Vagabond or Bust

Ciao my American friends and loyal cohorts! First and foremost, YES, I am still alive despite strong past evidence to believe otherwise.  Second, I apologize for my absence and lack of updates-I haven't posted anything to this blog for a while, but it's not because I'm busy (most definitely the opposite). Rather, I have been feeling particularly uncreative and unmotivated these days (unless you're a future employer reading this, in which case, I am SUPER busy with work and exceptionally motivated). Now, this absence could be the side effects of staying out too late and/or not getting enough sleep, but surprisingly no. It’s the stinkin’ weather.  In my family, we have a saying that never fails to disappoint: “avoid liquor.” Oh, sorry wrong one, I meant to say “when the Fung’s go on vacation, we bring the weather with us.” And as you can imagine, Cleveland has graced Rome with its wonderful presence.  Yes, it has perpetually snowed here all week for the first time in 27 years and I am the lucky recipient of this miracle (insert straight-faced emoticon)! Before you say, “but Brendan, you love snow,” let me remind you, this isn’t Midwest snow where we grab our skis and head to Holiday Valley. No, this is equivalent to Nashville snow-one where everything is shut down and bad driving becomes worse driving. Add the -9.5°C temperature (that’s 15°F) as the icing on the cake, and this past week has been anything but a “roman vacation.”  However, despite a cancelled weekend trip to Tivoli (public transportation in Italy is…unreliable to say the least), this countrywide standstill has given me the opportunity to get to know Trastevere far better.  And for that, I am grateful.  We spent the whole weekend within the confines of our small historic town (sound familiar, Chagrin?), uninterested in the notion of travelling throughout the ice-covered and taxi-less city.  A solid mixture of the Gladiator drinking game, an outstandingly lazy Saturday, and an enjoyable loss for the Patriots left us with an altogether great weekend.  Next up…Krakow, Poland.  I can already hear mom and dad in my head, “avoid liquor.”