The Pantheon - My Favorite Building on Earth (Photos Property of The Blissful Adventurer - all rights reserved)
20 years ago I boarded a flight from DFW to Rome. I had no idea what to expect as I was older than most of my classmates and nearly missed out on the journey because I had not gone the semester before with my friends.
Just 1 year prior to my Rome departure I had a meltdown semester where I changed majors twice, dropped all my classes, and spent my evenings drinking cheap beer and smoking roll-your-own cigs while pining for a girl who had no interest in me.
My buddies all went to Rome the following semester. I returned to the theater and took hold of my life because one man had the insight to challenge me the way that I needed it. He told me, “I have heard you aren’t a very good student and frankly I am concerned you will not succeed here. I am not sure how you got this second chance, and if I were you, I would not waste it. You need to show me why we should want you in our department.”
I made it my mission to not only show my professor, but to shake up the world from which I had hidden, and demonstrate that I was indeed on the right path.
In that tremendous semester I excelled at my work, became much closer to the people in my class with whom I would share the next 2+ years, and on one fateful night discovered that many of my theater classmates were off to Rome the following semester. A light came on inside of me. I had been working so hard to redeem my reputation not knowing that in the process I had redeemed my eligibility to go to Rome
With a renewed vigor I applied and was accepted to the Rome program. I worked like a madman that summer with my father and he ultimately agreed to provide some funds for my journey. I was too unaware at the time to know my father had little money and went through a terrible business tragedy while I was gone, yet he kept me alive when I was overseas. I will always be grateful to my dad for instilling my love of travel and facilitating the experiences that set my passion in motion.
The Blissful Adventurer in Rome 1992 (Photo by Leo Landin)
On our flight to Rome, at the time the longest flight of my life, we gathered in the galley and smoked cigs while guzzling airplane bottles of booze our classmate had pilfered from the cart. When we landed I had no concept how to grasp the lag in time. One minute it was night, the next it was day, and I was shoving through the Rome airport with way too much stuff while dudes with UZIs and funny hats kept watch over us.
We met Fr. Gilbert Hardy at the customs area and within seconds I knew he was a man not to be challenged, and at the same time I would grow to adore our Rome director over the course of the semester.
As we wound our way through the maze of Roman highway that morning and into the suburb of Vitinia where our campus was located, I was amazed how old, dirty, and run-down all of the buildings seemed to me. I had no idea that most of these were at least 200 years old with many much older than that. I could not believe the sizes of the cars. I drove a 1978 Olds Cutlass, so seeing my first Fiat Pandas and 600s was shocking.
We arrived on campus and I went directly to my room, met my roommate Chris, who eventually became Soy Jack (another blog for sure) and I began to unpack. I knew within minutes that Soy Jack was going to be a messy pig and so I had my first of countless doubts that would arise during this semester abroad. The doubt, the disbelief, and eventually the acceptance are integral to falling truly in love with Italy and I suppose travel in general.
Museum Envy (Photos Property of The Blissful Adventurer - all rights reserved)
Within an hour I was starving. It was likely 10:45am or so at the point I discovered lunch was at 1PM. What the hell is wrong with this place? I thought, and likely voiced to my excited classmates creating immediate tension between a hungry man and his “we don’t give a shit about food we are in ROME” classmates.
I wandered outside and fired up a Marlboro. It was nice to draw on the cig in the daylight. I was never a day smoker and eventually not a smoker at all, but on this day in the grey humid air of my arrival in Rome I needed this.
Lunch finally arrived and I was ready for Spaghetti, Meatballs, and Garlic Toast. You may imagine my utter horror at the site of little tubes of pasta with some boring tomato sauce already tossed with the pasta. There was no cheese, no meat, and no garlic toast in site. The only bread was this hollow, salt-less, cannonball of a roll, politely referred to as Moon Rocks.
I was mortified at the abject state of lunch. I suffered through my bowl of way-too subtle pasta and some weird salad with red orange segments and salty black olives. Luckily I found the pizzeria down the way that evening and it became my go-to haunt for nights I could not stomach the cafeteria or I was simply not full.
However, my greatest find had to be the Pasticceria - the pastry shop. Many a morning after a nasty moon rock breakfast I would sneak out of History class to use my restroom, hop out my room window and hustle down the street for a 3 pack of pastries,:vanilla cream, chocolate cream with chocolate icing, and of course Panna – the whipped cream filled profiterole. The ladies at the pastry shop were so sweet, yet I could never get them to NOT wrap the pastries like a birthday present. They had no idea I was eating these on my 300 meter walk back to campus.
The pastries were my indoctrination into true Italian food and life. It was less than a month before that Penne con pomodoro and Insalata d’arancie rosse con olive nere were some of my favorite foods on the planet.
I cannot deny the spirit of this place (Photos Property of The Blissful Adventurer - all rights reserved)
Sure, I had setbacks. Numerous times on wrong trains, girl trouble(always), not enough money for rooms so I slept on trains, drunken Germans wanting to fight, drunken Greeks wanting to fight, and absolutely no Italian language skills whatsoever. I was a pointing fool at the pizzerias, the stores, and the train stations. However, I shopped much more than I knew I would. I wore scarves, rolled jeans, vests, sweaters, sunglasses, and even let myself grow a little stubble. I wanted more than anything to look like I belonged even if I knew I could not fool anyone for long.
I look at my writing from this point in my life and when I sort through the misery of my lonely fish out of water musings I can see signs, as the semester progressed, of a bonding with Rome. I remember very clearly returning from 10 days of travel all over Europe and when our trained pulled into Termini station back from Munich I knew I was home. Yes, that dirty, slow entry on feces-laden tracks was a comfort to me on that fateful morning. What the hell was wrong with me? It was Rome, and it was Italy.
The chaos began to slow down and much like a marksman tracks prey in the woods I began to see targets of joy through the kaleidoscope of flux. I began to travel by myself more often. I would take the train to Rome as soon as classes were over just to spend a few minutes in a neighborhood I did not know. I walked once from the Vatican over the Janiculum Hill all the way down to the Circus Maximus. Me, my camera, and less than 5 bucks on a 4+ hour journey of discovery.
This was suddenly no longer The University of Dallas Rome semester. This was now Michael Housewright’s Italian life. I did not look at Rome as a one-off and onward to better things. Rome was the better thing and I wanted more of it.
On my flight home in December I wrote and wrote in my journal. I wrote all the way till we landed and then again on my connection to Dallas. I wrote about faith, family, and my hopes to be a better person with a clearer head. I wrote about love and what it means to be loved. I even wrote about the foods I missed at home, and in the end I wrote about Rome and a life having been forever changed. I promised I would return.
Faith in the fountains of Rome is often viewed as cliché’. In my case, it was not. I return to Italy this year. My 11th journey to the boot in the last 20 years. I go excitedly knowing I am taking my wife to Rome, Venice, and Florence in celebration of the anniversary of my Rome semester. We will go to Vitinia and see my old campus. We will walk the Janiculum hill once again and I will write once again. I will write because it makes me happy; Italy makes me happy.
See You Soon (Photos Property of The Blissful Adventurer - all rights reserved)
About Michael Housewright
Beautiful post, I’m happy with the experiences we made and the lessons learned as well…
Thank you Leo. You were there for the whole thing for sure and you have made my top 20 moments on more than 1 occasion
I need to give you photo credit…doing this now
Italy has you firmly in her grasp. You’re a lucky man!
Can I just say, I love your writing: “much like a marksman tracks prey in the woods I began to see targets of joy through the kaleidoscope of flux”
Made my morning. Grazie.
As did yours and the relationship with your family. Italy is on the wavelength today for sure
Thank you for being such a great supporter. Let’s talk Italy plans soon
One of these days I WILL see the Pantheon!
John – You would dig it the most! Come out and join us man. I can only imagine the amount of food we would enjoy
Oh, and congrats on 100!
Thanks John! I hope someday to be in your league of followers and consistency
In all the time we spent traveling together and smoking out on the balcony in Rome, how is it I never knew the depth of your sensitivity or about your secret pastry connection.
This line is truly wonderful. I love it:
“The doubt, the disbelief, and eventually the acceptance are integral to falling truly in love with Italy and I suppose travel in general.”
likely because I was a caustic redneck asshole, and I knew you had a boyfriend so I was not trying to work my dime store magic on you.
Michael, although my “Love Affair with Italy” may be slightly longer than yours, you started off with a semester abroad which I so wanted to do but never was able to do… that is, until I took that sabbatical 3 months back in 1999/2000. Wow! Your imagery brought back great memories of my first trip to Rome in the 70s. I must (secretly) admit, I was throwing coins from the balcony of the Hassler Hotel to the plebeians below. Disgusting American! Keep up the great writing. Meet you in the Trastevere!
Harold, you know I will meet you there! How about an evening of chatting and nostalgia at Osteria Glass? We will be in Rome in May, how about you?
When in May? I’ll be in Regione Piemonte (mostly Torino for BITEG) May 1 – 8… got a few days after I could work in Rome!
Harold, We arrive in Venice on May 8 and then we go to Trieste likely on May 10. We are certainly in Venice May 8-10 although we could wind up shooting down to Rome on the 8th I think it will more than likely be later. Want to meet in Venice? Know any great (not expensive) places to stay?
Might be tight. Actually Venice would be easier as I will be departing our of Milano. I will keep you posted. Ciao
Let me know HP! I look forward to catching up with you!
Thanks so much for this amaazingly heartfelt journey back in time to UD Roma, Michael! Though we didn’t share the same semester – we shared very similar memories of falling head over heels IN LOVE w/ BELLISSIMA ROMA!! Whether it be the teacher that challenged/inspired us to move ahead despite your doubts (Fr. Maguire touched my life – inspiring me to forge ahead + go to Rome!)….parents that gave us money for Rome when there was none to spare….the EMPTY cafeteria carbs (moonrocks, pasta, rasberry pastries) that left us wanting MORE (…20lbs later!)….making Rome HOME by the end of trip (remember staying later after everyone left back to US just to take a last minute train to Florence w/ James Netreba to buy Christmas leather gloves for my dad!).
Like you, I’ve been drawn back to home sweet Rome again and again over the years….It’s like a comforting friend you don’t see for awhile that you can pick up just where you left off – without skipping a beat! As a tried + true UD Roma tradition, I always spend my last night in Rome cheering the eternal city over a few beers at Fiddler’s Elbow!
You are SO lucky + blessed to be bringing your wife Juliette back to HOME to Rome – what a gift! There’s NO doubt you’ll both have an AMAAZING Roman adventure!! Thanks so much again for the trip dowm bellissima Roma memory lane, Michael.
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE ROME!
All the best,
Shannon Poppito
UD Fall ’90 Romer!
what a great comment Shannon! You know I skipped Florence with the group to do Oktoberfest, so I went on my own the weekend the group went to Tivoli to find leather and silk goods for Christmas
That day will be a post to itself. You have always been inspired and are inspiring me Shannon. What I did not say about my Rome semester was that I spent a few days with you and your sister before my departure. It was you and your wonderful mother that took me to JFK for my flight. Your Mom nearly lost her shit on you for taking so long as she was illegally parked and we were actually at the wrong building. My Rome semester was also my first NYC experience and it too is a place I come back time and again.
Thank you Shannon for your friendship; then and now!
OMG – this just brought tears to my eyes – I nearly forgot that craaazy day w/ you and my mom at JFK!! Boy – do I MISS that fiesty woman!! I’m sure I was mortified w/ embarrassment watch’n mom lose her shit (as she often did – LOL!) – but man ooh man I’d pay good money to have a day full of that kinda craaazy again – funny/memorable stuff for sure!!
Isn’t it wild that us two former-on-the-fence UD’ers have both developed an unbreakable connection to Roma?! …I’m actually in contact [on-line dating - oh jeeez!] w/ a wine expert who travels to Italy [Piedmont area] to buy his wines….I’m obsessed with the idea of drop’n everything and do’n a craazy throw-caution-to-the-wind ‘Under The Tuscan Sun’ move! …We shall see where the eternal city takes me!
Thanks again for the trip back HOME to bellisima Roma and mama -> made my day!
-Shannon
Okay. I’ll leap right in here! DO IT! It ain’t the same 5-10-20-30 years later. Carpe diem! It’s Latin for heavens sake.
Harold, you are awesome. I know Shannon would love you and your passion for Italia!
Proper firsts: Congrats to you, Michael! 100 posts is an awesome achievement. You have shared yourself, mind and soul, with us and we are grateful for this.
Loved reading this post, and learning about how your love for travel developed and burgeoned — and how it almost didn’t happen. Woo-wee . . . that was some advice that professor gave you. I think I would have burst into tears right there, but I am glad you saw the tough-love for what it was, took it, and did great things in that semester. Obviously, if you hadn’t, things may very well have been quite different for you. No doubt you would have found your way eventually, but a mind and passion such as yours would be a terrible thing to squander for any length of time.
That picture of you in 1992 is awesome! Truly, you look very much the same.
Thanks for sharing you, Michael
Cara,
Today was one of the most important pieces for me. It solidified to me on the inside that what I am doing on the outside I have been doing and will keep doing for always. I am so happy you are a part of this thing we call blogs.
btw..thanks for the compliment on the photo. I wish I had not been so hard on myself for being “skinny” back then.
Really? I never knew that was an issue for you! I always had a thing for tall, lanky guys. You definitely should have cut yourself a break and then some! Then again, can’t we all cut ourselves a break then, now, and every tomorrow?
yeah, but for basketball players and macho bullshit it was good to be bulkier. I am now grateful I was lanky otherwise I might have become una palla di lardo by now
I can only say…you’ve made me long for Vitinia in a way I never have. Thank you, Michael. Thank you UD Rome Program for introducing me to one of my great loves, the blood orange.
Jen,
Thank you for being such a great friend and following all 100 of my posts
Ah, you know it’s my sincere pleasure. *hugs*
I am proud to be one of the ones that shared your first Italian experience! I gained an adopted brother in you while there (and for many years to follow) and you took some of the best pictures of me I have ever seen!! It was a wonderful, hard, lonely, beautiful and incredibly memorable time in my life and I am so glad you have documented it for all of us
You are awesome Michael and Juliet is so lucky to go there and see it though your eyes! Thanks for the memories….
Amy,
It was you who convinced me to come to Rome one night in Catherine lounge rehearsing a scene for directing class. You were one of the dearest people in my life before and after Rome. I am so happy you have a great family and the life you wanted. UD and Rome was such a life-altering experience and we are all forever bound because of those days.
This will be the 4th time Juliet and I have been to Rome together, and this time will be about renewing the beauty of the past with the wonder of tomorrow. I am so glad you commented Amy and thank you for the very kind words!
Michael
One of the best investments we have ever made as evidenced by the words just penned ! We love you son ! drh
DRH – It is so important to me each day to do the things that make my family proud and confident in the way in which I was reared. No one ever told me what I had to be or ought to be and for this I do my best to offer something in return.
I love you and my family very much!
Congratulations on your 100th post. Once you start writing it’s hard to stop. You’ve brought back great memories for me….I made a trip like this, only to Paris. I ultimately made it to Italy years later for a short visit. I look back on those years and they are such happy memories. Go back as ofen as you can! There is nothing like travel, good food, and wine!
Thanks Angeline,
I agree with you 100% and this is likely why I have given up everything to travel and write for a living. Life to me is about great meals, wine, and scintillating conversation. I very much appreciate your comments and Paris is also a place I adore
The Pantheon is also my favourite building in Rome, as is my husbands. Lovely post.
Thank you very much! I am so inspired to return this year
its clear where and when you writing started and was inspired from. always brilliant, and a great job of storytelling and the sly humor. its like waiting for the next episode of your favorite cartoon/tv episode!
Kristian,
That is such a kind thing to say. I will do my best to continue to live up to your praise!
Cheers Brotha
M
I have been meaning to drop you a line for a while now. You beat me to Europe by about 6 months, back when it was still a little sketchy and raw in places. Now if I don’t get back with the wife at least once a year, I feel that I have missed something. And oh, how I miss the 2 for 1 Deutsch Mark these days. You have a new fan. Thanks for reawakening some grand and wild old memories! Rattling trains in Eastern Europe, a rough Budapest in the rain, Munich’s English Garden, keeping ahead of conductor’s on the express train from Ancona, running from a storm in Trieste, a blood red dusk in Transylvania, a secret underground bar in Subotica, drinking Staropramen at the brewery in Prague, an evening with a Roma family in Belgrade, a romantic evening on a dock on Lido watching the sunset over Venice, fresh warm bread on a cool morning in a village outside besieged Sarajevo. Thanks for that reminiscence! Be well.
Thank you for following my blog. Hope to exchange communications with you in the future.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
very cool..i have been to rome last summer and so fell in love with the city…your pics are breath-taking… tried to capture the pantheon but didn’t manage…you did masterfully
I have had a lot of Pantheon practice. That building never fails to arouse emotions in me. I am so glad you enjoyed the post and thank you for following