Sophie In Italy - Day 1 Arrival

Amidst the excitement of finally being able to get a taste of travel after the past two painstaking years of Covid-19, I felt a niggle in my stomach as I was only hours away from boarding my flight to Rome. November 12th 2021 was the first time I had ever gone abroad solo. And it felt fucking brilliant.

We swiftly left at 6am to head to Gatwick South Terminal, but upon arrival, something didn’t feel right. There were only a handful of other people and the atmosphere was non existent. Was I at the right airport? After a few minutes of confusion and slight panic, I saw a puny little sign that read ‘All flights are now arriving and departing from the North Terminal’. I saw another sign directing me towards the shuttle, so off I went, wheeling my bulky, golden suitcase behind.

At last, there were more confused people waiting for the airport shuttle, and the worry started to melt away from my shoulders as the shuttle swept me away towards the North Terminal. Only a few moments later when I found my check in desk, the anxiety started to creep over me again as I noticed several police offers with heavy machine guns patrolling unattended luggage. Sniffer dogs inspected us, and I vividly remember checking to see my heart rate was on 125 bpm. Breathing fearfully through my face mask, my friends left me a reassuring voice note that it was most probably a misunderstanding.

Pret-A-Manger is my favourite coffee shop and I most definitely needed a one by this point after checking in and passing security. Now I can finally relax…

On my way to check my boarding gate I bumped into my fitness coach, James. I was definitely not expecting to see him here, but we chatted for a while before heading our separate ways as I had to get to my gate. Of course, I got lost again and went to the entirely wrong place as I remembered the gate number wrong. Checking the board one last time, I made my way in the opposite direction – next stop Italy!

I will never forget the moment I was sat on the plane looking out the window thinking to myself ‘I’ve actually done it’. Travelling solo is something I’ve always thought about doing, however, I never thought I’d have the courage to do it. From this moment onward, I was on a high and knew I could do anything I set my mind to. What I tell others is to 'just do it'.

That thing you’ve always wanted to do? Just do it. Just book the flight. Just try that new hobby you’re interested in. Just tell that certain person you like them more than a friend. What’s the worst that could happen? I will tell you what… the worst thing that could happen is you don’t do it and regret your inaction later. You only get to live your life once, so live it to the fullest. What are you waiting for?

A few hours later, I landed in Fiumicino, Rome, and the real journey began. I encountered my first language barrier when asking for directions to the train station within the airport, and you know what? That language barrier was incredible. What a spectacular problem to have after a pandemic and being stuck at home. Gestures of pointing led me in somewhat the right direction, and I eventually found the train. Sweating as I was rushing to get it on time, I had a euphoric moment knowing I would be in the heart of Italy very soon. This was when I started my ‘Sophie In Italy’ IGTV series, where I would live stream at points throughout my trip. Watch my Sophie In Italy IGTV series here.

Needless to say, I somehow got lost on my way from the airport to where I was staying in Colosseo. Let me tell you when I stepped out of the Metro and saw how magnificent the Colosseum was for the first time, my heart skipped a beat. There are honestly no words. I fucking made it.

Getting to my hotel was a breeze compared to the rest of my journey, and I soaked in all the architecture, restaurants, and language as I floated past the Colosseum towards it. It was golden hour, and I remember the sun kissing my cheeks as I made my way over the level crossing on Via Labicana. Behind a grand entrance door, I was greeted by a small old elevator, and I thought to myself ‘can I trust this?’. I came to the conclusion that I made it this far and I wasn’t prepared to carry 22kg of luggage up 4 flights of marble steps.

The room was beautiful, especially for an airbnb and I actually felt more like I was in a hotel. A hot steamy shower set me up perfectly for the evening, and I set foot to explore the city of Rome for the very first time. Wandering the streets of Rome felt so surreal as I was alone in this country with no one to rely on, and no one to rely on me. This was complete freedom and I was tasting it for the very first time.

With the best views of the Colosseum up close and personal, I spotted a handsome restaurant that would take my Italian virginity. ‘Table for one please’ I asked the waiter. The menu took me back, and there was a specific meaty pizza that caught my eye; I trusted it to make my first evening in Italy a memorable one. The waiter and I spoke for a while, and I face-timed my friends to tell them about my journey so far over dinner while they were back in the UK ordering Dominos. I thought to myself ‘I know nobody in this country – this waiter is the person of whom I trust the most in the whole of Italy’ and that thought both terrified and amazed me.

Italy is renowned for its tiramisu, so I made sure I saved a little spot for it on my first night being there. Dessert doesn’t go to the stomach – it goes to the heart, and it was rather whole that night so there was plenty of room. Some time had passed while I was sipping away at a few glasses of bubbles, so I was ready to move onto the next restaurant for pudding.

It was the most incredible dessert I have ever tasted in my entire life and the perfect ending to a glorious day. I’m not sure if it was something in the air, or if I had fallen in love with Rome already, or simply a recipe perfected though the generations.

In a humbling state of self satisfaction, I headed back to where I was staying for some well deserved relaxation time. November 12th 2021 was the day I did one of the bravest things in my life, and a day I will never forget. Are you ready to hear about how day two in Italy was one of the most memorable..?