This is where it ends. In some ways, this blog is very complete, in other ways it’s far from it.
My last few hours in San Demetrio were among the most interesting, and my last few days in Rome were the saddest. After riding a bus all night from San Demetrio to Stazione Tiburtina, I went back to the Orzali’s, took a shower, and then went back out to meet friends to show them Rome. In a day, we hit all the high points. One of my new San Demetrio friends hung out with me in Rome over the weekend before he went back down for another month of study, and we went to a lot of museums and more obscure places in the city that I really enjoy. With him, I said goodbye to Rome until my next visit. My last night in Rome, Alessandra and I went to an Irish/American-inspired pub in Prati where some of her friends worked. My last meal in Italy was a cheeseburger, fries, and a pint of Harp. The next morning, I took a taxi to the airport, got to the international departures section, and had exactly two Tazza d’Oro cappucini, as per my custom when leaving Rome.
In retrospect, a lot of what happened in San Demetrio need not have been so dramatic. It’s quite possible that the drama was what there was to do, and I got myself worked up over very little – of course the opposite could be the case as well. I continue to be in touch with people that I met in San Demetrio, via e-mail and Facebook, and it was of course an unforgettable experience for all of us.
Rome I miss every day.
