italian. My mind was racing – I definitely knew how to get to the Trevi but I just couldn’t describe it in Italian. I tried to recollect anything Costanza, my Italian teacher, had taught us about giving directions in the previous class. Nothing; I was blanking, which was disappointing because I was excited to use my Italian to help someone. So instead, I resorted to the next best thing: Parla Inglese? Do you speak English? She answered yes.

She was not the most fluent in English, which was evident because I had an especially difficult time understanding her question about a second location, and consequently couldn’t give her a sufficient answer. I did the best I could in explaining the route to the Trevi, using her map as a tool. However, I knew she didn’t fully understand what I was talking about by her confused expression and replies, so I decided it wouldn’t hurt to walk her to the Trevi since I was headed that direction anyway.

On the way, I learned she was from Brazil, and she was in Rome on vacation with her mother. However her mother wasn’t with her at the moment because she was tired and was resting back at the hotel. I told her I was a student from America studying in Rome. She thought it was great that such opportunities were offered to students. We continued with the small talk until we reached the Trevi. Upon our arrival, she thanked me, and we exchanged arrivederci.

It was quarter till 7:00PM and my shopping list was not any shorter. But it didn’t matter because I was happy I was able to help the Brazilian woman. It was a small price to pay for another great story and memory to share.

This was my last adventure in Rome, and one that will probably stay with me forever because it contrasts so greatly to my first day in Rome and some of the difficulties I faced while trying to fit in. Before this trip, I remember chuckling to myself as I imagined someone asking me for directions because it seemed like such an unlikely event – never in a million years did I think it would happen. But it did! By the end of five weeks, I knew my way around the city as if it were a second home, and it seemed as if others, even complete strangers, could see that as well – I looked like I lived in Rome and was no longer a tourist. I was a Roman at last.