Rome

            Pictures of Taxis from the early 1900s, that can take you from Lebanon, to Syria, then back to
Palestine, are very common on social media. Millennials look at them, and long for the lives they will never have, while older people reminisce and cling to the memories. 

you could have breakfast in Beirut, lunch in Damascus, and dinner in Jaffa. This is a phrase that is often used to describe how life was before the Arab world was divided, and before Palestine was occupied.

Today, Palestine is divided into two parts by a wall. One part is what is now called Israel, and the other part is the west bank. 

This has made it impossible for Palestinians to travel abroad unless they cross the borders to Jordan. The recent wars and divisions have complicated the freedom of travel for many Arabs as well.

When having checkpoints is the norm, freedom of travel is very fascinating. The idea that one could pick their things up and go anywhere they want, is strange and intriguing. This has pushed me into wanting to travel in Europe as much as I can, and my first destination was Rome.

After spending the night in Malaga airport due to the lack of night buses, I was welcomed to the city by two Palestinian friends, who are studying in the National Dance Academy in Rome. The following week was filled with multiple Gelatos (a day), LOTS of Pizza, and 5 am Pasta.

The first touristic place I wanted to visit was the Colosseum. Our plan, however, was interrupted by the sudden loss of my friends phone. By the time she had realized that none of us stole it, and that it is still inside the bus, the bus had gracefully moved on to its next stop.

Thanks to a phone application called Find my Iphone, we were lucky enough to track the phone after more than 6 hours and many, many drives around town. The phone was stuck under the seat, explaining why it was still there after so many hours.


I wont bore you with the details of my trip;  the touristic places I had been to (mainly because I do not remember their names), the gorgeous views, and the terrible weather. However, Rome is a place I will definitely be returning to.