SMALL-TOWN GIRLS, MIDNIGHT TRAINS

— travel inspiration for small budgets and big dreams —

travel inspiration for small budgets and big dreams

(This may or may not be based on personal experience.)

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Rome

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It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

You’re in Europe! You’re on a trip you’ve always dreamed of. Perhaps you’ve already been to Paris, Amsterdam, and Munich. Or perhaps you’re still in the planning stages. You’ve built up your travel fund to a point where a Euro trip is no longer just a dream but a very real possibility. You’ve arranged for (paid!) time off. Now all that’s left to decide is where to go — yay! Exciting!

But.

You're basically the poster child for this Weird Al song.
You’re basically the poster child for this Weird Al song.

But your life is a complete mess. Your heart is drowning in grief, broken and betrayed by the one person you thought would protect it and nurture it and keep it safe. Right now, you’re going through the motions: getting out of bed, going to work. But in truth, it’s just your survival instincts keeping you afloat. You’re treading water; you’re trying — but there’s no land in sight, and it’s all you can do not to give up and go under.

What do you do?

“Go to Italy!” says NaDean of ExploringWanderer.com. “Italian men are the most flattering creatures on the planet. You can never feel β€˜less than’ around Italian men.” In her post All the Single Ladies, she talks about how she was asked out 4 times in her 7 days in Italy and flirted with more times than she could count. Too bad she’s married!

heartbreak_rome_gotoromeSee, there’s no quick-solve cure-all for a broken heart. I wish there was, but it just doesn’t work that way. This is a clichΓ© and you’re probably fed up with all your friends good-intentionedly telling you this, but time really is the best healer. Until you get to the point where you realize it just doesn’t hurt that much anymore, the trick is to take it one day at a time. And if harmless flirtation with handsome Italian men doesn’t make you feel at least the teeny-tiniest better, I don’t know what will!

So go to Rome. Visit the ruins and ruminate on the fickleness of life. Indulge in Italian food. (The waiters are such flirts too!) Attend the papal audience; even if you’re not Roman Catholic or religious, the atmosphere of cheerful anticipation as the crowd waits for Pope Francis to arrive is decidedly infectious.

And if you are Roman Catholic, drop by a church — there’s one in every corner. A heartbreak is one of those things that remind you how so much in your life is actually beyond your control. Renew your faith. Ask for help. Reflect on God’s faithfulness.
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Then toss a coin into the Trevi fountain and promise yourself you’ll come back under happier circumstances.

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(To be continued)

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12 Responses

  1. I really like how you combined a “Dear Abby” post with your travelogue on Rome to bring out the best also of this eternal city. Wonderfully done. I was there in April .. sheer nostalgia. πŸ™

      1. this must be the reason lol πŸ™‚

        btw, by following so many wonderful travel blogs, like yours, I am beginning to realize how much places I have yet to visit and travel to… am not sure if it’s related to being broken-hearted most of the time lol … I know I have started travelling for this reason, but In know I will continue to travel because it’s wonderful πŸ™‚

  2. ok, I should work on my English better here: “I know I have started travelling for this reason, but I know I have to continue travelling just because it’s wonderful to travel”… πŸ™‚

  3. ‘And if harmless flirtation with handsome Italian men doesn’t make you feel at least the teeny-tiniest better, I don’t know what will!’ I remember Elizabeth Gilbert saying (was listening to the audiobook :)) it happened to her a lot when she visited Italy in her teens. But returning in her late 30s, hardly anyone looked her way haha! Hmm, unsa kaha mahitabo nako when I go? Hehe.

    Love this series BTW!

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