Lost Luggage and the Art of Traveling Light

My adventure moving to Rome

I started serious planning about six months before I left. Was starting to plan so early a good thing? In hindsight, absolutely! There were so many hurdles thrown in my way and I had to pay for so many last-minute problem solving that it didn’t exactly save me much money, but in the end I made it. Here’s a summary of everything that went wrong:

• The airline booked different flights for me and my sister who was my other person helping me move my two cats.
• My Airbnb host canceled on me about a month and a half before arrival.
• My vet’s admin made an error on my cat’s vet records, delaying their travel date.
• My car blew a tire the day before I was supposed to get on the plane.

The Airbnb host/cat paperwork combo kinda worked itself out in favor of the kitties. And the tire blow out could have happened any day, but it is a good reminder not to leave too much for the last minute.

I am still glad I started far in advance and kept double checking plans were still held together. I feel I did everything humanly possible to get everything in order, so my righteous indignation was justified when things went wrong 😆

The pre-flight check includes an obligatory ussie!

While I had set March 20 as my official moving date with the kitties, they couldn’t leave the country until March 31 (read more: The Purr-fect Opportunity for a Fresh Start – Part 1 – Oh, the bureau-cat-cy!), so I decided to proceed as planned with my sister Kristi and bestie Rachel and make Kitty Moving Day April 20.

Originally, Kristi and Rach were both going to be with me in Rome for 2 weeks, so I decided to go for a two-week reconnaissance trip and get the ball rolling on finding an apartment. And we made the most of the time since this was Rach’s first trip to Rome and Kristi hadn’t been in many years.

The Apartment Hunt Begins

Now that I had a new plan for my move, the biggest task on my list was finding an apartment. I honestly had the most amazing luck finding a beautiful place that I feel like it neutralized all the bumps in the road I had experienced. And “luck” doesn’t even begin to describe it, it had to be the work of the divine! I had seen so many people struggling to find long-term housing in Rome, sometimes taking eight months to a year to find something, and I feel a little guilty that it was so easy for me. I’m sure a bit of economic privilege worked in my favor; I did everything possible to prove to my future landlord that I was financially stable.

Like a lot of people, I like to look at real estate online for fun, so I had been looking at apartments in Rome for a couple of years already. I liked getting a sense of what was available in which neighborhoods for what price and amassed quite a few favorites. The day before I left in March, my sister and I were getting pedicures and she asked what I looking for, so I pulled out my phone and opened Idealista to show her my favorites. They were sorted by “recently updated” and at the top was a place I had been stalking online for a few months – it had new photos as of that weekend, so it was available!

I immediately sent a message through the app asking if I could see it that week. That was Sunday. Monday morning when I woke up, I had a reply from the agent asking if I could come that afternoon! I wrote back that I couldn’t (we were leaving that day) but that I could see it the next day. When I landed in Amsterdam, I had an email from her confirming that I could see it after I arrived in Rome.

Landing in Rome and Landing My Dream Apartment

We landed at Fiumicino, and the airline lost all our luggage. I wanted to meet the agent looking like I was somewhat put together and just getting off the plane, so I ran to OVS to buy a new dress and changed in the dressing room, then went straight to the apartment.

I barely had to step inside to know it was the perfect place for me and the kitties! I got the necessary forms and I eagerly submitted my proposal on Wednesday, along with every detail possible to prove I was financially stable. On Friday my agent messaged me saying the landlord had approved my proposal!

My agent was AMAZING! I can’t say enough kind words about her, she really went above and beyond for me. If you need an agent, I highly recommend Victoria at Andes Real Estate.

Roman Rendezvous

With the perfect apartment secured, I was free to explore the city’s charms with my sister and best friend! We did a TON of things: breakfast at the Vatican Museum, Castel Sant’Angelo, seeing Måneskin at Palazzo dello Sport, pasta making class in Frascati, the Capitoline Museum, a hop on/hop off city tour, Baths of Caracalla, and of course tons of walking and amazing food!

A Pasta Party in Frascati

Among the many highlights, our pasta-making day in Frascati stood out as a memorable culinary adventure. I wanted to get my sister and bestie something fun to do together in Rome the Christmas before we left, so I looked for an experience that we would remember forever. This pasta making class by From Scratch was so much fun that it’s something I’m suggesting everyone who visits Rome do at least once! You take the train to Frascati, a cute town in the hills about 30 mins from Roma Termini, the main train station in Rome. Your teacher meets you at the train station and gives you a guided tour on the way to building you will make pasta in. The place has such a rich history, and a tour of the caves comes with the experience!

We are naturals at this pasta making thing!

Making the pasta was so easy and fun! We got the experience with a couple bottles of wine which only added to the experience. Everyone at the big table was having such a great time and all our pastas came out so good – I think it’s some of the best pasta I’ve eaten in my life!

Rocking Out Roman Style!

Keeping with the trend and the energy of pasta making, the next evening my sister and I saw Måneskin! Kristi had the same idea I had for Christmas, she wanted to get me an experience we could share and have memories for the rest of our lives, so she got us tickets to see them at Palazzo dello Sport!! I couldn’t believe how lucky we were that they were playing during the time we were going to be there. Not only are they an amazing band but they are from Rome, so it was the most authentic thing to do!

It was one of the best shows ever. Out of the many I’ve seen, Måneskin’s performance was truly unparalleled. There was no opener, they started right on time, and from the first beat it was non-stop energy and fun! They executed the songs flawlessly and their interaction with the crow was like nothing I had ever seen. There was a lot, for one, but it seemed so, genuine? I’m not sure how to describe it, other than “amazing.”

Me and Kristi looking cute before the show

A Roman Holiday

As I reflect on these initial weeks in Rome, I’m filled with gratitude for the journey and the lessons it taught me. The challenges were many, but they paled in comparison to the joy and excitement of starting a new chapter in this enchanting city. Rome has already begun to feel like home, a place where history, culture, and new beginnings intertwine. I can’t wait to see what other adventures and stories this La Citta Eterna holds for me! To those who dream of making a big move, let my story be a reminder that with perseverance, a sense of humor, and a little bit of luck, you can turn even the most daunting challenges into an extraordinary adventure.