I’ve always loved traveling and flying, but I’ve never experienced anything quite like today. Well, the last 35 hours, really.
I left my house shortly before 7:00 a.m. to go to the airport and finally am getting settled in here at 9:15 p.m. local time (3:15 p.m. EST).
We had a lengthy layover at JFK that lasted about seven hours but didn’t feel like more than a few. Our flight from New York to Rome arrived an hour earlier than anticipated. My first legitimate meal on an airline was pretty decent and consisted of chicken breast, potatoes, and assorted fruits and veggies. I had no complaints.
Because we arrived so early, there was no gate ready for us at the airport, so we got to leave the plane and take stairs down to a bus that took us to customs and baggage claim.
The line at customs was lengthy but moved efficiently; they only scanned and stamped my passport and sent me on my way.
At that point, most of us felt light fatigue starting to set in from the long day of travel. We boarded our bus and did a historic tour of Rome before stopping at the Trevi Fountain for photos.
The biggest surprise to me immediately was the space that vehicles and pedestrians share in the streets of the city, some of them almost too small to fit a car and a line of people. Our tour guide, Mateo, has kept all of us grouped together and has us crossing streets as a tight group. Any break in our formation allows cars and mopeds to cut in front of us – and boy do they zip by when they see an opening.
Cars also find unique ways to park in the ancient city, and they’re roughly all the same compact size.
The city is mostly clean, with a few patches here and there of trashy areas. There is a heavy amount of graffiti on the walls along the sidewalks, but not in the historic areas or on monuments.
After the Trevi Fountain, we went to the gorgeous Pantheon to explore it and the surrounding restaurants.
I can feel the history in this city just by exploring it for one day. It’s one of the most historic cities in the world and there’s a story hidden in every corner.
This is just the beginning of what is sure to be a life-changing experience.
Below is a Facebook Live video I recorded during our layover at JFK.