When In Rome

Over the summer of 2023, I had the privelege of staying in Rome and traveling to see the Italian countryside. On the way, I was constantly taking photos, trying to get pictures of things that I desperately wanted to remember. Looking back at the photos after the trip was over, I noticed that there were a lot of things that I took photos of that would likely be considered "boring" to the untrained eye. I realized that I had taken these photos for a reason: because there was beauty in all of it. Whether it is the street art lining the walls in Rome, the musicians performing outside in our cities, the religious imagery and art around us, or even just a couple of elderly women taking a stroll across the street. There is something to be gathered from all of these things, feelings to be shared and wisdom to be absorbed regardless of where it happens.

When you are in a different place it becomes very easy to see the poetry in these images that we capture. To see the heart and human spirit behind some of these things. I think my biggest takeaway when looking back at these photos is that there are always beautiful things around us if we know where to look and how to point the camera, and maybe we should not have to go across the world to start noticing the art that we are constantly surrounded by.