Italy is a provocative country with many regions to explore.  Untold numbers of books have been written trying to explain why so many visitors are drawn to this little, crazy location.  The people are colorful, the landscape is breathtaking, and there is such diversity throughout this peninsula that everyone can find a place that seems special to them.  But what is it about Rome that continues to fascinate and draw me? 

Before I visited Italy I looked forward to visiting the Tuscany region..... and I did.  And I loved it.  The landscapes while driving from village to town seemed to be trying to outdo eachother with their beauty and colors ablaze.  I also looked forward to visiting Umbria.... and I did.  And I loved it.  Its medieval villages, castles, and etruscan ruins quietly tell stories upon stories of times long ago.  I think Venice is beautiful and fascinating.  Milan is, strangely, to me like Rome on Disney pills.  A big city that is unnaturally clean and orderly.  But it, too, is an amazing place.

Ahhhh, but ROME.  Rome, with its unnatural number of attractions, churches, fountains, people, graffiti, bars, gelato shops, steps, busses, and history simply captivates me.  I find that I am energized new each day that I awaken in her borders.  I love nothing more than to walk along each street and look for something I missed the many times before that I may have passed by.  Just walking the opposite direction down a familar street or simply crossing to the other side causes me to see things anew.  I may find a corner fountain that I missed before or see a carving or statue perched way up the side of a building.  Different times of day cast shadows in varied formations that cause a once familiar piazza to become awash in light from a new angle. 

I find the people watching to be unparalleled and I do enjoy learning the history of the things around me.  I love being able to wake up and take a stroll to the world's largest cathedral or mosey on past the Roman Forum on a Sunday afternoon.  Nothing beats sitting on the steps in front of the Pantheon and having a bite of pizza for lunch.  But, to be honest, it's simply the FEEL of Rome that keeps me coming back.   The sense of myself that pours over me when I'm walking amongst her citizens.  I'm not by nature a big city girl.  It baffles my mind that every stationary surface in Rome seems to be spray painted with graffiti - in fact, some that move get hit as well - and that I can go to a serene park and look out over trees, flowers, and beauty while sitting on a bench surrounded by litter.  But it all screams LIFE to me.  It feels vibrant, alive, and honest.  I feel vibrant, alive, and honest when I'm there.