Thursday, April 2, 2015

Rome - Day 1 - Perspective




The last time I flew on a 9 hour flight it was less than perfect. Let’s just say that everyone should be required to have an enema prior to boarding an international flight. (Use your imagination in this description.)


This time my 9 hour flight was a completely different experience. When purchasing tickets, I was categorically positive NOT to have seats near a bathroom. The seats on this flight actually reclined more than 1/16th of an inch AND I took an Ambien! I plugged my ear phones into classical music and that’s all I remember. It was wonderful. We landed in Rome and I felt rested and ready to tackle the day. 


We dropped off our luggage at the apartment, changed out my favorite traveling clothes (an inside out sweatshirt and sweats), then began our first ten mile walking day. *You may think I’m exaggerating a bit on the mileage but my feet would easily argue the fact that I am not.* 

Within the first hour of our walk my dear husband, who had offered to carry the camera, informed me that he noticed the lens cap was no longer on the lens. This is where I lost a bit of perspective. Okay, I lost a lot of perspective. You see pictures are a large part of my world. I love pictures. Therefore my camera is a large part of my world. Therefore my lens in a large part of my world. And with no lens cap to protect this lens for the next seven weeks, I lost perspective. Big time. Oh did I mention we were in Rome? With no lens cap, just an hour into our trip? 


Naturally we tried to retrace our steps which of course was to no avail. Yes it was only a lens cap but to me it was a calamity of the day. We then began a search for a camera shop with the possibility of purchasing a new one. Now, I can ask for a glass of water in Italian but trying to explain I need a lens cap for a camera in a language I don’t speak? Let me assure you it is challenging. Person after person tried to help us, with several of them directing us to Termini Station. “It’s not far. 10 minute walk,” one said. I should have known from our last trip to Italy that this was not a good sign. So…. we walked and we walked and we walked. My perspective on the situation was not a positive one. Ugh. Literally, an hour later, we found Termini Station and eventually found an ‘electronics’ store which of course didn’t have a lens cap. Again, ugh. 


Not how I envisioned spending the first afternoon in Rome but the fact that we were surrounded by the ruins of an historic city took hold of my senses and I gained better perspective of the situation. It was a lost lens cap. A thing. Is it going to be inconvenient? Yes. Am I still bummed about losing the lens cap? Yes. Am I over it? Almost. :)


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