Rome and Back

Leaving, Part I: This Shit Is Sad
December 30th, 2011 11:44 AM
Fiumicino Airport

Well, it’s over. I’m many hours early for my flight, as I shared a cab with Matt and Matt’s parents, Jan and Mike. The three of them are gone by now, and I’m kind of wandering around Leornardo Da Vinci International Airport trying really hard not to think about saying bye to Matt. The past ten days have been perfect, absolutely wonderful and happy and full of new experiences and fun and delicious food and sight-seeing. I cannot believe that it’s over, just about as soon as it started, too.

On our first day together, Matt and I leisurely explored Trastevere and the Ghetto, finding ourselves at Capitoline Hill and the Roman Forum. We saw the famous sculpture of the shewolf suckling Romulus and Remus, a work nearly 2,500 years old. We also saw the statue of Marcus Aurelius and some truly incredible marble busts. Over the next few days we saw the Colosseum, a very cute farmer’s market (I stopped in there twice), more of Trastevere and the Vatican. For Christmas Eve and Christmas we saw the Vatican Museum (Sistine Chapel, School of Athens, the Hall of Maps) and St. Peter Square. Over and over again I was blown away by the sheer history and opulence and beauty of the city and its treasures. Rome in December was nice, too. It was pleasantly cold and decorated for Christmas and mercifully free of the hordes of tourists that flock here in the summer. We went to Midnight Mass at Santa Maria di Trastevere, a 12^th century Byzantine church about ten minutes from our apartment. It may be the oldest church in the city, which was pretty amazing. Its mosaics and artwork did not disappoint.

On Christmas we spent the day wandering the Piazza Navona’s Christmas festival, climbing the Spanish Steps, and marveling at the Trevi Fountain, which is still powered by aqueducts. After Christmas we went back to St. Peter’s to see the Basilica and saw Michealangelo’s Pieta and St. Peter’s tomb. When we arrived at the Square, His Holiness Himself was giving a little Christmas speech/blessing from a shockingly Tiny Yet Holy Apartment Window overlooking the crowds. It was pretty neat. He wears a funny hat.

roasted chestnuts!!

The most unique thing we did was visit Santa Maria de Concepzione (sp?) near the Piazza Barberini to see the crypts of the Cappuchin monks. In the basement of this old church are six crypts that are decorated, wall to wall, floor to ceiling with the bones of over 4,000 monks that died between 1500 and 1800, give or take. And by “decorated” I mean The Hall of Scapulas had intricate designs of hourglasses and a weirdly elegant sloping mound as a centerpiece. It was totally gruesome and macabre, but it was meant to be a celebration of life on Earth and the appreciation of how quickly time passes. There were even some full skeletons propped up with strings in full monk regalia. Creepy. But also mega cool.

Of course, I think it goes without saying that the best part besides spending ten days with Matt (obvs that’s the best part, but you don’t want me to spend the next eight paragraphs outlining the ways in which we’re gaga in love) was the food. Holy cow, the pasta, the pizza and the gelato were beyond words. My favorite was Dar Poeta, a cheap local pizza joint in Trastevere, and Giolitti, the most delicious gelateria in Rome. (Fun Fact: Michelle Obama went there with Sasha and Malia a few years ago). MY favorite pizza was the Bufala, with (water) buffalo mozzarella, and my favorite gelato was the grapefruit. None of us had a bad meal, and I drank lots of wine but never felt hungover. Rome is kind of like the Promised Land. Mmmmm I don’t think I’ll ever eat as good again!

Clockwise from top: Candied Almond and Fig, Dark Chocolate with Rum, Zabiaone (custard with Marsala wine)

We packed a lot into ten days, but we still made time for some un-touristy things, like sleeping in, watching movies, cooking, and playing with stray cats at this sanctuary that was in the middle of town. Matt, Mike, Jan and I spent a good hour or more in there the first day, playing with all kinds of loving, happy cats and buying some cute gifts to support them. It made me miss Pearl, and Scout too. I hope she’s doing well. I can’t wait to see her again. Matt and I very nearly adopted one in particular, Lorenzo, who greeted me by climbing up my legs to put one paw on either side of my face and hug me. I kid you not. I’m tempted to say it was one of the highlights of the trip.

Rome was amazing. Seeing Matt was like a slice of heaven. I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty sad out right now, and if I think about it too much, I start to look like I’ve had too much wine with lunch (and I haven’t had any, because any would be too much right now). I’m getting really tired of saying goodbye to Matt. I know I’m going to see him again in Florence in May for the Barker Family vacation, but I am ready to not have to say goodbye to him. I didn’t think it was possible to feel even more sure about our relationship, but this vacation reaffirmed what we’ve known and told each other from the start. In this moment, it’s hard for me to love Peace Corps for the wonderful and amazing experience that it is, because I can’t stop thinking about how nice it will be to be together with Matt full time. But, alas, the way things work out is always funny, and Matt and I also know that for as much as we want to be together right now, we’re also exactly where we need to be.

So, what now? I need to keep my mind moving forward, so I’ve made a list:

1.       Return to Mali, spend New Year’s in Bamako

2.       Chat with my APCD (Assistant Peace Corps Directory) about my site

3.       Go back to site, snuggle Scout, check on the pump project, maternity, and literacy classes

4.       Go back to Bamako for Shea Business Boot Camp, Part II with Mamu

5.       Start running again

6.       Start learning Spanish (I’m going to Spain with my friend before I see my family in May!)

7.       Learn how to use my new Kindle (A Christmas gift from Matt and Jan and Mike!!!!!!!!!)

8.       Keep studying Bambara

9.       Attempt pizza in my dutch oven (a pathetic homage to Dar Poeta)

Thanks for humoring me on my vacation updates. It’s been surreal, and I’m one lucky girl, through and through.

Leaving, Part II: JUST KIDDING

It seems as though I’m already encountering difficulties completing the first part of my first step in my plan. After spending a long, uncomfortable, lonely day in the Roman airport, my 7pm flight to Lisbon was delayed an hour, and I missed my connection to Bamako by about 9 minutes. Seriously. Luckily, TAP Portugal is a legitimate airline that attempts to take good care of its customers, so I’m currently being put up in the Hotel Roma Lisboa. I got a sandwich, I took a bath, and washed my clothes in the sink—such an upgrade from washing them in buckets without running water in Mali. Merry Christmas to me.

Tomorrow morning I fly Air France to Paris then back down to Bamako. Apparently it’s the fastest way to get me home, even though Paris is way the hell out of my way. At least I get to fly Air France. Plus, I’ve always wanted to see Portugal, although a cold and sad seven hour hotel stay was not what I imagined. Maybe I’ll get to do it for real someday. Also, when I arrive in Bamako tomorrow night, at least my luggage will be there. I’d have gone days without it in Bamako if I had actually made my flight, so I guess it all works out for the best. At least, I hope so. Here’s to one more night of hot running water and electricity with the promise of free in-flight booze tomorrow!

Part III: Bamako and The Roman Hangover

I’m back! It feels good to be back, but I’m also experiencing a weird slump. Not that I didn’t expect this, but it feels weirder than I thought it would. It goes like this: I wake up in the Bamako transit house, surrounded by my friends talking about Peace Corps things, talking about how dumb the Republican presidential candidates are, talking about vacations, talking about all of the normal good things I talked about thirteen days ago, before I left for vacation. But I don’t really want to be a part of any of it. I am glad to be back, but I feel like I had this great taste of my future life, that real world that was increasingly more nebulous the longer I was in Peace Corps. Then all of the sudden I was living it. And now that I’m back for the second year of my PC service, I feel… confused. Yes, I want this, but I also want that. Why can’t I have the one that makes me insanely happy? Why do I need that life to be happy? Why is it so hard for me to love my village and my commitment to be here? The guilt is overwhelming, and besides that, I don’t really have much direction, so it feels like I’m treading water. Meh. I know this isn’t the first time I’ve talked about this stuff, but I’m just hoping that with a little more time, with a fresh perspective, things will turn for the better. My friend told me this morning that one of the few luxuries we have in Peace Corps is time to think. It’s totally true, and I plan on taking full advantage of it in the next few weeks as I transition back to work and back to being Tintio Traore.

Therefore, My List, Revised:

1.       Chat with my APCD (Assistant Peace Corps Directory) about my site

2.       Stay in Bamako for Shea Business Boot Camp, Part II with Mamu and Gender and Development Committee elections

3.       Return to site!

4.       Start running again

5.       Start learning Spanish (I’m going to Spain with my friend before I see my family in May!)

6.       Learn how to use my new Kindle (A Christmas gift from Matt and Jan and Mike!!!!!!!!!)

7.       Keep studying Bambara

8.       Attempt pizza in my dutch oven (a pathetic homage to Dar Poeta, the best pizza… ever.)

9.       Keep on keepin on!

Happy New Year! May 2012 be the year you’ve always wanted for yourself. Go get it!