Tonight I depart my original hometown of Melbourne for my newly adopted home town of Rome.
I have been in Melbourne a little longer than expected but I have loved almost every minute of a summer spent with family and close friends.
I recently read another expats’ blog which attempted to debunk the myths about moving to a foreign country and encouraging those thinking about it to think twice.
Well of course it’s true – living in Rome is definitely different to holidaying there!
But despite her flaws – Rome still draws me in. Her chaos excites me, history inspires me and beauty still just takes my breath away.
And for me there’s something invigorating about learning pnew things in a new environment – even though they’re things you could do with your eyes shut back home like paying a bill, working out how to get a gym membership or where to go to do your supermarket shopping!
My friends who live abroad have long lamented to me of the beauty and yet the difficulty of living in two worlds. And only now after having moved to Rome and then coming home to Australia for the first time can I truly understand and appreciate this concept. And it’s hard. Very hard.
Like I’ve been saying in the lead up to my departure, “I want to go, yet don’t want to leave.” This may sound strange. You might even be thinking, “Well, don’t go then!”
It’s a real torn notion – one which I believe we are all searching for in life – of wanting it all!
And for now, I know I want to be in Rome. It makes me happy and it’s where I need to be for the right-now.
And so, I depart!
Keep in touch and stay tuned to my blog for what I’m sure will be some fun, fascinating and frustrating stories of starting again in the eternal city!
It’s going to be an adventure I’m sure. It’s the pursuit of my dream and I’m going to live it as best I can!
I love you Melbourne.
But most of all my family and friends. So I bid you not goodbye, but say… Until we meet again.
Signing off Melbourne outbound!
A presto
Baci Maria x
