Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Rientro "aka Back to School"

Slowly, Rome is coming back to life. Thank God.

This summer even fewer of my friends were around. There was a mini-baby boom amongst my friends so many of them were at their parents/in-laws' places in the country/hills/beach for the entire month of August and some for most of the summer.

Some days it felt like I was the only non-tourist in Rome. Everyone in my building was gone.

The upside is, I got A LOT of work done. August was a productive month, despite the outrageous heat. A few days I didn't leave the apartment all day, it was too hot.

The next place I move to must have AC. I'm American, I can't take the heat. Back in early July, I went to a dinner party with my friend G. His friend has a lovely terrace but no AC and not even a fan. I'm perplexed how she lives in Rome without a fan. While I was sweating like crazy, she looked cool as a cucumber. I don't get it.

This morning there was a crispness to the air as I jogged through Villa Pamphili Park. I'm so glad the hot weather of July and August is over.

I'm looking forward to Fall. I have no idea why but I'm feeling very positive about the rest of the year.

Are you excited for Fall?

15 comments:

Lucia said...

I'm excited for fall and the sunrise in the fall! I'm excited because hopefully this heat wave will end! Yes we are experiencing another heat wave here in Toronto. Looking forward to the TIFF too.

erin said...

I am ready for fall actually...I think this seasonal change is my favorite all year :) It's always nice feeling that first morning where it isn't sweltering, then the next when it's actually a bit crisp!

ggirl2 said...

Boy oh boy how I look forward to and am excited for the Fall. Here in Moldova it was hot! hot! hot!!. It has cooled down now thank God. Fall is my favorite season of all especially at home in Connecticut. I miss the colors of Fall. Here in Moldova it is not as pretty as at home, but the good thing is.. this time next year I will be somewhere else.

Glad to have you back NYC. Ride that wave of good feelings about the rest of the year and great things will happen!!

Di said...

I am ... just so long as we don't have the same frozen winter as last year. I was working between Belgium and Berlin ... I've never been so cold, and that's from someone who prefers the cold. Autum. Yes!

dorinalouise said...

yes! it's been so hot here in nyc these past few days . . after days of autumn like crispness also! but tonight, thank goodness, the humidity feels less, and there is a nice, albeit quiet, breeze.

Gil said...

Besides the cost of electricity, Italians seem to think that fans and A/C are bad for your health! I remember my daughter commenting on how many more A/C units she saw when she took a trip with us to Naples in 2008 then we she first went to Naples ten years earlier. Based on that I hope you find a place with A/C!!!

Kataroma said...

dedupJuly was hot but actually August wasn't too bad (I thought) for a Rome August. We don't have AC and it was all fine. We've definitely had worse Augusts.

I love Rome during August and I hate it when all the Romans return in early September. To me Rome without the Romans is ideal. :)

Jen said...

I am SO excited for fall. I have my fuzzy slippers and a fleece jacket on as I type this and I'm just so, so happy. It was a HOT summer.

I don't do heat, either. It completely enervates me.

I'm so glad August was productive for you and that you have a touch of crisp in the air!

Liz Dwyer said...

I wonder how many more decades it'll take Americans to come around to the idea of taking a whole month off. --And wow, no AC or fan??? That's hardcore!

Moi said...

finally i've got over the back to school jitters and am ready to start-- at least start september. You need to move to a fab, zero-pub crawl neighborhood. Ever hear of Flaminia?

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

lucia - Have a great time at TIFF...such a great festival. I'm jealous.

erin - Same here. I like Spring but not the allergies, therefore Fall wins.

ggirl2 - Fall in New England is amazing isn't it? The colors are incredible.

di - I agree. Hopefully this winter we'll be back to normal temps.

dorina - hope you enjoyed those nice days. When I lived in NYC it felt like Winter would come two weeks after Summer ended.

jen - I need to come up with a plan of action for next summer. July and August here was so hot.

los angelista - I don't think that will ever happen. It's just not part of our cultural DNA. So many of us define ourselves by our work. Not doing it for month? People would flip out.

moi - ha. Yes I have heard of that fab neighborhood. Trust me, I'm looking forward to moving.

regina di roma said...

I think the fact that Italians don't sweat while others do is deeply rooted in childhood. For example, we got invited to the mountains near Rome, where the temp was about 5 degrees cooler than in Rome. By no means cold, just cooler. When it was time for bed, I pulled out short sleeve cotton pjs for the kids (as opposed to the diaper or underwear only rule in Rome) and I was shocked to see that my friend had bundled her son up in an undershirt, full length fleece footie pj's, and heavy socks over the feet.
If they are used to being kept "over dressed" and protected from any drafts or even a slight breeze from birth, sooner or later their bodies don't register heat like ours do? Boh!

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

Gil - my family in the Caribbean is not a fan of AC either. My parents do have it but don't put it on as much as I do. Also, they strongly suggest you don't let the fan blow directly on you. It's bad for your neck. ha

kataroma - you're too funny. I'm single so I do not like Rome in August. All my friends are gone and I miss them. Yes, this July was worse than August. Next year I have to leave.

regina - just your description alone is making me sweat!! I see my male friends wearing suits (they have to for work) in the summer and they aren't sweating. Meanwhile, I'm wearing a simple cotton top or dress and sweating buckets.

Laura said...

I love the change of season, especially fall. I'm coming off a stressful and busy summer, and I have to say that I'm feeling very excited to be getting back to daily life, cooler weather, warm scarves and writing. There's something in the air for a very positive autumn ahead! :-)

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

laura - anch'io!