Back Home

We are just now back from 25 days in Rome and, shockingly, glad to be home.  Although we love our long holidays, it is nice to come back home because the sooner we're home the sooner Mike's done with school and the sooner we can move on with our lives.

Much like our last winter holiday, we spent our time exploring our new city through the eyes of a possible new resident rather than a tourist.  Since we're doubtful we'll ever return to the States and know that we won't continue living in the UK for much beyond Mike's graduation, we're always keeping an eye out for our next address and approach these trips as though they are house hunting excursions.  Unfortunately, after our month in Rome, we doubt we'll be calling that city, or anywhere in Italy, home.

Our time in Rome was nice but we wouldn't choose to live there and Italy as a whole does not appear to support the type of lifestyle we're looking for.  Rome definitely had the community feel we like - our neighbourhood was very welcoming and friendly - but the city wasn't big enough and the cheap eats were not varied or plentiful.  The Italians appeared laid back and friendly but they also appeared inconsiderate and, especially after speaking with another American ex-pat in Ostia, the infrastructure and bureaucracy appear logic defying.

We're taking Italy off the list of possible future homes but keeping it on the list of places to visit because it is lovely and we'd love to see more of it.  In all our future Italian travels, though, we wouldn't be shocked if we never returned to Rome.  I think we've given that city enough of our attention.