It’s not quite 10 o’clock on a Sunday morning, and I’m zipping north on a train headed back to Milan after a weekend in Rome. I haven’t even been in Italy five full days yet, and already I’m exhausted by my schedule.
The primary reason for my Rome trip was, in many ways, the thing that spurred me to organize the Italy trip in the first place. Two travel bloggers I know but had never met were going to be traveling in Italy and decided – sort of off-the-cuff – to organize a meetup of foodies in Rome (more details on the meetup later). As the guest list grew, it included both American expats living in Rome and Americans who would be visiting the city at the same time. And there were so many names on the list of people I’d been chatting with on Twitter, hadn’t yet met, and really wanted to meet, that I eventually decided I needed to try to make it there myself.
So, after arriving in Milan late on the 20th, I’ve only been in the country four days and already met nine people who, before this trip, I’d never heard speak – let alone seen them in real life. I’m thrilled with the trip so far, although I’ll confess I’m looking forward to staying in one place for a few days and settling into at least a temporary routine. All this dashing around the country is leaving me a bit frazzled.
My temporary routine will have to wait until tomorrow, however, as I’ll still be on a bit of a breakneck pace for the rest of today. I got up at 6:30am after finally falling asleep just before 3:00am, but when I get back to the apartment I’m staying in in Milan to drop off my bags, I’ve got to run right back out again to pick up tickets at will call for the soccer game I’m going to this afternoon. Then it’s back to the apartment to get cleaned up, and back out again to meet another as-yet-unmet “internet friend” – a fellow Milanista – for the game and perhaps an aperitivo afterward.
Then, I’m guessing, I’ll collapse quite heavily into bed and not move for 12 or so hours.
If this is the jet-setting life, it’s incredibly fun – even though I think I’m way too old for it and don’t have the stamina to keep it up. Or maybe I just need more training.
