Try the ‘Something Different’….

One our recent trip to Rome over Thanksgiving, we splashed out a bit and tried a scooter tour. We went to areas of Rome to which I have never been. Michele, our guide, took us past his high school, the track next to the ancient Roman Baths where he had his elementary Track and Field day, the neighborhood in which he was raised, and shared his love for his birthplace that was beyond inspiring.

In the previous post, I talked about getting over your fear and expectations. This tour was actually supposed to happen the day before and flexibility was the key here. We had the scooter tour scheduled for Tuesday and the Colosseum for Wednesday. Thunderstorms were forecast for Tuesday and the tour company asked if we would consider switching to Wednesday. Since this experience was what we were most looking forward to, we only slightly hesitated to say goodbye to our moment and money for the Colloseum. I have been there before, which is not the point as I had some work related things I wanted to accomplish.

Plan B. While I don’t like losing the entrance fee that was, at that point, nonrefundable, we got creative on how I could get done what I had originally planned. We spent Tuesday walking around Rome in the thunderstorms. We went to the Colosseum and made the videos I wanted to make; not from the inside of the Colosseum but standing outside and altering what I wanted to do. We walked from the Piazza del Popolo to the Spanish Steps and back in the downpour. Rain so torrential that we had to giggle a little at the lunacy of being out in it. My husband bought a raincoat that he had been wanting for years. He said it was his favorite day. Walking in the rain, Rome to basically ourselves, new coat, two umbrellas, and his best girl at his side. (Kinda made me fall in love with him all over again, to be honest. Who thinks that is a best day? Us, that is who.)

This is a perfect example about preconceived expectations. Had we not rolled with the punches for these two days, we could have easily strayed into a maelstrom of regret and bitterness. We could have stayed inside, glum, hating the rain, hating Italy for screwing us over on all our great plans, and generally ruined the day.

Instead, it was his favorite day.

And yet….the next day was awesome. The sun came back. A beautiful fall morning, 58 degrees, beautiful warmth shining down, and just….Rome. Rome laid out before us. He had his own scooter but didn’t have to worry about traffic or directions or anything. I rode on the back of Michele’s scooter (A vintage Vespa…..the history teacher in me loved the vintage part!) and also didn’t have to worry about traffic, directions or driving. It was the best for both of us. (And we stayed married because I wasn’t back scooter driving or throwing off the balance pointing at something and wanted him to look.) I could look around and speak in Italian with Michele to practice; he could just ride as he wanted to do.

We made a couple of stops where Michele would tell us about the area and seemed please with our curiosity and genuine questions about his city. We talked sports, humanity, comfort zones, and what his job was like and how one of us might be a little jealous of it.

By the end, I felt like we had become friends….much more than you would expect from a four hour tour together where the majority of it is tooling around scooters, not talking. I think what it comes down to is this: We felt special. We knew that the time and the experience was a gift and had happened exactly as the universe meant for it to happen. While that sounds kind of woo-hoo, I do truly mean it. By being open to the change and open to just finding joy in whatever the thing is that you are doing, you find really good stuff. My husband always says, “Do the thing.” I believe it is his way of saying, “Be present.” in whatever it is.

I have not stopped talking about how great it was. We have another trip planned with friends in 2020. I will want to do this again….but a different tour. Maybe the Foodie Tour? The Street Art Tour? I will have to be focused on not having the same expectations for the next scooter ride because that will set us up for disappointment. My goal will be to be open to the joy that will be found on that day in the future. A different joy, certainly, but the potential for joy is my goal. Not more, not equal….just whatever joy we can find.