Although today is 23 Jan, I intend to start this blog from the beginning, 16 Jan, 2007.

Flying out from New York, was a breeze. I got to Rome at 11:00, and had no problems getting through customs or picking up luggage. Roommate 1, Gordon Laplante, said he would arrive at 12:30. Roommate 2, Joaquin Fernandez Stearns, said he would arrive at 13:00. Our plan was as follows:

I, Roommate 3 would wait in the terminal until the three of us met up, which was estimated to be at around 14:00. Once our rendezvous was underway, we would meet the driver of a shuttle which was organized by Joaquin, who would then drive us to Rome by 16:00 where we could exchange the bulk of our cash which we would then use to pay for our deposit and first month's rent at our new apartment on Via O. Regnoli, in the Monteverde area adjacent to Trastevere.

The execution, however, unfolded quite differently. I arrived as planned, and waited for Gordon. Once I met up with Gordon, we waited for Joaquin. The information board told us that Joaquin's flight had landed and the waves of travelers exiting the "Arrivals" gate told us Joaquin should be out any second. After another hour we started getting worried. No sign of Joaquin, and no sign of the driver that was supposed to meet us. 14:30 rolled by without any sign of our third roommate. Our broker said she would meet us at 16:00, but we didn't know how long the drive would be. We decided to wait until 15:00 and if Joaquin didn't show up, we would find our own way there.

When 15:00 came around it was certain that something had gone wrong, and we had no choice but to cut our losses and make our way to Rome. Due to the inflated exchange rates at the airport, we thought we should go to studio and drop our stuff there while we find a better place to exchange currency in Rome. However, we only had one hour to get to Rome, do all this and then get to our apartment.

Gordon and I jumped into a shuttle and told the driver the address of our studio. Our driver, obviously on a different schedule, decided to take his time and find one more passenger. My stomach began to turn.

Finally at 15:15 we left the airport with one more passenger bound for the capital of the world of antiquity. The other passenger looked like a business man, possibly Italian American or British, spoke English to the driver at first but switched to Italian later. The shuttle, a large European van, careened out of Fiumicino Airport and sped down a wide freeway flanked by Goodyear factories, fields and Cyprus trees. The sky was overcast, but there was no rain. At this point I finally tried to embrace the situation I found myself in.

I AM IN EUROPE. I AM IN ITALY. I AM IN ROME.

We didn't pass through any large gates. There was no sign that announced the arrival into the infamous historical city. Instead Rome sort of trickled into view. What was at first a large freeway, transformed into a smaller boulevard which funneled into a street which then became a winding path cutting through walls of plaster and brick with dense foliage overflowing from the tops. Our van was soon joined by fleets of SmartCars, Matizes, and mopeds as we navigated the labyrinthine network of cobblestone paths.

We turned one corner and then turned another. I looked out my window and there it was. Rome, a sea of peach colored roofs punctuated by the most celebrated domes in the world and enormous bronze statues of chariots and goddesses. And just as soon as the incredible vista appeared, it was gone as we dived right back into the city. With some deft maneuvering by our driver, Gordon and I found ourselves in the Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere. With our bags in hand we ran to the studio to see where we could transfer money. It was 15:50.

More soon...