Saturday, 8 October, 2022 – My friend Courtney said a few days ago that it seems like I’ve talked to Elias more often on this trip than I have since he started college. I think that is true and I am grateful first, to Elias and second, to technology. Elias has been generous, I feel, in letting us know where he is and what his plans are. He does not need to let us in, but he does. I also can talk to him anytime he calls! The calls are clear, stable, and affordable. And, yes, there’s the added benefit of geolocation services which have helped me feel connected to him, even on days he did not text or call.
He called to tell us that he has everything planned out until he gets on the plane in Paris. He is going to one of the small towns we visited when he was seven months old – Orvieto. I won’t run through his itinerary now, since I will write about it as it happens, but I know he is relieved to have his plan and kind enough to share it with me and David. As my family will tell you, I love a good plan.
Elias’s Pictures of Rome
The picture Elias took of the Spanish Steps reminded me of the day David and Elias (in one of those baby sling things, you wear on your chest) and I spent, walking the city. It was such a nice day, a beautiful fall day in Rome. I remember thinking that day, sitting on the steps, with Elias napping on my chest, how grateful I felt. I am not even sure I knew what I was grateful for – I just remember feeling overwhelmed by how lucky I am.
Okay, so now that I am looking at these pictures, I am not confident I am correct in placing them all in Rome. Based on the date stamp on the pictures, I assumed I had gotten it right. Now I am not so sure. I will work on that. Sorry, if I have led you astray.