It’s December tomorrow, y’all! How did this year full of so many life-changing events come and go so quickly? I want to share my 2020 looking back…

So, I know this isn’t the same as receiving a physically mailed card, so I apologize for that, but with the mailing situation from Rome, I am going to have to do it this way this year. This is definitely longer than your typical Christmas card, but I just have so much I want to share so here it goes:

This year has been a wild ride for everyone; there is no doubt about that. It started off strong in January when I was still in the first few months of my internship at the World Food Programme (WFP) here in Rome, Italy. I was settling into Rome and I had already made some amazing memories and connections with people from every corner of the world. But, unfortunately, you all know the plot twist of this story: 2020 brought these easy-going times to a screeching halt. Okay, not screeching, but it was a pretty aggressive change. Two weeks before the pandemic really hit Italy, I fractured my leg playing soccer. So, I was actually “locked down” two weeks before everyone else! I wasn’t able to easily get around Rome on public transportation, so I was working from home. I don’t know about you, but I certainly have learned a lot about myself this year in my time being locked down/quarantined — especially in a foreign country. Italy was hit hard by the coronavirus in the beginning months and the entire country went into one of the longest nation-wide lockdowns in history. I was fortunate enough to have been in Rome for almost 5 months before the lockdown began so I had luckily established my friendships and my relationship with my boyfriend long before then. I know of a few colleagues that were internationally recruited a week or two before lockdown and had no chance at all to meet people. I wouldn’t have survived; those are some strong people. But luckily, I had friends to call that were all locked down in their apartments going through the same thing as me, and I had an awesome roommate to go through lockdown with. I will stand by my statement forever that she is the only person I could be locked in a small apartment with for nearly 3 months that would result in the both of us coming out of it alive and happy. 🙂

Pre-COVID, 2020:

My boyfriend, Francesco, and I really got lucky with the lockdown and its effect on our relationship. A little back story: we met at work towards the end of 2019 — he is a security guard at WFP, and we met during our onboarding security/safety training. He sat two seats away from me and we never really spoke to each other after that except a brief wave and “ciao” in the hallways of the office. One day I finally asked him to remind me what his name was when he was guarding the front entrance of the building as I was heading into work. That same week we ran into each other at my favorite pub during karaoke night and we exchanged information. Then we realized that we actually lived in the SAME complex. So, we were able to see each other during lockdown without being locked down in the same apartment. It was the best-case scenario anyone could have asked for, although since it was still the early months of our relationship when we were locked down, date nights were strange – but we got to know each other quickly and, not to be cheesy, but we have an amazing bond and friendship that I don’t think would have been the same if we were dating the “normal” way. Or maybe it would be, but definitely not as fast. We made homemade pasta, he taught me many Italian recipes, we set up “date nights” where we would set a table, dress up, and pretend we were in a restaurant, had karaoke nights and movie nights, and we even took a virtual “trip” to Paris (and by that I mean we watched a tour of the city online and drank French wine). We would also spend some mornings reading to each other in our own native languages to get some practice. It was different. But good different. ❤

Once the lockdown was lifted in May, we were finally able to go out and explore the city that we had almost forgotten that we lived in. I will never forget exploring Rome during a time when there were no tourists. The Colosseum was standing alone in the middle of the ghost town. We could get so close to the Trevi Fountain, and it was so silent you could hear every drop of water. It was both haunting and beautiful. 

Slowly, travel restrictions were being lifted and we were able to travel again. I ended up moving out of my apartment that I was locked down in, to one in the city center because I was given a once-in-a-lifetime, affordable opportunity to temporarily move to an Airbnb right next to the Pantheon! It was good for me — as much as I loved my other apartment, I was ready for a change after the lockdown and I wanted a chance to experience living on my own and being completely independent.

Over the summer, I was lucky enough to have been able to travel around Italy with Francesco and my friends, and I even got the chance to visit France and Croatia for the first time. Even though it was a weird summer with lots of uncertainty about the world, it was one I will truly never forget — magical is an understatement.

Now Italy’s cases have risen again, and we have a lot more restrictions. I think I can speak for everyone when I say I am excited for the day that we can live our normal lives again. But things in 2020 seems to be turning around! Just a couple months ago, the World Food Programme was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2020, and although I am only one person in a very large organization, it is something that I am so proud to be a part of. So many of my colleagues risked everything to get out to the field this year to help feed millions of people who rely on the assistance, and I am forever in awe. I was also promoted from intern after 8 months to a consultant over the summer, and I am thrilled that I can stay in Rome to continue working for WFP. AND the best news: after a year and three months away from the U.S., I can finally say that I am now able to go home for an entire month to spend the holidays with my family before returning to Rome in January 2021. All I can think about now is seeing my family and spending some much needed time at home in Virginia.

I hope everyone reading this is staying safe and well, and I know this year has been tough — but I feel in my heart there is a light at the end of the tunnel for us approaching and we will all get through this!! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and (finally) Happy New Year!

Sending all of my love to you!

Love,

Chloe