Leaving Home for Bologna after Three Years in Perth
We are seasoned travellers but this time we were nervous. We were unsure of ourselves. We had lost confidence. We had changed and the world had changed too.
The world had changed. Three years of pandemic had killed many, created divide in communities and for us anyway was a time for reflection. Travel was a passion of ours and at home we had to feed that need with local travel and changes in mind set. Not being able to travel, gave us a new appreciation for living in the second biggest state in the world. We could go up to the tropical north in winter and down south in the summer.
We practised gratitude and appreciation for living where we do, exploring our neighbourhood and nearby ones. Necessity meant we had to learn how to live in the moment because we couldn’t project into the future because had no idea how it would play out:
- Because of Covid 19, being locked down in Western Australia
- And being Mum’s carer during her Lewy Body dementia journey.
During that time, we had embraced “exploring our own suburb”. We even created online workshops with a local shire.
We practised gratitude and appreciation for living where we do, exploring our neighbourhood and nearby ones. Necessity meant we had to learn how to live in the moment because we couldn’t project into the future because had no idea how it would play out.
Stepping back on a flight in 2023 to Europe was scary, like we had fallen off a horse and needed to get back on the saddle. Awakening our senses on an early morning stroll in Rome got us back on the saddle.
Early morning in Rome
This winter’s morning in Rome reminded us why we travel. For us it wasn’t about seeing the Colosseum, or the Roman Forum or the Altare della Patria. They were amazing but it was walking the streets, experiencing Rome as it woke up. The quiet narrow streets in misty predawn light, a few runners pounding the pavements breathing steam in the cold air, the rising sun lighting up bridges over the Tiber and St Peters Cathedral in the distance. The sound and aroma of coffee machines warming up and fresh pastries for breakfast as Rome wakes up. It was the time where I pinch myself, realising I am on the other side of the planet.
Where ever I go there is always a moment of awe when the reality of being on another continent sinks in. Sometimes it presents as raw joy, other times it takes a journey through culture shock.
Running along the Tiber
After Rome, it’s a train to Bologna.
