Experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic in a foreign country away from everything I’ve ever known has been an adventure, to say the least. I remember in February there was talk at the office that people would start to work from home, but it would probably be no more than a month because it “wasn’t that serious” — HA. I even remember people joking about it. Little did we know this was going to be a life-changing event that put a major halt in all of our lives.

I will always be grateful to have been able to be in a big apartment with my roommate, Anna, that also worked for the same organization, so we always had something to talk about and pass the time. Not to mention we had the same taste in movies, food, and wine so it worked out well for us. We both got to keep our jobs and live as normal as we could so it was something that I will be forever thankful for.

When we finally got out of the 3.5-month lockdown, it was like we were rediscovering Rome. Anna and I walked 3 miles to see the Colosseum and to hang out in the city center. I remember feeling like a kid in a candy store; it felt like we were on vacation where everything and everyone just seemed to glow.

We have had a lot of our freedoms back since that first long and hard lockdown. There was a point where almost everything went back to normal besides the masks and travel restrictions, but unfortunately with the nature of this beast of a virus, things are turning back again.

Now, Italy has officially gone on lockdown again in most regions – except in Lazio (which is where I live) and 2 other regions. It’s split up into three levels of restrictions: yellow, orange, and red. Lazio is yellow where there are the least amount of restrictions at the moment, and we have a few rules in place. We have a 10pm curfew and all restaurants are closed at 6pm, but delivery is still an option until midnight. We also are required to wear a mask the minute we leave the house – it does not matter if you are indoors or outdoors, you always have to be wearing it! Orange is the next level up with more restrictions, and finally, red zones are on full, strict lockdown. It’s not super clear why Lazio is one of the only remaining yellow regions or how long it is going to last, but I am trying to take the most advantage of it as I can while staying safe and following the rules, of course.

Since the first lockdown here, I moved into an Airbnb right next to the Pantheon over the summer. No tourists were in Rome and the Airbnb hosts needed someone to fill the home while there was a lack of tourism. So, they offered a great price and since I was working from home anyway, I wanted to seize the opportunity – I mean, come on, who can say they lived 10 yards from the Pantheon???

But, since that wasn’t the most ideal place to live, being in the middle of the tourist center and it didn’t exactly have all of the amenities I needed to live long-term, I have just moved into my more long-term apartment about 2 miles from the city center. I LOVE it. It has everything I need; it is so homey and fully renovated & modern (which is a bit hard to find for my price point in Rome), AND I have already decorated it for Christmas – I couldn’t help myself. YES, I will be giving a house tour on Instagram soon! So be sure to follow (@redheadsetgo) 😊.

Now I am mentally preparing for Lazio to go into an orange or red zone, but in the meantime, I am just super excited because I am finally able to go home to see my family for the first time in over a year!! I will get to spend an entire month at home for the holidays with my family and it is the best news I have gotten in a long time.

I can’t wait to share that story with you – I am sure traveling across the ocean at this time will be quite the adventure.

If you have any other questions for me, comment them below or send me a DM on Instagram! 🙂

Stay safe, everyone ❤

Ciao for now,

Chloe