Whenever you move somewhere new I believe it is important to find those little places that make it feel like home. I have been in Rome for a little over three weeks now, and time has flown by! While Garbatella and Rome are starting to feel more and more like home and I’m getting very comfortable now, this was not always the case. In my first week or two I was a little overwhelmed by the new area and the public transportation and I definitely got lost going places a few times. However, three weeks later I can finally say I know my way around! However, when I was still getting to know the area, it was those little places that made me feel comfortable and at home. I am lucky enough to have found two small shops that whenever I walk in, I feel at home.
The first place is a pizza shop. It is right below one of my friend’s apartments and we tried it during orientation and instantly loved the place and the owner. We had just learned how to say different types of food in our italian class so we thought we would try out what we learned there! The owner greatly appreciated it and said we did a great job ordering our pizza! She explained that she doesn’t know much English so we agreed that I’ll do my best to only talk in Italian and she will try to only talk in English, so that way we both are learning! I probably go to this pizza place for lunch three to four times a week, because not only do I like the owner but it has the best pizza. This place makes Rome feel like home because whenever I walk into the shop I always get a huge hello! Also I pass the pizza place on my runs and the owner will always wave hello and say ciao when I run pass the store!
The second place that makes Rome feel a little smaller is this coffee shop right by the entrance of my apartment. The place has a very cozy feel to it and the cappuccinos are amazing. The owner makes the coffee in this backroom so you get to see all the machinery and the process which I find very interesting. Also instead of chairs at some tables you get to sit on giant coffee bean bags! Overall these two places, along with many other places and people, have allowed Rome to feel like home!
