Amore

Cho!!! I’m in Italy! I’ve been reflecting on my overall experience in Rome and have decided to write about love. Don’t roll your eyes and check out just yet! Love gets a bad wrap sometimes. It’s viewed as cheesy and cliché when at its root it is the source of all that is good. Yes, we love our significant other and our family members but we can also fall in love with a place or a sip of coffee or maybe the smell of an ancient fountain. Love takes on more forms than romantic comedy’s and when it comes to Rome, I felt every definition of it. I am happy to announce I am no longer traveling solo! TJ has joined me in Rome so our journey is now together. We decided to tour the Vatican for our first adventure. The building was crowded with tourists but that didn’t take away from the beauty of the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Church (I’m not sure anything could). It was amazing to think all of the paintings and artwork there were done to glorify God. Michelangelo laid on his back every day for 3 years to paint the ceiling of the Sistine chapel! What a devotion! As TJ and I sat in silence and listened to the bells of St Peters Church, I feel in love with my God all over again. Faith is absolutely a form of love and the Vatican took me to the root of it. From there we visited the ancient city of Rome itself. Talk about MASSIVE! The buildings are lined with pillars that hold up multiple tons of marble and concrete statues. Stairs climb to the sky every way you look. Ornate fountains are found on every corner, showering the city in refreshing beauty. As you walk the streets, you are truly taken back to ancient times. This feeling alone is one of love. Being in the colosseum and the Roman forum absolutely stunned my heart. To stand where the romans stood over 2000 years ago! The pure awe of it can throw you into palpitations. This rush and surreal feeling is exactly the feeling of love. I couldn’t contain my smile as I ventured through the arch ways of the coliseum and heard the cheering of 2000 years. I fell in love with the moment. Throughout the day we drank amazing Italian coffee and pastries, including canoli’s, and I think I feel in love with every bite. You may laugh but it’s the truth! To sit at a café in Rome and drink a freshly brewed coffee is a feeling of pure contentment. Sharing a gelato in the hot sun with TJ was a moment I will never forget. And the pizza!!! We sat in the park and shared an entire pie. Food creates moments rooted in love. I cherished every bite and sip. Finally I come to the last form of love; my love for TJ. Throughout the day I realized the beauty of the man he is. Sunday morning we visited a Basilica which happened to be undergoing mass. TJ’s eyes lit up and he asked if we could stay. Together we worshiped our lord (in Italian). The fact that his heart felt overwhelmed by the glory of God as mine did threw me into quite a deeper love. From there, we shared the moments of our tours; the Vatican and ancient ruins. Although I was sweating like a pig he constantly told me I was beautiful and put a smile on my face. Finally we passed a bottle of wine between us in the park and answered silly questions; if you were a drink what would you be? We laughed and eventually dove into serious topics. We spoke of marriage, religion, politics, love itself. We talked for hours with my head in his lap and his fingers stroking my hair. I am blessed to have him in my life. Love is a beautiful gift we are given. Do not laugh at it or scorn at it. Embrace it in all of its forms! Allow yourself to love a sip of coffee or a bite of cake. Allow yourself to fall in love with a moment or a feeling. And most of all, love your people to the deepest of your ability. Why would we be given such a beautiful thing as love not to use it to its capacity?