That time I spent less than 24 hours in Rome — on purpose

It’s crazy to think I got along just fine traveling on my own with no smart phone, let alone cell phone, back when I was in college. (This was more than a decade ago, eeek!)

I’m so reliant on my phone now. How did I manage back then?

I guess a decade ago I was carrying around actual maps and printed directions off of the Internet ahead of time.

It also explains why I met up with my friend, Whitney, in Rome before our trip to Madrid during spring break. Whitney was studying abroad in Rome at the time and for whatever reason, we decided that it would be easier for me to meet up with her in Rome, and then we could both fly to Madrid together.

So, yes, I spent less than 24 hours in Rome.

I had been to Rome with my family in middle school so I was no stranger to the city. I guess that must have been why I was OK going there for a very brief period.

This trip was 11 years ago. I can’t remember exactly what we did that one afternoon and evening but from the photos I captured on my point-and-shoot camera that I stumbled upon on my external hard drive, it looks like we did the following:

• Ate pizza
• Walked around
• Went to the Pantheon
• Saw the Trevi Fountain and Spanish steps
• Walked around some more
• Whitney showed me her “favorite place in Rome” which I recall was a cute little alley covered in ivy
• Went to a lookout where we could see the city

Some things not photographically documented that I do remember:

• Sitting in Whitney’s school computer lab when I first arrived and logged into my e-mail to tell my parents I had made it safely to Italy.
• Ending the night in a very small, dark hotel (hostel?) room since Whitney’s dorm didn’t have space for the two of us.
• Flying out to Madrid first thing the next morning on a “no frills” airline that was the bumpiest and most scared I have ever felt on a flight …

Despite the very quick stay in Rome, I’m glad I went there first before going to Madrid. Since I hadn’t been there since I was a kid, it was neat to see the same timeless monuments with so much history — that still hadn’t changed.

Hopefully, I can make it back again for a longer stay one day.