"LIFE"

Where did this day go? When Maria arrived at 6pm, I was still in my PJs! It had rained all day and thwarted any plans we'd had to take Olivia and Avery out. Charlotte was at the swim meet in Grosseto - she wouldn't be home until Sunday night. So it was just the four of us. We played, the kids watched a movie, the adults unpacked and caught up on admin. And that's how the whole day came and went without us stepping a foot outside.

Maria came to babysit so Josh and I could go out to dinner alone for the first time in many weeks. Fortunately, the rain subsided and it turned out to be a nice evening. The restaurant we'd planned to return to was closed until the end of January for renovations, so we chose another place called Life. It was a nice place, a short walk from the Piazza di Spagna. We were a little disappointed that the tourists outnumbered the Italians, but the food was very good. The place was not too busy and our waiter was very talkative, so he chatted with us about American politics and and his studies at the local university. Pretty much, we learned his life story.

As we were enjoying our meal, a girl came in alone and was seated next to us. Almost immediately, she reminded me of me -- 20 years ago -- not so much in appearance but solely due to the fact that she was an American in Rome, going out alone, and treating herself to a nice dinner and a glass of wine. We struck up a conversation with her and it turns out she lives in New York, is an analyst for Morgan Stanley, and is working out of their London office for a few months. She is taking advantage of her locale, and making weekend trips to visit other several major European cities. Now she really reminded me of me. Josh, ever the tour guide, helped her map out her day tomorrow so she could make the most of her brief stay in Rome.

As we walked back to our car, parked at the top of the Spanish Steps, we noted how quiet the streets were. This was the Rome we were waiting for -- the Rome without the crowds. We chatted with a waiter standing around outside his empty restaurant. He said its empty because no one has any money left to spend after the holidays. I think we'll enjoy January in Rome.