“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love. " -- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, II,1

Last week I shared about traveling to Italy for an Earth Stewardship editorial board meeting. Well, since I've only been over the Atlantic one other time in my life, I decided to give myself a couple days to be a tourist in Rome. Here's a 3 Step Reciprocity Cyle view of that time from the window seat of that pond hopping return plane ride.

Acknowledge Earth Is Our Home

Even thought Rome has much more stone and concrete than NYC...

Where "garden's" are potted plants on tiny terraces outside windows or descending plants growing into the sides of buildings...

It somehow felt less void of nature.

Something about the small cobbled streets, big windows, ancient architecture, open plazas, outdoor restaurant tables, decorative fountains that once provided residents potable water...

It all felt more relational in it's very way of being.

A city shaped by a people 2000 - 3000 years ago and reshaped a several waves across the centuries in lasting, fire resistance materials of graphite, marble, concrete, and stone.

I lost track of all the info I learned about how parts of one building were built ontop of another and ontop of another. Or columns were taken from one place and repurposed. Or metal beams/"staples" that held together the Coliseum where ripped out for numerous other purposes.

A city that colonized far and wide to build a 1000 year empire that came crashing down for 500 years of "darkness" before the celebrated Renaissance that led to today. A city who's gods, emperors, and pope's who may have had heavenly aspirations but still knew Earth was our home.

Discover Your Earth Archetype

I'm sure the hordes of people that visit the Roman Coliseum every day all have different responses.

Even mine where a bit all over the map.

Giddy at walking around such iconic history.

Celebrating the engineering feat of building a 4 story stadium that could fit 50,000 people -- 2000 years ago!

Conflicted by blood bath as sport -- that I learned was paid by the wealthy and offered free to the citizens to "appease" their sense of adventure they didn't get to experience.

That adventure being death, theft, and colonization far and wide.

Yet, I had to laugh at how my Metaphor type reflected on how I would have stage managed scenery, lions, and gladiators in this maze of "backstage" area below the floor.

Work Together in Community

This step is a bit hard to grok this week.

For sure, what they say about travel opening up your mind, heart, sense of self and the world is certainly true.

I know that I am changed forever in small and big ways from this time of living and learning.

How my feet will now always know the feel of 112,000 steps on black square cobblestones (according to my phone tracking!)

My senses: the taste of fried artichoke, chicory, carbonara, tiramisu, and limoncello from one of my all time favorite restaurant experiences at Hostaria Dino & Tony.

My home: via the fun of hostel roommates from Brazil, Columbia, and Glasgow.

My perspective: through an hour long art history lesson from Medieval 2D to Renaissance 3D with Rick Steves in my ear at the Vatican Museum's Pinacoteca.

My privilege: from the view of 2000 years instead of my more immediate 450 years.

And so many more parts of me that changed because of the community of Rome.

At the moment, I feel grateful.