TRAVEL
Conversation with a Stranger in Rome
How a chance encounter with a woman led to a new path
The sun beats down, a warm blanket over the city. We sit at a small table, sheltered by an umbrella, two glasses of wine between us. We are tired, our feet aching from a morning spent chasing fountains. The Fontana dei Fiumi, the Fontana del Nettuno, Trevi, and the Barcaccia — all grand, all noisy, all crowded.
Sitting down for a meal is our favourite way to experience Rome. It’s a chance to slow down, to soak in the city’s rhythm. We watch people pass by, a steady stream of faces and untold stories.
Menus open, we debate the merits of antipasti, primi, and secondi. A decision hangs in the balance when a figure materializes beside us. A woman, alone, slips into the chair next to ours, facing the street. Our little world, once just the two of us, now includes a stranger. The tables are so close, that our conversations will blend.
“Che bella giornata, vero?” she begins, her voice warm and carrying a slight accent, but still noticeably English.
My eyes shift from my menu to her. Her round face is framed by dark, bobbed hair. Bright, welcoming eyes crinkled at the corners, suggesting a lifetime of laughter and experience. Dressed in stylish, understated clothes, she carries an air of confidence. We both smile at her hesitantly.
I could read my husband’s mind: our quiet, unhurried lunch was about to be invaded.
“Hello,” I said.
“Oh, good you speak English,” she said chuckling at her mistake. “I’m Susan”.
“I’m Renee, and this is my husband, Michael,” I replied. Michael nodded and smiled.
“Traveling alone?” Michael asked a hint of surprise in his voice. I admired her courage. To be so far from home, without a familiar face, took a bravery I once had in my early twenties, but now can’t imagine a time I would travel without Michael.
Susan smiled. “It’s liberating,” she replied. “I’ve always wanted to do it and took the plunge a couple of years ago, and now wonder what took me so long.”
“What brings you to Rome?” I asked, eager to learn more about this intriguing woman.
“I’m interviewing for a position at Rome University,” she explained. “A dream come true, really. Since travelling here, it prompted the idea of living here one day.”
A spark ignited within me.
Living in Europe was a dream I’ve had for as long as I could remember. Michael and I had been visiting Europe for nearly twenty-five years, falling deeper in love with the places we visited. We often fantasize about leaving our lives behind and chasing this dream. But the reality was, we were firmly rooted in Canada. Our lives, our careers, our families — everything was there.
I envied Susan’s courage, and her ability to chase her dreams without hesitation.
Her story unfolded like a page-turner, a novel I simply couldn’t put down. She spoke of leaving a comfortable life behind, trading the familiar for the unknown. There was a vulnerability in her voice, a raw honesty that was both inspiring and intimidating. She spoke of the importance of seizing opportunities, of trusting one’s intuition. “Life is too short to play it safe,” she said, her eyes sparkling with conviction.
Her words echoed in my mind, a challenge to my own complacency. I’d always admired women who took risks and dared to dream big. Listening to Susan, I thought it was another ‘wouldn’t that be nice’ moment, something that happens to others, not me.
Rome, eight years later. The city shimmers under the same unforgiving sun, but this time I sit alone at a small cafe table. A solo traveller, just as I imagined Susan once was. The familiar weight of a camera hangs from my neck, a constant companion on this new adventure. I’ve just traded my corporate job for travel writing, finally living my dream.
Berlin, one year later. We sit on our tiny terrace, two glasses of wine clinking together in a silent toast to our new life. Henry, our weary travel companion, lies at our feet wagging his tail. We’ve pressed pause on our old lives and traded the familiar for the unknown. For three months, this small apartment, with its worn parquet floors and a view of rooftops stretching towards the sky, is our home.
A decade has passed since that fateful lunch, and the world has shifted. The woman I was back then — content, comfortable, married to routine — feels like a distant memory. Today, I am a stranger to myself, navigating a path forged from dreams and uncertainties.
Susan’s face often drifts into my thoughts, a ghost from a past life. Her words, once dismissed as idealistic musings, now echo with a profound clarity. She dared to leap, to embrace the unknown. And here I am, following in her footsteps, albeit years later.
Perhaps it was that chance encounter, that unexpected conversation, that planted the seed of doubt, the whisper of a different life. Or maybe the catalyst was something else entirely. Regardless, as I reflect today, a world away from the life I once knew, I can’t help but wonder if Susan’s courage, her unwavering spirit, played a part in bringing me to this moment.
Conversations, like pebbles, dropped into a still pond, create ripples that extend far beyond the initial encounter. The words shared between strangers can ignite a spark, and be a catalyst for change. In life, our stories intertwine, influencing paths we may never tread. Perhaps Susan’s courage, and her unwavering belief in pursuing dreams, echoed in my heart, becoming the whisper that pushed me towards a life less ordinary.
And who knows, maybe the words I’ve strung together here will resonate with someone, planting a seed of possibility.
It’s a beautiful thought, isn’t it?
That our shared experiences, our vulnerabilities, and our triumphs can inspire others to write their own chapters of adventure.
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