Rome, Italy - A waxing moon lights the sky as a couple poses for their wedding photos in front of the Colosseum on a crystal clear night.  The city was crowded this night, bustling with tourists in the narrow streets leading to this massive, ancient structure - which is still the largest standing amphitheater in the world. 

I was born in America, but my family came from a small village in the south of Italy generations ago.  Out of my immediate family, I was the first to return to our homeland.  To smell the food and hear the language took me back to my great grandmothers kitchen as a child, to be immersed in the rash and emotive style of communication hit home in a very deep, penetrating way.  It was a trip that I knew I had to take at some point, for a reason that I still don’t really know. 

Sunset from the Spanish steps. 

Unforgettable Moments, from my first trip to Rome (2020).