June 26, 2020

“I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald

I’ve never liked favorites, not even when I was little. For me the idea of picking a favorite color or a favorite food or any of the other millions of favorites has always felt like limiting myself in a world that is so deliciously filled with options. And yet here I am, in a city I’ve called home for over 10 years, and I think I can call it my favorite city in the whole world.

In my previous post I rhapsodized and wrote a little love letter to the city that has improbably captured my whole heart. Will I live here forever? When I’m working daily as a tour guide it’s a question I sometimes get asked twice a day. I answer it differently depending on my mood. My favorite answer- I’m here indefinitely, but not forever.
So why am I writing all this on this picture? Cause I’ve never introduced myself on Instagram. Not even once. So here’s the very (uncharacteristically) short version:
I’m Rachel and I’m originally from Asheville, NC. Over ten years ago I fell in love with Rome and I stayed. Above all else, I’m a storyteller. I work as a tour guide and I teach yoga. I love humans and being around them more than almost anything else in the world. And that’s maybe all I’ve got for now.