My travel journey began with Italy so it’s only right that I start there. My plan was to ring in the New Year in the city of Rome. The date was December 31, 2014. Before I continue, you should know that at this point in my life I’d been dancing Lindy Hop, a type of swing dance, for about 3 years. This will be put into context later. Anyway, I had no clear plan that night but to roam(no pun intended) aimlessly and hopefully find something to do. I remember it being a cold night, 30° F to be exact, and all I wore was a hoodie with a light t-shirt underneath. The amount of fun that transpired next will forever be etched in my memory.
As I walked through Rome shivering, I headed in the direction of the Colosseum, where I heard music playing. As I approached, the first thing I saw was a jazz band strumming their instruments while swing dancers performed. They were surrounded by a crowd of at least 1,000 people. During this performance the swing dancers started picking people at random from this growing crowd to dance with them. I bet you can guess what happened next. I was one of the few picked. As I danced with this beautiful Italian woman, a look of shock and amazement came across her face. She obviously wasn’t expecting me to already know the dance moves. At that moment I heard the crowd erupt in cheers. Bystanders began pulling out their smartphones and taking video of me. It was a surreal moment. Soon after I was approached for an interview by what appeared to be a news station. There was a huge video camera with a bright light in my face along with a man holding a mic. I don’t remember how I answered the questions but I ended the interview with “Arrivederci!” and went on my way. After the interview I was approached by the dancer that made all of this possible. Her name was Dorina. She invited me to a tent in the back where I met the other swing dancers. This tent was loaded with all kinds of food and alcohol. As I stuffed my face with pasta I learn that these dancers are part of a traveling troupe. I was amazed by it all because until this moment I wasn’t aware of the global reach of swing dancing. After getting to know each other better we took shots as a cheers to the New Year. I went back outside and women kept approaching me one after the other to dance. Hours of dancing insued. As a result of the constant dancing, I no longer felt the effects of the cold temperature. In the midst of this, Dorina and I took the time to get to know each other. We took a walk away from the crowd and had deep conversations about politics, dancing, religion, and the like. She was such a kind hearted and intelligent woman. I was in awe of her personality. Dorina was ready to head home so I walked with her to the train station. We got to the train platform and I held her close and kissed her. We were surrounded by people but in that moment it felt like it was only me and her. The train approached but we didn’t want to part from one another so she invited me to get on with her for a few stops to give us more time together. I eventually get off and wait for the train to take me back to where I started.
This is when things take a turn for the worse. It’s 3am at this point and I learn that the trains have stopped running. I asked the janitor for directions but he spoke almost no English. I called for an Uber but it was going in the opposite direction so I had to cancel. I type my hotel address in my phone navigation and realize I’m about 5 miles away. Also, my phone was at 1% battery so it died minutes later. So here I am in a foreign country I’m not familiar with, legs throbbing from dancing on concrete for 6 hours straight, and I have no idea which direction to go to begin my 5 mile journey. I stood outside for a few minutes and thought to myself “Shit, now what?”. That’s when I remembered I had a map in my pocket. I was able to pinpoint my location and where I needed to go. As I began my long trek I noticed the streets were filled with people. I couldn’t believe how lively Rome was at this time of the night. There were empty alcohol bottles strewn everywhere and people passed out on the sidewalks. I even witnessed a few fights break out. Italian people know how to party apparently. Two hours later I made it my hotel to conclude my first full day in Rome.
The next day I met up with Dorina and she gave me a tour of her city. She knew the history of every major building and sculpture in great detail. From our conversations I also learn that she speaks and writes in four different languages. This isn’t uncommon for Europeans so to her it was no big deal but once again I was amazed at her level of intelligence. She taught me some Italian, most of which I’ve already forgotten. As the day was nearing its end we decide to head back to my hotel. I put on blues music and we danced closely, our bodies synchronized with the beat and each other. I can still feel the softness of her skin and warmth of her body. This was followed by a passion filled night, cuddling, and great conversation. The following morning I had to catch a train to Florence so she went with me to the train station. I kissed her one last time and I boarded my train. We’ve lost contact over the years but I still think about her sometimes and reminisce about the moments we shared together.
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