March 8, 2020

Rome is still gorgeous ✨

In fact, a tiny part of me enjoys how beautiful and free of tourists the city is right now. Come see for yourself! There are plenty of Romans bustling around and life goes on mostly as normal. But when I think of all the people I know (including me) who are deeply affected by the lack of tourism, it makes me so sad.

It all comes down to fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of something you cannot see, fear of not being safe, fear of not making the right choice (to travel or not to travel), fear of the consequences of our actions. We often live our lives with a cloud of fear that chases us around, prevents our happiness and stunts our personal sense of calm and inner peace.

I choose to believe in humanity, I choose to have faith that love can conquer fear and I choose to practice more yoga, do more writing, focus on the joy and continue to shake hands and cheek kiss (where appropriate of course). Don’t worry, I’m washing my hands just like I always have living in a city that has/had over 20 million tourists visiting a year. I’m aware that this might take longer to recover from than any of us can predict. I choose to accept the fear of the unknown and be here for all of it. These are strange times, but hey- hasn’t everyone always said that about the time they’re living in?

Stay strong and open and trust the process, my friends. Wash your hands, stay healthy, stay optimistic. Choose love over fear.