When in Rome...

In the spirit of Spring Break (I remember spring break- I went back home to work...enjoy Cancun college kids!), I’m going to use this time to enlighten you all on the greatest place on earth and where I spent my weekend.

I went home, home to Rome. What a magnificent city that, in my opinion, fully embodies all that it means to be Italian. Rome is a fantastic city because the ancient world mingles with the modern world in a way that is so natural you can hardly tell one from the other.

I spent Friday night at an Aperativo (Italian happy hour), where you get a nice drink but then eat ridiculously good food for 2 hours. Saturday, I hung out with friends and our night finished up at Piazza Trilussa. Rome, which is a city filled with students and tourists has an “American zone”- called Campo dei Fiori- which during the day is a flower market, but at night when the flowers are gone opens up to an awesome bar scene with 9 or 10 places that all spill out into the Piazza highlighted by a statue of G. Bruno, who was burned for heresy- a heresy we call “Science.”

Italians usually hang out across the river at Piazza Trilussa in Trastevere. Essentially, Piazza Trilussa has a set of wide set stairs where you can sit and talk and sing and do pretty much anything- but in the open air. Saturday night made me appreciate the phrase “Dolce far niente”, or “How sweet to do nothing.”

Going to Rome also made me think about the decisions we make in life though. I was happier in Rome than I had been- maybe ever. And yet, I moved to Milan. It was the balance between my career and fun. Milan, especially if you work in financial services (so- insurance- yeah that’s a financial service), is the capital of work. If you want a serious career, Milan is the place to do so. Adult decisions are tough! But, as I frequently remind myself- at least in Milan I’m only 4 and a half hours from Rome!