What I Miss Back Home

Between home and Rome: aspects of life I miss and homebound longings. As a temporary resident of Rome, I know I can't have the best of both worlds.

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Cari Amici,

Happy Summer! I hope this letter finds you well, with a beer or an Aperol Spritz in hand! Summer turns Rome into a furnace, and these days, I find myself grumbling all the time because of the Roman heat. It’s the kind that pokes through your skin, leaving you sticky and sweaty at any given time of the day. Each time I go out to run errands, go to work and/or meet friends, I sweat buckets. My Italian friends said it’s the worst time here, and I now know why. This season is relentless and brutal.

Although I complain about my days being dripped with sweat, the first half of June has been eventful, and there was no shortage of laughter and new adventures. On June 11th, I had my final oral exam. I did not study as well as I could, so I felt unprepared to tackle it. I waited outside the aula for my professor, and there were many knots in my stomach. He came right at 15:00 and asked if this was my last exam, and when I confirmed yes, he said, “You’re fifteen minutes away from summer!” He put the timer on for fifteen minutes, and I am delighted to say I passed my last exam.

I also got to spend time with a community from Toronto who had their pilgrimage in Rome, and as I told them, my heart increased a size larger because their joy was palpable, and I received so many graces just being in their presence! This group reminded me so much of home and the many things I cannot wait to return to when I go back. There are many things I miss: the quality of air, my workouts, efficient bureaucracy and the list goes on. In my other letter, the things I don’t miss are more physical than sentimental. In this one, I will be focusing on three aspects of my Canadian life that I do miss and can’t wait to return to!

Here you go.