October 18, 2020

The sheer beauty of it all!

Disclaimer: this picture was taken in June. It’s taken from the roof of St. Peter’s Basilica and looks out on the Eternal City not too long after lockdown ended. It makes me understand what all the internet jokes about 2020 being the longest year ever mean. I feel like it was years ago looking at it and yet somehow it also feels like yesterday. I swear I’ve been meaning to post it for months.

Things are changing in Italy again, rules are getting more strict, establishments are closing earlier, masks are mandatory and there is uncertainty everywhere about what the next steps and next phase are actually going to look like. There is a healthy(ish) dose of fear coupled with a continued desire to live life, despite changes, despite restrictions.

Looking at this birds eye view of a mostly empty piazza for me is simply a reminder of what a fantastically interesting moment in history we are living through. In a city that has seen its fair share of historical events (understatement) the thing I keep thinking about is this: rather than fear, can we continue to surrender to the unknown, to the process, to the fact that everything is changing and everything always has been? From this vantage point it feels like the answer kinda has to be yes.