Realizations

In coming off one of the greatest weekends I have spent in Italy, it has been a week of many realizations and more thought than one person should normally have in the course of just four days.
Monday rolled around and in no sort of surprise did I find that even still, after many hours since my last meal, I still was not hungry. I barely even had an appetite for lunch. It was mostly spent recouping from the weekend, reading, and updating my blog and journal. For some reason, although I went to bed completely exhausted, I woke up Tuesday morning at 5 and rather than lay in bed and fight for sleep, I decided to go for a run in the woods. I beat the sun in rising and stepped out from the door and noticed to my great surprise that it was chilly and there was a mist over everything. It was not what you might call fog, but rather a simple veil over the ground as if to remind me that is was still morning. I picked up speed and soon I was darting between trees waiting for the sun to kiss my skin and warm me somewhat.
I reached the tree line and ran along side the field that lies beyond the wood and looked out at the expanse of Rome and the hills behind it. The sun was beginning to creep slowly over the lump of bluish gray earth in the distance, casting a golden glow on the dome of St. Peter's. Finally, to my relief, sunlight began spilling over the ground climbing up my body and bathing me in light and warmth and for a moment, it was as if everything stood still.
I had woken up with Rome. I watched the sun stretch its golden fingers over the hills transforming their colors, turning the long and dry grass in the field a resilient gold and finally illuminating the city to start the day. I stopped running. Rather than rush around in this glory, I simply walked in the grass letting the dew left over from the cool evening brush against my ankles. It made for a good day and I found myself smiling for the rest of the day.
Wednesday evening I finally (much to my dismay) finished "The Mists of Avalon." As I closed the back cover I, for the first time on my journey, sobbed. I sobbed really hard as if to cry all the tears that I had been wanting to cry from missing my family, the incredible surprise of my birthday, for the incredible beauty of this city and country and of course, because the story was over. As I finally dried my tears, I was amazed at that I felt better. From what? I have no idea; but it felt good.
I love Rome.