Dolce Far Niente. This is a commonly used Italian phrase meaning “the sweetness of doing nothing.” This idea may sound strange, but it’s deeply rooted in Italian culture. It brings forward the concept of slowing down and living in each moment as it’s happening. Although I’ve always heard of the idea of living in the present, I’ve never seen it put into practice until I came to Rome.
When I arrived in Rome, I discovered that I would be living in Trastevere, one of the city’s main neighborhoods. Trastevere, although still littered with tourists, has a more local feel to it than living in central Rome. As many study abroad students do, my roommates and I tried to see all of Rome in the first few days (when they say the Roman Empire wasn’t built in a day, they mean it). It was nonstop adventures and sightseeing. As glamorous as that is for a while, it’s also tiring and not feasible for a long amount of time.
A piazza in Rome on a quiet day
While on study abroad, you should make the most of every day and every moment. See all the sights you’ve been thinking about for months and go to all the countries you’ve always wanted to see. But don’t forget to stop and appreciate where you are. Trastevere may not stick out when one thinks of Rome, and I certainly did not know of it before I came. However, in just a short period of time, this neighborhood has become a place where I’ve learned to appreciate the intricate beauties of life.
There are so many different things to appreciate about living in Rome beyond the stunning views of the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain (which are also amazing). The local food is fantastic, from supplì to maritozzo. You learn to stretch yourself in ways you never have before, as I’ve become accustomed to taking trams, buses, and trains—something I never even thought about doing in the United States. Even getting to walk everywhere has been rewarding, as you always get to discover new things or appreciate details you didn’t notice the first time.
Then, there is the beauty of familiarity and the patterns you grow into. The garden I walk through every day on the way to class, even in its overgrown state, has become a place of comfort, as has the water fountain where I stop by on the way home to fill up my water bottle. It’s also about the way the windows creak when my teacher opens them up to get fresh air and the way that the jasmine from outside fills every corner of the room. There’s so much to discover and enjoy, even in the small moments.
A street corner in Trastevere
Rome has been everything I've wanted and nothing at all like I thought. Find a way to slow yourself down and immerse yourself. While you're waiting for the bus, the check, or a text back, look around and take it all in. Your home base will be the greatest, most comforting place in the world if you allow yourself to soak it in. See everything. Do everything. But don’t forget to remember the way the air smells in Paris, the way that the city lights glisten in Budapest, the sound of laughter when the bus driver closes the doors on you in London, or the feeling of turning down a familiar street in Trastevere that leads you home.
Study abroad is measured by where you’ve gone and what you’ve seen, but Rome has taught me there is no wasted time when you are fully present in a place. The moments that feel the most insignificant are often the ones we end up remembering the most.