Stepping off the plane in Rome, I was finally able to relax. For the past 10 days, I had been fairly unsure about when, if ever, I would be able to arrive in Italy. My issues began when, two days before my flight was supposed to leave, the Italian Consulate in Chicago had still failed to return my passport and visa. After numerous phone calls to relatives, FedEx and the consulate, I was finally reunited with my requisite travel documents — three days after my flight was supposed to leave.

The next step was navigating the COVID regulations, which seemed to change by the minute. This proved especially challenging when trying to reconcile airline regulations, federal regulations and Italy’s entry requirements. Of course, appeals to the relevant authorities for clarification were always met with the same reluctance to provide any sort of assistance or advice. With flights rescheduled and my visa in hand, the final hurdle was a deceptively simple one: acquiring a negative COVID test. With Omicron surging and testing sites overwhelmed, the closest tests available were in Osage Beach, over an hour and a half away and with limited scheduling available. After getting my test results and gathering the additional paperwork required by the EU for entry to Europe, I was finally able to check in to my flight and begin my adventure in Italy.

Having been here for exactly two weeks as I write this, I have to say the stress of the preparations was well worth it. Living in Siena is like stepping into another world. A walled city on a hill, Siena feels anachronistic. From the restaurants on the Piazza del Campo to the Duomo, it is impossible to escape the weight of the history that surrounds you.